TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[...And Then There Was Light]

I like the structural arc of the piece. Definitely a well-crafted climax. A lot of the orchestral samples sound really fake, though - especially towards the beginning - and some of them sound indistinct in the mix during the busier parts (e.x., :59). The harmonic framework of the piece is pretty simple, although I really like how crisp and prominent the drums sound in the texture. The choir chords later on are nice, and overall the piece comes together by the end. Perhaps I would’ve liked to hear a tad more structuring and harmonic variety, though. I think it could help you get the most out of the dramatic flair of the piece with a more fleshed-out composition and some more gradual transitions. Still, nice work with the mixing, progression, compositional details, and mood overall! Keep at it, CloakedSoup. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

CloakedSoup responds:

Hey, thanks for the review! The samples in the beginning sound fake, because they’re from an electric violin, which is both fake in the sense that it’s sampled, but also has a synthetic 'fake' kind of sound (along with an EQ filter to make the whole beginning sound like an older recording). I had the idea of going from a lo-fi sound with just the electric violin to a really high quality sound that was more organic when it first climaxed. I wish I could have written more, but I started this the night before it was due. lol

[Agente.001 - The Memory Lane]

I like the pensive piano riff at the beginning. The strings at :14 sound really fake, but they do help give a cinematic vibe to the piece. I like the sense of climax into :25. The drum samples sound a bit generic, but they’re mixed really well. I also like the more mellow section at :53. The horn solo at 1:16 is great, but I wish the melodic content was a bit more prominent in the mix there. The drop at 1:42 is great. I think I’ve said this before, but your work really reminds me of Xtrullor. The section at 2:32 has a nice and majestic tone that really helps amplify the sense of contrast with the drops. I like the heavily processed operatic vocals at 3:01, too. I think the piece is really smooth-flowing overall, but also that you could’ve used some more gradual transitions at times. The transition at 2:30 was actually a good middle ground, where the extended chord foreshadows the following breakdown well. The echo-y outro with the bell-like instrument is great, too. Overall, the arrangement details could use a tad more work, but I love the melodies, mixing, emotion, and atmosphere here. Keep at it, Tomhson! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Strange Bliss (NGADM)]

I like the quirky sound design, but the rhythm is a little hard to follow at the beginning and the progression is a bit slow-paced. I think you could’ve done a better job at transitioning into :44, and the pads there sound a bit generic and dry. I like when the texture comes together more at 1:23, but some of the instruments sound a little harsh in the upper register, and the harmonic progression remains pretty simple, despite the heavy use of ornamentations. The melodic content at the very end kinda felt like too little, too late in terms of giving this piece some stable, climactic content. I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more and add some complexity to the structure. Still, the quirky instrumentation and solid production quality definitely give this piece a lot of potential, and I’d encourage you to keep working on it. Keep at it, Pulvite! :)

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

Pulvite responds:

I friggin love your feedback for whenever I do any NG contest, thanks a ton! :D

[Burning The Body (NGADM Group Stage Entry)]

I like the atmospheric intro and the heavy sub-bass. The cute synths that start fading in at :25 are nice, and the creative percussion here is another big plus. The texture doesn’t really fill out very much, especially in the mid-range, until about 1:05. Still, I liked that climactic section, and the production quality here is really sharp. I couple of the stop/start transitions are pretty jarring here, especially 1:20. I like the spacey breakdown at 1:47 and the more gradual transition back into the emotional height at 2:05. I think the arrangement of this piece is a little choppy, with a lot of sudden pauses that detract from the flow. The over-saturated texture at 2:43 also didn’t work well for me. I think the piece has a very fast pace of progression towards the end, and I wanted to see you hit the piece home with a more stable, prolonged climactic section. Still, I like the energy, sound design, mixing, and rhythmic content here. Keep at it, BurneMusic! :)

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

LittleFaith responds:

k cool

[Eric Got Stuck in the Magical Portal Again]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the spacey texture. It’s a bit disorienting when the atmosphere fades away just as the synth riff at :25 comes in, and the glass clink sample at :40 and abrupt pause at :51 add to the ambiguity about the direction the piece is headed. I like the quirky beats at :53, and the texture feels well-balanced and full for the first time in the piece there, but at the same time there isn’t a lot of dynamic melodic content there, and that more energetic section lacks a sense of ebb and flow over time. Instead, the arrangement of the piece is characterized by a lot of sudden transitions and a largely dry texture that fails to help bridge the gap between them with mixing effects or compositional tools. I like the sound design and production, but it almost feels like you laid out a lot of ideas here without connecting them in an overarching sense. There are a lot of good ideas here, but I’m just not sure they’re all a part of the same story yet. Aspects of the arrangement and composition come across as pretty experimental, although each isolated section is really catchy and harmonically tasteful. Overall, I think you have all the makings of a killer piece here except for the connectivity that really brings the listener along for all the highs and lows of your track. Still, strong work with the mixing, sound design, and rhythmic content. Also, baller title you got there. Keep at it, glutenfree! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Abendmusic - Wilderborn]

