TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Mourning My Memories]

Okay. 'Bout damn time I got around to this. I like the fun, lively riffs at the beginning. Somehow, the chords seem a bit too rich and introspective to be danceable, though. I'm really enjoying the smooth flow and occasional dramatic pauses. The more reserved section at 1:10 was a really nice touch, too, and the spaciousness of the ominous part at 1:24 was great for some structural contrast. One thing I didn't quite enjoy about the middle section of the piece was that the rhythm felt rather square. It gets more interesting by around 2:10, but even then the piece lacks the flourish and energy of the beginning. I really like the compound melodies going on at 3:10, as well as the ritardando at 3:25. The droning vibe at 3:40, followed by the strong bass line at 3:50, really sold the drama of the piece. It's a huge compositional risk to have a track decline in energy overall over time, but I think you've done a great job of portraying a descent into melancholy here. The brighter sound of 4:38 caught me off guard a bit, and it sounds like you're taking the piece in quite a different direction by the end. Structurally, it reminds me of one of your (quite long) improvisations, where you explore a theme for a few minutes before moving on. It seems like that's what's going on here, except at a smaller scale. Overall, lovely work. This was an especially vivid listen. ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the review!

Haha, I have a hard time imagining someone dancing to this :'D
Maybe if it was a very interpretive dance though?

I'm aware the energy decreases after the first section, and that's ofc quite intentional. I see the first part as someone trying to solve a suddenly arising problem, while still in decent spirits. After that attempt failing, the mood gets more melancholy (I imagine a character mourning whatever they've lost, while remembering the past). There's a bit of redemption at the end, at the sudden shift back to the earlier theme, but I wouldn't quite say things end well :p

As for the arrangement, I played around with a few different styles, somewhat differing from my general pieces, which might explain why it sounds a bit like my improvs!
Thanks again for the review :D

[Forgotten Promises]

Beautiful, calming instrumental. I love the imagery in the lyrics too, especially about the road swallowing night and day. The vocals themselves are also very strong, and the mix has a amazing degree of clarity and balance. If I had to complain about something, it'd be that the "drink with me and drown with me..." line sounded a tad too aggressive for the overall tone of the song, both in the content of the lyrics and the way the phrase was articulated. The sound design is one of my favorite parts of the piece. Sounds celtic and whimsical, especially with the fun little afterthought at 3:26. It really sounds like you guys had fun making this piece, which is great to hear. If you ever release an album, please PM me directly and I'll absolutely buy it. Congratulations again on all your hard work in the ADM this year! ^_^

[Windswept Cycling]

Cute piece! Sounds like a video game menu tune. Instruments are pretty cheesy, and I guess I would've liked to hear some more legato elements throughout the piece. The A-B-A form is really satisfying, though, and I like the melodies. Keep up the good work, LE. ^^

[TeslaX - False Consciousness Collapse]

I like the ominous ambient sounds at the beginning. The synth riff at :13 is a tad cliche, but the sound design really sells the intro regardless. There's a nice sense of build, although the pacing is a bit slow. The drop is pretty satisfying, and I like how the theme remains audible throughout. The frantic melody at 1:45 was a nice touch. The change-of-pace at 2:20 was a tad sudden, but I appreciated the structural contrast. I definitely didn't expect the synth guitar riffs at 2:47, but that part sounded really full-textured and cathartic. While most of the piece thereafter is smooth-flowing, I'm not sure I liked how the build-up into 3:44 essentially led right into another build-up. Overall, the piece is quite long and also somewhat disjointed. That said, the production quality is really good. The compression is very heavy, but everything is so crisp and clear in the mix. Well done on that front. There are some parts where I felt like there could've been a stronger sense of melody. The synth guitar bit is the only part where there's a prominent melody at an emotional height, and towards the end the piece descends into a series of mostly emotional, ambient sounds that don't seem to resolve some of the harder-hitting themes you introduced earlier. The one sound design choice I think was questionable in the piece was probably the violins at 6:30 - they just sound really fake. Otherwise, this piece is still a huge accomplishment. You definitely went all in for the final round, and I'm really impressed with your production skills and sense of storytelling. Keep up the great work! ^_^

[Rager - Ground Zero]

