TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Speak Easy]

I like the smooth guitars at the beginning and the groovy bass that comes in shortly thereafter. The texture and harmonies have a really quirky edge to them, and despite the loud mix and variety in the instrumental palette, the texture sounds pretty thin at times. The brass sounds entirely authentic (and probably is), but I’m often thrown off by how the piece meanders between distinct sections at a pretty fast clip. At times, the drums sound pretty distorted in the mix, which is especially noticeable with the crashes at 1:56 and onward. I also think the snare could’ve been a bit crisper. Still, it’s the abrupt transitions (like at :33, :53, etc.) that really bother me. I think you begin to make up for that by adding some cohesion with the repetition of the beginning riff at 2:18. The solo at 1:37 is really nice and dynamic, but I still wish you had broken apart the underlying rhythmic framework a little more at some point in the piece. Overall, I’m really enjoying the refreshing sound design and evocative rhythmic content, and my complaints with the mixing, texture, and otherwise are all minor. Keep at it, JamesRennaMusic! ^_^

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
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
8.5/10

Jumbs responds:

Thanks man I really appreciate it, I’ll get to work then :)

[The Wall]

I like the smooth electric piano at the beginning and the vocals. The piece has a full atmosphere and a soothing tone quality that I really like. I’d love to know what the lyrics actually are, because despite the comments you made in the author’s description, the piece comes across as pretty serious in nature. I think the vocals could’ve been a bit more prominent in the mix, though, and the mix as a whole is pretty quiet. The quirky beat at :48 is really nice, and despite some relatively cheesy synths I’m enjoying the sound design as a whole. Much of the middle couple of minutes of the piece sounds rather minimal, but the melodic content at 2:00 helps keep my attention. I like the subtle addition of the pads at 2:36, but I think the transition at 2:46 could’ve been a bit more gradual. At the very least, some reverb to bridge the gap there would’ve been advisable imo. The pitch-bending at around 3:30 is really nice, but otherwise the final refrain sounds a bit undecorated, almost resigned in a way that matches the tone of the lyrics. I think some more variation on the final vocal friends - as well as a less abrupt ending - would help hit this piece home more. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the mellow tone, rhythmic content, sound design, and production of the piece. Keep at it, glutenfree! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[The Drunk Violinist]

I like the harpsichord at the beginning and the tempo changes at :13. The mood is pensive and danceable at the same time, and has a fun oom-pah underlying drive. I wasn’t a huge fan of the sample at :18 - it sounds a little sharp and synthetic to me. The energy level and percussion at around :45 are great, although I wasn’t a huge fan of the sudden transition at 1:08, especially given the thin, extremely high-pitched sound of the violin there. I like the more emotionally charged and reserved content at around 1:25, but I’m again thrown off by the re-introduction of the harpsichord and spiccato-style strings at around 1:45. Admittedly, I’m also concerned by the lack of originality in the harmonic framework and rhythmic content here. It sounds very similar to In The Hall of the Mountain King; I know you cited that piece as an inspiration for this track, but at the risk of coming across as accusatory it seems like more than inspiration to me at times, especially at around :35. I think the mix here is a tad quiet during the more mellow parts, but otherwise it’s quite clear and well-balanced. Overall, I enjoyed the melodic content and sound design the most here, although I’m concerned by the choppy arrangement and originality issues. Keep at it, Everratic! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Between Worlds In a Crystal Tunnel]

I like the quirky detuned arpeggios at the beginning. I rarely hear VGM tracks in ¾, so you get brownie points for that at the very least. The sound design of the piece is really fun, and it almost sounds like it has a hip-hop-inspired beat pattern between the vintage clap and intricate hi-hat pattern. The melodies throughout the first minute are really nice, although the lines at :58 get in each other’s way a bit too much for my tastes. Maybe you could’ve gotten away with it if the transition at :58 wasn’t also a bit abrupt, but it kinda sounded like you just bent the piece into a horseshoe shape and tried to meld the two sides together. The melodic theme from the first minute also returns rather abruptly at 1:36, and after that the piece lacks direction a bit, instead oscillating between a couple of distinct sub-themes that aren’t integrated well with each other and (for the most part) don’t really help the piece develop in a meaningful way. I think the climax at 3:32 made the progression of this piece sound infinitely more interesting, and I’d love to hear a version of this piece that tries to break away from the ABABAB framework of the first 3 minutes even more. My favorite element of the piece is probably the production quality, which I have exactly 0 complaints about. Very clean and loud mix, my friend. Still, I think you sold yourself short on some of the compositional elements of this piece, even though the sound design, mood, and mixing are all top-notch. Solid work overall. Keep at it, Trixelbit! :)

