TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - SuperNova]

I like the minimal club beat at the beginning and the sense of anticipation. The atmosphere at :13 is nice, although the synths and pads are a bit generic and cheesy. The piece is a little slow to progress, but I like the additional atmospheric riffs at :40 and sense of build into 1:04. The piece is still a little thin on higher-pitched frequencies, and 1:30 feels a bit like an anti-climax. The melody line at 1:30 is catchy, albeit not very dynamic rhythmically. It’s also completely overwhelmed by the bass lines at 2:00. The structure of this piece is a bit too drawn-out for my tastes. You go back to a downtempo atmospheric section at around 2:20, and overall it seems like it’s been a little too long without an emotional climax in the middle section of this piece. I also wish you did more with the drums throughout this piece, especially given the cliche samples. I also think the drums duck under the mix a bit at times, and you might want to tighten up your equalizers on a couple of these synths and take a little bit off the mix of the reverb. By the end of the song, the harmonic content here seems pretty repetitive, and I wanted you to do more to heighten the structural contrast in this piece.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Broken Hearts]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning, but the sharp hi-hat was a little much imo. The sound design is really cool here, especially the sound effects at :23 that sound like you spent a lot of time modifying some recordings of bird calls or something. The pensive mood here is great, although the progression is a tad slow-paced. The drop at 1:07 is really refreshing, and I love the groovy synth bass and quirky vocals. I suppose I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content at some point, though, and I think the refrain drags on for a tad too long. The return to the beautiful ambiance at 1:53 was quite welcome, and the sense of build starting at around 2:30 is great. Throughout the piece, I thought you could’ve done a tad more with the drums, which at times (especially 2:58) are a little overcompressed, btw. Unfortunately, this piece doesn’t have a strong sense of harmonic development over time, and I would’ve liked to hear a more distinct outro too. Overall, despite the top-notch production and sound design, I think you could’ve done more with the composition here. I kept waiting for these groovy - albeit somewhat contained - beats to break and ascend into a fit of catharsis with some gorgeous, climactic melody, but it never happened. The result is that the structure of the piece feels more like a stagnant cycle than a smooth narrative. Still, the instrumentation, mixing, and atmosphere definitely kept this piece afloat. Keep at it, Aoraz! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Aoraz responds:

This review has honestly made me so happy!

I will try my best to improve on my composition and make the overall flow of future songs have a more fluid feel.

Thank you so much! I hope I can get a 10/10 on your next review :)

[Dance of the Creepy Forest]

I like the waltzy vibe at the beginning and the woodwind melodies. The orchestral samples sound very realistic, and the orchestration is indeed quite good. The additional harmonies at 1:29 are really nice, although I would’ve liked to hear some more variation on the main melody. I like how the texture gets gradually thicker through 1:47, although there could’ve been a smoother transition into 1:48 (and also into 2:08, for that matter). It also would’ve been nice to vary the harmonic progression a bit more at some point, but overall the variety in the sound design helps keep things engaging. The re-entry of the woodwinds at 2:30 has a nice emotional appeal, and overall this piece comes together pretty well compositionally by the end. The production quality is also rather strong. Overall, this piece is beautiful and, despite my minor compositional complaints, you did a fantastic job here. Keep up the good work, MajorMusic! :)

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Unreleased 1]

I like the nature FX and atmosphere at the beginning. Sounds alternately ominous and pensive. I think the pads had a bit too much oscillation in volume levels, though. It affected the flowiness of the piece after a while. That said, the frantic drums are really catchy and crisp. The transition at 1:11 is a little sudden, but I love the vocals. They fit the dreamy atmosphere of the piece well. I think the piece could use some more prominent melodic content at some point, but in the meantime I enjoyed how the bass at 1:30 thickened the texture a bit. There are more abrupt transitions later, such as 1:55 and 3:22, and the structure is beginning to be a bit predictable by the midpoint of the piece or so. The strongest part of the piece is probably the production quality, although I like the sound design too. The vocals at around the 3-minute mark were a nice touch. It still needs a bit more textural fill, melodic content, and harmonic depth, though. That’s where you lose the most points from me, but you also get full credit for mixing and mastering and instrumentation. Keep at it, ErmDJVit! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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

Vj responds:

Thank you for taking the time to review my recent work. I appreciate your approach on this style of electronic music within the review.

[A Dream Where My Teeth Fall Out]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the melodic content. The vocals at :18 are really smooth, but the mixing effects on them are a bit heavy, to the point that I have trouble making out the lyrics. Part of the problem might be the synth arpeggios that play along with the vocals, but either way that’s a relatively small detail. The funky synth at 1:10 is awesome, and I love how you fill the texture mostly with the atmospheric content here. The vocals and melodies really keep things engaging, and the sound design is strong as well. I think you could’ve done a bit more with the drums, though - they seemed to be a pretty straight kick-snare-kick-snare for most of the piece. I also would’ve liked to hear a little more variation on the vocal phrases. Still, the quirky instruments, atmosphere, and mood of this one are really cool. I’d love to see the lyrics, too, if I could bother you to put them in the author’s description. :) Strong work overall, Drewpy! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
9.25/10

Drewpy responds:

Thanks so much for the feedback! I added lyrics in the description :D

[FTW]

