TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Between Doses]

The arpeggios at the beginning were a bit quiet. I like the murky-sounding melody, but I think the balance is still off. The transition at :49 was pretty jarring, and didn't really build on the direction of the first 50 seconds. I like how this piece is a bit more harmonically interesting than the last piece I reviewed, but it also lacks the flow and density of texture. I think the transition at 2:26 was a lot smoother than the analogous one at :49, largely because of the brief riser effect. I think you overdid the panning on the synths after that, though. They sound a bit harsh in my ears. The mix is pretty clean, although if you were going for a more atmospheric effect on the synths at the end a little more reverb might be advisable. You did a better job of winding down this piece before the end, unlike the last one. Keep at it, DjRemedy! ^^

[Enter the Dunes (original)]

Catchy beat, if a little minimalistic. I like the bass line and rhythmic percussion. Sound design overall is really smooth, but I think the texture was missing some higher-pitched tones. The mix is pretty clear, if a tad undecorated. Compositionally, the piece is a bit repetitive and lacks melodic content. I'd encourage you to find alternative ways of creating variety besides just adding and subtracting instruments over time, though. Phrasing, dynamics, filtering, and automation can all help vary the intensity of your piece, especially a track that has so much underlying apprehension like this one. The ending of the track was a tad sudden, but I did like the short bridge at 2:39. Nice work overall! You're certainly getting better. Keep at it, DJRemedy! ^^

djRemedy responds:

Thanks, TaintedLogic! I always appreciate your constructive reviews and will try to apply them to my next piece!

[Diacrisis OST]

Provocative use of vocal samples. Where did you get them from? The mix isn't all that sharp, though, and overall I found the composition here to be a bit dry and repetitive. The piece needs a high-pass, as well as some more high-pitched frequencies in general. It's minimalistic and harmonically underwhelming, even if you sell the mood and atmosphere well. The muddiness in the mix is my main concern here, though, even though the mix itself is loud. I'd suggest trying to rein in some of those bass frequencies with an equalizer and fill in some of the texture with some pads or other harmonies. Right now, the piece lacks any meaningful sense of directionality. I've been harsh on you, though. I'm sure it fits the tone and purpose of the game you made it for quite well. As a stand-alone track, it just needs a stronger sense of progression. Keep at it, man!

Alucard responds:

Your feedback was very helpful!

[~Fore~ Ethereal]

I love the gritty bass and apprehensive mood here. The pulsing vibe of the beat is really fun, too. You always have such a well-balanced texture between the energy and atmosphere, and I love how the intensity has this subtle escalation over the course of the minute. Nice work! There's still a lot of value in unfinished pieces, my friend. ^^

[~Fore~ Heart of Steel (loop)]

Excellent! I love the energy and the vocal samples at around :50 combined with the atmospheric flair at 1:10. The piano solo at 1:21 is a nice touch that really advances the emotional appeal of the piece. Nice job setting up the cycle of anticipation and resolve for the return to the A-section of the piece at 2:16. Really strong rhythmic elements in the drums here, too. The ending is a tad sudden, but overall it's another awesome track, man. Keep up the good work!

[~Fore~ Shadow (NG Edit)]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the atmosphere. Really cool use of vocal samples and sound design. Where are the vocals from? I love it when that grouchy bass comes in at 1:05, and the riser at 1:54 is really cool too. The more melodic content at 2:05 was a nice change to the texture. There are a lot of minimalistic moments in the piece, but overall I really like the progression, texture, and instrumentation. The production quality is also rather sharp. I suppose I would've liked the vocal samples to come back a little earlier, though. It would've offered a nice relief to the repetition that characterizes most of the 2nd half of the piece. Still, I can tell you spent a lot of time on the mastering and mixing effects here. Strong work! Keep it up, Aliaspharow. ^_^

[Detious - Ataraxia]

I like the quirky synths and filtering at the beginning. The piece takes a while to develop, but I like the synth that starts fading in at :31 and how the texture comes together a bit more by :46. The drop is cool, and I like the vocal samples in the post-chorus, but the texture seemed to be a bit too thin for my tastes. Almost seemed like it was missing the middle frequency range at some points (especially around the 2-minute mark). Still, I like the variety, transitions, and sound design here. Production is super clean as usual, and I like how atmospheric the outro is. Good luck in the NGADM, Detious! ^_^

[Timescape]

I love the apprehensive mood at the beginning and the chord progression. Excellent job with the phrasing and intensity throughout. I love the gritty synth bass that comes in right before the beat, and the pensive, arpeggiated patterns maintained throughout the rest of the piece. The transition at 1:51 is a little sudden, but the cinematic vibe of the piece really helps hit it home in the end. Sound design and production quality are both strong, even if the drums don't come through the mix quite as well as I want them to at 1:51. I really like how you slid the arpeggios up an octave for the outro, though. That really helps maintain the intensity until the end. Solid work! Good luck in the ADM. ^_^

LunyAlex responds:

Hey thanks for your review!
It's very motivating. I'll give my best, hehe.

[Hide the Light]

I love the ambiance here. Reverb is beautiful, especially combined with the haunting pads. Definitely has a celestial vibe about it, and I absolutely love the collage of instruments on display later in the piece, from the cello to the electric guitars to the piano. My only complaint is that the piece needs to be at least 3 times as long to satisfy my craving for ambient music. Fantastic work, Ale. Your production skills have improved a lot recently, too. Looking forward to hearing more from you soon! ^^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I'm glad you liked it! I just got a new reverb plugin, which makes the sound a lot less muddy, even if you use a lot of it. I had fun picking out the instruments. You're right about most of them, but there is actually no cello, the Joshua Bell Violin just hits some pretty low notes ^____^

I know! It totally should be longer. Alas, it's time to move back to Finland tomorrow :3
Thank you for the review :D

[Flee]

I like the frantic, eastern-sounding instrument and the creative rhythms here. Gets a tad repetitive after a while, but there's some novel content at around 1:20. Sounds like it would work great for a GD level indeed. I'm glad the "boing" sound effect comes back before the end, too (1:47). Keep it up, man! ^^