TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Butterfly (WIP)]

I like the bright tone at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The chord progression is a bit cliche, but the overall flow of the piece is nice, and there’s a good sense of climax into :45. The percussion sounds a bit indistinct at :45, and the sidechaining is a bit heavy for my tastes. The quirky synth at 1:15 is cool, and the brass instrument in the background of the breakdown at 2:00 was a nice touch. I like how you varied the drop the second time around, even though the harmonic content itself could use some switching up at some point in the piece. I also would’ve liked to hear a proper outro to the piece. Still, great job overall with the sound design, atmosphere, energy, and mixing. My biggest concern here is probably how generic the arrangement, harmonic framework, and transitions are.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Semicedevine responds:

Thanks for the detailed review! Yeah, it definitely is generic, but this whole thing started out as a semi-joke with what would happen if I tried making the most generically-composed song possible. The result was that since I was already familiar with the process, I could focus on other things I normally wasn't as familiar with like mixing and flow control! xD

[The Ride on the Pianofalls]

I like the bright tone at the beginning and the sound design. The piano sounds really rich and full, which is good, but also a bit inauthentic. Maybe it’s the way it’s filtered? I like the injection of energy at :34 and the melodic flourishes in the strings. There’s a great devious sort of mood at 1:03. You really sold the narrative quality of this one, and despite all the variety in the composition the progression is really smooth. The drum rolls at 2:23 are especially nice, and the slightly dissonant piano line at 2:58 was also a fun detail. I’m just going to list a bunch of other small things that I thought were really cool: the percussion and vocals at around 4:05, the emotional quality of the string mini-solo at 5:40, and the beautiful pacing and spaciousness of the piano solo at 5:55. If I had to complain about something, it might be that there could’ve been a bit more cohesion in the structure. Still, I know you poured your heart into this, and it shows. Absolutely inspiring work here, especially with the composition. Keep it up, ScottSoul! ^^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

ScottSoul responds:

Quite the review there, TaintedLogic! Perhaps you can help me understand what you mean by 'authenticity' in the piano, and 'cohesion' in the structure; it's too vague for me to comprehend your point of view (which I appreciate greatly)! :)

I wish I could thank you properly for the flowers you're throwing at me for all the details you're picking up on, but all I can really say is everything I compose is somewhat unconscious; namely, I'm not entirely responsible for what comes out onto my DAW. Most of the time, I'm taken aback myself by how extensive "my" work can be. The soul is a wild animal.

Thank you so much, TaintedLogic, for favoriting my track and reviewing it. It means the world to me.

[Last One To Die [ ft. Equinox ]]

I like the ominous effects at the beginning. The deep vocals and rhythmic content at :06 are nice. The mix sounds a little distorted once the kick comes in at :18, and the siren at :30 is a little cliche. I like the build-up into :41, and the drop was catchy if a little minimal. Later in the piece, I would’ve liked to hear some more harmonic variety or melodic development. You also could’ve made better use of the treble range of the frequency spectrum throughout the piece. Also, 2:28 is another place in the piece where it’s clear how much that kick drum is distorting the mix. I think you need to tone down the compression here and use some filtering techniques more carefully. Overall, though, this is a catchy piece with some fun sound design and an engrossing mood. Keep at it, SaviJD! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[torture of horror]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and spaciousness of the mix. The sound effects used throughout, from the screaming to the telephone chatter and sound effects, are really creative. The texture is a little minimal for my tastes, and I would’ve liked to see a little more harmonic depth at some point. The pause at 1:02 is nice for building a sense of anticipation, which then gets resolved nicely at 1:05. The somber melody at 1:05 did a nice job of giving the piece a sense of direction, even if it’s a little short. The mixing is strong here, too, but the composition could use a little more fleshing out. I’d especially like to hear a stronger sense of ebb and flow over time - the energy level and instrumental hierarchy are almost constant throughout this piece in its current form. Still, the sound design is really creative, and the mood and melodies really help put an image in my head. Solid work, SadSaddy! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[The Vile March]