I like the rhythmic content and scattato nature of the synths. The drum beat is also pretty catchy. A lot of the synths are pretty cheesy and dry, though. I think it would’ve helped if you used some more reverb or something. The harmonies at :15 clash a bit, though, and I’m not sure you were going for an atonal harmonic framework in an otherwise blissful-sounding piece. The drop at :45 was pretty cool, although I think the drums could’ve been a little louder there. The transition at 1:15 was a little sudden, and the texture there is really minimal, just like the intro. In fact, there are a couple more abrupt transitions here too, like 1:29 and 2:03. The composition and arrangement of this piece seems a bit choppy at times. You oscillate between several different combinations of repetitive riffs, but the overarching composition doesn’t feel very dynamic or well-varied. I think you need to consolidate some of your ideas a bit while also focusing on creating a stronger harmonic paradigm for your piece. I’d suggest making a chord progression of 4-6 chords that sound good together, and then using only notes from those chords to create harmonic patterns to accompany them. Once you feel like you’ve written a piece that does that, feel free to PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Until then, the composition here feels a bit thrown-together, although I still like the catchy beats and atmosphere at the drops. Keep at it, DistortedVortex! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
4.5/10

DistortedVortex responds:

thanks for the constructive feedback

[00FF 84]

I like the funky synths at the beginning and the atmosphere. The texture is pretty distorted, and sometimes the rhythms are hard-to-follow. The mix is very loud, but I wish all the elements of the texture sounded a bit more distinct. Part of the problem might be that there’s way too much reverb in the mix. I think a lot of the instruments at 1:15 sound a bit too harsh for my tastes, and the texture also isn’t that well balanced. I think the piece needs a lot more mid-ranged frequencies. Right now, the high-pitched, harsh percussion and bass are dominating the texture for most of the piece. There’s also not a lot of harmonic depth in this piece at all. You simply needed more moving notes in this piece to maximize the potential of the composition here. The mix is also way too loud - instead of just loudness, try prioritizing clarity, blending, and balancing with your production a little more. The silence at 4:08 was a bit awkward, and then the gritty techno sounds that came after seemed to completely switch out most of the instrumental tracks of the piece. Overall, I think the piece needs to focus on harmony, melody, and meaningful progression a lot more than rhythm, loudness, and variety. The arrangement of the piece sounds choppy, and the sound design sounds jarring. I’d highly encourage you to consolidate some of your compositional ideas here and create some more tonal, coherent music. Sorry to be so harsh, but this piece just isn’t my cup of tea. Good luck with your future projects, Geonb. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
0/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
0/2
Instrumentation and sound design
0/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
0/1
Composite score
1/10

geonb responds:

You are welcome!

[Schwarzenegger Incoming]

I like the pensive and anticipatory mood at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress, and some of the synths are pretty cheesy, but I like the synth bass and the lead one at :51. That synth at :51 sounds like something out of a 1980s documentary about space. The bass and drums at 1:06 are a little too over-saturated in the mix, and at some point I wanted to hear some stronger melodic content here. The melody at 1:21 was pretty good, although the synth that plays it sounds a little too thin and harsh in the upper register. I also think there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture, and also that the kick doesn’t cut through the mix that well during the busier sections. The texture comes together pretty well by the end, though, and overall I like the atmosphere, progression, and mood here. Keep at it, Manderby!

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
.5/1
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

Manderby responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic! That was an extensive review with lots of useful information. I agree with your points, and the 80's were definitely a theme. Cheers!

[Detious - Hypersphere]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the pensive synths at :15. The piece has a good sense of climax into :41. The drop there is nice and full-textured, if a tad over-compressed, and I like the melodic content at :54 too. The transition into 1:36 was creative, and I’m liking the sound design at 1:38 as well. This piece has a really smooth flow and some catchy rhythmic content. I also like the atmospheric section at 2:03 and the panning on that quirky percussion in the background at 2:14. One of my main complaints here is that the structure of the piece feels so transitory. I don’t think you let the listener enjoy some of the bigger points of arrival in this piece enough before transitioning into a completely different section. The transitions are effective, but there are a few too many of them, especially during the middle couple of minutes of the piece. The piece starts to lose its sense of cohesion, as the piece lacks a familiar structural cycle to keep the listener grounded. The last drop is effective at wrapping up some of the thematic elements of the piece, although I think the outro was a little too short-lived. Overall, nit-picky structural concerns aside, this is a really strong piece. I especially like the production, sound design, and atmosphere. Keep at it, Detious! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Remastered: Abendland - Alone I stand]

I like the dramatic fade-in at the beginning and the apprehensive strings. The cinematic vibe of this piece is great, and the orchestration is pretty diverse between the brass, choir, and string section. The emotional appeal of the section at :44 is great, and the climax into :57 was nice. The melodic content here is also quite good, and you’ve got a good sense of harmony and progression. The choir doesn’t quite come through the mix as strongly as I would’ve liked at 1:10, and the same is true of the drums in places, but the samples themselves are of pretty high quality. The composition comes together well towards the end, too, with the final climax at around the 2-minute mark really hitting it home. Strong work here, Abendland! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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:

Hey TaintedLogic!
Thanks a lot for your comprehensive feedback! I appreciate it a lot!
Yeah I try to keep it up, even though life tries to keep me busy with other stuff way less fun than making music… :P
Cheers, Chris