TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[SoFtBOILeD-Your AfterStory]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The pads there sound a bit thin and generic, though. Some more complex layering and/or the addition of more oscillators might help them sound fuller and richer. There's a bit of atonality in the texture starting at :26, and it's hard to pin down the harmonic center of this piece for a while. Once again, the mixing here is really good, but the drums are also pretty generic. I appreciate the creative work with the toms/bongos at :58, but it seemed a bit out-of-character for the piece. The harmonic framework is pretty dissonant overall, and once again there isn't a lot of variety in the chord progression or melodic content. I'd suggest this: try making a piece that uses only 5 different notes (for example, C, D, E, G, and A, in any octave). That way, the harmonies will be restrictive enough that you can focus more on developing strong melodies and variety in your composition. My favorite part of the piece is 3:25, which feels like a harmonically stable bridge. The dissonance comes back at 4:22, but overall there are a lot of good ideas here. I think you just tried to do a little too much with this one, and it came across as a bit too experimental. Still, the 5-note idea should help you focus on the composition for next time. Feel free to PM me again when you've written it! ^^

[SoFtBOILeD-A Take on my Dreams]

I like the cutesy atmospheric riff at the beginning, although the synths there sound a little harsh in the upper register. The drum samples are pretty generic. The percussion at :46 is creative, although I would've liked to hear some more harmonic variation in the piece at that point. There are a lot of extended sections of the piece that don't have many bass tones. My favorite part of the piece is probably the production quality. Despite the thin textures at a lot of points, things generally seem really well-balanced, loud, and clear. Some of the stop-start transitions here didn't really work that well for me. For example, the one at 2:27 (and again at 4:00) kinda detracts from the flow of the piece overall. Other than that, my main concern here is that the piece is very repetitive. I wanted to hear some stronger melodic content and variety in the chord progression. Overall, nice work with the atmosphere, rhythmic content, and mixing. The composition could use a bit more creativity and variation, though. Keep at it, SoFtBOILeD! ^^

[The Watch ft. Ethereal Winds]

I like the haunting, Middle Eastern vibe at the beginning. The warm strings and vocals are both great. I'd love to get a transcript/translation of the lyrics. This piece has a great atmosphere and progression. The mix is a little quiet, but I love how the piece ebbs and flows in intensity over time. The vocal content often seems repetitive, but the instrumental tracks have a pleasant shape to them throughout. Strong work here, guys! Looking forward to more fruitful collabs in the future. ^^

McGorilla42 responds:

Thanks, Tainted! I'm glad you enjoyed it and we will upload more.

[Bring The Heat]

Sorry for the slow response! I like the drama of the orchestral hit at the beginning, but it sounds a tad dry and contrasts heavily in character with the flowing piano line. The brass instruments also sound a bit inauthentic, and the rhythm is a little hard-to-follow starting at around :08. I like the harmonic progression and sound design during the flowy part, and the re-introduction of the dramatic strings at :52 works well. I think the percussion could come through a little stronger in the mix at :53, and the piano chords might be a little too thick. You can open up the piano chords more by experimenting with the spacing - wider gaps between the notes makes the chord sound less clunky overall. You probably already knew that, though. I like the crisp string line at 1:11 and the build-up into 1:28. The mix is a bit too wide for my tastes there, and I definitely think core rhythmic components like the drums and bass should be front-and-center. The guitar melodies are killer, though, and I like the element of storytelling in this piece. The section at 2:45 is good for scaling back the intensity while maintaining a sense of apprehension. The final climax at 3:22 helped the composition come together well overall. I'm enjoying the mood, melodies, progression, and instruments here. The mix could be a little more balanced and centered, but most of my other complaints are a bunch of small details. Solid work, Lukiaffe! Sorry again about taking so long to get back to you. Feel free to send me another PM if I don't get back to you within a week. ^^

[Dragon Milk]

I like the tranquility at the beginning and the sense of climax into :27. The bass is a little heavy, though, and I would’ve liked to hear more variety in the harmonic content and instrumental hierarchy here. The melodies at around 1:10 are nice. The mix is pretty quiet throughout, despite being clear and well-balanced. I also wanted the drums to be more prominent in the mix here. I like the staccato-y hits at 1:50 and quirky sound design throughout. I think the piece could use some more dynamic melodic content and harmonic variety, but I still think the progression and sound design help keep me engaged. Solid work overall. Keep at it, Xehao! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Think]

I like the emotional quality of the beginning and the tranquil mood. The texture has a great sense of balance between the light piano melodies and bass drones. I like the percussion at :27 too, and the melancholy string line there is haunting. The transition at 1:22 was a bit sudden, but I appreciated the structural variety you offered there, and the piano solo at 1:50 was beautiful. I think the final refrain at 2:36 could’ve been a tad more climactic, as it doesn’t seem like you did more to expand on the first refrain at :27. I also would’ve liked to hear a proper outro here, as the piece ends pretty abruptly after the second refrain. Still, I love the sound design, mood, and atmosphere of this piece, and the beautiful melodies definitely help keep this piece engaging despite the lack of variety later on. Keep at it, WolfgangMiakoda! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Melodic Convergence]

