TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Steambird]

I like the bouncy vibe at the beginning and the funky sound design. The synth at :45 is especially cool, and the filtering on it by around :52 really contributes to the kind of senseless bliss of the piece's mood. Effective work with the structuring and the variations later in the piece. I especially like the more melodic flair the piece takes on after around 2:30. Once again, I can't help but feel like you could've done a tad more with the drums, but the sound design in particular helps keep me engaged with this one. The funky pads at the end were a nice touch, too. Keep at it, Drewpy! ^^

[Writhe]

I like the retro-sounding synths at the beginning and the crisp beats that come in at :15 or so. Definitely has a trance-like quality. The arrangement is a bit choppy sometimes, as there are a lot of pretty sudden transitions (even if you did smooth them over somewhat with crashes and sweeps). I also think you could've done a bit more with the drums at times. After a while, the piece feels a little bit underwhelming on the composition side, despite the cool sound design and effective structuring. Still, it comes together well by the end with the climactic section at 2:32 and the added rhythmic density. Nice work overall, Drewpy! ^^

[Last Light]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning and the sense of build into :15. The vocals are nice, albeit a bit over-processed in my opinion. I applaud you for taking a risk like that, but I also think some of the technical details could be developed a bit more carefully. At the beginning of many of the vocal phrases, you have a throaty “scoop” up to the note that sounds a bit exaggerated and cliche. I also think the content of the lyrics is a bit generic at times. That said, I will commend you for a rather pleasing balance between the vocals and instrumental tracks; that’s hard to get right if you’re not accustomed to working with vocals. There is an excess of reverb in the texture at times, especially in the lead-up to the climax at 1:22. Otherwise, the mix is clean and loud, though. I also think you did a good job with the structuring in this piece. You channel the energy really well here, and I especially enjoy the crisp percussion, which keeps a sense of forward momentum in an otherwise pretty drawn-out piece. I really liked the transition at 4:15. The harder-hitting elements of the texture at 4:12 foreshadowed it well, and then there was a nice juxtaposition with the light piano chords in the outro. Overall, well done yet again, CloakedSoup! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed listening to and reviewing your work throughout the competition, and I look forward to hearing more of it soon. Congratulations on your efforts, my friend! ^_^

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

[Wolfhome]

I like the mellow guitar at the beginning. The mood of the piece is really reflective and calming. The meditative wind instrument at :25 has an amazingly expansive atmosphere. The progression is a bit slow-paced, but the mood of the piece is haunting. The pause at 1:41 threw me off a bit, but I appreciate the added element of energy and drive to the piece at 1:43, even though the instrumentation doesn’t change that much. I love these soulful melodic phrases and rich ambient elements here, and the texture finally has a stronger sense of climax at around 2:45. There might be a tad too much reverb in the texture, though, as the string line there sounds a bit indistinct. Still, you’ve crafted another thought-provoking composition here, Syamori. I especially like the harmonic shifts at 3:40 and the tranquil atmosphere of this one. It was also a nice touch that you brought back the guitar towards the end. The composition could’ve felt a bit more dynamic at times, especially in the first half, but that’s my only major complaint here. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed listening to your work throughout this competition. Congratulations on your efforts, and I look forward to hearing more from you soon! ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Time To Recoup]

I like the dreamy arpeggios and minimal, plucking synth at the beginning. Very ‘80s somehow. The wetter, full-sounding melodic synth at :22 really adds a deeper layer of atmosphere too. At times, I thought you overdid the reverb, but there’s a great sense of climax into :54. The strings at :58 add to the texture as well, and the tempo automations are a nice touch. The part at 1:10 sounds blissful, but also a bit contained and broken up in terms of the phrasing. I liked the mellow and more melodic flair at 1:53, but I think the transition there could’ve been foreshadowed a bit better. I like the crisp drums and sound design elements of the piece. The dreamy piano riff and atmospheric outro at 2:41 work well too. The percussion at 3:16 was a nice detail. It was a bit risky to introduce such a novel and distinct element of the sound design so late in the piece, and I think it would’ve helped tie up the ambiguity of the end of the piece more if you had a stronger cadence or sense of direction there, not just a fade-out. There are a lot of creative compositional ideas here (notably the tempo changes and quirky arrangement), and I love the sound design and production quality. Sometimes, the progression is a bit choppy, and while parts of it have a narrative and dynamic quality, the piece is missing a point of arrival towards the end that unites some of the many individual motifs of the piece in a meaningful way. Still, I’m enjoying the tempo automations, atmosphere, mixing, instrumentation, and compositional details here. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed listening to and reviewing your music throughout this competition, and I really hope I’ll hear more of you on Newgrounds soon. Congratulations on your effort and best of luck with your future projects, VocalOutburst! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Staying with You]