The beginning reminds me of the Jaws theme. :) I like the beat and the escalation of intensity in the synth riffs. The fade-in of the kick drum at the beginning could’ve been a bit more creative, but by around the 1-minute mark I’m really starting to like the melodic riffs and flow of the piece. The sound design of the piece isn’t my favorite, though. The brass samples sound really fake, and some of the other instrument choices are a bit harsh in the mix (example: the creepy synth with the filtering automations at 1:12). The texture was also a bit minimal at times. Some of the percussive elements of the piece are especially creative later on, though, like the fills starting at 1:45 or so. There’s a great sense of build in intensity into 2:15 or so, although the mix sounds a bit strained by that point. The ritardando at 2:40 was a great idea for a transition. Usually, I’m not a huge fan of fade-out endings, but I think it actually works well here because it fits with the unconventional structure of the piece. Overall, sound design and mixing are my main concerns here, especially sound design. I think this piece would be a complete knockout if there was more variety in the instrumentation and some higher-quality samples, actually. The composition is really unique, though. The one-climax model doesn’t always work so well in my experience, but in this case the pacing of the progression and the melodic breaks in the phrasing structure (like at 1:05) give it enough of a sense of variety to keep it interesting. Really creative piece, Rosemthornz! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Shooting star]

I like the spacey mood and atmosphere, but the pulsing effect on the pads was a bit too heavy for my tastes. The airy synth at :15 is a nice touch, and there’s a good sense of climax into :46. The slow-paced drop was great harmonically, if a bit over-compressed. The beat at 1:48 is cool, and I like the more consistent flow of the second drop at 2:17. The melodic variations at 2:33 really help hit the piece home. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture throughout, though - I wonder if you could’ve gotten away with loosening up on the compressors a bit if you toned down the reverb. Still, this is a creative piece with some really neat sound design and atmospheric elements. My main concern is probably the generic arrangement, actually. Keep at it, Retrize! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

retrize responds:

I will try my best, thank you very much ;)

[Rising]

I like the quirky pads at the beginning. The melody at :07 is nice, although the synth playing it is a bit cheesy and generic. There’s a good sense of build into :29, and the texture is well-balanced and catchy during the refrain. The mix could be a bit cleaner - I’d suggest getting a bit stricter about how you filter and equalize the piece, especially with the bass frequencies. Also, the transition at :59 is a bit sudden, and I would’ve liked to hear some more variety in the harmonic content later in the piece. The riser at 1:50 was clever, but also got in the way of the main melody a bit. Overall, my biggest problem with the piece is that it uses a lot of cliches in the instrumentation, chord progression, and arrangement. Still, the rhythmic content, progression, and melodies are all strong here. Keep at it, Qruintrox! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[:Nitro:]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. The chord progression is pretty cliche, but the synths are cute, if a tad cheesy. I like the injection of energy at :21. The texture could use a bit more reverb to make it sound richer, especially during the less energetic parts like :43. I thought the build-up at :54 was a bit generic, but the drop at 1:04 was cool. Nice job with the crisp drums and bright-sounding chords. The transition at 1:47 was a tad sudden, but provides some nice structural contrast. The stop-start transition at 2:06 didn’t quite work for me, but I’m enjoying the final refrain. I would’ve liked to see some more variation in the harmonic framework at some point, but the piece is short enough that it doesn’t bother me too much. I think the transitions in this piece could’ve been smoother and more creative, with more advanced techniques like filtering, automation, and cross-fading. My biggest problem with the piece is probably how generic it is, from the instrumentation to the chord progression to the arrangement. Still, you did a good job with the mixing and mastering, harmonies, and atmosphere, especially later in the piece. Keep at it, Purple-Rocket! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Approaching Battle]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning and the crisp percussion. The dark chord at :21 is a nice touch, and there’s a great sense of build-up into :34. The string melodies there are beautiful, and you’ve really sold the drama well with the phrasing and instrumentation. The brass solos during the middle section were also really nice, and you tie the piece together really well with the melodies at the end. If I had to complain about one thing, it might be that the mix is a little quiet. But overall, really strong work here, my friend. You’ve earned a scout and, pending the approval of the other judges, a spot in the next round of this competition. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

potato-stick responds:

Thanks for the clearly thought out review! The mix has been something that I haven't gotten too deep into, so maybe I'll focus more on that for the next submission. I'm glad to join in on this competition and this community :)