TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Discovery {Dj-Abbic}]

I like the cute plucking riffs at the beginning. It has a cartoonish charm to it, and the bass-y elements at :28 facilitate the build-up into the drop really well. The section at 1:04 feels really cathartic, and I like how you contrasted the energy there with the mellow breakdown at 1:37. The orchestration there is nice, but I might've liked to hear you get a little more creative with some of the rhythmic and compositional details through the middle section of the piece. The arrangement of the piece is pretty generic, yet effective. The detuned synths at 3:10-ish and the more organic-sounding drums during the outro helped keep things engaging until the end. Solid work overall, DjAbbic! ^^

DjAbbic responds:

Thanks for dropping by, I actually agree with you about that middle section, it feels rather neglected in comparison with the rest. I didn't really pay a huge amount of attention to it and it really shows, so you're spot on there.

[Juliobee-Scorched Lemons!!!!!!!!]

I like the progression at the beginning, even if the synths are a bit cheesy. Sounds a bit like a flashy 80s disco demo. I like the harmonies at :12 too, but then the transition at :25 was a little sudden. There's also a bit of mic popping or stereo clicks going on in the background at :30-:40 or so, which might just be the sample. Either way, I think it's worth seeing if you can get rid of that with filtering or something. The harmonic content of the piece is good, but gets repetitive towards the end. I like the blissful mood and well-balanced texture, though. No complaints with the mixing either. I think the main things you need to fix now are your transitions and the lack of variety. Changing up the melodies later in the piece (or even the chord progressions if you're feeling fancy) would go a long way towards keeping things engaging towards the end, even if this isn't a particularly long piece. More creative transitions might involve more automation and filtering, but simple solutions like drum fills, sweeps, and crashes will work fine in a pretty cohesive VGM song like this. Still, it's a cute and catchy piece. I enjoyed it. Keep at it, Juliobee! ^^

juliobee responds:

Thanks for the review! I’ll see what I can do with your advice.

[Winterlude]

I really appreciate the clear effort you put into this submission, despite being a newly-solo fill-in. The atmosphere of this piece is just haunting. I love the bells/chimes, ghostly pads, and eastern-sounding melody instruments towards the beginning. The relaxed mood and gradual progression of the piece complement each other quite well, and the sound design is simply fantastic. I loved the moment of stillness in the middle (1:57), that offered a hint of a breakdown/bridge without fully devoting itself to a distinct section of the piece. I just thought that was a smart move in terms of pacing the rest of the piece, especially as things got more lively and melodic during the second half. The piece lives up to its title by around 2:30, which seems like it’s out of a whimsical animated feature trip to the South Pole. The gradual descension back into the warm flowiness of the intro is well-orchestrated as well. Overall, this is an amazing piece worthy of a top 4 spot and more. Congratulations on all your hard work throughout the competition this year, and I hope to see (and hear!) more from you next year. ^_^ Also, is there somewhere I can download this? This was made for my personal chill-out playlist. Thanks.

tailspun responds:

thanks for the review! 1f1n1ty and i were planning on releasing this on an EP & posting it on bandcamp for download, but that will inevitably take a long time. i can send you a wav or mp3 file because you've left so many helpful reviews, though! feel free to DM me on here or discord (if you use it, you can find me in the NGADM 2019 discord c:)

[Pleasant Palpitations]

