TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Lone Space Invader - FORCE]

I like the ominous drone at the beginning and the smooth bass that comes in at :14. The progression is a little slow-paced, but the fun rhythmic elements of the synths at around :30 and build-up into :51 were very well-done. The growly bass section thereafter was a little drawn-out, but the build-up into 1:31 was catchy and enjoyable. The drop itself was pretty minimal, but I’m enjoying the rhythmic content and sound design. I’m enjoying the moody pads that fade in at 2:43 - it provides a nice element of contrast in the tone of the piece. Stripping away the drums at 3:25 was also a good idea, and the arpeggios at 3:37 served as a strong segue into the more energetic section at 3:50. I also appreciate how the second drop was different compared to the first. The more well-balanced and full-textured part at 5:07 was a good way of finishing the piece. Overall, I really admire the strong production quality and instrumentation of this one. My main complaint is that the texture is often very minimal and drawn-out, without a full use of the frequency spectrum a lot of the time. I would’ve liked to see some more melodic content at some point, or at least some more variation in the harmonies later on. The arrangement and some of the build-ups also sound pretty generic. Still, I’m really impressed with the rhythmic content and mastering. You’re a talented producer, LSI! Keep it up. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

[Bread n Butter]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. The attack on that synth at :13 is a little strong, but I’m getting used to the punchy vibe more after the drums come in too. The progression is a little slow-paced here, but I like the drum samples and rhythmic content. The minimal drop at 1:24 didn’t really work for me - it just has a very different mood than the blissful harmonies beforehand, and was also pretty bland. When the harmonies come back in at 1:50, the mix gets really distorted. I think you need to use some more filtering to isolate the frequency ranges of the different instruments there. The re-intro at 2:30 was nice, although it didn’t really introduce any novel material. The frantic synth riff at 3:13 was cool, but also reveals how distorted the mix is in this piece. Equalizers should usually be the most common mixing tool you use in a track, not reverb or compressors. I also would’ve liked to see you switch up the drop more the second time around, although the echo-y outro was a good idea. Harmonically, this piece needs a bit more depth and variety, and the mixing and mastering could be a lot cleaner. Still, I’m enjoying the rhythmic content, mood and atmosphere, and sound design. Keep at it, Katnip18! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[Out of Nowhere]

I like the quirky riff at the beginning. The kick drum at :11 is a little heavy on the sub-bass tones, and I think the mix sounds a bit dry. The synths could use some reverb or other mixing effects to fill out the atmosphere a little more. The chords at :19 are also a little heavy, and pretty dissonant harmonically with the synth riffs. I like the rhythmic content, especially with the claps at :54, but the melodic riffs could use more variation later on. The mixing is pretty good - I can hear all of the instruments clearly throughout. Overall, the composition could use a lot more fleshing out, and the sound design is pretty cheesy. That said, it’s still a catchy piece with a cool, ominous mood and some solid production quality. Keep at it, Jeffbeard! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.25/10

[Climatic Failure]

I like the quirky, distorted synths at the beginning. The texture sounds a bit minimal throughout, but the beats are catchy and there’s a nice sense of atmosphere. The piece could’ve had more harmonic depth, especially during the first half or so, but I like the cute sound design and rhythmic content. Overall, the production quality is strong, but some of the individual elements took up a bit too much space in the mix, notably the hi-hats (1:35, 1:40, etc.). Really unique composition and arrangement. It’s certainly engaging throughout, but part of me felt like it needed some sort of prominent melody or distinct solo to tie it together towards the end. Otherwise, the harmonic content is a bit bland, even while the instrumentation and rhythmic material is top-notch. Still, this is a stand-out piece in a lot of ways, from the mixing and mastering to the atmosphere. Keep at it, Jedo15! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Jedo15 responds:

thank you so much, this means a lot to me! and yeah i have to work on not making things to clouded in the mix so I'll take in your advice and suggestions and use for my next song. :)

[Buccaneer Troop]

I like the sound effects at the beginning and the catchy synth riffs at :16. The piece is a little slow to progress at first, but I really like the quirky percussion and melodic content. The rhythmic content at 1:12 or so is also really cool. The injection of energy at 1:45 is great, and the texture sounds really rich and well-balanced. The production quality is great, too. The piece comes together well by around 2:15, where the melodies sound a bit more grounded. The rhythmic section at the end was a nice touch, and I like how the texture gets slightly more minimal before the final fade-out. Really strong work here overall. Such unique sound design, strong production, and well-varied composition. Keep it up, ISMCataclism! ^_^

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

[TryHardNinja ~ Take Back the Night (Incise Remix)]

