TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Abandoned Facility]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. Has a good sense of atmosphere. The bass guitar that comes in at :10 is a little dry by comparison to the rest of the sound design, though, so it really sticks out. I really like the swells of the creepy ambient swells throughout the mini-phrases in the first 45 seconds. The distortion and added intensity at :50 was a nice touch. I think the piano sample you used was a bit generic. Sounds a lot like FL Keys. I also think there’s some more room for clarity in the mix during the busier part. I wanted the piano to come through a little stronger at times. The sudden transition into the breakdown at 1:30 fits the piece well, but the frantic riff at 1:35 came across as very experimental and a little anti-climactic. I would’ve preferred to hear some sort of memorable melody that helps give the piece a stronger sense of progression. The beat at 2:02 was a pleasant addition to the texture that keeps things moving along during the second half, despite the lack of harmonically novel material. It seems like you didn’t add a lot of new content at the end, which I think was a mistake. There’s a lot of tension and apprehension in this piece, and I would’ve liked to see that tension either escalate notably or resolve at some point, either via a bridge, coda, climactic section, or otherwise. Despite these advanced compositional concerns, this piece has an engrossing mood and atmosphere. Overall, the texture is well-balanced and full, and despite the lack of harmonic depth doesn’t strike me as too minimalistic or underwhelming. Strong thematic content here, too - it easily puts an image into my head. My main concerns here are mostly in the overarching compositional details. Otherwise, solid work! Keep it up, 4203. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

4203 responds:

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it! Will try to improve more next time

[Crystal]

I like the dreamy vibes here. Harmonic content is a bit simplistic, but the sound design is super cute, and the texture is well-balanced overall. The little melodic phrase at :52 served as a nice transition into the last major section of the piece. Despite being really short, this has a good sense of shape and development, albeit not an entirely strong sense of conclusiveness. Ending felt a bit rushed. Still, solid work with the production, melodies, and flow of it all. Keep at it, man! ^_^

[Metal gear]

The vocal samples at the beginning are cute, and I like the bass-heavy beat that comes in at :11. The sound design is pretty cool, and you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. I would've liked to hear a stronger sense of development over the course of the piece, as it gets pretty repetitive after a while. The mix, while clean, is also a tad quiet. Otherwise, cool beats. This has a distinctly quirky atmosphere. Keep at it, man! ^_^

[Star Dust]

Cool piece! Has a nice emotional appeal in the relaxed parts and a blissful, even victorious vibe in the melodic parts. It gets a little repetitive by the end - I wish you varied the melody more - but the atmosphere is refreshing and the production quality is solid. Keep it up, Pickseler! ^^

[Xtrullor - Arcana (Tennon Remix)]

Sorry for the super slow response, man! I really like the sound design and soothing collage of riffs at the beginning. They kinda bleed into each other in a really smooth way. The percussion at :33 is a strong follow-up, and the atmosphere and full texture really sell this piece. It has a couple of sudden mood changes, notably the drop at 1:48, but overall the progression and transitions are quite pleasing. The mix is very loud and clear. You clearly spent a lot of time on the production here. The "principal" breakdown at around 2:30 was nice, especially with the sweeping strings at 2:45. I think you cycle through some instrumental themes a bit too quickly during this section. The piece loses its sense of direction for a while until you bring back the instrumental hierarchy of the first climax at around 3:15. Overall, really strong work here. You took a lot of compositional risks here, and most of them certainly pay off. This piece sounds like a journey. Keep up the good work, Tennon! ^_^

Tennon responds:

You just reminded me of how shitty am I at transitions and thats a big issue! I love your reviews, cuz they never lack anything!

[wdrfl_lst]

I like the sound design. Sounds like a slow-mo alien invasion. Some of the instruments, especially the one at :35, might've had a bit too much treble left on them in the equalizer. I also thought you overused that radio effect that comes in on the downbeat starting at :48. Still, cool stuff. Dreamy atmosphere and strong sense of harmony. Keep at it, man! ^_^

trevor8 responds:

Thanks!

[The Sky Above Yukingdom]

Beautiful! Really lovely melodies with a distinct emotional quality. The piece also maintains a strong pulse with the pervasive half-quarter rhythm. I think the mini-phrase at :28 is my favorite. That's when the song starts to develop most harmonically. Keep up the great work, ER!

[endK - Fragments]

I like the atmospheric vibe at the beginning and the sound design. Nice job with the filtering in the pads too. Mix is really loud, clear, and bright. Definitely has a summery feel. The bass at :47 is really soothing, and the beat keeps things moving along nicely. It might be missing some melodic content for most of the first half, but the variety in the texture is good at keeping me engaged regardless. I like the cello at 1:45 (and other places). I think an extended melodic section could've really hit this piece home, but it never really comes. That's my one big critique with this piece. I also would've liked to see you vary the cello riff a little more. That said, I like the airy spaciousness of the breakdown at the 3-minute mark. The ending was a tad abrupt, but overall the mood and atmosphere are what really sells this piece. Sounds like classy hotel lounge music. Keep it up, EndK! Enjoy your vacation. :)

endKmusic responds:

Yeah, I'm used to having 300 different melodies in my pieces.
I'm currently in the mood of trying to let's say 'control' myself with tons of instruments / things happening so that I can focus on individual instruments + have time to make them sound how I want rather than overloading the playlist with patterns.
Also I wanted this piece to be kinda minimalistic, but nevertheless I agree with you on the 'melodic section that never comes'.
Note taken and thanks for the review TL! :)