TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Obstruction]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the vocals samples. The synth bass at :05 is a little cheesy, as is the lead at :13, but I like the sense of climax into :25 and the crisp drums there. The sidechaining is a little heavy, but the texture is otherwise well-balanced and full. I like the synth arpeggios at :55, but the kick at 1:03 is a little too loud. The drop at 1:16 was good, if not much harmonically different than the lead-up. I also thought that gritty bass could’ve used some more creative rhythmic work. Still, the atmospheric section at 1:43 worked well, and I liked how you re-introduced the melody at 2:06 as part of the build-up. The second drop had a bit more intensity than the first one, which helps give this piece a sense of catharsis and resolve towards the end. The spacey outro is nice, too. Overall, you’re clearly a talented composer and producer, and my main complaint is probably the cliche arrangement and sound design here. Otherwise, solid work, ShockblastDeluxe! ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Supernova (NGUAC 2019)]

I like the synth at the beginning that sounds like a flute. The texture comes together pretty well by :20, and the sound design is really quirky and fun between the heavy snare, slap bass, and flute-sounding instrument. The piece is a little slow to progress, and there’s a tad bit of atonality at around the 1-minute mark, although that might be because of the reverb. I like the riff at 1:15, which came in right as I started to think that there could’ve been more legato elements in the texture. The mix is loud and crisp, and I like the melodies at 2:24 a lot. I think the piece could use a bit more shape throughout. The harmonies and drums are near-constants throughout the body of the piece. An atmospheric breakdown or minimal bridge would really help give this piece a stronger sense of ebb and flow. That said, the mood, atmosphere, sound design, and melodies are all pluses here, and I like the gradual outro, even if it ultimately ends in a fade-out. Keep at it, Shima33! :)

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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Girl of my dreams]

I like the smooth, cinematic strings and flutes and the beats here. The compression is a bit heavy, but I’m more worried about the lack of lower frequencies in the texture. The melodic breakdown at :51 is nice, but otherwise the piece doesn’t really feel structurally complete. It’s also a bit disjointed with the arrangement, as the composition seems to be of an ABC form without much structural repetition. Overall, I think you need to flesh out the composition a lot more and balance the frequencies a bit better, but I did enjoy the sound design, mood, and atmosphere of the piece. Keep at it, Ruko29! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[Unyielding]

I like the intensity at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliche, but the mix is loud and sharp. I wanted to hear a little more melodic content in the piece, as the guitar riffs get a little repetitive after a while. I also think you needed a bit more structural variety in this piece to provide some contrast with the near-constant energy and drive this piece has. The section at 1:54 begins to accomplish that, but the transition into 1:54 is also pretty abrupt. I like how the texture comes together a little more by around 2:30, although the pacing here is a lot slower than before. Still, the piece never quite returns to the intensity level of the first couple of minutes, which leaves me feeling a little underwhelmed at the end. I also thought the fade-out here was a bit lazy of a choice of outro. Still, the production quality is top-notch here, and I’m enjoying the frantic guitar harmonies and atmosphere of the piece as well. Keep at it, MosesX50! :)

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

MozesX50 responds:

Thank you, @TaintedLogic. I really appreciate your critiques. And thanks for the invite to the competition! I'll have to give it another shot next year, for sure!

[Massive Show - Commotion]

I like the cute, frantic piano riffs at the beginning. The mix is really quiet and a little indistinct here, though, and the little woodwind riff that comes in every two bars sounds a little atonal sometimes. The breakdown at :49 was a good idea, although the transition at 1:01 was very sudden. The loop is smooth, and overall there’s a nice sense of phrasing and structuring to the piece, despite its being very short. A lot of the instruments, especially the woodwinds and brass, don’t sound very authentic, and I also think the composition needs to be fleshed out more for you to maximize the emotional potential of this piece. Still, I think you should keep working on this - it has a lot of potential. Keep at it, massivemarioluigi700! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
5.5/10

MassiveMarioLuigi700 responds:

thanks man, i also got more stuff coming up for the next round man!