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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Agente.001 - Melancholia]

Very creative rhythmic content and sound design at the beginning. I like the swelling chords and glitchy tracking software sound effects. The airy beats at :24 are nice too, and the touch of dissonance in the background really adds a rich diversity to the texture. The smooth guitar at :48 really threw me off guard, and that riff ends about as suddenly as it begins at 1:14. I’m enjoying the sense of apprehension and suspense in the texture, but at the same time the texture feels very transitional towards the beginning of the piece, and it takes a long time (2 full minutes) before the texture forms a concrete climax. I like the drop at 2:00, although it does drag on for a bit long. The punchy bridge at 3:14 is a nice touch, too, and that section really highlights the strong mastering quality of the piece. At times, I thought the mixing effects on the drums were a bit much, though, especially the compression and reverb. The piece definitely comes together well with the synth brass solos at 4:15, although I wish the notes of that solo were a bit more distinct in the mix. The guitar solo at the end was pretty evocative, although I would’ve liked to see you integrate it better with the thematic content of the rest of the piece. Overall, you really told a story with this one. Strong work with the sound design, mastering, harmonic content, and atmosphere. Keep at it, Tomhson! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Man-Made Planet (NGADM 2019)]

I like the echo-y synths and the piano at the beginning. The chord progression is pretty cliche, and the pace of development of the piece is rather slow. The drums at :52 are a tad over-compressed, although I enjoyed the build-up into 1:08. Overall, the production quality is enjoyable. The refrain has an energetic and catchy vibe, and I like the melodic content at the post-chorus at 1:41 too. I think the choir samples you used during the more downtempo sections were a bit cheesy, but I like the harmonic content at the bridge at 2:28 or so. There’s a nice sense of climax into the 3-minute mark, although by the second breakdown at 3:16 I’m beginning to think that the piece doesn’t quite make up for the lack of harmonic variety with its pleasing progression. Despite the melodic variations, this piece is essentially 5 minutes of the same 4-chord progression, and the lack of originality in that regard is probably one of my main complaints here. I also think the ending of the piece comes on rather suddenly, and the sweep you put in there seemed like a Band-Aid attempt to smooth it over. The climax in this piece that lands the best is at 3:00 imo, and as such I honestly think you could’ve just ended the track at 3:32, perhaps with some more filtering/automations to foreshadow the conclusion better. Right now, the piece feels just a tad dragged out, and even loses momentum with the added repetitions of the final melodic phrase at around 4:30. Still, I’m enjoying the loud and clear mix, melodies, sound design, and atmosphere of the piece. Solid work overall! I nitpicked this piece half to death, but at the end of the day my main problems with it are just the generic chord progression and stagnant/redundant arrangement. Keep at it, Drewpy! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Everybody's Invited But Me - Song]

The synths and drums patterns at the beginning are catchy and cute, but the instruments themselves are pretty cheesy. The melody synth sounds really thin compared to the bass, although the mix is fairly loud and clear otherwise. The lyrics have a fun, almost comical vibe, yet the recording quality isn’t perfect and the mixing on the vocals could be smoother. The panning on the vocals is pretty heavy, and the different vocal layers could’ve blended better. There’s also a bit of distortion at 1:17, likely because of the overpowering vocals. At 1:42, I’m enjoying the catchy percussion and circus-like instrumental solos. The chord progression remains pretty cliche throughout the piece, although I liked the gradual decline in register of the piece at around 2:20. At 2:26, the distortions from the vocals become more noticeable and the quantizing isn’t perfect either. I think the vocals often fall behind the beat. Some re-recording might be in order there, especially for the purpose of better syncing up the backing vocals with the lead. Overall, I think this is a cute piece with a lot of fun ideas, but the execution on the vocal processing and mastering needs some more work. Keep at it, Jackbliss! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

jackbliss responds:

Thanks for another great detailed review TaintedLogic. It's been a great opportunity for me to produce songs for this tournament and learn from my mistakes to get the best output for future releases. Keep up the good work! :)

[Tethered to the Past]

