TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Algebra]

I like the glitchy percussion at the beginning, but the kick at :14 sounds way too heavy and over-saturated in the mix. There aren’t a lot of moving notes in the texture at all, and the transition at :44 is very sudden. The section at :44 is catchy and pretty well-balanced (despite the kick), although there still aren’t a ton of mid and upper-range frequencies in the texture. The piece as a whole has very little melodic content, phrasing, or shape. Despite the coarseness of the texture, I like the murky bass at around 1:45. It has a really gritty, industrial vibe that, while still needing some cleaning up, definitely has potential. The mix is also pretty dry, with little use of reverb, delay effects, or other mixing tools that could keep the sound design refreshing as the piece grows more repetitive towards the end. I like the rhythmic components and instrumental palette to some extent, but I think you could’ve done a lot more with the composition here. It lacks a strong sense of direction and variety over time, and also needs more atmosphere to round out some of these crude samples. Still, nice work with the industrial feel, mood, rhythmic components, and (besides the choppy transitions) progression. Keep at it, NNmusic! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
5.75/10

[pretend]

I like the relaxed mood at the beginning and the rippling effects. The quirky pads and pensive arpeggios at :15 vibe well together. I like the sense of build the piece has into :59. The drums are pretty heavy - the piece might be a bit over-compressed - but the catchy melodies and hiphop-inspired drums are valuable additions to the texture. The tempo of the piece is pretty slow, but the atmosphere keeps me engaged throughout. The transition at 1:58 is a little sudden, but I like the re-intro. By around 2:15, you start to really overuse the rippling effect, especially since it’s so up-front in the mix whenever it pops in. The ghostly harmonies at 2:45 are really nice, though, and you did a good job at balancing the texture and increasing the intensity at the bridge at 2:58. The last couple of minutes of the piece sound a bit too drawn-out, but the automations on the synths and the rhythmic content keep things sounding relatively fresh. I also wanted to hear some more melodic development later in the piece - it seems like you rely mostly on arpeggios to fill in the melodic space in the texture later on, as opposed to more dynamic content. Really fun sound design and mood here, though. There were times when I thought you could’ve done more with the composition and arrangement, but overall this piece is very strong. Keep up the good work, Molotow! ^_^

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
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

[Peace of Sky (demo)]

I like the smooth guitar at the beginning and the roots rock vibe. The mixing effects on the vocals are a little bizarre in contrast to the acoustic instrumental tracks, but at least they share the same languid fluidity. It’s hard to make out the lyrics, but I like the injection of energy at :42 and the progression. The texture is pretty minimal here. I think you could’ve gone for some more compositional risks, like a guitar solo or the introduction of an organ later on or something. The production quality is clearly strong here, though. I can hear the instruments clearly throughout, and the drums sound especially crisp and sharp. Soothing piece overall. Again, a tad underwhelming compositionally, but the tasteful instrumental palette, soulful mood, and strong mixing and mastering make up for that in my mind. Keep up the good work, MeinGumna! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[LPS - Deep Dark]

The piece has a distinct sense of atmosphere at the beginning and some fun instrumentation. The drum beat is nice, and helps move the piece along despite a relatively thin texture. The pads at the beginning outline the harmonies nicely, but then the progression goes in a different direction by around :32 with that soft, shimmering synth. I think the minimalism and oscillation between a few different riffs don’t do a lot for me here. I wanted to hear more variety and shape in the composition. That’s my main concern with the piece. There just aren’t a ton of moving notes here besides a couple of riffs that - while cool in isolation - don’t feel like they’re a part of the same story compositionally. The drums give the piece a sense of fluidity that harmonically it certainly lacks. Still, the production quality isn’t bad and the sound design has potential as a sort of lo-fi funk piece. I like the atmosphere and mood overall, but tbh the composition is bland at best and the harmonic content lacks depth and originality. Sorry to be harsh, but I think you clearly have the talent to put more effort into your tracks than this. Good luck with your future projects, LPSounds! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
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
4.5/10

[Ayyyy-liens]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The glitchy bass and pads are fun, but the dance pads get to be a little much imo. I also would’ve liked to hear a proper intro to the piece, as opposed to it throwing you right into the middle of the action here. The effects are pretty cool, although the percussive elements aren’t very strong in the mix until about :45. The glitchy mid-high range instrument is a little overwhelming; perhaps it would sound less jarring if it was meant to serve more of an atmospheric purpose, rather than being so up-front in the mix. While the rhythmic content and sound design are creative, the piece doesn’t have a lot of harmonic depth, melodic content, or structural variety. It’s lacking a sense of ebb and flow over time, instead opting for a constant, frantic energy. After a time, this makes it sound pretty repetitive and compositionally underwhelming. Still, the instrumentation and flavor of the piece are really strong here, and the production quality is above average overall as well. Flesh out some of the compositional elements a little more, and this could be a really fun piece. Right now, it has a lot of potential with the cool mood and rhythmic content, but it’s lacking on some other notable parameters, that’s all. Keep at it, Legodarthbatman! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6/10

