TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Cicade]

I like the glitchy content at the beginning and the cute synth riff at :14. The mix is really tight and well-balanced, and there’s a nice sense of climax into :54. The drop is strangely atmospheric, but I like the gritty underlying bass and smooth synth riffs. The melodic content here is nice, but I think it would’ve helped maximize the emotional impact of it to make something more legato and dynamic. I like how you varied the drop the second time the refrain came around (at 2:04) and, despite the relatively cliche arrangement, I think you have a really unique, refreshing sound design and mood to this piece. It sounds both blissful and somewhat ominous, and I really like that ambiguity. Keep up the good work, Zanzlanz! ^_^

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

Zanzlanz responds:

First of all, congratulations on 3000 audio reviews. A bit arbitrary of a milestone to congratulate maybe, but it's no less amazing to me!

I'm interested about your review because track was partially inspired by your criteria and previous feedback (I do wish more judges could do what you do; it's so helpful).

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised about this, but you totally caught me having the typical arrangement! Though it did really help me piece things together, so the tradeoff was probably beneficial in the end. It may have helped sell the intentionality of the more risky choices too. :) But yes, it was comfortable for me and maybe I should be more bold in a competitive situation.

I'm super surprised people like the mix! I struggled with it a lot, so it's a big relief to have direct thumbs up there.

I really love and appreciate the description of "both blissful and somewhat ominous." Perhaps making things "more legato" would have reduced this aspect, but I can see that you're pointing out there are ways to consolidate some of the ideas better.

Also, varied drops: there's no other way man! It's a waste of music to do the same thing twice! :D Thanks for acknowledging that.

And again, thank you for the thoughtful review! Good luck with the next rounds, and do enjoy your couple weeks off!

[Afeared]

I like the gritty texture at the beginning and the catchy strummed riffs at :28. The melodic content might’ve sounded a bit more impactful during the first minute if all of the notes weren’t so short and staccato, though. The production quality and harmonies are both enjoyable here. I still think transitions are what you need some more work on. The changes in the texture at 1:07 comes on a little suddenly, although I like what you did with the shifts in the rhythmic emphasis at 1:22 and again at 1:40. The ominous top line at 2:35 added a nice sense of variety after a while, and I appreciated how you broke up the intensity of the piece with the breakdown at 2:51. I think the composition feels pretty drawn-out at times, especially with the added repetitions of the riff at 3:27. Still, I liked the new melodic material at 4:03, and overall I thought you did a good job of hitting this piece home. I don’t think the piece is nearly as bad as you think it is. It has a good sense of shape, and the sound design and mixing are both really strong. Keep at it, JDawg00100! ^_^

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

JDawg00100 responds:

Thank ya for the review! :)

[9-2-5 Routine]

I like the relaxed, bright mood at the beginning. The snare sample at :08 wasn’t my favorite. It might have a tad too much treble for my tastes. I also think the piece could use more bass in general at times. The texture at :33 has a nice and refreshing vibe, and overall I really like the melodic sections of the piece and the glitchy rhythmic details. The piece gets a tad repetitive towards the end, and probably needed some more variety on some of the main riffs to hit it home. Some more structuring might also work well, as it’s relatively short right now and lacks a full-length breakdown or bridge. Still, the sound design is really fun here, and I’m enjoying the mixing and melodies as well. Keep at it, icantpronouncethis! :)

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

[From the Dust You Whisper]

I like the murky atmosphere at the beginning, the vocals in the background, and the gritty industrial-sounding effects that fade in and out. The percussion is cool too, and I like the synth riffs at :48. The texture takes a while to come together, but the ominous mood and atmosphere help keep me engaged. I liked when the beat fell away at 1:38, and the synth arpeggios and airy vibe at 1:50 adds to the sense of intrigue and suspense here. The vocals at 2:18 are really nice, although I’m beginning to lose a sense of cohesion in the structure by this point. The guitar solo towards the end is pretty sweet, and helped give the piece a sort of harmonic dynamism that it was otherwise lacking imo. I still think you could’ve done a tad more to resolve the underlying tension of the piece here, and I’m sure you can anticipate my criticism of the hasty ending. :) Still, I have absolutely no complaints with the mixing, sound design, or atmosphere. I think you nailed the mood and flow of this piece. The piece has a good sense of shape, too, but I think you were still playing it a bit safe with elements of the harmonic content. Overall, though, solid work here, Phonometrologist! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Phonometrologist responds:

Well I cannot say that I disagree with any of it. I appreciate the review as it is all reassuring. This piece still feels a bit odd to me whereas it doesn't quite finish with the same energy as the first minute and a half of the piece. But it has its own character and I've accepted the piece for what it is.
Regarding the harmonic content and "playing it safe." You're probably right. What was on my mind in creating it was making sure I showcase the sample library so it can be used as a demo. Sound design, mixing, and the percussion were the main focus, and the harmonic content wasn't anything I really tried exploring. I'd much rather write a piece that offers something deep and meaningful in terms of the harmonic and melodic content, but this often requires a lot of time interacting and listening to a piece of music to explore its secrets. The theory aspect of music is like a religious experience for me where each individual note plays an important role in finding the next one. I simply couldn't do it here as this was more of an exercise in writing to a specific deadline.