[Somehow]

I like the easygoing guitar at the beginning. The vocals sound a little thin and strained. Perhaps you took a little too much bass off of them in the EQ? The lyrics are a little bland, and some of the syllables towards the end of each vocal phrase, especially on the portamentos, sound a bit over-exaggerated. I think there could’ve been more variety in the instrumental texture, although the added riff at 2:09 does help alleviate that problem. Still, the energy and dynamic level is almost constant throughout this piece. I wish the composition had a little more shape and contrast in the harmonies and instrumental hierarchy. Overall, I like how you juxtaposed the desperate content of the lyrics with the mellow vibe of the guitar riffs, and the piece has a smooth, flowing texture. That said, the piece needed some more structuring and direction over time to maximize the emotional appeal. Keep at it, JoePimpz! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Adventure Awaits]

I like the mood and atmosphere at the beginning, but I think some of the harmonies sound a little indistinct in the mix, notably the percussion at :20 and the strings playing ⅛ notes at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress, and there also might be a bit too much reverb in the texture. I like the sense of climax into 1:01 and the syncopated string harmonies there. This piece really reminds me of Waterflame’s old style. I liked the prominent drums at the breakdown at 2:01, but they could really sound crisper in the mix with a little less reverb and more careful equalization. I also thought the lo-fi effects at 2:05 were a bit out-of-place here. The harmonic shift at 2:53 was a little sudden, but I enjoyed the uplifting vibe there and the structural contrast you offered with the more minimal bridge thereafter. There’s a bit of dissonance in the texture at 3:45, but part of that could just be the reverb. I like the second refrain at 4:15, but I think you could’ve varied the main melody a bit more. The emotional appeal of the outro was nice, and overall I really like the mood, rhythmic content, and atmosphere in this piece. Keep at it, Hyenaedon! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Hyenaedon responds:

Wow! Thanks so much for the in-depth review. I'm definitely gonna be putting it into account when I fix this song up for a Youtube release. I think I really surprised myself with this piece, but it's still got a ways to go ;)

[Sandstorm]

I like the dramatic riff at the beginning and the foreboding percussion at :15. The instrument at :40 sounds a bit too cutesy given the ominous chanting in the background, although this piece definitely gives off VGM vibes overall. The mix is very loud and pretty clean, although a lot of the instruments sound pretty cheesy. The texture is pretty minimal for extended sections of the piece, such as 2:15. I like the melody at the breakdown at 2:44, but I think the piece needs a bit more variety towards the end. You hardly vary the main riffs here at all, and the structure seems a bit formulaic after a while. Overall, nice job with the production, harmonies, and atmosphere of this one. My main concerns are the lack of variety, originality in the arrangement and progression, and to a lesser extent the sound design. Keep at it, Gamerthofr26! ^_^

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

[FractureClutter - Polaris (Resurrection EP)]

I like the ominous mood and rich atmosphere at the beginning. The sound design, including the militaristic percussion, is especially nice here. I like the injection of intensity at :40, but the strings sound a bit thin in the mix. That likely helps the production quality to equalize out the lower tones like that, but it also makes the strings sound pretty inauthentic. The brass samples also sound pretty fake, and there may be a bit too much reverb in the texture. The production quality still holds up pretty well, though. I’m a little thrown off by all of the stop-start transitions and the jarring changes in instrumentation between the spacey electronic intro, orchestral section, and then the guitar riffs. I think you need to work on creating gradual transitions, although I like the smooth breakdown with the strings at 2:18 and the return of the rich atmosphere at 2:30. There’s some really strong melodic content in this piece, and the mixing is solid. The disjointed arrangement is probably my only major complaint. Keep at it, FractureClutter! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.5/10

FractureClutter responds:

Thank you for feedback! I really acknowledge all my blunders in this composition. I'll try to get better in the future by working more on compositional and mixing aspect. Hopefully I'll get some high quality orchestral stuff soon

[Fire Gold - MK-Ultra]

I like the eastern-sounding instrument at the beginning and the atmosphere. The percussion at :12 is a little heavy relative to the harmonic instruments, and the rhythm of the harmonies is pretty square. The vocals at :26 helped establish the thematic content, and I like the grimy, catchy breaks at the drop. The texture is pretty minimal, and the 7th on the pick-up note leading to the downbeat with the gritty bass is a bit cliche. The sound design at 1:03 is fun, although I would’ve liked to hear more harmonic depth, melodic content, and just higher-pitched tones in general here. I like the spacey atmosphere at 1:32 and the echoy vocals at 1:41. The transition at 1:55 is a little unexpected, but I like the quirky vibe at 2:26. The texture remains engaging and highly variable throughout, but the persistent minimalism and somewhat choppy arrangement of the piece don’t help you out here. I was a little thrown off by the relaxed, pensive outro after such a hard-hitting body of the piece. Either way, nice work with the production, rhythmic content, mood, and atmosphere of this one. Keep at it, Fire-Gold! :)

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