TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[endK - Gotta Go Blast!]

Catchy beats and fun sound design as usual, EndK. I like the low slap bass at :14 and the synth brass melodies at :27. The piano fill at :38 was a nice touch, too. I think you could’ve potentially done more with the drums, but my main complaint in the piece is that it just doesn’t feel structurally complete. There’s a dense texture rife with killer melodies, energy, and funky syncopations during the first 52 seconds of the piece, and then the ‘B’ theme and its variations dominate the rest of the piece, giving the overarching structure an awkward AB arrangement that doesn’t really allow you to develop and expand on some of the strong melodic themes you introduced earlier in the piece. Maybe that seems like a bit of an over-specific complaint, but I think that’s a missed opportunity at the very least. Still, the mixing is really strong, the melodies and instruments are fantastic, and it’s easily a piece that’s stuck in my head. Solid work overall, EndK! I just wanted to hear a final refrain that hit this piece home. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

endKmusic responds:

Your review is totally right if you're looking at this piece as a 'could-be-full-length-song'.
From that perspective it sure is, as you said, 'awkward AB arrangement'.
But as I said in the description, I tried to make trailer-like music for 2 opposite things.
There wasn't meant to be a wrap up, eventhough I could've done it (if I had more time / ideas / etc.)
As always, I'm really grateful for your detailed review!
It sure makes me wonder of how would it sound if it really was one unique full-length wrapped up idea.
Thanks TL! :)

[Fractured (NGADM Ver.)]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the warm, rich, emotional quality of the piano and pads. The piece is a tad slow to develop, and I think the sweep at :35 sounds a tad undecorated. There was a good sense of climax into :44. I like the bass slide there too, and there’s a sense of profoundness in the drive and tone of the piece. The texture comes together well by 1:28, although the drums might’ve been a tad over-compressed. I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodic content, but I applaud your return to the somber piano solo towards the end. The one-climax model rarely works as well as it does here in my opinion, and I admire the sound design, production, and atmosphere of this piece as well. Strong work, MegaSphere! You really told a story with this one. ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Lair of the Shapeshifter Phoenix]

I like the eerie vocals at the beginning and the sharp string sounds. The nature sound effects and pulsing synths are both really cool textural elements, although the piece remains pretty minimal for a while. I was looking for something bassy to enrich the atmosphere, and I think I found it in that low percussion at 1:18. The progression of the piece is a bit slow to develop, and I don’t get a strong sense of direction here for a lot of the piece. The solo at 1:41 is beautiful, and I love the more hard-hitting electronic elements of the texture at 2:03. The sound design and mixing here are top-notch as usual for you. I’m not really sure what function the pause at 2:36 serves in a broader compositional context, and after a while I think this piece doesn’t really do a great job of channeling its emotional aspects. The last section with the police sirens was very creative in terms of instrumentation, but it also sounded like the energy died out a bit. I was looking for some more dynamic content to hit the piece home. Instead, the composition fell a little flat towards the end, and I wasn’t sure that the four low percussion hits starting at 4:01 added much of value. Overall, I really admire your sense of harmony and sound design, but I think there could’ve been some more risk-taking in the composition here. Keep at it, Syamori! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Kyoto Elevator]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the vocal samples. The bass at :18 is really smooth, if a tad loud. I like the minimal groove at :36 and the percussion, even if the frequency balance seems a bit off (loud bass, thin top end). The stop-start transition at 1:11 worked pretty well, and I’m liking the contemplative breakdown at 1:49 too. My main problem with the piece is the lack of structural variety and shape in the composition. The piece has some good variety in some other regards, especially in terms of rhythm and, later, mood, but I wanted to hear more gradual transitions and climaxes that maximized the emotional potential of the track. One missed opportunity in this regard is probably the melody at 2:08, which has a really square rhythm and doesn’t really lead anywhere in terms of overarching structural considerations. The sudden transition into a much more legato texture at 2:26 didn’t really work for me, although I like the more blissful mood and energetic nature of the final refrain. The piece still ends pretty suddenly, though. I think the choppy composition might be my main problem with this track, although you’re right to point out the balance issues (although I think it’s more an issue with the loud bass than the high-pitched frequencies; maybe my headphones are similar to yours). Regardless, this piece has some cool instrumentation and creative rhythmic content to keep it afloat amidst my structural and mixing complaints. Keep at it, Glutenfree! ^^

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

[Lost Joy]

I like the waltzy vibe at the beginning (although I suppose any piano piece in ¾ sounds waltzy to me). The melodies sound both melancholic and cutesy, but by :18 the texture has much more of a structurally flat quality that emphasizes the melancholic part. The chords themselves are a colorful variety of major and minor, which makes me think that this piece is fundamentally about joy or memories of joy, even if that joy is presently lost. I also like the heavy low chords at :28. They really add a sense of urgency to profoundness to an otherwise mellow section of the piece. The clashing notes at :31 work well for me, too. I’m really enjoying the dichotomous character of the piece, even if I wish the angry, inward parts and the light, graceful surface were integrated a bit more fluidly at times. I also think the chord at :39 was played just a tad too loudly, even if that’s a miniscule detail. You did a really good of guiding the listener’s expectations with the gradual ritardando there and then the rich chords at :50. The violin entrance at 1:02 was rather unexpected, although it certainly fits the somber, evocative mood of the piece. I think the violin would’ve been more effective if the solo was longer there. Everything about this piece seems so short-lived and fleeting. Maybe that’s the point given the subject of the thematic content, but I wanted you to explore the ruefulness inherent in the violin solo a bit more. Still, the content that’s here is still really enjoyable. The composition might need some more fleshing out, but the emotional piano and violin riffs and fun jazzy filler content do a lot for me in a mere 95 seconds. Keep it up, Everratic! ^^ Also, if you ever need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to message me.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
8.75/10

Everratic responds:

I'm having trouble understanding your criticism. Let's talk about it another time.

Thank you for the review and support!

[Cactus pears do definitely not belong in the beef stew]

I like the pensive riffs at the beginning, although the synths themselves are a bit cheesy, especially the higher-pitched atmospheric one. Really creative rhythmic work at :14, but I wanted the drums to be a bit stronger and the reverb to be a little less saturated in the mix. The melody at :28 is cool, and there’s a nice renewed sense of energy at :56. The modulation at 1:15 was a nice touch, although I think you overdid the key changes a bit when another big mood/harmony shift comes at 1:23. That synth brass solo at 1:45 was really cute, and definitely sounds like something out of a retro video game. The outro at 2:30 kinda threw me off - it’s a big change in emphasis pattern and energy compared to the section before it. It almost sounds more like the 2nd half of a breakdown rather than an outro. Still, the conclusion of the piece comes together well, and you definitely have a good amount of variety and flavor in the piece to keep me engaged. Nice work with the melodies and sound design, especially. Keep at it, Pheanir! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[My Meandering Mind]

I like the tasteful ascending roll at the beginning and the bouncy feel of the texture. The rhythm is a little hard-to-follow at times, with some very sudden changes in emphasis starting at :11. I like the more contained sound at :36 and how you quickly open it up with the bluesy bass line at :45, and the cadence at 1:05 cements the blues theme for me. The pause at 1:07 was a bit long, although it also did a good job of predicting the more downtempo section that followed. I like the gradual increase in energy level until 1:32, and the frantic doodling there sounded rather impressive. I like the wonky, refreshing vibe at 2:13, but by 2:43 I’m starting to feel that the piece resets itself a bit too much to really come together how I want it to. The final phrase at 2:58 is nice regardless, and I think the slight ritardando and jack-knife descending scale there really sell the conclusion. Overall, you took a lot of risks with this piece, many of which paid off wonderfully, but some of the more dramatic transitory moments are still going to take some getting used to for me. Still, I applaud your exploring a new genre, and given the piano’s rich tone and good balance of frequencies it’s hard to complain about the sound design or mixing either. Nice work, Ale! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I must apologise for the very late reply! I've been fairly busy in my own life, and much of the free time I've had I've tried to dedicate towards composing and the like. Now that the NGADM is nearing its end, I find I have a little bit more time to dedicate to other things too, which is nice. So I am trying to get back to people I haven't been very good at responding to in a timely manner. Here we go!