Very creative premise for a piece. I like the pensive mood and rich atmosphere at the beginning. The voice acting here is rather good, as are the lyrics themselves. The transition at 1:13 is a little sudden, but I’m enjoying the sense of build towards the end of the vocal phrase. The percussion might’ve been a little loud at 1:39, but I like the sound design and overall cutesy instruments. The string plucks and soulful piano blend really well together. The quirky pads at 2:07 are nice too, and I definitely hear hints of the grand moment of catharsis I expected given the thematic content. That said, the last part of the piece has a lot of disjointed ideas for harmonic progression that don’t quite land in a meaningful way for me. The emotional appeal of the piano solo at the end helps tie the piece together, but I still wanted to hear a bigger moment of arrival that cemented the motif of freedom that the protagonist is clearly feeling. Maybe that’s a bit picky, though. Full credit for originality, atmosphere, and sound design. I still have my reservations about some of the arrangement details, but overall you executed a rather gutsy compositional approach extremely well here. Keep it up, Vocaloutburst! ^^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[The Temple of Kukulcan]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the majestic flute melody. The piece has a great sense of atmosphere, and the tone is both warm and mysterious at the same time. I like how the texture opens up at :45 with the foreboding drums. There’s a sense of wonder that comes with the grand moment of suspense at :54, which then devolves into the frantic, ominous textures at :59. It’s as if that’s the moment the protagonist decided to steal the chalice from the temple and make a break for it as the walls cave in around him. By 1:28, you’ve done an effective job at heightening the tension behind the piece. The transition at 1:48 is pretty sudden, but it still fits the sense of drama here. I envision the protagonist nearing death, only to escape by 1:48. Only then does the larger evil become apparent. The part at 2:19 is extremely evocative, and provides a neat point of inflection for the piece imo. At 2:25, I begin to feel that you’ve built a strong element of cohesion into the instrumental hierarchy here, despite the fact that this piece seems designed for storytelling more so than structural coherence. I also appreciated how you brought that instrumental framework full-circle with the haunting flute solo at the end. Overall, this is really strong work again, CloakedSoup. Is there somewhere I can download this? :D

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

CloakedSoup responds:

Hey! Thanks for the awesome and detailed review! I had a bit more time to work on the mixing in this piece, so I'm glad it seemed to have paid off. Many of the comments you made in terms of the storytelling during each section reflected what I was actually thinking when I wrote it, so that's really cool to hear!

In terms of downloading it, I plan on releasing this as well as several other pieces from NGADM on an EP/album once I get knocked out and/or the competition ends. I want to re-work/mix some stuff on previous pieces before releasing everything together as a whole. This piece as well as the others will be available for individual download though.

Unfortunately, that may not be until sometime in November or December, because I'm actually working on another album for Atom Music Audio at the moment, so any big re-working will have to wait until I finish that!

Thanks for the fantastic review again! :D

[endK - Funkadunk]

I like the vinyl scratches at the beginning and the quirky pads at :02. The thin-sounding bass, brass, and organ synths combine to form a fun, jazzy texture that still doesn’t take itself too seriously. The rhythmic elements of the piece are really enjoyable, and I like the more laid-back bridge at 1:31. The strings there sound pretty fake, but they blend in with the cheesy, VGM tinge of the rest of the sound design. As fun as all the little melodic riffs and call-and-response format of the texture are, I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodic content here. I don’t think you had much novel content in the last minute of the piece, which gives the composition a bit of a stagnant vibe towards the end. The ending itself also comes on pretty suddenly. Still, you nailed the sound design, rhythmic content, and mixing here. Keep at it, EndK! ^^

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

endKmusic responds:

Yeah, I think that both me and you see the pattern here. :D
And that iiiis - I'm not really god with the deadlines so I barelly changed any melodic content in the last minute.
This was also a thing in one or two other tracks during the contest.
Thanks TL - for this and all other review during the contest, I really appreciate your input.

[Cursing the Loverender]

I like the emotional quality of the piano at the beginning and the distinct pattern of rhythmic emphasis. Wonderful sense of flow and atmosphere. The quirky percussion and echo/delay effects are just engrossing. The piece is a tad slow to progress, and some of the instruments sound a bit thin. The cello at :52, for example, sounds like it needs to breathe a bit more in the EQ. After a while, the piece starts to lose its momentum, so I was really glad when you pushed the reset button at 1:26. The rolls at 1:43 are beautiful, and the soulful, rich melodies thereafter have a profound sense of emotion in them. Your knack for combining synthetic and orchestral elements is quite admirable. Sometimes, the structure of the piece is a bit meandering, but I like how you keep bringing the rolls and soulful melody instruments back. The spacious, foreboding tone of the percussion starting at 3:59 really helps hit the piece home towards the end. At 5:44, that stringed instrument cuts off a bit suddenly, and I think you could’ve done more with the dynamics during the outro to maximize the emotional appeal of that section. The ending cuts off a little suddenly, too. This piece is honestly one of my favorites of the competition so far, though. It’s very unique and evocative, melodic and atmospheric, cohesive and diverse, all in one. Wonderful job, Syamori. I look forward to the release of Sky Prancer.