I like the majestic and tranquil mood at the beginning. The flute solo at :18 is really lovely, and the soft reverse crash at :32 was a nice way of transitioning into the more Celtic-sounding section thereafter. I think the melodies are pretty simple, but the variety in the sound design and texture of the piece keeps me engaged. The arrangement is a bit choppy during the middle minute of the piece; it felt like a battle for the soul of the piece for a while there. Eventually, I think the adventurer turns to a volatile life on the run to soothe his aching soul, but he doesn’t forget his regal, cloistered past. It says a lot that this piece can place such a vivid image in my head. You really told a story with this one. The composition, sound design, and production quality are all strong here. Well done! ^_^

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

Abendland responds:

Thank you a lot for sharing your thoughts and giving me such a thorough feedback! Your words mean a lot to me!
All the best, Chris

[Stellar]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the sense of tranquility that pervades the piece. There’s a good sense of build into :30, and I like the blissful mood there. The finger snap sample sounds cool, and I like the upbeat vibe and melodies a lot. The production quality is solid, too. My main problem with the piece is probably that it sounds pretty generic, between the synths that could easily be Nexus presets to the arrangement and chord progression. I also think you could’ve hit the piece home a little more with a bolder final refrain and a proper outro. Still, this piece has a nice sense of atmosphere, solid sound design and mixing, and catchy melodies. Keep at it, SnapskiMusic! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

SnapskiMusic responds:

Yo! Thank you for the surgical dive into this piece.
While there wasn't any instances of Nexus, I'd agree that some of the sounds had a generic feel. I'd also admit that the second phrase could have had much more energy, but there was this subconscious fear of ruining the serenity of the whole composition. Should've been bolder, you're right! All the more reason not to disappoint during the next round.

[To Da Beach (NGADM 19)]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the cute synth riffs. Some elements of the instrumentation are pretty generic, but I like the sense of climax into :34 and the blissful mood here. The melodies are nice, if a tad formulaic at times. The texture is well-balanced and the production quality is pretty good, although sometimes I thought there was a tad too much reverb in the mix. The re-intro with the added bass at 1:45 was a nice way of offering some structural contrast in this piece, although I would’ve liked to see more variation on the main melodies later in the track. The arrangement of the piece and the sound design both lack originality, which might actually be my main problem with the piece, along with the repetition. Overall, I like the cute mood, atmosphere, transitions, and production. I think the composition could use a little more variety and inspiration, though. Keep at it, Squarion! :)

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

[Warhead]

I like the whirring sound at the beginning and the crisp percussion at :13. I thought it was a great idea to use a car engine acceleration sound as a riser, but the minimal texture and lack of harmonic depth in this piece doesn’t do much for me. The brass stabs towards the ends of phrases are a little generic, and a lot of the drums are percussion is a little too loud, like the clap at 1:27 and the percussive instrument at 1:33. Overall, it’s a solid beat, but it also doesn’t show off the wide variety of compositional skills that I’m looking for. Still, nice job with the production, sound design, and rhythmic content. Keep at it, Arbelamram! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[endK - Resonance]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the catchy synth riffs. The injection of intensity at :22 is nice, and I like the bass-y snare sample tom-toms at the transitions. The melody line at :44 is also nice, and the piece is pretty downtempo for a track of yours. The piece doesn’t have a lot of structural variety, but rather a constant sense of energy. I also think the piece gets a bit repetitive after a while, especially with the tom-tom transitions, crashes, and lead synth riffs. I also think it would’ve helped create some more contrasting energy and dynamics levels if you had fleshed out the breakdown at 2:48 without re-introducing the other harmonies so quickly thereafter. Still, the production quality is crystal clear here, and the modulation at 3:49 really helps hit this piece home towards the end. I still feel like this piece sounds like a danceable piece trying to be a slow jam, but otherwise you nailed the mood, atmosphere, mixing, and melodies. Keep at it, EndK! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

endKmusic responds:

Totally agree with every word you said, eventhough it's structured of four different parts in total that repeat with few changes now and then.

I had the same thought about 2:48 as you mentioned, maybe if I had few days more I would've made a proper breakdown or something like that.
'dancing piece trrying to be a slow jam' - This is so well described, maybe it could be kind of a trademark? ;D
Even if I try to stay within the boundaries of a genre there's always something that kinda 'betrays' me. I don't mean that as a bad thing. I GUESS.

Thanks for the amazing review as always TL. ^_^