As you noted in your review, jazz isn't a genre I typically compose in, although I've dabbled with it here and there. For this piece, I just wanted to see what I could do if I tried to make a full-length piano composition with a jazzy style in mind. In this specific instance, it ended up becoming a little jazzical. It was fun to play! When composing, I spent faaar to much time making and learning the part at 1:32. I had to practice for hours on just that short part, because of the speed and complex finger placement. Not the smartest decision for a competition like this, but I'm glad it worked out in the end, and I'm happy with the sound. I suppose I ended up making my final piece even more difficult to play, though, looking back at this :p

I understand that parts of the structure and progression can be a little bit wonky, since I was quite experimental with this piece. I am glad that you enjoyed it anyway, and thank you for the high score!
I hope you're doing well :)

[Motivation]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning. The texture comes together well by :32, and the slap bass really helps fill out the low end. The mix is a tad quiet, but also really clean and clear. It has a much more organic/acoustic vibe than most of your other tracks as I recall, but I like when the more synthetic elements start to bleed in at around 1:04. This track has a really smooth vibe overall, and I love the harmonic variations at the bridge at 3:00. The funky guitars at 3:14 are another big plus. There could've been some more prominent melodic content at some point, but for now this track really has a refreshing, down-to-earth coffee house vibe. Looking forward to hearing more of your work soon. Welcome back, NoisySundae! ^^

Noisysundae responds:

I've come to learn that letting the peak sit too close to zero is not a good idea since those samples can be clipped when encoded. My mastering rules right now is first keeping the loudness difference between the middle channel only and middle + side in between 0.5 to 1 dB, then adjust the loudness on the loudest part of the track to -16.xx LUFS with -2.xx dB peak. I got these numbers from when I was doing 15 remasters a few months ago and it works quite well on them. Also, that's one way to make sure the sound won't be altered too much on Spotify (they use a limiter).

At 3 minute mark, it's actually just a sped up elevator and funk music (I mean, try listening to that part with 0.75x speed on YouTube.). Btw, I admit that I got a bit burnt out towards the end and didn't come up with better melodies. I got overwhelmed by all those earlier parts, but I can't really imagine the shorter version of this track so I went with 4.5 minutes.

Thank you again for the detailed review! And yup, already having a bunch of new menu projects going on, and the remasters I mentioned.

[And on the Third Day]

I like the grainy ambiance at the beginning and the smooth electric piano (?) at :17. The progression is a bit slow-paced, but the air of mystery at around :50 helps keep me engaged. The shift in the background content at 1:10 works well, but I’m still not getting a strong sense of direction from this piece. The sudden lack of fill in the texture at 1:56 doesn’t work great for me, but that section is also one of the most evocative and haunting of the piece. By 3:10 or so, there’s a little more regularity in the texture, as if the protagonist has just come out on the other end of a cave he’s been in for the last minute or so. I like the big swells that continue until around 4:00, but I still wanted to see you do a bit more with the dynamics/phrasing if you were going to keep the moving notes and harmonic content to a minimum. Really strong sense of atmosphere and flow here, though, and the production quality is also good. I think the ending deserves more of a drawn-out fade-out, but the piece is also rather long as it is. Still, enjoyable content here. The compositional details are what makes this piece engaging until the end. I’m still not sure I want it as a stand-alone piece yet, but it’d be great music for a video game that takes place in a haunted Victorian house. Keep at it, RedSoul92! ^^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10