[Welcome To The Matrix]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. Some of the synths sound a bit murky, like the low-mid pad at :05. I can’t tell if that’s just the sample quality or the mix is making it sound watery. There’s a good sense of atmosphere here overall, the drums are a bit dry and could probably use a little more reverb. The progression is pretty bizarre after a while, and the texture remains quite minimal for most of the piece. There are more cheesy synths at 1:01, and the snare at 1:12 sounds way too over-saturated in the mix. The progression here is pretty haphazard, and doesn’t feel like it has a very strong sense of direction. A lot of the individual riffs are catchy and neat, but I’m not getting a strong sense of storytelling or climax and resolve from this piece. It needs a little more harmonic depth, gradual structuring techniques, and tighter mixing. Next time, I think you should try considering the way your piece is arranged - both structurally and harmonically - before you start composing the notes. Try to create richer textures by thinking about several chords that sound good together in a progression, and then constructing riffs and patterns that connect the harmonies in those chords over time. Still, this piece certainly has its merits. I like the mood and atmosphere, as I mentioned before, and on their own, the synth patterns you have here sound good. Keep at it, Kyuki! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
4/10

Kyuki responds:

Thank you for giving some detail on the scoring of the piece. This was actually my first piece (song) ever originally created. Thank you for your input!

[Daylife (NGUAC 2019)]

I like the swirling pads at the beginning, and the melodic content at :03. Some elements of the texture can be a tad generic, especially the piano lead and chord progression, but overall I like the blissful mood and flow of the piece. The climax at :21 is nice, and the texture sounds really full and well-balanced there. I think you could’ve done a bit more with the drums here, but the rhythmic content gets more creative as the piece goes on. The mix sounds a bit distorted at around the 1-minute mark. The piano lead keeps ducking under momentarily, and there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture. You change up the melodies nicely throughout the middle section of the piece, but at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more harmonic variation - a different chord progression or modulation, perhaps. The second refrain at 2:17 is fun, although I think you could’ve more effectively hit this piece home with some more variation in the melody here. Still, the piece overall is well-structured, smooth-flowing, well-balanced, and has a cute, uplifting mood. Despite my complaints about the lack of harmonic variety and mixing issues, this is solid work! Keep at it, KylGilbs325! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Yokai [Sunward Isles]]

I like the dramatic strings at the beginning and the foreboding church bells. The percussion here is great, and the mix is loud and clear. I love all the subtle swells of strings and the variety in the instrumentation. The eastern-sounding instruments during the second half are great, and the melodic content helps heighten the tension of the piece. There are only a few small things I dare complain about here: first, there’s never really either a resolve to the apprehensive mood of the piece, nor is there a great climax of tension towards the end. I think you could’ve really hit this piece home with a final, soaring melodic phrase or influx of intensity that wraps up the storyline of the piece. The ending also cuts off a bit suddenly, although that’s a tiny detail in the grand scheme of things. Lastly, the mix is a bit wide for my tastes, but perhaps that’s just the price one pays for such a sharp and clear production quality. The composition of the piece is also fantastic. There are a lot of good cinematic composers on Newgrounds, but I think you have the Underdogs group won in that genre. Keep up the great work, KrianMusic! ^_^

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

KrianMusic responds:

Thanks a ton! We've known eachother for some time but i deleted my old account, also sorry i COMPLETELY forgot about the entire competition happening.

Mainly it goes nowhere/final climax, because it's intended for in-game looping and heard repeatedly for like god knows how long

[EndBoss finished]

I like the thin bass at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The vocals are nice too, and add to the catchy and ominous aspect of the piece. The murky pads at :11 are a bit cheesy, but overall the sound design is strong here. I think the piece could’ve used some more melodic content and structuring, though. It could use a more fleshed-out composition besides just one verse and an instrumental bridge. The mix is also pretty quiet. Doing more with the arrangement will also allow you to maximize the emotional content of this piece more. Right now, the shape is pretty flat. At some point, I would’ve liked the tension in this piece to either reach a point of resolve or escalate in a meaningful way, but that’s hard to accomplish in a little over a minute. Still, the production quality is solid, the atmosphere and mood are nice, and the instrumental palette is murky and cool. Keep at it, Kinupsi! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

[Rapture]

I like the quirky instruments at the beginning and the minimal club beat. The texture really starts filling out with the addition of the bass at :16. The vocal samples at :31 were nice, too, and there was a good sense of build into :47. It was a bit of anti-climax, but I like the automation work in the next phrase and the rhythmic content. I was looking for a little more harmonic depth and melodic content later on, but it was slow in coming. The production quality is strong, and I also like the sound design, mood, and sense of ebb and flow of the texture. That melodic content finally arrives at 1:34, which feels really cathartic, but it’s pretty short-lived, and the texture for the second half of the piece remains rather minimal. I think my least favorite element of the piece is probably the generic elements of the drum beat, progression, and arrangement of the piece. It has a great atmosphere and flow, but I can’t help but feel that, harmonically speaking, the composition was pretty underwhelming throughout. You could’ve done a lot more with this, including a more prominent emotional height towards the end. Still, the mood here is engrossing, the instrumentation is strong, and the mixing is quite solid despite an occasional excess of reverb. Keep up the good work, JRTH! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10