I’m very sorry to hear about your family situation, by the way. I hope your mother comes around to accept who you are.

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

[Marine Mayhem!]

I like the goofy sound effects and lively, broadway-like instrumental tracks. The way the vocals were mixed is a bit bizarre. They sound really thin, high-pitched, and over-processed. It’s really hard to make out the lyrics, but maybe that’s the point given the author’s description (?). I like the solos at :45. The mix is otherwise good here, but I wish the drums came through a little stronger. I even think I hear a bit of Johnfn influence at around 1:15 with the synth vibrato. The kazoo solo lived up to expectations, and cemented the goofy, blissful tone of the piece quite well. I like how lively the drums are here, even if you overused the crashes after a while. The modulation at the end worked well enough to tie things together, although I might’ve liked to see a little more development in the composition after a relatively bland bridge at 1:55. Overall, great job with the sound design, melodies, and progression of this one. You definitely took some risks with the flavor and texture of the piece, but by the end I’m (mostly) on board. The vocals might still be a bit much for me. Keep at it, LunacyEcho! ^^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Into the Old Way]

I like the somewhat contained, furtive sound at the beginning and the generous use of sustain. The piece has a great sense of wonder about it, and 1:01 feels like a grand arrival point - a moment of discovery. I think you overuse the rolls a bit at around the 1-minute mark, but the cutesy melody that follows at 1:14 helps bring back a more humble and innocent tone to the piece. The chords at the transition at 1:54 are a bit bizarre, but I also understand that the section that follows is something of an inflection point for the piece. From 2:00 to 2:20 or so, the piece sounds very still, and 2:15 feels like an apex of nostalgia but also longing, as if the protagonist is reading a letter from a deceased loved one. The descending scale at 2:22 is a very good transition. Once the low, richer tones seep back into the piece, it’s all the more effective at captivating my attention because of the high-pitched melodic swells of the section before. I also like how the section at 2:26 has some of the same melodic motifs, with some added decoration. It’s as if the protagonist is able to carry on after the death of his mother, but keeps her memory alive by employing the lessons she taught him every day. I also like the mysterious, pensive theme that starts at around 3:23. The key change at 3:41 sounds pretty jarring, and the ending of this piece comes on pretty suddenly. Still, this piece has a deeply satisfying arrangement, a remarkable amount of cohesion, and some super fun transitions/compositional details. Strong work again, Ale! 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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Nice catch with 1:01! It definitely sounds like you describe; something really sinking in. I can also see your point about 1:54. The transition comes right after a unique part of the piece, which makes it feel a bit different from the rest of the piece. That is where I feel that there is some kind of change that makes the feeling of determination stronger. But before that determination blooms fully, I bring back the intro a bit at 1:54, which might be why the change back feels sudden. I also agree with your analysis and pointers with the time marks in general; that's more of less how I intended the structure to feel. As for 3:41, I agree the key change is a bit unexpected, but that's partially why I like it. I feel that the reason it works, is because it specifically brings the piece back to the original key.

"It’s as if the protagonist is able to carry on after the death of his mother, but keeps her memory alive by employing the lessons she taught him every day."

=> As per usual, I really like hearing your story-like interpretations of music, since they're always so specific, and allow me to hear the piece again, perhaps a little bit through someone else's eyes (ears?).

I definitely took a more melodic and clearly structured approach to this track than some of my more experimental tracks. I still feel like I challenged myself quite a bit with this one. I'm very glad to see that you enjoyed it!
As always, thanks for your hard work with the reviews, good luck with the rest of the competition, and thank you for listening!