I like the grouchy bass and the crisp drums at the beginning. The ominous lead synth harmonies at :15 or so were a nice touch. Good job with the rhythmic content too. I think there are some slight balance issues. For example, the arpeggios at :40 onward are a bit too loud. They seem like something that would be used for atmosphere, but they're heavily foregrounded in the mix. I also think this piece could use some more melodic content. The harmonizing is great, but it rarely coalesces around a single memorable melodic riff. The piece also has a strong sense of continuity without much in the way of phrasing or dynamic contrast. At some point I wanted to see you vary the energy level of the piece for an extended period of time. I really liked the arpeggios at 2:46, but they didn't seem to lead anywhere after the sudden transition at 2:56. The piece could use a stronger sense of conclusion, too. There isn't much of an emotional height or climax in the last minute or so, which I think is a missed opportunity. Overall, though, I really like the sound design, and the mix is loud and clear. Keep at it, TheMightyRager! ^_^

[LL Beans]

Amusing piece. The gritty synths at the beginning had a bit too much attack, and also sounded a tad unpolished imo. The rapping was really good, and the content of the lyrics was thoroughly entertaining (and had quite an appealing comedic quality). I think the song could use a little more structurally and harmonically, but for what it is I enjoyed the piece. Keep it up, guys!

[Cracking the Code]

Cool synths at the beginning. I would've preferred the snare to be a bit more full-sounding and less static-y, but the rest of the sound design is really nice. The harmonic progression and melodic content are both satisfying, and the modulation at 1:07 is a nice touch. I think the texture could use a bit more fill in places, but at the same time I really like the relaxed vibe this has. The ending came on a bit suddenly. The piece loses a bit of cohesion between the pretty dynamic middle section, but still comes together well by the end. I like the mixing effects a lot here - there's a very spacious mix with some fun echo/delay effects on the lead. Overall solid work!

ChronoNomad responds:

Hey, TL! I really appreciate the critique, man.

Glad you like the synthy stuff, but I guess those snares just don't quite pass muster. Ah, well...I tried several on for size, and ended up choosing this one. What can ya do? lol

Lots of really nice comments, and I pretty much agree with your assessment. The abrupt ending was planned, so hopefully it works okay, but I'm not thrilled with that last transition into the main melody...or lack thereof. Sadly, just a couple days after rendering the track for submission, my computer gave up the ghost. Got a new one up and running now, but even if I'd wanted to make adjustments, the file is no longer accessible. :(

Eh, life goes on. Thanks again for stopping by, having a listen, and leaving a review! They always brighten up my day.

[Allowed to Dream Reality]

Woah. Really interesting harmonies at the beginning. Seems like you're using a lot of borrowed/applied chords. I really like the melodies at :45. Another unique thing about this piece is that there's a noticeably very wide interval between the voices; around 1:30, for example. Upon second listen, though, I might just think that because each line has such an unconventional contour. The breakdown at 2:23 works really well, and then the somewhat clashing chords at 2:41 sound rather calming. The piece ends with a somewhat tranquil, jazzy passage which I think did a great job of bringing these experimental "dreams" back down to earth. ;) Overall, really cool piece! I totally appreciate all the harmonic eccentricities here. Keep it up. ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Oh hi! Thanks for the review :DDD
I'm not sure if I'd call them borrowed chords or not, as there is no main scale. The scale changes with every chord (aside from a few exceptions), so I really don't know how else to describe it :p
I mainly use the same 4 chords, from 4 different scales.

I enjoyed reading your analysis of the different parts!

[F L O A T]

Fun beat. Has a cutesy VGM vibe for sure. Melodic content is fun, and the drum pattern is creative. I guess I would've liked the texture to be a little thicker though. Modulation at 2:12 was a nice touch. I guess my main complaint is that it's very repetitive without having a very strong sense of direction. The bit at 2:37 was a nice breakdown section, and I like the somewhat dissonant chords on the downbeats at around the 3-minute mark. Overall, great mood, atmosphere, and sound design. Composition just needs a little more shape and variety. Keep at it, TV!

[Color Shift]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. Flashy chords, smooth bass, and solid atmosphere. Vaguely reminiscent of funk between the guitar synths and heavily syncopated drum pattern. Melodies are strong, and overall the piece is smooth-flowing and well-structured. I really like the guitar solo at around 1:50. Production quality is great. Loud, clear, and punchy mix throughout. A couple of small complaints: the texture is made up of a lot of staccato-y elements. I felt like it needed some drone-like pads or something to smooth it over at times. Also, the fade-out ending lacked creativity. Other than that, really enjoyable piece. Sound design and production are major highlights. Keep up the good work!

Also, I've added you to the PM list for next year's NGUAC. :)

Tetfima responds:

This is probably the best feedback of my work that I've ever recieved, TL, thank you. And thank you, I think it would be cool to enter :) I have a version of Color Shift without the unneeded lead at 1:12 that I'm going to replace with. I really like the chords and bass there and the lead distracts from that. I'd like to hear more of your opinion on my future works, so don't be a stranger!

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