TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Mechanism]

I like the strong beat at the beginning and the groovy bass riffs. The ominous E-piano riff at :40 is really nice, and the gritty guitar-heavy texture at :50 contrasts well as a more fluid and legato element of the piece. The filtering on the drums at 1:30 is also a nice way of compounding the mysterious flair that the piece has. Overall, the texture is pretty minimal here, and I kept waiting for the big knockout solo that never quite came. That said, it strikes me as really good for a video game, and the riff at 2:35 is super catchy. The second guitar melody at 3:06 was a good way of wrapping up the piece, although I might've liked to see a bit more variation on the solo there, just to give it a stronger sense of progression. Still, solid piece overall. Production is really clean, and the sound design is super fun. I kinda wanted to hear more of that E-piano later in the piece, but assuming this loops in-game, it'll work fine for an OST. Keep up the good work, 8-bitheroes! ^^

8-bitheroes responds:

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback!

[Volty's Quest - Act 2 - OST]

I like the popcorn snare and groovy synth riffs. Great sense of energy and rhythm, and I really like the descending synth lines starting at around 1:20. Sometimes I wish that you had an alt-ending to some of your soundtracks that wasn't a loop, because pieces like this could really function well as a full-length track. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the sound design and ominous flair of this one. Keep at it, CG! ^^

[AIM - Children of the Sea]

I like the majestic, lilting quality of the piece at the beginning. The texture of the piece really sounds like the sea. :) The sound design is awesome too, between the glorious string melodies at :50 and the cutesy mallets throughout. The cinematic quality is great, and you've done a lot to emphasize the contrast between the climactic sections and the more tranquil solos later on. The tambourine adds an extra bit of energy, and the heavy piano and darker tone towards the end makes me think the conclusion of the piece is a bit less light-hearted than most of the rest of the track. Really lovely work here, EverErratic! Is there somewhere I can download this?

Everratic responds:

Thanks for the review!

[Isolation Waltz]

Beautiful! Simplistic, yet beautiful. When the melody came in my heart melted. There's a lot of emotion behind this piece. Part of me wanted the composition to be a little more dynamic, but I got a little taste of something new at 2:20. I like the little clicks in the background too towards the end - is that some sort of percussion? Either way, congrats on the front-page and on this moving work in general. ^^

sleepFacingWest responds:

Thanks! The clicks are part of the mechanism of the music box.

[Math Battle OST - 5 - Molten Throne]

Nice! I like the eerie vibes and the prominent bass. The mallets at :17 were a nice touch, too. The sidechain is a little heavy on the male vocals, making them sound pretty inauthentic, but I'm sure the 5th graders won't mind. :) I can't quite place the melody either - kinda reminds me of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" though. Anyway, solid work! Glad to see you using your musical talents for didactic purposes. ^^

[Trickshot - Get Out (MrKoolTrix Drop)]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning and the build-up. The gritty texture of the drop combined with the light, melodic synths is really nice. Sometimes, there's a tad too much reverb in the texture for my tastes, but I really like the heart monitor machine noises at the end. :) The production here is also really strong - loud, well-balanced mix with a really sharp quality overall that makes the texture nice and punchy. Keep it up, MKT! Good luck in the contest. ^^

[Open Your Eyes]

I like the emotional appeal of the spacey piano at the beginning. The blissful melodies and quirky synths at :32 are really nice, and the heavy pads at 1:00 and crisp beats thereafter work really well too. The drop was good too, although I thought you could've gotten a little more creative with the ascending pattern in the gritty mid-range bass that starts at 1:29. This piece has a really nice rhythm between the mellow piano bits and the energetic electronic sections. I suppose I would've liked to hear a little more variation on the drop the second time around, and maybe also an extended outro, but overall I'm really liking the sound design, mixing, mood, and atmosphere of this piece! Keep at it, Jacob. ^^

Jacob responds:

Thank you for the review, TL! You pointed out two things with which I struggled - so good ear.
With the ascending bit at 1:29, I thought it was funny for the robotic voice to resolve the tension by dropping it - but I landed on this after being unsure of where to go with the build, so it was absolutely a cop-out.

I tried a few things on the second go-around of the drop, but ended up not liking any of them. Instead, I decided to treat it more like a slightly modified repeat of a chorus than a drop. It would have most likely been more riveting if I had brought more to it.

I think you're right about the ending. I actually wrote the drop/chorus and that ending before the rest of the song. After bringing the piano into the mix, though, it probably would have been more gratifying to end the song by resolving with the piano - especially if I'd chosen to build up more energy in the climax.

I always appreciate your feedback! And I'm excited to make more tunes. :)

[The Seventh Chord]

I like the dreamy vibe at the beginning and the chromatic details in the melodies. The tone is a good combination of blissful and energetic. Chord progression is a tad cliche, but the smooth flow and rich atmosphere of the piece help keep me engaged. The modulation at 2:00 was a nice touch too. The spacey outro works well, and the production quality is solid too. You earned a scout, my friend! Keep up the good work. ^_^

TranceMasterGD responds:

Tack så mycket herr

[Spitfya - Backfire (Original Mix)]

Yo! Been a while since I heard from you. I like the chopped vocals and crisp beats at the beginning. The glitchy atmospheric fade-ins at :35 are really cool too. The drop at :47 is neat too, if a tad generic. The drop at 1:30 hits a lot harder, and the intricacy of the rhythm there has me sold. I think the vocal work and atmosphere really are what win me over with this one, though. The minimalistic drop at 3:05 was another fun surprise, and the percussion at 3:20 has a really ominous, spacey vibe. Really digging the variety and moodiness of this one overall, Spitfya. Keep up the great work! Please post more on NG. ^_^

[Tryhard]

I like the eerie riffs at the beginning and the gritty texture of the body of the piece. The frantic breaks at 1:24 were a pleasant surprise, and I like the industrial vibe there and the roaring sub-bass. The transition at 1:44 worked a little less well for me, and tbh the delay effects on the snare were throwing me off a lot during this piece. The production is really tight, though, and you really kept things engaging between the sound design and the creative arrangement. Keep at it, LN! ^_^