TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Spirits]

I like the ghostly lead at the beginning and the airy riff at :14. The pulsing synth bass is a nice way of keeping a sense of energy and drive in the texture too. I was a little thrown off when it seems to duck under the mix at :43, but it seems like that's intentional. I'm loving the majestic harmonies at around 1:25, and also the catchy lead riff at 2:20. The flow of the piece is really smooth, and I like how it comes full-circle by the 4-minute mark. Overall, it's a fun and catchy piece with a neat atmosphere and solid mixing.

I'm extremely sorry to hear about your assault, and I wasn't aware that this was the reason for the late submission. I'll discuss with the judges about making an exception for you. Clearly the late submission wasn't your fault. That said, I'd also encourage you to prioritize taking care of yourself over participating in the NGUAC - mental health comes first. If you ever need someone to talk to, please don't hesitate to send me a PM.

Teckmo-X responds:

This review made me feel like I had finally accomplished something and this time did it right. I didn't get to fully mix and master it like I wanted to but I tried to rush as much of it as I could to make the deadline. This review also gave me light to what I'd say an improvement from all my other work. I thank you for your time and kindness to listen and comment.

I apologize for my late submission. As for my health I am doing much better and undergoing a speedy recovery. This isn't the first time it's happened (last time was worse and life threatening). I get harassed quite often because I''m transgender but I continue to stay positive about things. I'm just grateful to be okay. I thank you for your concern. If you'd have any questions or would like more info please don't be afraid to ask me in private.I'm a very open person.

[Salt & Water]

I like the easygoing mood at the beginning and the authentic sound design. Getting serious 70s vibes from this. The vocals are nice, and the lyrics themselves are cool too. The mix gets a tad strained at some of the busier sections, notably at the airy bridge at 2:20. I liked the dreamy bridge at 2:40, though, and the spoken bit towards the end was a nice thematic touch, even if it dragged on for a bit too long imo. It might've been nice to have a final refrain at the end, or at least more of a gradual outro, as the current ending seems a bit abrupt. Still, you nailed the sound design and atmosphere of this piece, and my complaints with the composition are only minor. Keep at it, Gald! Sorry again for the confusion in the thread - I totally blame myself.

[tocc]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the eerie mood. The cello at :13 could sound a little more distinct in the texture, and by :34 or so the texture overall is pretty dissonant. It's a little hard to follow the direction of the piece around the 1-minute mark, but I'm liking the oom-pah vibes at 1:12 with the barking dog. The transition at 1:36 was a little rough, but I'm enjoying the rhythmic content and sound design thereafter. Overall, this composition doesn't have a great sense of cohesion, and oftentimes lacks harmonic depth. Dissonance can work really well in a dark, cinematic track like this, but I feel like it needs to play a clearer role in the narrative form of the piece. Instead, I think the order of the phrases and the way they’re connected aren't really building towards something here. My favorite elements of the piece were probably the sound design and atmosphere, from the foreboding synths to the authentic-sounding guitar and strings. Overall, the fun mood, dissonance, and variety are potentially really appealing aspects of this piece, but I think they'd work better here if the arrangement was less choppy. Keep at it, Snoballandthmonyshot! :)

snoballandthmonyshot responds:

Hey hey,
Thanks for taking the time to review.
As with a lot of my stuff it does lack cohesion! Never to be completed this one as it died along with my old laptop. I do intend to keep at it as i now have a functional daw again.
I'll be gunning for a 4 star from you with my next one...
Thanks again
Px

[Immodest Twerk-Girls]

I like the blissful vibe at the beginning and the fun risers like at :10. The melodies are cute and the mix is pretty clean. The harmonic content is pretty repetitive throughout, although the gritty drop at 1:05 at least creates some variety in the texture. It's a little hard to follow the rhythm at the drops, though. Still, the progression flows smoothly thereafter, and I'm enjoying the rhythmic elements of the piece otherwise. Overall, it's a catchy and fun piece. I feel like you could do a little more with the composition here - more variety, phrasing, harmonic shifts, etc. - but otherwise it's a solid track. Keep at it, CHGangBoy05! :)

[Anemoia]

Wow, this is great. I love the atmosphere and the sound design. The synths at :23 are super cute and dreamy, and there's a great sense of climax into :45. The production quality is solid, even if the compression is a little heavy for my tastes, and the flow of the piece is really smooth. I like the chopped vocals at 1:30 and the extended breakdown at 2:40. The harmonic content can get a tad repetitive after a while, and I would've liked to see some more engaging melodies towards the end to really hit the piece home. Still, it's a really chill track with a great mood and strong instrumentation and progression. Keep at it, DrayxMusic, and congrats on the front-page! ^_^

DrayxMusic responds:

Oh snap you're right, another frontpage. Always awesome to see! :)

I agree that the piece ended up a bit more repetitive than I'd have liked, even if I was going for a more ambient/chill vibe. There was definitely some untapped potential here that I want to get better at fulfilling, especially for longer tracks like this. And yeah, as for compression still have a bit to learn. Anyways thanks for the review, glad you enjoyed it! :D

(Btw next year for NGUAC I'll have to submit a stronger piece. I was a bit complacent this year with my audition choice, after my placement last year in the finals) xD

[[NGADM] 夜明けの風 ( Dawn Wind )]

I really like the emotional appeal and atmosphere of the piece. The mix is a little quiet, but also clean and well-balanced. The melodies are beautiful, and the piece alternately has a feeling of nostalgia and blissfulness. I also like the rhythmic variations at around 1:40. The somewhat ambiguous ending and ambient sound effects at the end also work well. Lovely piece overall! Best of luck in the ADM. ^^

L-Mity responds:

Thanks!

[Leise Sein (Stillness)]

I like the emotional appeal and atmosphere at the beginning. The breathy vocals are cool, but I would've liked to hear a little more fill in the texture around them. Otherwise, it's easy to lose the sense of the progression. The lyrics themselves are really neat, though, and the furtive outro with the echo-y piano is nice. Overall, I think the arrangement could use a little more fleshing out, and the texture is pretty minimal for my tastes, but you guys nailed the sound design and atmosphere. Keep at it! ^_^

[Lost Valley of Wycloff]

I like the tranquil guitars at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. It has a great, haunting cinematic vibe, and the echo-y guitars at :45 (and again at :53) are really cool. I’m thoroughly enjoying the melodic content and the progression, and you do a wonderful job of slowly escalating the intensity by gradually making the atmosphere richer. By the time you start absolutely shredding at 1:47, I’m completely sold on the composition - favorited this piece before it was halfway through. The return of the bass-heavy riffs at 2:25 served as a really fun re-intro, and the production quality is as wonderful as the composition tbh. The melodic content doesn’t stop being awe-inspiring in the second half, and I also thoroughly enjoyed the heavy, distorted final chord at 4:21. Hell, that lead guitar could convince me to leave my family and join a religious cult if it wanted to. This piece is awesome and you should feel awesome. Have I done enough ass-kissing yet? Probably. Keep up the great work, man! :^)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
10/10

Mechanical-Head responds:

Woah, thanks for the review dude! I'm glad you liked it :). Seeing people liking this track has been great and unexpected. I really don't know what to say, i'm so happy :D

[XTechno - Frozen Solid]

I like the cute arpeggios at the beginning and the harmonies at :10. The sound design is really great here, from the heavy bass to the piano. The mix is a little dry, and could probably use some reverb or other mixing effects to create more of a sense of atmosphere. That said, the bass does a lot of that work in its place, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression. The composition could use a little more ebb and flow over time, as opposed to the relatively sudden transitions and the fact that the instrumental changes are the main sources of variety (as opposed to dynamic contrast, phrasing, filtering, automation, etc.). I’m liking the slower pace at 1:40 and the organ at 1:51 - it’s nice how you rebuild the texture with different instruments during the second half of the piece. Overall, solid work here, XTechno! The sound design is awesome, the mixing is solid, the composition is well-organized if a little square, and the harmonic framework and progression work well for me. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.5/10

XTechnoMusic responds:

Thank you for the in-depth review :)

[Legacy]

I like the sense of build at the beginning into :04 and the bright synth melodies thereafter. The drum samples and synths are a bit cheesy, and I think there may have been a tad too much reverb in the texture. Still, the melodic content is really enjoyable, especially at :38 and beyond. The kick drum at 1:27 is very heavy and has a bit too much treble, but the drop at 1:45 is well-balanced and continues your run of solid melodies, including some neat variations on the earlier content. The high notes at 2:33 were haunting, and overall I’m loving the victorious vibe this piece has. The cutoff at 2:52 was a bit sudden given the lengthy legato section before it, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the percussive element that first appears on the off-beats at 3:04. That breakdown section works well towards the goal of providing some structural contrast, and I like some of the sound design variations that come afterwards, even if the brass synths at 4:03 or so are a bit cheesy and inauthentic. The outro is a little lengthy, but the bare piano towards the end was a nice choice at capitalizing on the emotional quality of the rest of the piece. Overall, solid work here. I wasn’t a huge fan of all of your sound design choices, but the production quality is solid, the progression is smooth, and the atmosphere is rich and well-balanced. Honestly some of the most beautiful melodies I’ve come across thus far in the competition. Keep up the good work, Xrus! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Xrus responds:

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it! The kicks I use are just my own personal preference. I just like a heavy kick. XD