I like the nature FX at the beginning and the string drone. There’s a great, anticipatory vibe to the piece at the beginning, and the diversity and complexity of the sound design is phenomenal. The piece takes a little while to develop, and comes across as a patchwork of solos and phrases, like I am running through a great castle full of different themed rooms. This makes the arrangement feel a bit choppy, but at the same time tells a great story. The production quality is excellent here, and I’m especially impressed with the vocal sections (like at around 3:15). Can you make the vocal plug-ins say words that you write in? I love the intricacy of the percussion at around 4:45 and the entire celtic jam section. You also did a fairly good job of integrating the various cultures you explore here towards the end. Like I said, my main problem here is the lack of cohesion in the structuring, but otherwise you knocked it out of the park with this one - mixing, melodies, rhythmic content, sound design, etc. Congratulations on your hard work throughout this competition, VociferousMusic! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

VociferousMusic responds:

Excuse me for the long delay. I would like to answer your question.
No, I am unable to create words. The plugin contains several phrases and words I can choose from and eventually build it (Phrase builder). I also can choose and modify the pitch without the voice sounding less natural, as you can hear.

[Omens of the Deep]

I like the gritty, industrial sound design at the beginning and the ominous mood. The texture is really punchy and engaging, yet also not over-compressed or too harsh. I think the piece is a little slow to progress, and I think the glitchy content at 1:01 could’ve used a bit off the top end of the frequency range in the equalizer. I also think this piece is missing higher-end frequencies for long stretches at a time, which is a bit of a missed opportunity after a while. I like the rhythmic content and atmosphere a lot, and the progression does keep things engaging for the most part, but at some point I would’ve liked to hear some stronger melodic content. Even the solo at the bridge at 2:05 isn’t really that prominent in the mix. The piece does get more melodic as it goes on, and the drop at 2:56 just sounds like insects are falling from the sky and clawing at my head (which is a good thing, as it complements the foreboding mood of the rest of the piece). The ending could’ve been a bit more creative, but overall I like the structure of this piece. There’s a lot of variety in here, yet after a couple of listens I can tell that the arrangement is actually pretty traditional, which is a fun dichotomy to have. Overall, solid work, Spadezer! You’re always welcome back on the NGUAC judging squad, but I do enjoy listening to your tracks. ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Spadezer responds:

Very appreciated!

It's interesting, I've never noticed the lack of highs. I'll have to look through it again and see what's up. I'm glad you clarified your insects from the sky analogy lol.

Thanks again!

[Broken Souls Re-Master]

Alright! You’re getting a fresh review on this after the re-master. :) I like the cute piano riff at the beginning. The rimshot at :07 hits a bit too hard imo, especially with the reverb. I think you may have overcorrected a bit for the quiet vocals last time, because now they’re a bit too loud for me. Percussive elements of the mix should almost always come out over the melodic notes, and the bass also sounds a bit too loud here. The louder vocals do help the listener make out the lyrics a bit better, but the blending issues at :50 are still present, and part of the problem may be that the intonation isn’t always perfect. The instrumental track also sounds a bit distorted and over-compressed at times. I do like the structuring in the piece, including the spacey breakdown at 2:18, but I also feel like the mixing effects at 2:32 were a bit overdone. I’m sorry, man. I know you’ve done a lot more work on this since I last reviewed it, but I’m starting to think that the vocal recording might need some more work to get this piece where it needs to be. Still, I like the dark tone of the lyrics and the complementary atmosphere in the instrumental tracks. It’s been a pleasure to listen to your tracks over the course of this competition, and best of luck with your future tracks (and also college!). ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

Quebi responds:

Oh wow, thank you for giving this one a review too! Yeah, I definitely have a lot to learn about vocal processing, it's something I haven't had to do a ton of for sure. The best thing would be to re-record and fix a lot of the problems with the breaths, but that will likely never be possible unfortunately.

[A Long Way Back]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the quirky sound design. The texture seems well-balanced, and I like the phasing/filtered synths. The mix is pretty quiet, though, and I think the kick is a little too prominent in the texture at times. Despite the enjoyable atmosphere, sometimes your instruments don’t blend well together, especially the punchy clap at :30 with the other, more mellow aspects of the texture. There also isn’t a very strong sense of structural variety over time. The new section at 1:14 offers some textural changes, but the piece still has a pretty consistent energy level and thickness of texture. I like the sound design, mood, atmosphere, and harmonic content overall, but I think the composition could be more dynamic. The choir sample at 2:01 sounds pretty inauthentic, and the chord progression at that part is a bit cliche. The piece comes together well by the end with a notable escalation of intensity, and despite the lack of prominent melodic content and my issues with the mixing, there’s a lot to like in the quirky textures and flow here. Keep at it, Shadow-ghost! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10