TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Procrastination]

Really catchy beat! I'm loving the quirky pads and flute trills. The vocals are TOO REAL, but also really well done musically. The escalation of intensity in the first 10-12 seconds is a great way of channeling the frustration behind the lyrics. Then it seems really fitting that the next line after the intensity stops is "I just want to lay my head down." You've just captured your emotions here really well - it's a treat to hear. I hope tomorrow is a more productive day, my friend, but until then keep up the good work on the music front. ^_^

[Go Crazy]

Admittedly, I was going to be more critical of this piece, but then I realized that you made it in ONE HOUR, which is actually insane. There's a lot of detail in this piece for one hour of work, wow - even variations in the final refrain. A lot of the compositional elements (arrangement, chord progression, etc.) are pretty generic, but the cheesy sound design and lively drums still have me sold. The vocals are strong as usual, and the upbeat mood and piano solo are highlights. I think the drums could've been stronger, but, again, I'm hesitant to criticize the mixing too much because you made this in ONE HOUR. Rock on, LunacyEcho! ^_^

LunacyEcho responds:

thanks TL!!! tbh the reason the drums suck is because i was experimenting with plugging in and recording straight from my electronic drum kit—so that is actually me playing! but it's an old kit so the sounds aren't that good. plus, i can't separate the tracks for separate mixing because i only have an audio cable and not a working midi cable :(((

but who knows??? if i release this somewhere, anywhere, i might just reprogram with drum samples and clean up the mixing that way. thanks again for stopping by!!

[Rising Hero]

I like the uplifting mood and the sound design. There's a noticeable delay on those strings that's a little disorienting at times, but I have a feeling that's a built-in part of the sample. Either way, my main complaint here is that it ends. I love the contrast between the climactic first minute and the more subdued final 30 seconds. The ending is really abrupt as it is, which is really a shame because the rest of the piece has a really evocative narrative form, and that same element of dynamism is even present in the title. You've left yourself a lot of space for a grand finale in those last 30 seconds, so if you ever write one please PM me. Until then, keep up the good work! ^_^

Bosa responds:

What would it take for you to write it for me

[Drop Point]

I like the groovy sax riffs and bass-y toms. The brass hits really give the piece a grounded quality, serving as a launching pad for the fun solos throughout. The middle section is nice too, although I think the balance may be a tad off there. I wanted the funky descending line at 1:33 to be way stronger somehow - I felt like it was meant as a display of swagger as far as the instruments can represent characters, but it was too self-conscious a display to really captivate my attention (this is a weird analogue and it's late at night here, okay?). That said, the transition into the refrain at 2:07 was flawless, and the constant barrage of smooth melodic riffs really has me sold. Fantastic work overall - cohesive, fun, well-mastered, flowing, catchy, even nostalgic in a way. Love it, SFW! ^_^

[GOOP (OST)]

I like the haunted house vibe I'm getting from this. The heavy bass and square rhythms actually work well to enhance the creepy, mechanical vibe this has. I'm envisioning a chase between our overzealous teen protagonists and a horde of zombie robots. Structure-wise, it reminds me a lot of your recent track "WIZ," probably because of the longer, more mellow second half and subsequent loop. Overall, solid stuff! Glad to say you've gotten plenty of business writing OSTs recently. ^^

[Lucky Break]

It's a tad difficult to follow the rhythm at the very beginning, but it gets easier when the saxophone comes in. Really evocative and seductive vibe here. Part of me wishes the drums and bass were a little more prominent in the mix, just to give it a more full-textured vibe, but you've helped add some fill with the frantic solos at 1:10. It is a little hard to follow the contour at times, and I think it would've helped if there was a tad more atmosphere to support the sax - even some other woodwind pedal tones to smooth over the bursts of melodic riffs. Still, you wrapped up the piece really well with the mellow beats at the end. Overall, sound design wins the day on this one. I agree with you about the "untethered" nature of the solo section, but it's still one of my favorite recent works of yours. Keep it up, SFW!

[Freedom]

I like the cinematic flair at the beginning and the synths. I think you've still got a lot of orchestral elements in here, especially with the vocals - not that that's a bad thing. The re-intro at 1:27 reminds me a lot of old-school Newgrounds, and this piece still has a lot of variety and sense of direction over time (at least in terms of tone/sound design), much like your longer cinematic tracks. I think the drums could've been more prominent in the texture, though - that strikes me as a crucial difference between this and most techno/trance tracks. The melodies are really good, and the mastering quality is strong as always. The modulation at the end does indeed have a bit of a different vibe from the rest of the piece - although maybe it's more of the vocals that make the different there. Either way, solid work! Good to see you're "returning to your roots," as it were. :)

[Mihari]

I like the cutesy piano riff at the beginning and the melodies. The beats at :47 are really nice, and lead into the refrain at :59 well. The mix is super clean, and the flashy synth pads and the hip-hop-inspired beats create a refreshing and well-balanced sound design. I like the rich pads at 2:55, but I would've liked to hear a little more variation on the main melody during the final refrain. The outro had a nice melodic flair too, though, and overall this piece is really smooth and upbeat. Keep up the good work, 8-bitheroes! ^_^

8-bitheroes responds:

Thanks for the support and feedback, much appreciated!

[The Midnight - Explorers (MegaSphere Remix)]

I like the bright tone at the beginning and the airy vocals. Great sense of climax into :35, too. It's a little hard to make out the lyrics sometimes, but the upbeat tone and crisp beats help drive it along. I think you might've been able to do a tad more with the instrumental tracks during the verses, but the melodic flair of the build-ups (like at 2:35) was a nice touch. It has a nice sense of flow about it, but might have needed a more distinct bridge/breakdown section to provide more structural contrast. Overall, though, really engrossing atmosphere and solid mastering. I also like the piano melodies during the outro a lot. Keep it up, MegaSphere! ^_^

[Salubrious!]

I like the cute, pizzicato-y synths at the beginning. The sound effect at :02 sounded a bit out-of-character with the rest of the piece, and I think the transition at :16 could've been smoother. That said, the rhythm in the piano line sounds nice and old-timey, almost like ragtime. The melodies here are really catchy, and the texture has a lot of variety and flavor. Thematically, it sounds nautical somehow. I think some of the transitions were a tad rough - even some risers or sweeps might've helped. I also would've liked to hear more of a proper outro. That said, the sound design and melodic content are definite strengths here. My foot's going to be tapping for a while, man! :)