[Vortex Of Memory]

I like the pensive piano riff at the beginning, even if the chord progression is a bit cliche. The vocals were nice, and the lyrics themselves are also beautiful. At times, the vocals sounded a tad undecorated. They could’ve used some more mixing effects. It’s also hard to make out the lyrics just from listening to the vocals. I know you didn’t sing them yourself, but it sounds like Maria needs to enunciate her consonants a bit more sometimes. I like the string sections a lot, too - they add some much-needed variety to the texture. Sometimes, the piano gets a little drowned out underneath the strings and vocals, though, which is especially noticeable at around 3:15. The mix is also a tad quiet in general. Still, nice work with the compositional aspects of this piece. Stickler for structure though I am, I like what you did with the unconventional arrangement here. Ironically, it still sounds a tad cyclical to me in terms of the energy levels and patterns of instrument entries, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, solid work with the harmonies, sound design, and thematic attributes here. Some of the compositional and production details might need some work, but otherwise it’s an enjoyable piece. Keep at it, JohnnyFrizz! :)

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[DV - Mementos of Yesteryear]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The texture has a bit of an experimental feel, and the mixing is quite good. The drums might even be a tad too loud relative to the harmonic content. I think the piece doesn’t sound structurally complete, though, and you could really use more treble and mid-range tones throughout. The texture is pretty minimal, and overall the composition needs to be much more fleshed out. It still has some really cool instruments, moods, and atmospheric sections, though. I’d encourage you to keep working on this, but for the purposes of this competition, this isn’t getting much credit for structural or compositional categories from me. Thanks for coming out to the NGADM though, la-yinn, and good luck with your future projects! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[[NGADM 2019] ẄL - Circuit Realm]

I like the relaxed vibe at the beginning and the progression. The pacing is a bit slow, and the sudden change in rhythmic density at :32 caught me off guard a bit. I think the transition into the synth riffs at :40-ish would’ve worked better if it was a bit more gradual, and I thought the clap sample and synths at :46 sounded a tad generic. The production quality is good, and I liked the build-up into the drop. The drop itself was a tad bland, with a lot of bass and pads outlining the chord progression taking up most of the texture. I liked the more mellow section at 2:35, and I appreciated the variations in the refrain at 3:37. You hit the piece home pretty well in the final climactic section, but there’s also not a lot of melodic development or harmonic variety later in the piece. I also thought the ending was a bit underwhelming and inconclusive, as propagated by the fade-out. Overall, I like the mixing, flow, rhythmic content, and atmosphere of the piece, but I think the sound design and arrangement could use more originality and the composition could be more dynamic in places. Keep at it, WaterLemonMusic! :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Mikhail]

I like the crisp percussion and the slow crescendoing string line at the beginning. The piece is pretty slow to progress, but I like new string riff at :55 and the church bells, even if the bell sample was a tad cheesy. I think the composition might need a tad more variety at times. It seems pretty transitional until towards the end when the choir comes in. The main riffs of the piece are also rather simplistic and repetitive. The energy level of the piece has a nice sense of dynamism, but that isn’t really complemented by the harmonic content. Some more structuring might help maximize the emotional appeal of the piece a bit more. Overall, I really like the sound design, mood, cinematic vibe, and production quality, but the compositional details needed a bit more fleshing out in order to hold my attention here. Still, solid work with the progression and mixing. Keep at it, Omson! :)

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Osaka beatdown]

I like the energy at the beginning and the generous dose of hi-hats. The airy synths at :26 are nice, but the lead riff at :40 sounds pretty harmonically different, and a lot of this piece doesn’t have much harmonic depth. The bell-like harmonies at 1:04 even make the texture sound a bit atonal. The drop at 1:30 is pretty cool, albeit pretty minimal, and I am enjoying the high production quality here. The vocal samples at 1:56 are fun, and overall I’m really liking the rhythmic content and flavor of the piece too. The transition at 2:22 could’ve been smoother. The fade-in approach into that new piano riff doesn’t really work given the differing harmonic frameworks between the two sections. My favorite part of the piece is probably 4:05, but the transition into that section could’ve been a bit smoother. Overall, you’re clearly a talented producer with a great sense of rhythm, sound design, and atmosphere creation. That said, the arrangement is pretty choppy here, and the harmonic content doesn’t always sound coherent. Still, solid work with the mixing, energy, and catchiness. Keep at it, KayozKun! :)

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
.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

KayozKun responds:

Thank you so much ^^

[Obelisk]

I like the pensive atmosphere at the beginning and the sound design. The progression is a little slow-paced at first, but I really like it when the texture comes together more at :46, even if the transition there could’ve been a tad more gradual. The energetic section at 1:20 also works well, and I liked the modulation at 1:40. The mellow section at 2:19 was smooth, and I liked the re-introduction of the energy at 3:29. You guys really like key changes, wow. While key changes this conspicuous during a climactic section should generally be used sparingly, I like how you foreshadow them slightly before the transitional moment itself. I also like the rhythmic details towards the end (like at 4:52). Overall, my one major complaint here is probably the somewhat choppy arrangement. Still, great job with the production, sound design, mood, and melodies! Keep it up, guys. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

tailspun responds:

big thanks for consistently reviewing so many peoples' tracks, helps so much to get a second opinion (-: