TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Oncoming Storm]

I really, really....REALLY should've checked out your music earlier. I'm impressed. I liked the pensive mood and atmosphere at the beginning. The background distorted whoosh noises were a bit too in-your-face for my taste at the very beginning, but that's a tiny detail. The progression is also a little slow towards the beginning, but I'm loving the cinematic vibe by around the 1-minute mark. The grainy, static-y synth bass there doesn't add a lot to the texture. I guess I wanted it to be replaced with something that was a bit more polished, like a round sub-bass or something. I'd also like to see the bell-like melodies at around 1:45 come out a bit more. The production is probably my favorite part of the piece, but I think the sound design is quite pleasing overall (despite my issues with a couple of choices). The piece really comes together by the end with the quirky mood and staccato-y riffs in the upper-mids. Nice work! Atmosphere at the end was a great touch too. Keep up the good work, Adrean! ^_^

ADR3-N responds:

I want to be completely upfront about this piece and just say I had no idea what I was doing, haha. New PC, new SFX, had to redesign my FX library since I lost a lot of what I did have, and I've never done a piece quite like this... like ever.

I think you're probably right. I was thinking of taking those whooshes down about .5 dB -- although they're actually wind and rain samples, singing dunes in the key of the song.

1:00 I was considering taking that bass down and applying some silky flange-y FX but I thought the song needed some grit. Perhaps I could have given it more life with another sidechain input in fabfilter C2 or lowpass/LFO play there. I find that subby basses take up a lot of space in the mix -- like those kicks and bass drops -- the former is hard to manage alongside a fat bass.

Yeah, that synth bell thing probably could come up a bit -- it's actually the second to last melody I wrote; I appended it to the end as well as sort of a tie on. Like at 2:21 through 2:32, lots of Eric Whitacre influence there. Probably should have brought both up by about 1-2 dB.

Production wise, mixed at -6 dB with the volume on like 10% before I touched the master. I wish I had EQ'ed out a lot of the sub pre-compression. Each track has a multiband compressor on it in lieu of an EQ to keep a more natural frequency range.

Also, thank Quarl for pestering me to bother with atmos, haha.

Thanks for the review! Lemme know if you have a piece you want looked at. :)

[MDK - Press Start (Froej & Trickshot Remix)]

Good to see it ended up on the site! I like the sound design at the beginning. Sounds very cutesy, with retro VGM vibes. Catchy rhythmic work at :34, too. The pacing is nice, and I like the build-up into 1:09. The chord progression and arrangement of the piece are a bit cliche, but the production is pretty strong. The mix is loud, but not overly compressed. I think you could've done a tad more with the drums in the piece, but I like the filtering work at 2:03. The distorted guitar chords at 2:20 were a bit off-putting, but that's the only sound design choice that actively bothered me in the piece. It's well-structured and smooth-flowing too. Might've been a tad dragged-out with the lead-in to the final refrain at 3:12, but overall I liked the composition a lot too. Nice work guys! Gl in the remix contest. ^_^

Froej responds:

thanks for your feedback :)

[-Tanuki's Ambition- (2014)]

I remember the original, haha! I like the melodies and sound design here a lot. The beginning sounds pretty contained and quiet, but the piece really blossoms into a bright, colorful texture by around :45. That's also the first section that sounds noticeably different from the original as I recall. I think the drums, especially the kick, could be a bit stronger, but overall the mix is loud and clear as well. As it is, the piece is pretty short, though. I think it could do with a third, grander rendition of the refrain to tie it together towards the end. Still, nice work here. I always like you revisit your old tracks, WF. :) Keep up the good work!

[Fore]

I like the bouncy piano chords at the beginning and the gradual fade-in of the synths and bass. The sidechaining on the drums is really heavy, but overall the mix is rather sharp, loud, and full. Really catchy rhythmic elements, and nice job with the melodic elements at :50. The arrangement of the piece is a tad generic, but overall my biggest problem with the piece is that it needed more harmonic depth and variety. I think the composition feels pretty stagnant and shapeless after a while, despite the quirky instruments and fun melodic riffs. I wanted to see you do more with the final drop to really hit this piece home, but instead it came off as a more rhythmically dense version of the first one that only served to highlight the over-compression problems. Despite this criticism, I think the fun sound design, danceability, and flavor of the piece still go a long way. Keep at it, YeahYay!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Sea of Love Tears 「恋水の海」]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The gradual fade-in could’ve been more creative, but the sound design is absolutely gorgeous. The emotional appeal of the piano riff at :35 is great. The climax into 1:02 is nice. I think the low percussion there could’ve sounded a lot more distinct in the mix, and the piano at 1:19 sounds strangely dry. The string cut-off at 1:28 is a bit sudden, although I did thoroughly enjoy the lush breakdown section. You’re great at creating textures and giving shape to a piece within phrases. I would’ve liked to hear a bit more variety in the refrain the second time around, but overall the piece comes together well. Strong effort all around, Tennon. My complaints are minimal, and I think the sound design and atmosphere are particularly enjoyable here. Congratulations on all your hard work over the course of the competition! ^_^

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

Tennon responds:

TL’s review never lacks any detail

[Niko - Out Of Control]

