TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[...and Yet, It Goes Nowhere]

I think I recognize the synth at the beginning from another piece of yours. :D It's a very relaxing atmosphere and somewhat minimal texture, but your creative drum riffs and rich use of mixing effects help keep me engaged. I love how furtive the melody sounds at 1:18, and the filtering work at 2:05 is neat too. I also appreciate the nice, slow wind-down this piece has, along with the ominous, staticky crescendo at the very end. Really evocative stuff, LAPSE! Keep at it. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

The synth melody or sound? I use that particular sound a wee bit, haha. I really love it.
Sometimes I like to make little tracks that are reminiscent of hip-hop beat tapes or something. Thus the looping. Finding that sorta sound/melody/etc that feels good, you wanna listen to it for an extended time and just live within it. See how much mileage it has.

Thanks as always. <3

[Headful of Static]

I like the moody piano riff at the beginning. Good combination of airy reverb and a sharp attack. The quirky beats at :45 or so really hit the spot too, and the climax at around 1:05 gives the piece a strong sense of direction. The strangely cutesy lead at 1:51 offers some nice contrast from the mellow, introspective vive of the previous two minutes, and I really like how you take the sound design in a different direction towards the end of the piece. If I haven't said it before, I also really like how you often introduce the vocals into a piece 2/3 of the way through. Reminds me of my timeline for speaking to people on Sundays (very few words are spoken until I call my parents in the middle of the afternoon). The bright mood towards the end of the piece is also a nice touch, although the fade-out at 3:58 is a bit sudden. Overall, this is a really enjoyable track, dude! Keep it up. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

You grace me with yer reviews and ears once again. Lemme catch up. Haha.

Dem beats where done on keyboard. Haa. I love me some keyboard drums! Lots of times these tracks take a while to produce, so various mood shifting and such might play a role in what I decide to do / sound choices -- in response to the more cutesy/uplifting lead @1:51. Then again, I just love chip synth. Simple waves are so lovely. If It works it works.

Interesting Sunday ritual you have, haha. Any reason for it? Just something you like to do? Your little nugget of time to yourself?

Vox are always a slightly strange thing for me. I'm not totally comfortable with them, but I still go for it. I think it's kinda exciting to have a random vocal take come in seemingly out of the blue. It's like a prize at the bottom of a cereal box or something. It's something for the "I can't listen to music without lyrics" crowd? haha. Sometimes you're just feeling it.
I find myself sorta vocalising while producing a lot so sometimes I try and include that idea. I'm pretty picky about vocals in music. I think it's just kinda a necessary thing to try at some point in the musical experimentation. A lot of music is made with my mouth outside of the DAW as a sort of "compulsion". A filler thing while I'm going about my day. Sometimes it's good to weave the beat-boxing and the vox or whistling, or whatever in the process. It also helps ground it a bit as something that is properly "me", I guess. I've heard a handful of tracks over the years that have done this kinda thing and I've always loved it. It's not overindulgent vocals expression...just another tool in the box.

Ah fade outs. I hate them and love them. I also kinda dislike and admire when a song I like has this wonderful build up and it's in the moment and it just kinda ends abruptly. Been a many song I've loved that have done this to me. Ending on a crescendo or an idea that I could see being pulled further. I click that replay button fast. Haha.
So I guess sometimes I try to do that too. Why? I don't know. Just to see if it works, I can get away with it...or if I can feel ok with that sorta lingering..."what-if" and "why?" Haha. I've always been pretty conscious of how a song ends, for whatever reason. Other times, I just can't figure out how to end.

Oddly enough. I see you reviewed "Cotard Has Me Pegged" and I exclusively had this kinda feeling in mind when I ended that track. When I relisten to it, I still have this urge to go back and loop the ending for like an extra 45 seconds or something.

[FFFFFF]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the ghostly lead synth at :04. I like the little swell at :31 and the creative beats at :34. The texture is pretty minimal, but the sound design and rhythmic content are cool as always. The key change at 1:51 really adds some pizzazz towards the end too. The composition of this one still could be a bit bolder in places - more dynamic melodies, thicker and more energetic synths, etc. But as it is it's got a good mix of danceability and tranquility to it. Keep at it, Crysstal! ^_^

Crysstal712 responds:

this is possibly one of the biggest turning points in ANY of my music because this teached me so many new things i never do like resampling and stuff so im probably doing this stuff from now on

[FEELIN' FIRE]

