TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Inevitable]

I like the glitchy content at the beginning and the punchy drums. The synths at :19 are cute, and the production quality is really high here. The rhythmic content is nice, and I like the sound design as a whole too. The piece is very slow to progress, and probably needs more structuring and some more prominent melodic content in places. I love the airy choir chords at 1:05, although the string samples at 1:23 sound a bit cheesy. You really take this piece in a different direction by the end. I like the sense of climax going into the end, but I wanted a stronger point of resolve after you built up all that tension. There are a lot of good ideas here, but I think you could capitalize on the groovy intro and the cinematic flair alike with a more fleshed-out arrangement. Overall, though, your experimental composition definitely paid off. Really cool sound design and atmospheric elements here. Keep at it, Vocaloutburst! ^_^

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

vocaloutburst responds:

Thanks so much for the feedback and review!!

[Broken Souls]

I like the ascending scale pattern at the beginning and the vocals. The rimshots at :08 were a little too loud imo, but the texture comes together well by :13. I’m not a huge fan of the kick at :32 - it has a bit too much treble imo. At :50, the vocals don’t blend super well, and the drums are struggling to come through the mix a bit. I like the lyrics themselves, and I also think you both have nice voices, especially your friend. The composition could be a bit more dynamic in terms of energy level and harmonies, though. I would’ve liked to see some more structural changes in the piece before the breakdown at 2:19. I like the glitchy content there, and you transition pretty well back into the last refrain at 2:47. I think the recording quality of the vocals isn’t great, and I think the two vocal parts don’t always sync up so well, which is especially noticeable towards the end. I think the composition of the piece is really good, but you didn’t necessarily execute it very well between the recordings and production. Still, I like the mood, progression, harmonic content, and atmosphere of the piece. Keep at it, SirQuebi! Best of luck at college. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.5/10

Quebi responds:

Yeah, I noticed the things you mentioned, and it really is unfortunate I couldn't execute it all better. Perhaps with different circumstances it would've been a different story.

[Triangle [WIP]]

I like the dramatic descending synth at the beginning and the arpeggios at :15. The lead synth there is a bit generic, and the chord progression also sounds pretty cliche, but the mix is loud and clear, and the piece has a great sense of atmosphere. The arrangement of the piece sounds a bit formulaic, though, with major changes only occurring every 8 bars. I also think the piece gets rather repetitive by the end, and I would’ve liked to hear a more distinct and prolonged climax towards the end. Overall, the composition and arrangement of the piece feel pretty stagnant, like the piece was made from a generic template for what a piece of EDM should sound like. Some more gradual transitions, melodic development, and/or a change in mood or instrumentation at some point might help give this piece a stronger sense of ebb and flow over time. Still, nice job with the mixing, harmonies, atmosphere, progression, and rhythmic content. Keep at it, Blackhole12! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[I'm With You]

I like the funky guitar riffs at the beginning, the loud, crisp mix, and the rhythmic content. The piece is a little slow to progress, and at times the texture is pretty minimal. It sounds a lot like there should be a vocal track steering the piece through these phrases. Otherwise, the arrangement comes across as a bit choppy. I think the production quality is excellent here, though, and the sound design is refreshing and has a distinct feel-good vibe about it. The piece gets rather repetitive towards the end, though, and overall I think you could’ve done a lot more with the composition here. Still, the mixing and instrumentation keep this piece afloat for me. Keep at it, JamesRennaMusic! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Anthem For The Millenial]

I like the spacey pads at the beginning and the guitars. I think the vocals could be a little more prominent in the mix, including some more compression and other mixing effects. The lyrics are both vague and repetitive, but also relatable and down-to-earth. The transition at 1:12 could’ve been smoother, but I do like the echoy vocal harmonies. The guitar solo at 2:07 is nice, even if it’s just outlining the chord progression. I think the mixing/balance of the piece could use some cleaning up. The drums aren’t quite as punchy as I wanted them to be, especially during the lead guitar section, and the vocals don’t feel strong enough until the phrase at 3:03. I also think you could’ve enunciated the consonants a bit more. I like how the texture gradually gets stripped down towards the end, although the mic pop at 4:37 could’ve been edited out. Overall, despite all my nitty-gritty criticism, I think the harmonies, sound design, and rhythmic content are all really good here. The mix and vocal production might need a tad more cleaning up, and some more variety in the instrumental tracks would be nice later in the piece, but otherwise it’s a catchy and fun piece. Keep at it, RedSoul92! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

RedSoul92 responds:

Thanks for the review I will most definitely keep at it ^_^

[~SW~ Synaptic Surge]

I like the spacey vibe at the beginning and the smooth string pads. The little synth riff at :25 is cute, and the overall tone of the piece has a great sense of wonder about it. I like the percussion and the subtle crescendo into 1:08, too. The drums are really creative at 1:11, and the meandering melodies are really interesting. The texture really comes together well at 1:50, even if the snare samples sound a bit thin. Very creative rhythmic content here, and I like the prominent, gritty bass at 2:22. The section at the 3-minute mark offers a nice secondary melody to the content at the emotional height at 1:50. It’s hard to make the one-climax model work, but you’ve done a good job at creating a sense of dynamism in the composition even within a pretty parabolic structure. Strong work, Skye! I love how you juxtapose conflicting moods in this piece - tranquility and anger, introspection and impulsion. Keep it up. ^_^

P.S.: Is there anywhere I can download this?

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

SkyeWint responds:

Hey there, TL!

First things first, I made it available for download. Still not 100% happy with this, though I think it's nailed things a bit more than I have before... so up for normal download it goes!

The synth riff becoming audible around 0:25 is a consistent pattern playing throughout almost the entire piece, actually! If you listen in the background, you should be able to hear it. ^^

I find it really interesting you feel the snares are thinner at 1:50 - they're actually a lot sharper at the high end and have just as much in the mids as the snare in the prior section.

The gritty bass around 2:22 is one of the parts I'm proudest of. Did you notice the pad in the background expanding a bit with each of the bits of extra distortion and modulation of the bass to accent it?

Gonna try to keep on pushing out music a bit faster than before now. Take care!

[loosends]

I like the gritty, pulsing texture at the beginning, even if the wavering effect and kick drum were a bit heavy. The piece is pretty slow to progress, although the texture fills out a little more once the vocals come in. The vocals are pretty far back in the mix, and also don’t sync up very well between the man and woman’s parts. I like the lyrics themselves, though, and also the post-chorus/melodic phrase at 1:36. I think the drums, especially the snare, don’t come through in the mix quite clearly enough at this point, and also that the synths are a bit cheesy/generic. The melodic phrase drags on for a bit too long, but the contrasting breakdown section was a good idea. I like the emotional appeal of the piano solo at 3:15. The reverb is a bit excessive, and the pacing remains pretty slow, but the bridge at 4:01 works well to inject some energy back into the piece. I think the vocals sound pretty haunting overall, but also that the consonants could be enunciated a bit better. Overall, there are some really good harmonic and rhythmic ideas here, and I like the ghostly tone the piece has and the gritty synths. That said, a lot of the sound design is a bit cliche, and the arrangement of the piece is a bit too drawn-out. The mixing also needs some cleaning up, most urgently by cutting some reverb and getting stricter with the equalization. Still, this is a fun and strangely danceable piece. Keep at it, Spoonukem! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Spoonerang responds:

I appreciate the feedback; and I've been dabbling with a few edits of the track, (after the critiques) cutting reverb and other sliders around a bit in different areas. Haha, the synth sounds were admittedly a bit generic especially if you compare the sounds here to my previous works - guess you could say I was trying to go back to basics, anyways~ I had a lot of fun with this one, if not for the contests I doubt this track would have even been created! Thanks for having me and taking the time to review this moderately long track! Better luck next year I suppose! :)

[Detious - Cobalt Matrix]

I like the glitchy content at the beginning and the synth riffs at :13. The compression is a bit heavy, but I’m enjoying the atmosphere and clarity in the mix. The drop at :55 was refreshing, and I like how spacious the texture is going into the breakdown at 1:28. The extended pause at 1:38 was a tad excessive, but you’ve certainly captured my attention with the intriguing pacing of this piece. I think there could be a bit more harmonic depth and variety at times, and there isn’t really a distinct moment of prominent melodic content here. This piece has solid mixing, a steady flow, and some cool rhythmic content. It’s just the harmonic aspects of the composition that could use a little more fleshing out. Keep at it, Detious! :)

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Look Alive]

I like the cute piano riffs at the beginning and the emotional quality of the piece. The occasional atonal notes (like at :37) gave the piece more of an ominous tint, and I like the sense of climax into 1:02. The guitar melodies at 1:24 are nice, too. The drums here may have been a tad too loud, but otherwise I like the sound design and production. The gritty background effects at 2:02 sound really cool, and the piece comes together well towards the end. The mix is a bit too busy at 2:41, though, and I think you could’ve used more of a proper outro here. I also would’ve liked to see the piece return to the level of motion in the melodies that it had during the first climactic section at 1:22. Still, this is a really enjoyable piece with some strong mixing, sound design, and atmosphere. Keep at it, WolfgangMiakoda! ^_^

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
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
9/10