TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Incredible Adventure]

I like the crisp strings at the beginning and the sense of anticipation in the texture. The horn melodies at :24 are great, and the quality of the samples here is rather good. The production quality is also rather strong, and I like how the song resets itself a bit at 1:01. I think this piece doesn’t have a lot of structural cohesion in the traditional sense, but you also do an excellent job of creating enough repetition between the low brass stabs and the return to the string riff at the beginning (in one of its many iterations) throughout the piece. The intensity of the choir at 2:58 is wonderful, and I’m amazed at how well the mix holds up at some of these busier sections. The extended section of relative calm at 3:30 was also a good idea, and I love the violin arpeggios at 3:45. Occasionally, I think there was a transition that could’ve been a tad smoother, like at 4:11. That said, I remain impressed with how flowing this piece is for such a musically diverse achievement. I also liked the male choir at the 5-minute mark and how their part gradually morphs from a cultic chant to a triumphant bleat. You did a wonderful job of winding the piece down at the end, too. Overall, this piece is every bit as incredible as the adventure, and I’ll look forward to seeing what you come up with in the Final Round! Keep up the good work, 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:

Thanks very much for the time you have efforted to create such a detailed and invidual feedback to everyone! You did very well in letting me know about the positive points and what still needs a bit of improvement. To be honest, I don't exactly know what I will come up with for the finals, I just have a rough concept in mind and I'm curious myself whether I can take my plans into action.

[a goodbye to aurum]

I like the emotional quality of the piano at the beginning. It’s a little hard to discern where one phrase stops and the next phrase starts sometimes, and the piece is a little slow to progress. I thought the sound effect at 1:01 was a bit ominous, but then you immediately return to a tranquil vibe at 1:07. I was further thrown off by the rather danceable vibe at 1:22. The breakdown at 1:53 was nice, and I like the more gradual climax back into 2:37. That said, the intensity of the build-up doesn’t really fit with the more mellow vibe of the part at 2:37. Even at the climaxes, though, this piece still sounds pretty minimalistic, and I think you could’ve done more to channel the emotion during the middle section, starting with smoother transitions throughout. The pause at 3:30, while thematically relevant, was a bit awkward, and the piano at 3:45 doesn’t feel very well-integrated into the passage before it. I liked the emotional appeal of the last minute. You have a good sense of harmony and rhythm, but I think progression is something to focus on going forward. The choppy arrangement is hurting this piece more than anything else imo. The production quality is strong, although I thought the drums were a tad over-compressed. Still, nice job with the mood, sound design, atmosphere, and harmonic content here. Keep at it, TheMajician! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

TheMajician responds:

I did my best for the five or six days i had, while knowing no music theory lol. Thank you so much for the in depth review!

[Liberation]

I like the ominous percussion at the beginning and the didgeridoo. The sound design here is excellent, and while the mix is a bit wide for my tastes at times, the texture has a rich, airy feel that helps enhance the quality of these samples even more. The progression is a bit slow-paced, but it aids the air of mystery here. I would’ve liked to hear some more prominent melodic content earlier in the piece, but the guitar solo at 1:51 helped fill that role. The string synth at 2:02 is just haunting, and I love your style of composition and how it weaves together different melodic lines. At the same time, there are rarely any moments where the instruments get in each other’s way, although perhaps you were close to doing so at around 3:00. The arrangement of the piece feels a little drawn-out, and I think there’s room for a little more structuring in this piece. The ending doesn’t feel particularly conclusive, and given the flowing nature of this piece it sounds like you’ve completed one broad phrase. I’m not even sure that’s a bad thing, though. Very unique arrangement and composition here, Syamori. Keep up the good work! ^_^

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

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[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 ;)