Love the pulsating beat and the funky vocal samples. Part of me wanted to hear a little more bass in the mix - the high-pass filtering is very strong here. The mix is very loud and clear, though, and the rhythmic content and sound design are really nice as usual. The transition at 1:11 was a bit abrupt, as was the cut-off at 1:52. A little more structuring and variety could really take this piece to the next level, but as it is it's really well-produced and catchy. Keep it up, dude! ^_^

[PHNX DWN]

Yeah, I have some catching up to do with your tracks from last year. I like the gritty, robotic synth pattern at the beginning and how it gradually smooths out over the course of the first minute to become more dreamy and atmospheric. The dissonant high-pitched chords at the 1-minute mark or so sound rather grating, but that section in turn flows nicely into the glitchy breaks at 1:45 or so. The transition at 2:26 felt a tad more abrupt, but the beat is great, and contrasts nicely with the chill piano and string patterns. The eerie drone at 3:23 instills a sense of urgency into the texture somehow, like hearing your phone ring while you're trying to sleep in on a Sunday morning. By the 5-minute mark, I'm acutely aware that you've covered a lot of ground since the piece started, only for the beat to shift into a more pulsing, minimal direction by 5:10. Really evocative work here, LAPSE! A ton of variety and flavor to this one. Keep it up! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

Thank you!


This song was one of those nightmare tracks to produce. Lost a portion of it, had to redo it, stitched some other things up, changed the ending a few times. Nearly lost the entire track to time, but recovered it in an old email. The intro is sorta melancholic and spooky -- like someone has just died and is waiting to be reanimated with some video game potion. Smooths out as the person is revived from death. Still something not quite right by the end. Was the head lore while producing, haha.

[Hey Pard!]

Love the spacey vibe at the beginning and the quirky meter throughout. The pads sound nice and bright, and the addition of the guitar at around :55 is a nice touch. The piece can be pretty slow to progress at times, but when the melodic content breaks through at 1:28 it sounds absolutely euphoric. The distortion effects and the killer sound design help keep this piece interesting. I especially love the cello at 2:30. The somewhat melancholy conclusion to the piece (besides the last chord) is a nice contrast from earlier on. Overall, a great start to 2024, LAPSE! Keep it up. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

Yeah, it does feel a tad slow on progression. I think it's partially due to me pitching the song down from it's original speed. All that string section is beauty OST in the game. I maxed them up for the mix. Fell in love with the melody so hard. When I hear it now, I'm filled with this wonderful dopaminergic nostalgia. Thanks for the reviews and ears as always, TL.

[time and season (Instrumental Radio Edit)]

I like the atmospheric synths and piano at the beginning. I instantly recognized the faller at :35 - I know you've used it before. :D The inspiration from Newgrounds music of 2008-2011 or so is self-evident to me. Just a lot of fun, blissful progressions and rhythmic details in this one. The oscillation between minimal, high-energy content and more spacey, full-textured sections gives this piece a sense of variety. I love the gritty acid bass at 3:12 and the driving melodies of the main climactic section. The house-inspired outro was a nice touch, too. Man, you know how to play the hits, don't you? I'll be sure to check out the vocal version on weeklybeats too. ^_^

[what else is left?]

A good question indeed. I love the emotional appeal of the atmosphere and sound design here. The swells of the strings and the gradually thickening texture throughout really give it a cinematic feel. I would've liked to hear a resolution to some of the tension you built up during these 92 seconds, but thematically it's probably fitting that the piece ends on a cliffhanger. Keep it up, Midi! ^_^

[redemption arc]

Ooohh, I have some catching up to do. Love the relaxed vibe at the beginning and the quirky synth lead. I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of the vocal processing, tbh - sounds a bit thin and artificial. It's also hard to make out the lyrics from the audio alone, although I especially like the "searching for truth" verse. The syncopations at 2:13 are just gorgeous, and I'm also a fan of the more ambitious solos that are layered on top of the vocals at around 2:40. The thick texture during the last minute is great, though part of me wanted the drums to sound a bit punchier there. Overall, this is really strong work, Midi. Looking forward to hearing the rest of your weeklybeats tracks! ^_^

[GLASS BREAK]

Hey man! Sorry for the slow response.

I like the gradual fade-in at the beginning and how the bass starts sounding more distinct once you loosen up the filters in the mid-range frequencies (around :20 or so). The atmospheric details and drums blend well together, and I really like the climax into 1:04. The drop at 1:06 is a tad minimal, and the bass there takes up a tad too much of the mix IMO. I might suggest cutting some of the mid-range frequencies on it, softening up the compression, and giving the atmospheric vocals and hi-hats a boost in the EQ. Otherwise, I'm really digging the ominous, spacey vibe of this one. The texture is a bit minimal at times, but the catchiness makes up for that. Keep at it, Crysstal! ^_^