TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Stuck]

I like the twittery pads and chord progression (short though it is) at the beginning. The piece is pretty slow to progress, but the transition into :35 was cool. It’s a little jarring that the new instrument cuts off suddenly shortly after the second chord in the progression plays between :35 and :55. I like how the piece is starting to develop a bit more by :55, with more staccato-y elements punctuating the chords and giving it a sense of energy. That said, the overall pacing is still very slow, and the big descending slide is overused after a while. I like the mysterious-sounding pads that you start using in the final minute or so of the piece. You’ve actually covered a lot of ground in terms of sound design during this piece. There isn’t really a sense of resolution to the tension you’re building up here, though, and for much of the piece the texture is too minimal for that tension to be satisfying in and of itself. Overall, there are a lot of good ideas here, but as a whole the piece doesn’t feel complete. I think this style of slow-paced experimental piece can work, but you need more phrasing and variety within the 30-second chunks that have the same instrumentation. I’d also like to see you flesh out the structure a tad and create a stronger sense of atmosphere, maybe with some additional harmonies and/or mixing effects. Still, this is a creative piece with some cool sound design and moody elements, and I think it could be really special with a little more work on the phrasing. Keep at it, jeffbeard! ^_^

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
.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
6.5/10

[lonely evening]

I like the somber mood at the beginning and the gradual fade-in of the mid-range synth. The synth that comes in at :12 is a bit harsh-sounding, and doesn’t blend particularly well with the rest of the synths. I like the crisp beat at :24, but I thought the sudden transition to a busier beat at :48 was a bit jarring. The texture sounds a tad too busy by around the 1-minute mark, but the “reset” you had at 1:12 was a good idea compositionally. I also like the slidey lead at 1:26, and the transition back into the main melody feels a bit smoother at 1:39. Overall, there could definitely be a little more variety in the piece, especially the second time the main melody plays. The sound design isn’t my favorite, and the mix sounds a bit strained during the busier sections. Still, I like the mood, harmonies, overall structure, and a lot of the compositional details of the piece. Keep at it, Jdartcollections! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[kerosene]

I like the sound design at the beginning. It’s a little hard to follow the meter at first, but it gets better once the beat comes in at :15. I’m not a huge fan of the over-processed, vocaloid-sounding voice. The lyrics are pretty dark, but I especially like the first 2 stanzas and the “3 a.m.” one. The mix is definitely a bit rough around the edges, and during some of the busier sections it’s hard to hear the drums. The texture could also use some softening at times, especially at the top end of the frequency spectrum, maybe with some more wet reverb or stricter equalization. There are a lot of cool effects in this piece, though - I especially like the gradual ascension into chipmunk territory at 1:45. Overall, the piece is a tad experimental for my tastes, but it’s still very catchy and creative. Keep at it, jamie-bs! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

jamie-bs responds:

thanks for the opinions dude! its one of the first songs ive made in this style and i agree that its pretty rough in general-- i mixed it myself and im still learning how to do a good job on that sort of thing (the demo mixes were WAYYYY worse). i do agree i coulda futzed with the drums a lil more i kinda wrote them and then forgot about them in the chorus.

[Le PuleIDK]

I like the regal-sounding strings at the beginning, but I was a little confused by how quiet they were and the sudden staticky hits for the first 23 seconds. Anyway, at :24, I like the pleasant blend of the bright-sounding piano and strings and the hip-hop-inspired beat. As soon as the harmonic content was getting a bit stale, you hit me with a very different chord progression at 1:12. There’s also quite a bit of dissonance at 1:37. Maybe it would be advisable to transition into this “B” section more gradually, and likewise more gradually transition back into the “A” section at 2:25. I also think some of those transitory moments would be a good chance to strip away the beat and add some contrast in the energy level. Still, the mixing and mastering is really strong here, and I like how you brought the piece full-circle at the end with the staticky bit. This could really be a top-notch track with a more deliberate arrangement and maybe a couple of instrument swaps (the brass at 2:25 sounds really fake). Keep at it, JadeAE! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

[ictg4]