I like the evocative riff in the upper register at the beginning. Almost reminds me of a piano representation of an alarm clock - a somewhat repetitive ringing sound distorted by a state of being half-asleep. I like the simple descending progression at :05, which contrasts nicely with the more rapid ascending melodic patterns at :20. The rhythm feels a bit square until :45, and I like the lighter fare at around :59. I also appreciate the harmonic liberties you took at 1:10. The jazzy minimal section at 1:40 is fun, and you’ve really started to capture the emotional appeal behind the theme of the piece at the 2-minute mark. There’s a great moment of arrival and release at 2:15, which feels reminiscent of the beginning of the piece in a way. That moment of arrival is short-lived, however, and honestly I sometimes wish the pacing of the piece was a bit slower. The piece really starts coming together at 3:10, with a rich range of frequencies and a powerful and victorious tone. I thought some of the progressions and foregrounded content were a bit cheesy in the last minute or so, especially the frantic descending line at 4:16. The ending also feels a tad too drawn out imo. That said, some of that content also helps add some cohesion to the piece, which is hard to detect at other times in the melody lines. There are certainly some rough transitions in here, but I’ll commend you for the rather effective harmonic framework and pleasant melodic riffs. You’ve created a lot of variation around the bass lines and motifs, which gives the piece a strong narrative flavor. What else can I say, Ale? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed listening to and reviewing your work throughout this competition, and I absolutely look forward to hearing more of it in the near future. Congratulations on your effort and good luck with your future projects. ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[-KA89- Chaotic V3(WIP)]

I like the cutesy sound design and atmosphere of this one. The texture is a bit minimal sometimes, but I think my main issue is the sudden transitions and bizarre harmonic framework. Seems like you've strung together a bunch of different ideas for riffs here that don't have a lot of connectivity. Still, a lot of the individual ideas are really cool. I especially like the echo-y pads at 1:30 or so. The fade-in at 1:20 was also well done. Overall, not bad. Might need some more variety in the sound design and a little less variety in the composition. Otherwise, cool stuff here. Keep it up, man!

[The Trader's Way]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. That riff is predictable, yet also charged with emotion - reminds me of rain. I also like how you shape the rest of the piece around that riff, with occasional swells and complementary patterns and melodies to add variety. The final build was done rather well, and I particularly like the octave jump at 2:08. Beautiful work as always, Papkee! All this piece needs now is a sustained emotional high point to hit it home. Sounds like the trader hasn't quite completed his journey yet. :) Still, wonderful work with the sound design and composition here. Keep it up! ^^

[Enchanted Wood (DKC2 Remix)]

I like the nature sound effects and quirky synth at :10. The crisp beats and atmospheric flair really make this piece imo. I like the rhythmic details on the percussion too. The piece gets pretty repetitive by the end, though. I would've liked to hear an extended melodic section or at least variations on that main riff at 1:58 to really hit the piece home. Still, solid production quality and sound design with this one. The composition just could've been a tad more creative, but I'm looking forward to seeing what else you churn out in the near future. :)

[Boots Cost Money]

Wow! Haven't heard from you in a long time. I like the western-sounding beat and the soulful guitars. Some of the percussion sounds a bit cheesy and dry sometimes, but overall the rhythmic elements of the piece are satisfying. The lyrics are creative and fun, although the mic quality on the vocals could've been better. Sometimes it sounds like you're trying to cram too many syllables into the beat pattern too, like at "take a million steps" (~:37). Overall, fun idea and catchy beats here! Keep at it, Mistarogerz. ^^

mistarogerz responds:

Thanks for the honest review!