TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Sanctuary (NGADM Entry)]

I like the hard-hitting ambiance at the beginning and the synth arpeggios in the background. There’s a nice sense of climax into :38, although the reverb in the texture is pretty excessive. The drop was nice, and the atonal chords at the end enhanced the quirky vibe of the piece. The snare has a lot of higher-end frequencies, especially during the more atmospheric parts, but overall the mix sounds clean and crisp. There are a couple of sudden mood shifts in this piece, like 1:58, that came across as a bit jarring to me, but overall I like how you use atonality and other “shock value” elements of the piece to enhance the thematic content. I would’ve liked to hear another climactic section towards the end to really hit this piece home, but even without that it’s a very engaging and creative piece. I love the pitch-bending on the bell-like pads at the end too. Overall, strong work with the production, mood, atmosphere, and sound design! Keep up the good work, KayozKun! ^_^

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

KayozKun responds:

Wow, thank you so much for reviewing my track! i really appreciate the constructive criticism and i will keep in mind what you said! :-)

[Titan]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning, although there’s a lot of reverb in the texture and I think the pads sound a little generic. The drums at :31 are a little weak, and some of the piano notes sound a tad indistinct. I think the mixing could use a bit of cleaning up here, starting with removal of the excess reverb and some tighter equalization. The melodies at :59 are nice, if a tad repetitive, and I’m enjoying the full, rich texture. The chord progression is a tad cliche, and I think the refrain lasts for a little too long. I liked the new harmonic riff you introduced during the bridge at 2:14, although overall there’s not much harmonic variety in this piece, including in the last refrain. I also thought you could’ve done more with the drums in this piece - especially during the busier sections, it’s a pretty generic kick-snare-kick-snare. The extra mid-range bass at 3:27 was a nice touch, and the atmospheric outro was pretty enjoyable as well. Overall, nice work with the atmosphere, harmonies, rhythmic content, and progression. Aspects of the mixing, originality, variety, and compositional details might need some work, though. Keep at it, HactasticBeast! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
6.75/10

Benji-G responds:

4 years ago now eh, time flies haha.

Thanks for the feedback!
/ HactasticBeast aka Benji-G 😂

[[NGADM and NGUAC 2019] ẄL - Distorted Dreams]

I like the airy piano at the beginning. The frantic melodic content is a little hard to follow, and then the mood shift at :28 is a little sudden. I like the mysterious vibe of the strings by around the 1-minute mark, and how it gradually morphs into more of a sense of wonder. The drop at 1:54 is pretty hard-hitting, and the reverb on the clap is a bit excessive. The sound design is pretty enjoyable, although I would’ve liked to see you come up with a more gradual transition that foreshadows some of these abrupt mood changes. I like the drum pattern at 3:16, although the second drop at 3:46 overused the distorted bass sounds a bit. I think they would’ve worked better if they didn’t come in so regularly, as they didn’t vibe too well with the square rhythm. It also would’ve been nice if you had more of a proper outro to the piece. Still, overall the production quality in this piece is solid and you clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and sound design. Keep at it, WaterLemonMusic! :)

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
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
7.75/10

[Glitch Gal]

I like the fun synths and crisp drums. The chord progression is a little generic, and the piece is slow to progress. The production quality is solid, although I think the composition could use more variety and dynamic melodic content, especially in the first half of the piece. By around 1:45, it becomes clear that the cute melodies are a mainstay of the piece, and I think the track is better for it. The composition comes together much more in the second half, although aspects of the harmonic progression, sound design, and arrangement still lack originality. I also would’ve liked to see more structural contrast in this piece, with a more distinct breakdown where the bass line gives way to more atmospheric or alternative content. That would help give the structure of the piece a little more shape. The strongest part of this piece is probably the production, although the atmosphere, rhythmic content, and flow are also enjoyable. Keep at it, ZtpRapheephat! :)

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

ZtpRapheephat responds:

Thanks for your feedback :3

[NicoN - Cookie Dough | Kawaii Future Bass]

I like the cute synths at the beginning and the rhythmic content at :28. The drums at :40 are nice and crisp, and there’s a good sense of climax into :51. The melody at :51 is a little bizarre - it sounds like it has a couple notes that weren’t in the key signature. The more minimal section at 1:45 is nice for some structural variety, although I was a little thrown off by how different the melody was during the second refrain. I think there are also some mixing issues in this piece. The sidechaining on the kick is very heavy, and the melodies don’t always come through the mix very well. Overall, I like the blissful mood, sound design, and harmonic content, but some of the production details might need cleaning up. I also thought the arrangement of the piece was a little generic. Still, the riffs are catchy, and the piece has a cute mood and refreshing instrumentation. Keep at it, DjFluxArmada! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Deepminded - Cyberdjent Album - Synthwave Metal]

I like the smooth guitars and atmosphere at the beginning. I like when the texture fills out a little more at :29, and the rhythmic content at :48 is really cool. The riff at 1:18 is really catchy, although at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodic content in this piece. There also aren’t a lot of gradual transitions, although the final climax into 2:22 is nice. I feel as though you didn’t quite give this piece the epic finale it deserved, but it still feels conclusive enough. The production quality is fantastic, btw, and I love how you’ve fused electronic and electric elements here. Strong work overall. Keep at it, NahuPyrope!

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Artificial_Intelligence]

I like the gradual fade-in of the atmospheric synths at the beginning. I think you left a little too much of the mid-range tones in the sub-bass, though. It takes up too much of the mix there, especially relative to the harmonies. I also thought the transition at :54 was pretty sudden. The composition comes together pretty well by the end, and the production quality is solid here. That said, the piece needs a bit more emotional contrast, and the sudden ending leads me to believe that it isn’t quite finished. I’m also a bit concerned by the lack of originality in the sound design and arrangement. The sub-bass sounds like it’s straight out of 3xOsc, and the synths are a bit cheesy, too. That said, the mixing and mastering, melodies, atmosphere, and rhythmic content are all keeping this piece afloat. Keep at it, AsgoreD! :)

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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

[Master From Hell]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the sound design. The synth at :29 almost made me think it was going to be a hip-hop track. :) This piece is a tad slow to progress, but things fall together quickly at :57. I’m loving the crisp drums, rhythmic content, and hi-hats. The melodic content could be a little more dynamic, although I enjoyed the return to the atmospheric creepiness at 1:46 and the vocals samples. The hard-hitting bass at 2:05 was a nice touch. I would’ve liked to see more variation on the melodies by the time the second refrain rolled around, and I can’t help but feel that the piece needed a little something extra to hit it home at the end. The vocals, pads, and production are very strong here, though. Keep at it, Nextdux! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10