TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[Crystalline Fields]

I like the ambiance at the beginning and the eerie texture. The strings sound a bit inauthentic, and there could’ve been a smoother transition into :42. The kick at :42 is a tad heavy, and the open hat at :57 is a tad cliche. I like the production quality and the well-balanced texture, and the sound design reminds me a lot of 2008 Newgrounds. :) The piece is a little slow to progress, and 2 minutes in I still haven’t heard much in the way of dynamic melodic content. The melody at 2:36 is very jumpy, and the melodies before it have pretty predictable rhythms. The melody at 3:28 is really pretty, but I thought the ghostly ambient effects were a little too loud relative to the strings. The grittier instrument at 3:47 is a nice touch, but I think by that point you start to overuse the transitions with the reverse crash. The piece comes together well by the end with the last melodic section, but I think the flow of the piece would complement the languid atmosphere a little more if there were more gradual transitions in this piece. Overall, nice work with the production quality, mood, atmosphere, and rhythmic content. The mixing here is especially good, in fact. Keep it up, EverReverb! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

AED4 responds:

Thank you for incredibly detailed review once again! I don't know how you manage to mass produce reviews of this quality :p You do raise many good points, especially about the transitions.

[Collapse]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning, although some of the synths sound a bit harsh in the mix. I like harmonies by around :32, and the mix is loud and crisp. There’s a good sense of climax into 1:00, but the stop-start transition there could’ve been a bit smoother. Some reverb or a reverse crash or something might help bridge the gap there. Still, I like the energy at the refrain and the rhythmic syncopations. This piece is missing some more dynamic melodic content, although the solo at 2:17 helps alleviate that concern. The unexpected harmonic shift at 2:58 and the subsequent melodic section helped to hit the piece home. Overall, solid work here! Most of my complaints are rather detail-oriented. Keep it up, Depard. ^_^

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
.75/1
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

[Your Moment]

I like the spacey atmosphere at the beginning and the low strings at :09. The rhythm is a bit square, and there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture imo. Still, I like the haunting mood and the sense of wonder throughout this piece. The one-climax model is hard to pull off, but you do it well here. The production quality holds up well, and you do a great job of channeling the emotion into the climax at 1:38. The melody at 1:38 has a very regular and boring rhythm, though, and I think you could’ve captured the drama better with this piece if the melody was more dynamic, in terms of both pitch and rhythm. Still, nice job with the phrasing, progression, mood, and sound design here. Keep at it, Columbers! :)

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
8/10

Columbers responds:

Thanks for the review and helpful criticism! This track was definitely a bit rushed (a bad habit of mine) but I’m glad I entered the audio competitions again this year.

[Late Night]

I like the cute synth riffs at the beginning and the crisp drums. The piece is a tad slow to progress, but there’s a good sense of climax into :34. The arrangement of the piece feels a bit formulaic, though, with major changes only occurring at 8-bar intervals for most of the piece, and despite the full texture there’s not much harmonic variety or melodic content. I liked the breakdown at 1:59, but it might’ve helped give the piece more shape if you cut out the drums and doubled down on the atmospheric content. There isn’t a lot of dynamism in the composition later in the piece either, and honestly it sounds like a straight copy-paste of the first half, besides the variations at 3:25. I also thought you overused the stop-start transitions, and I would’ve liked to see more gradual transitions, phrasing, and dynamic contrast in this piece. The mixing is solid, although that doesn’t necessarily make up for the bland composition imo. Still, I liked the atmosphere, rhythmic content, and mood of this one. Keep at it, CANDYdisturber! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
7/10

CANDYdisturber responds:

Thanks for the review, and I can completely agree with what you said here. Its was much harder to work under the time constraint, and didn't realize this going in. Definitely not my best piece, but it was fun to be a part of the contest nonetheless!

[Pvlstoo (Original Mix)]

The sweeps and lead synth at :02 sound a bit cheesy, but I like the energy and rhythmic content here. The texture is a bit minimal and pizzicato-y. I think you could use a richer atmosphere or more legato pads or melodies. The piece is a bit slow to progress, although the texture is well-balanced and the mix is crisp and clean. The chord progression is a bit cliche in places, and I think you overused the stop-start transitions after a while (like at 2:05). There could be more textural fill and harmonic variety here, and I would’ve liked to see you vary the main melody towards the end as well. The composition is a bit bland overall, though I have no complaints with the mixing or rhythmic content. The sound design, chord progression, and arrangement could be a bit more original, but I’m enjoying the smooth flow and atmosphere of the piece. Overall solid work, Airprogressive! I just wanted to see a bit more ingenuity in the composition here. :)

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

Airprogressive responds:

Thank you for your detailed review, I will consider your advice for my next tracks.

:)