I like the energy at the beginning and the filtering. The vocals at :30 are really good, and there’s a great sense of climax starting at 1:18. I also like when you feature the vocals over the drop at 1:47. The compositional details are also really nice here, for example the added synth harmonies on the off beat at 2:21. The glitchy breakdown section at 3:50 was great for some structural variety. The production quality is also really good here overall. The piece starts getting a tad repetitive in the last couple of minutes, and I would’ve liked to hear some more variety on the main melodies, especially in such a long piece. That said, the variations in the chord progressions starting at 5:22 made the last refrain a little more interesting. Still, the upbeat mood, energy, and strong mixing and mastering have me sold on this one. Keep it up, Incise! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Inside]

I like the rich atmosphere at the beginning and the filtering at :45. The piece is pretty slow to progress throughout, but the bass line and beats at :45 help me stay engaged. The piano chords at 1:33 are nice, but the rhythm is a little square. I really like the mood and sound design throughout, but the composition felt a bit too safe here. It would’ve been nice to feature some of the melodic content more prominently towards the end, just to give the piece more of a narrative arc. Still, the progression is smooth and the mix is really clean despite all the reverb. You really won me over with the atmosphere and instrumentation here. Keep at it, ImSoAlive! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Re;Surface]

I like the cute melodies at the beginning and the smooth progression. A lot of the synths are a bit cheesy, and the drum samples are also pretty generic. The build-up into :55 felt like it didn’t lead much of anywhere, but I’m enjoying the arpeggios there. The transition into 1:22 was pretty sudden, and I wish there was some more variety in the harmonic content in the second half. The strongest element of the piece is probably the production quality. The mix is a tad over-compressed, but I can hear the instruments loud and clear throughout. I enjoyed the melodies too, although the composition might need a bit more shape and variety to give the piece a stronger sense of narrative and direction over time. Overall, it’s a catchy and well-mastered piece, but the sound design and some of the compositional details are a little bland. Keep at it, iChrono21! :)

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
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

iChrono21 responds:

I'm glad to hear that you liked the piece somehow. I was going for a long break at the time I was making this so I put a lot of effort more than usual. Thank you so much for inviting me to NGUAC, even though I, at least, wanted to get through the Tryouts for a fresh experience. But I will definitely try again next year!

[Centrifuge]

I like the quirky percussion and bass riff at the beginning. The drums might need a tad more reverb just to fill out the texture toward the beginning, and the progression is a little slow-paced for the first minute or so. By around the 1-minute mark it’s starting to come together well, and I’m enjoying the bluesy chords too. The synth that comes in at 1:37 is cool, but I think it’s distorting the pads in the mix. I’d suggest using a little more filtering to eliminate some of the low-pitched tones in the instruments besides the bass and kick. Otherwise, instruments playing in the same frequency ranges as others will tend to make each other sound less distinct, which I think is what’s happening here. There’s a great sense of climax into 2:15, though, and I like how you aimed for some dynamic contrast in the next section. The clave at 2:54 sounded a little dry and out-of-place - maybe it deserves a fade-in? The texture is pretty minimal in here, but the majestic melody at 3:20 is a great touch. The piece comes together really well at 3:57. I’m loving the injection of melodic content and energy, all while keeping the mysterious mood of the breakdown section alive. The mix might’ve gotten a tad overwhelmed by 4:17, and it might help to tone down the reverb there. I would’ve liked to hear a more proper outro, but in a way the sudden ending adds to the sense of mystery with this piece. Overall, the composition of this track is really strong. I love how it’s structured, and the sound design and flow of it are great too. Some of the mixing details are my main concerns here, and I think the bass is also a little too loud throughout. Otherwise, keep up the good work, Glassedhouse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Glassedhouse responds:

Thanks! I think that for the next rounds of the competition, I will focus more on acoustics and the orchestra since as you might be able to tell, my strengths are compositional, and I'm very new to electronics/production. Thanks for the criticisms! Very well stated and helpful.

[Europa [Charity Album]]

I like the quirky bass riff at the beginning and the spacey synths at :11. There’s a tad too much reverb in the texture, especially on the drums, and the drum samples themselves are also pretty generic. I’m really enjoying the rich harmonies by around 1:20, and the breakdown at 1:42 is great for some variety. The pitch-bending on that synth at around 2:05 is nice, and the drawn-out phrasing there builds a good sense of anticipation into the return of the main theme at 2:35. I might’ve liked to hear a little more variety on some of the main melodies later on, but the rich atmosphere and full texture help me stay engaged. Solid work! The sound design, pensive mood, and progression are all especially nice here. Keep at it, GizmoDude8128! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

GizmoDude8128 responds:

Wow, thanks for providing such in-depth feedback! And thanks for organizing NGUAC, it's a really cool competition. I'm glad you liked the track!