I like the ominous tone at the beginning. Nitpicky thing: at :11, there’s this really low-pitched harmony line that sounds pretty indistinct. That might be on purpose, but it sounds to me like the notes are spaced a little too close together. I thought it was really clever when you transitioned into an oom-pah line at :17, which in turn progresses nicely into the more flowing and melodic vibe at :26. Stylistically, this is a rather eclectic piece, but you’ve really showed off your knack for storytelling and fluidity. I loved the frantic pitter-patter at 1:00 too. One transition that may have been a tad sudden for me is at 1:09 when the piece gets a little darker in tone again, but the ritardando into 1:28 was an effective way of foreshadowing the injection of energy thereafter. My favorite part of the piece is probably 2:08, which just sounds really cute. I also like how it gradually meanders its way to a lower register before launching into another more flowy section. The doodling at 2:50 is pretty impressive, but also wasn’t a particularly climactic way of concluding the piece imo. I would’ve liked to hear something with a fuller texture that united some of the disparate themes of the piece a little more. Still, the somewhat comical ending seemed fitting in its own right. Like I said, you really told a story with this one. I can envision the protagonist fighting with himself over whether and to what extent to let go of his past. There’s the stagnant, cyclical-but-enthralling parts of him that need curing, yet also the volatile, uncertain-but-optimistic prospects that the future holds. Anyway, fun piece, LSD! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the review, and sorry for the delayed response! I was teaching for four weeks as part of a university course, so I've been really tired whenever I've been at home :'D

Now that that's over, I hope I'll have some more time for music again!
As for your nitpicky thing, I don't hear what you mean there, as I'm just playing octaves. But maybe you were talking about 0:13, where the left hand might be a bit understated. I'm playing power chords there, but they might be somewhat quiet :)

The oom-pah thing is really fun to play! Believe it or not, I hadn't really developed that technique until now, so I'm glad it's in my arsenal.

Personally, I disagree about 1:09, as I feel like it's a natural place for the song to return to the intro. But it might've been unexpected, which just makes it all the better in my opinion!

2:08 is a callback to 0:31, and I agree that it's stylistically quite nice. Probably one of the most traditional parts of an arrangement I think I've ever composed.

I can see what you mean with 2:50. Seems like a lot of people also liked it though, so I guess it could be one of those flares that speaks to some people, yet not to others.
The way I see it, the climax of the piece is pretty much at 2:20, and the rest is just a fleshed out outro. I do however, feel like the outro draws the piece together, as 3:04 is pretty much the same as the intro and the middle section of the piece :3

"I can envision the protagonist fighting with himself over whether and to what extent to let go of his past. There’s the stagnant, cyclical-but-enthralling parts of him that need curing, yet also the volatile, uncertain-but-optimistic prospects that the future holds"

=> Wow, that's actually pretty close to what I imagine the piece being about, myself. I'm glad you caught on to that!

Thanks again for the thorough review, as well as for all your hard work!

[My Baby Flew Away]

I like the jangly guitars and vocals at the beginning. Perhaps the piece could’ve used more of a proper intro, but the beginning does have a spontaneity that matches the thematic content of the piece. There could’ve been a tad more emotion in the vocals imo. The lyrics and instrumental tracks both have a forlorn and rueful quality, but the vocals didn’t have me convinced of that somehow. They have a bouncy, sing-songy vibe (especially by :34 or so) that doesn’t quite match up with the wistful tone of the rest of the piece. I thought the tempo change at :18 was clever, though, and the vocals are mixed rather well. The lyrics come through quite clearly, and are also rather digestible in terms of the diction and delivery alike. The drums at :34 could’ve been a bit louder, but overall the mix is loud, clear, and well-balanced. I like the groovy synth solo at 1:03, but the riser leading into it at :56 was a bit cheesy imo. Later, the piece gets a bit repetitive, and I especially would’ve liked to hear some variation on the lead guitar riff. The synth melodies at the end really sell this piece, though. I’m sure that the blissful mood of the piece overall was intentional, but I’m honestly still a little conflicted about it. Regardless, nice job with the production quality, melodies, sound design, and progression here, Ectisity! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Crystal Winter]

I like the light and graceful tone at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The piece has a great emotional appeal and a nice spaciousness in the mix. The vocals are brilliant, if a little breathy for my tastes at times. The lyrics themselves are beautiful, and the rich texture really falls together by around 1:34. I really like the extended piano solo before the short, final vocal phrase. The piece has a nice and uplifting vibe overall, and the production quality is fantastic. Keep up the great work, guys! ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks for the review!
I am really amazed by how quickly Jordi was able to come up with and record the vocals for the track. He also added some more reverb on the piano, I think, which gave way for this amazing atmosphere. Personally, I love the breathiness, as I feel like it fits the wintery feel really well. It's interesting that you liked the piano interlude, whereas SplatterDash thought there could've been vocals there. I guess that goes to show how different taste can be, even regarding dynamics :)
It's also interesting that you find the piece mostly uplifting, and JessieYun feels some sad undertones. I really appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts; it's almost like conducting small-scale research, haha :'D
Keep up the great work, you too!