TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Edge of The Cliff]

Hey man! I'm not judging your group, but I momentarily thought I was because I was on the wrong tab of the judges' scoresheet. Have a review anyway:

Really catchy riff at the beginning. The drums sound a tad dry, but are also crisp and loud. There are a lot of fun patterns and melodies here, like :27, :53, and others. I think the progression doesn’t have a clear sense of directionality sometimes, and instead flits back and forth between a few different themes. I also think that the mix, while quite clear, is pretty quiet. Still, my main complaint is that the track needs a stronger sense of ebb and flow over time. The breakdown at 2:37 was a good start, but overall this piece is largely categorized by sudden changes in energy (although the first 2.5 minutes have a relatively uniform level of intensity). I just think that the structure is not as digestible as it could be. The arrangement of the piece doesn’t really give it a sense of dynamism or direction like I want it to. Maybe it would’ve helped if the piece ended shortly after the big solo at 3:05; that felt like a point of resolve and catharsis more than anything else in the piece. I’ve been pretty tough on the compositional elements of this piece, but the production, sound design, and harmonies are all really admirable here. Keep at it, Metallica1136!

[long goodbyes]

I like the quirky synths and the emotional appeal of the lyrics. Vocals themselves are really good too. I think the drums at 1:15 are a little too loud, and the snare sounds a bit biting given the smooth, sensual aspects of the lyrics and atmosphere of the song. I love the backing vocals and the moodiness, though. Really heart-felt song here, Midi. Production quality is great as always - really wet and full texture, yet crystal clear too. Keep up the great work!

[凍傷 "Frostbite"]

Chill riff at the beginning. Kick drum is a little heavy, though, and kinda hijacks the mix. I like the VGM-ish effects and progression. Nice work with the hi-hats, too. I guess I would've liked a little more variety on the main riff, and maybe some melodic content to give the piece more directionality. Fade-out ending came off as a bit lazy, but the production quality is really strong overall. Keep at it, DreamEater!

DreamEater responds:

Thank you very much for your feedback Taintedlogic, I greatly appreciate it.

[Derpcat - The Fallen Kingdom (review)]

Solid work! I like the melodies and the progression. Doesn't really feel like a structurally complete piece, but the mixing is really strong, if a tad over-compressed. I like the emotional appeal of the strings towards the beginning, too. I guess my main complaint is that the instrument at :27 sounds a tad harsh in the upper register. I'd watch your volume levels/filtering there. Melody at :55 sounds like pirates for some reason. :D The dreamy synth at the outro part was a nice touch, too. Anyway, strong stuff overall.

[Forgo-10]

Nice atmosphere at the beginning. While the chord progression is simple, once the texture starts to fill out at around :25 it has a nice sense of predictability and resolve. The melodies at :50 are cute, and the hi-hats at 1:14 are a great touch. I think the underlying harmonic framework of the piece does end up getting a bit tired after a while. I'd also like to see you create variety in this piece in some more creative ways besides just adding and subtracting instruments over time. Drum fills, automation, and dynamic contrast can all go a long way. The melodic riff at 2:25 is really cute, though. I think the piece drags on for a bit too long. The different melodies are all nice by themselves, but at some point I wanted to see you go for a bit more of an emotional height and create a fuller texture. The instrumentation, mood, and melodies are the highlights of this piece, though. Really soothing atmosphere and clean mix.
Thanks for being so understanding about the DQ, and keep up the good work. :)

[Shredageddon]

Catchy stuff at the beginning. I like the build-up into :30, and the heavy bass that follows is nice and gritty without being overly harsh-sounding. Rhythmic content here is a huge plus, and the production quality is quite strong. Piece is well-structured, too. My main criticism is that there's very little harmonic depth to the piece. Almost all of the elements of the texture at a given time serve a mostly rhythmic purpose, and in general the piece just lacks a sense of storytelling or directionality. That said, I can tell that you're a talented producer, and the vocal samples later on helped keep things engaging. Keep at it, BoomKitty!

BoomKitty responds:

Thanks man! I appreciate the in depth review and your criticisms are definitely valid. This track is a break-away from my more recent melodic stuff. It's meant to be short, sweet, and heavy AF

[-Stride-]

Ah! Forgot to review this earlier. I like the percussion at the beginning and the bright mood. By :25, the bouncy strings and warm pads mesh really well together to create a blissful and rich texture. I like the bassy elements at 1:24, too. The mastering is indeed quite clear here. It still sounds loud and well-balanced as usual, but the drums just sit really nicely in the mix this time. I also liked the mini-breakdown at 2:20 - that guitar is a fun addition to the texture there. The piano line at 3:25 is probably one of my favorite elements of the piece - the dark, frantic mood around there is really enjoyable. The progression here is super smooth, yet you weave together a complex mix of emotions throughout. The one part where I thought the shift in mood was a little sudden was 4:30. That said, the blissful melodies from 4:50 on constituted a really great strategy for tying the piece together (despite the huge amount of variation). The ending with the lounge vibes at 6:08 felt really jazzy. Overall great work! A lot of enjoyable easter eggs in the texture here. Probably my favorite track of yours since Hidden Path. Keep it up! ^_^

[M11]

I like the feel-good vibe of the piece and the funky guitars. Progression could've been fleshed out a little more, but the melodic content at :24 is really groovy. Production is decent, too - drums were nice and crisp, and the texture fills out nicely by the end. Now it just needs to be structurally complete. :) Keep at it, RaceTTar!

RaceTTar responds:

thanks!

[Colosseum]

I love the dense, intimidating texture of the percussion. Even though this song is all drums, it still has a pretty nice sense of ebb and flow about it. Good work with the rhythmic content too, and the production is loud and clear. Keep up the good work, Bosa!

Bosa responds:

Yeah, I use a little syncopation here and there to give it a more dynamic feel, and I refuse to let a composition overlap itself.

I do intend to continue! Expect to hear a very large project coming soon in the future!

[April]

I like the synths at the beginning. Nice job with the atmosphere and sense of build into :43. The crisp drums provide a nice sense of energy and drive to the piece. I think the piece dragged on for a bit too long without offering much melodic content or variety. The mood and instruments are great, but I think you needed something to really sell the emotion of the piece more than you did. That said, I liked the sub-bass during the section at 1:28 and the thick texture throughout. The production quality is also very good - loud, clear, and well-balanced mix throughout. The heavier mid-range bass elements at 2:18 was also quite a welcome addition to the texture. The frantic scales in the upper register are nice, too. The piano in the background seems to be playing a pretty relaxed melody, which I like, but I wish it was foregrounded a bit more in the mix. Overall, you're definitely a talented producer. Nice work with the progression, synths, and mastering. Composition just needed a more prominent melody/emotional height. Keep at it, Strykur, and good luck in the ADM! ^_^

Lubloom responds:

I'd definitely agree with that, I usually run dry when it comes to actual melodies in pieces, and I think it shows since a lot of said melodies are variations of a single "main" one.

I'm glad you liked the heavier element! I think it was quite a risk for a piece like this, but I was going for that change of energy to make the second half stand out from the first.

I took the piano out of the mix a little bit as I layered it with a couple of other sounds but yeah it might have been nicer to have the piano be more prominent.

Thank you very much for your kind words! I hope the NGUAC goes well again this year :))