I like the frantic synth pattern at the beginning. The synth that comes in at :11 sounds a bit harsh in the mix - I might take the edge off some of the treble range with an equalizer. The beat is catchy, but doesn’t come through the mix in quite the way I want it to. Maybe some more compression could help. Make sure to set the ratio at 4:1 or higher on those snares. That said, the high-energy, dense harmonies in this one are really enjoyable, and I like how it oscillates between primarily melodic and rhythmic in character. There isn’t a ton of variety on the main riffs, but maybe that’s not as necessary for such a short piece. Still, I would love to see you flesh out the structure a tad more. Overall, this is a neat piece with some good sound design, solid mixing (despite my complaints with the drums), and a very fitting title. Keep at it, itscloudtheguy! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

[Axirax]

I like the filtering towards the beginning and the galloping rhythm in the bass. The piece is a little slow to progress, and the harmonic instruments cut off really suddenly at 1:12 right when I think that you’re building towards a climactic section. Overall, I like most of the individual elements of this piece, but you just need more variety in the instruments and harmonies. I’d challenge you to write a piece where you have several different layers of harmonic instruments playing different patterns at once - maybe a bass line, chords, a melody, and backing harmonies. That way, adding or subtracting the patterns over time, playing them with different instruments, or varying them more as the piece goes on will help keep your listener engaged. That said, the mixing effects in this piece are really cool - love the distorted wave-like progression at the very end. Keep at it, ironmmlp! ^_^

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

[[memory_lane]]

The faller effect at the beginning is pretty cool. The chord progression here is a bit generic, but I like the gradual fade-in of the bass line into :15. The bass is a bit too loud relative to the harmonies until :50. That said, I like the synth melodies at :50 and the punchy drums. Mastering holds up well - I’m glad you’ve been working on it. The piece is also very smooth-flowing, with some snazzy reverse crashes and drum fills during transitions. That said, a lot of the compositional details are also pretty cliche, like the open hats on the off-beats during the busy sections and a lot of the synths themselves. Also, it’s a tiny detail, but the end of the piece cuts off pretty suddenly. The piece could also use a bit more variety in general - especially on the main melody and harmonic framework. Overall, I like the upbeat mood, mixing, transitions, and melodies. You just need a tad more variety and originality to take this piece to the next level. Keep at it, Immy! ^_^

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
.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

[ic-koomotey - square]

I like the phasing effect at the beginning and the cute synth riff at :15. The minimal, 8-bit drums are nice too, and the bass sits nicely in the mix. If anything, the melody could be a bit more prominent in the texture - maybe some more compression would help, but just don’t overdo it. I appreciate the variation in the lead riff at 1:20 or so, but by 1:30 it gets a bit difficult to follow the contour of the melody. I would’ve also appreciated some variety on the main riff during the final refrain at 1:43. The arrangement of the piece is a bit generic - an additional bridge or solo from a different instrument might give it some extra pizzazz. Overall, I like the sound design, atmosphere, upbeat mood, and melodies. The piece could use some more variety and polish on the mixing, but most of these complaints are minor. Keep at it, ic-koomotey! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

ic-koomotey responds:

Thanks!
I can make more complex sound, but simplicity is the main part of IC-KOOMOTEY's concept and my upcoming EP "polygons and angles" which will be released on August 19

[colourfool [DUBSTEP-colour bass]]

I like the eerie sweep at the beginning. The transition into the beat at :07 was a tad abrupt, but the beat itself is awesome. Has a nice, whimsical, and Halloween-ish vibe. The build-up into :29 was subtle, but also well-done, and the drop was catchy, if a little generic. I think you dragged out the high-octane section a bit too long, though. Other than the short transitory bit at 1:12, by 1:52 it feels like there’s been a full 90-second drop. A breakdown, atmospheric bridge, or melodic section would’ve been a welcome source of variety. That said, the mix seems sharp and well-balanced, and overall I like the sound design, rhythmic content, and progression. Keep at it, GrutMarek! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[Frenetic]

I like the grouchy bass at the beginning and the crisp beats that come in shortly thereafter. The mix holds up well, but is also a bit quiet and very bottom-heavy. The rhythmic content is enjoyable, but in general the piece could use more harmonic content and variety. You’ve got a good skeleton for a piece here, but it just needs more ebb and flow to keep me engaged over time. As for the quiet mix, try putting a soft, adaptive limiter on the master channel and turning up some of the volume knobs. Just make sure things don’t start clipping. You also want to avoid normalizing your track when you bounce/export it - some DAWs do this by default. Anyway, catchy beat here, and cool bass riffs for the first 45 seconds. I’d encourage you to expand on this. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
5.75/10