TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[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

[stargazing]

I like the smooth bass at the beginning, even if it doesn’t sound that distinct in the mix. The powerful guitar chords at :13 are also nice, but the piece is very slow to progress after that. The dreamy guitar at :37 is a valuable addition to the texture, but I think there’s a tad too much reverb in the texture at that point. I think it would’ve been nice to have some drums in the texture earlier to keep up the sense of drive for the piece as a whole. The harmonies at 1:31 are pleasant, but I was itching for some more melodic content at this point, and the piece loses its sense of direction around this time. The transition at 1:56 is pretty sudden, but I welcome the thicker texture and added intensity. I think you overdid the crashes a bit at 2:23, but I like the lead guitar there and the well-balanced frequencies. The melodies at 2:46 are refreshing, and overall the piece comes together pretty well compositionally. My main problem here is probably the mixing, which sounds a little muddy in the lower register, likely because of the excessive reverb here. The more distorted vibe of the outro at 3:20 contrasts nicely with the more relaxed feel of the piece earlier, and overall I enjoyed the sound design and atmosphere here too. Solid work, at the end of the day. Keep at it, Yoshiii343! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[ELEPS - FORCE (DUBSTEP)]

I like the powerful piano chords and synth arpeggios at the beginning. The vocal samples at :28 are cute, even if they aren’t too prominent in the mix. Aspects of the sound design are a little generic, especially the clap, and the mood shift at :53 is a little sudden. The build-up and drops are good, even if the drop dragged on for a bit too long imo. The production quality is good overall, if a tad over-compressed in places. The re-intro at 2:10 was nice, although I was hoping to hear some more dynamic melodic content at some point that never really came. The lead at 2:36 doesn’t really satisfy my standards because it’s so heavily grounded in the chords. The harmonic minor section at 3:01 was a bit of a sudden harmonic shift, although I enjoyed the variations on the drop the second time around. I wish you had more of a proper outro after the second drop, though, instead of the rather abrupt end to the piece. Overall, solid work with the production, rhythmic components, and instrumentation. I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content, a more creative arrangement, and some smoother transitions, but otherwise strong work! Keep at it, ELEPS44. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Rods Critical]

I like the strings at the beginning. The choir sample wasn’t my favorite, and there may have been a tad too much reverb in the texture at times. That said, the melodic content is beautiful here, and the entire piece has a distinct emotional quality about it. The transition at 1:06 was a little sudden, but works well in the cinematic context of the piece, and also gives the piece a pleasant amount of structural contrast. The subtle vocals at around the 2-minute mark really serve the emotional appeal of the piece well, and the warm sound of the texture is really nice during this middle section. When the texture gets a bit thicker at around 2:42, you really hit this piece home. The echo/delay effects on the percussion were a little much imo, but overall the sound design, atmosphere, and melodies here are all really strong. The minimal piano outro fits the piece really well, too. Nice work overall, Papkee! All of my gripes are minor with this one. :)

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