I like the pads at the beginning. The lead at the beginning has a bit too much treble for my tastes, and the attack of the snare isn’t as sharp as I would’ve liked. The melodic ideas at the first refrain are a bit simplistic, but have a number of fun ornamental qualities. The vocals at 1:15 sounded a bit grating, and the instrument at the drop at 1:22 sounded a tad unpolished. I also think that section dragged on a tad too long, with the more melodic content only returning (however briefly) at 2:20. While I did enjoy the textural and rhythmic elements of the breaks, I couldn’t help but want to hear a bit more fill in the texture and harmonic variety in this piece. The structure, while effective overall, has a pretty cliche arrangement with few opportunities for shape and contrast from the extended drops. I also think that, harmonically speaking, there’s very little novel content during the second half of the piece, which is concerning largely because the piece is so long. At the very least, I commend you for varying the drop when it comes back around at 4:48. You were right when you referred to this track as generic, though. I think the composition and arrangement could be a lot more creative and variational. That said, the production is pretty strong, and the piece has its merits in the catchy breaks and punchy sound design. Keep at it, Nikolopoblete!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[Miston Music - Bombs All Over The Place]

I like the quirky instruments at the beginning and the somewhat contained sound. The synths that first come in at :15 sound a tad generic, and the progression in this piece is really slow. The rhythmic elements of the track are pretty enjoyable, although at some point I was craving some more moving notes. The piece finally gets a stronger sense of direction by around 1:40, but then it just falls back on the same riff that underlies the beginning 100 seconds as well. To be honest, I’m starting to think that the composition and arrangement of this track simply needed a lot more effort. It sounds minimal, insular, and staccato-y throughout, with a thin texture only thickened by excessive reverb. There’s essentially no melodic content. The production is pretty good, but it also doesn’t stand out either. The progression is both incredibly drawn-out and somewhat stagnant after a while. I’m going to be frank, Miston: I think you can do a lot better than this. For what it’s worth, the content that is here isn’t bad. It’s just that I wanted to see you flesh out some of your ideas a lot more, with more shape in the composition and depth to the harmonies to boot. I’m sorry this isn’t a very positive review, but it just seems like you got a little burnt out. Thanks a lot for the hard work you’ve put into the competition this year. I look forward to seeing you around the Grounds in the future!

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
5.5/10

[Chain Reactions]

Really creative sound design, especially with the percussion. I’m not sure I like the use of panning, though. You have a lot of elements of the texture - drums, foregrounded string riffs, etc. - that I would’ve intuitively thought would be front-and-center in the mix, but aren’t. The sudden transition at :52 actually worked pretty well for some structural relief, although I found it a bit jarring that the mood seemed so much brighter there all of a sudden. There was another pretty lazy transition at 1:38. I think the logic of the progression is lost on me a bit. You have a knack for storytelling for sure, but it just seems like the directionality of the piece would’ve been more effective with more gradual transitions. By the end, it still comes together pretty well. The sound design and mood sell this piece pretty well. Compositionally, I suppose I should also point out that there are a lot of apprehensive sections of the piece that lack resolve. Despite the frantic strings and rich texture, there’s not much strong melodic content in this piece either. Overall, I think my main concerns are the absence of a centered mix and the Band-Aid-like approach to the transitory content. It would be great if the piece had a more cathartic conclusion that gave all this build-up a sense of release, too. Still, the mood here is engrossing, and the cinematic vibe of the piece was very convincing. Keep at it, Lukiaffe!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Freeing The Lunatic]

I love the cinematic vibe and the sound design. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture, though, especially on the percussion. The prominent string riffs at :23 are really neat, and the melodic content at :44 is great. The piece doesn’t really have a strong sense of build, though. You’ve sold the first third of this piece as setting up a huge amount of apprehension and drama, and then the rest of the piece gradually fades into this vague, thematic melancholy that I honestly fail to understand. I think you wrote this piece with a story in mind that I’m not getting. As a stand-alone piece, it seems almost like a filler track in a concept album, meant to bridge the gap between more coherent themes. The production, sound design, and mood here are all fantastic. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like a structurally complete piece, and it lacks a logical point of resolve. That said, the content that is here is riveting. That low, growly sound at :12 is delicious, and the crisp strings and percussion are very well-balanced in the mix. Overall, I’d say that the directionality of the piece (chiefly from invigorated to melancholy) is the piece’s main flaw. This technique would’ve been more effective without the abrupt change in instrumentation at 1:24 and the change in pacing at 1:47, but by itself it’s still pretty compositionally risky to pull off a progression like this. As much as I want to commend you for such risk-taking, I honestly found the progression of the piece to be a bit jarring. That said, absolutely keep exploring your knack for weaving together these gorgeous cinematic textures. The piece was on the verge of becoming an instant favorite of mine until 1:24. Congratulations on all your hard work this year, Lucas!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[So Lit]

I like the pads at the beginning and the atmosphere. There could’ve been more of a distinct transition into :13, but the beat there is rather catchy. The thicker texture at :27 was nice. I thought the lyrics were pretty cliche, and similarly to your last piece I think there could be more texture in the middle frequency range. My biggest problem with the piece is that the composition feels pretty stagnant. There’s very little shape over the course of the phrase, and the melodic content is never really varied. The arrangement and progression are very predictable, and at the very least I would’ve liked to see you do a bit more with the final refrain at 3:09. My favorite element of the piece was the production - it just highlights those crisp hats and spacious sub-bass really well. Relatedly, the sound design of the piece between the bell-like synths and creative drums is also satisfactory. The composition just needs a tad more variety and flavor imo. Keep at it, Kurtiskong!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10