TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Wondrous Trek]

I like the anticipatory mood at the beginning and the bright tone of the lead synths. Great sense of build into :44, and the mix is really tight and spacious as usual. The melodic content is really refreshing and catchy, and and certain sections of the piece also have a fun rhythmic flair, especially the drop at 1:30, breakdown at 2:15, and transitory material. The upbeat mood and sound design really make this piece what it is in my mind. The arrangement might've been a tad cliche, and sometimes I think you spend a lot of the piece on the build-ups/transitions, but the piece still has plenty of extended "moments of arrival" to keep me entertained. Nice work overall, MKT! Happy 2020. ^^

[Let's Go Bowling]

Fun piece! I like the cutesy synths and the cheesy bowling alley sound effects. Sounds like something out of an '80s movie montage. Rhythmic details and mixing are solid too. Just wish it was a bit longer/more varied. Happy 2020, Jacob! ^^

Jacob responds:

Thank you! The vibe seems to have translated well. I agree that it could use more variation, and I may add it later on - if the feeling strikes.
I appreciate the review, man!
And a happy new decade to you, too. I look forward to hearing the fruits our growth and change. :)

[F-777 - Shock Rave]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning and the bouncy feel of the texture. Song has a nice "retro" 2008-ish vibe about it. The composition itself is pretty simplistic, but the rhythmic content at the drop at :54 helps keep things engaging, and the piece is short enough that it doesn't seem too dragged-out or repetitive. The mixing is rock-solid as usual, and overall it's a very catchy and fun track. Keep at it, F-777! Happy 2020. ^^

[The Fever is Growing]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning and the airy vocals. I also like how the rhythmic pace of the piano slows down at :35. The lyrics themselves are rather repetitive, and I think some of the rhymes could've been more creative and/or advanced the narrative of the piece better. That said, after the 2-minute mark the powerful vocals and melodic variations really help the piece come together. While the composition here overall is pretty simplistic, you channeled the emotion in this piece really well. The mixing is also rather strong, despite the minimal texture. Nice work, all things considered. I should check out that album of yours. Glad you're still posting on NG, though - I remember listening to a lot of your tracks back in 2012-ish. Keep up the good work! ^^

[~Fore~ Medusa]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The growly bass and beat at :35 help change the mood in a more ominous direction, and I like the spacey piano at 1:25 and the accelerating clicks at 1:35. The glitchy transition at 1:50 was a nice touch, and the rhythmic content during the last 30 seconds or so is rather creative. I wish this was a more structurally complete track, but it clearly shows a lot of potential. The mix is clean, the sound design is cool, and the mood is both engaging and varied. Keep up the good work, Aliaspharow! Happy 2020. ^^

[Joulupuu On Rakennettu]

I love the organ - haunting sound. The vocals and instrumental tracks blend together very well. I especially like the layering on the vocals and the mellow verses with just the piano (e.x., 1:35). The harmonic framework of the piece kinda reminds me of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." Even has a similar structure. I appreciate how you created variety in the texture here despite the repetitive verses (which I imagine were holdovers from the original). Hope you guys enjoyed the holiday. :) Looking forward to hearing more of your work in 2020. ^^

[-Encounter-]

I like the ominous church bells at the beginning and the 2008-ish techno synths thereafter. The texture is a bit minimal and perhaps missing some atmosphere for a while, but things start coming together more by around the 1-minute mark. Those cutesy melodies at :58 help give the piece a stronger sense of direction, and I love that growly mid-range bass synth at 1:15, especially combined with the vocal samples. The bridge at 2:15 or so was a little bland, but the melodic content at 2:40 was nice. I also like the thin, pizzicato-y synth at 3:25. I might've liked to hear a little more melodic development later in the piece as, at the end of the day, the arrangement is pretty straightforward. That said, I think the sound design and rhythmic details really make this piece what it is. Enjoyable track, PredatorMusic! Happy New Year. :)

Preds responds:

Thanks for the review! You are always welcome here, your constructive criticism is amazing!

[MrKoolTrix & Verplex - Fuzzy Land]

Hahaha. I like the vocals at the beginning and the cutesy synths immediately thereafter. It's a little slow to progress for the first minute, and sometimes I think there's a bit too much reverb in the texture, but everything comes together for the drop at 1:05. The post-chorus melody is really nice, too. I think the drums could've been a little stronger during the more climactic sections of the piece, but I certainly like the atmospheric bridge with the funky rhythmic variations at the 2-minute mark. The compression is a bit too heavy there, though - the pads are clearly getting distorted. You incorporated the vocal samples well into the second drop, and the piece comes together nicely by the end with the extended melodic section and evocative piano outro. Great work, guys! I look forward to hearing more fruitful collabs from you in the future. ^^

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the in-depth feedback! ^_^

[Geoplex - Cloudscape]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the chord progression. Has a nice sense of build over the course of the first minute or so, and the blissful melodies at :51 really cement the upbeat mood and sense of wonder that the piece has. Nice use of flangers during the post-chorus. That section at 1:42 really added some energy to an otherwise very relaxed piece up to that point. The melodic variations at 2:50 really helped hit the piece home, too. The arrangement is a little generic, and perhaps the sound design could've been a little more inventive, but overall it certainly does a great job at capturing a laid-back mood. The mixing and melodies are excellent as usual, too. Keep up the good work, Geoplex! Congrats on the 10,000 subs. ^^

Geoplex responds:

Thank you! As always I appreciate your in-depth feedback :D

[Miss Flora]

I like the funky sound design and jazzy rhythmic details. Has a nice sense of atmosphere and flow, too. The mixing is a bit quiet, but I like the mini-breakdown at :25 and the subsequent injection of energy at :40. The rich chords at 1:07 help keep things engaging, and the melodic content later on helps wrap things up nicely. The modulation at 2:18 was an interesting idea for the coda, but you could've done a bit more with that section before it looped imo. Still, strong work here, Noisy! Really fun and danceable track. ^^

Noisysundae responds:

"I actually think I overused the mini-breakdown now that I listen to it again. About the last section, I got burnt out and decided to go with the "I'm done" type of ending. No regrets. :P

And the loudness...my current approach is to have the loudest section at -16 LUFS (that means the overall average will always be lower than -16). One of the reasons was that I also make piano solo pieces, and they'd be much louder than this menu if I just use the whole thing as the reference point." — The Manager