TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Paralysis]

I love the emotional appeal of the beginning and the melodic content at :16. I also really like how it's hard to tell if this piece is supposed to be uplifting or creepy for quite some time. At the end, I'm still not sure, in fact. Perhaps the piece is a tad minimalistic, and definitely foregrounds the melodic content quite heavily, but I think those elements actually serve the emotive qualities of the piece in this case. Compliments again on your very-good string samples, btw. The last note, high-pitched though it was, still sounded pretty authentic. Very enjoyable piece, BO! Raw, beautiful melodies win the day. ^_^

Everratic responds:

". I also really like how it's hard to tell if this piece is supposed to be uplifting or creepy for quite some time."
I'm glad you appreciated this feature! This represents the shattering of a reoccurring fantasy. The note at the very end is articulated in a way that's intended to shock the listener a bit, which represents waking up to reality.

Thank you for the review!

[Niko - It's not that easy.]

Heavy vocals. Something about the ominous atmosphere of the piece even sounds inward-looking. I'm enjoying the plink-y synth arps at around :45 and the well-balanced texture, although the progression of the piece was pretty slow. I like the build-up and the fake-out drop at 1:46 before the real drop at 1:48. Great job with the atmosphere at 2:45 - just some beautiful, lush chords right there. I love how melancholic everything sounds, too. I guess I would've liked to hear a little more variation on the drop the second time around, but I thought it was fitting that there was a bit more of a straight-forward lead-in to the drop this time. Also could've done with a more substantial outro, but the piano mini-fadeout was pretty effective too. The piece feels a tad dragged-out in places, especially in between the drops, but overall I thought the structure and arrangement of the piece were well done. Strong thematic content, sound design, and production, too! Keep up the good work, Nikolopoblete. ^_^

[blue, like the sky]

Curious little percussion riffs at the beginning. The fade-in at :10 and the cute, jazzy pads at :12 are really nice. I love how the tonic chord doesn't quite strike on the downbeat at :24. The progression is a bit slow here, but the melodies at :45 and beyond were really nice. Piece has a vaguely wistful vibe about it. The minimalistic break at 1:09 with the videogame sound effects was a bit cheesy, but definitely showed off your good sense of rhythm. Occasionally, the piece can sound a bit harsh in the upper register, like with that synth at 2:01. Part of it may also be the panning - wideness can make an instrument sound harsher than it otherwise would be. That said, the production is quite enjoyable in almost every other regard. Spacious mix with well-balanced frequencies and a good amount of loudness. My main problem with the piece, however, is that it's a bit repetitive harmonically. You clearly spent a long time on the details here, which I appreciate, but I'm not quite getting an overarching sense of direction like I want to, and I think the sudden ending attests to that. Overall, really fun piece, though. Sound design and mood are fantastic here. Keep it up!

icantpronouncethis responds:

Thank you for your critique. This has been something different than I'm used to, but the direction I would love to get in to. When you meant by harsh, I'm guessing you mean that it cuts to through the mix too strong. I was trying to put that part more far behind like a after thought feel. But I had difficulty executing that. Tried adding wet only reverb, and just turning down the mix, but couldnt get the sound I needed. What would you suggest to push it back more?

[Incertae (cut)]

I like the somewhat melancholic mood at the beginning. The string sample at :13 wasn’t my favorite; sounds like it cut off a tad too early each time, and that the delay built into the sample was a tad too long. I like the sense of climax into :55, though. The harmonic content is a bit repetitive, and the build-up starting at 1:20 was a refreshing sense of directionality in the texture. I like the drop itself, too, as well as some of the more synthetic elements of the texture that come in at around 1:50. That said, given how repetitive this piece is I’m not sure it needed to be 5.5 minutes long. The frantic string arpeggios at 2:58 serves as a fun B-section, too. The mixing and mastering is very well done: loud, clean, and clear without being overly compressed. The filtering at 3:53 made that transition feel a bit sudden, but otherwise this piece is quite smooth-flowing too. I also appreciated the harder-hitting elements of the second drop. It was an effective way of creating variety, even if they hijack the mix a bit. The arrangement and sound design of the piece can come across as a bit generic, though. All the same, the piece comes together pretty well by the end. I think my main concerns are the repetition and a couple of small compositional details. Keep up the good work, Vidu3k333!

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Mastin - Hinterland (Original Mix)]

Lovely piano line at the beginning. The nature sFX is a nice touch too. The grouchy bass and busy (if somewhat contained) beat at :24 fit into the texture quite nicely. The progression is a bit slow, and I think the piece could use a bit more shape in general. The transition at 1:08 works pretty well, although I think the snare there sounds a bit thin and dry. I also wanted to see a little more harmonic variety in the piece. Seems like there are some pops and crackles from the nature FX or something at around 2:07 - it would be great if you could find a way of eliminating those. The mixing here is pretty good, although some more mastering effects could come in handy for you here. Luscious pads at 3:05 are gorgeous, but otherwise I feel as though this track could use a wetter atmosphere. You also might want to watch out for some of your volume levels; the major climactic parts of this track are approaching brick wall status. That said, I really like what you’ve done with some of the more downtempo parts of this track. Sound design and progression are good too, despite the slow pace. Keep at it, TimerClock14!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

TimerClock14 responds:

Big love for the feedback sir! I'll keep these things in mind in my future works! Huge props by the way for organizing the entire NGAUC and judging not only 1 but 2 sections of the KO round. You're an absolute madman, tons of love my dude.

[The Spectre of the Marionette]

I like the waltz-style instrumentation and time signature. Melodies at :05 are beautiful, and the build-up into :27 is great. The piano flourish at :38 is great, and the victorious, blissful mood here really sells this piece well. I also appreciate the structural contrast at 1:03. I thought you overused the crashes a bit at around 1:20, and also that the brass sample at 1:56 sounds pretty inauthentic. That said, the sound design here is fantastic otherwise. I also would’ve liked to see you vary the main melodies a bit the second time around, but I don’t have any other complaints with the arrangement or structure either. Very strong work, overall. The production is quite good, too - well-balanced, clear, full, and loud. Not much to complain about here at all, Tennon. Keep up the great work!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
9.5/10

Tennon responds:

Wow, thanks for the review! I was waiting for you to mention the piano at :38 lol!

[Torque]

Woah. Funky beats at the beginning. I like the quirky sound design and the drama. Sounds like a postmodern movie soundtrack. There isn’t much of a proper intro here, but that decision reflects the thematic content pretty well. The experimental texture is actually really cool. Some of the high-pitched percussion at :41 sounds a little harsh in my ears, though. The texture from around :41 to 1:37 could use a bit of thickening. There’s a lot of minimalism, and I think you missed a big opportunity to capitalize on the funky sound design and ominous mood to really blow the listener away. Right now, there’s a lot of suspense in this piece without much cathartic content to hit it home. The swells at 2:02 sound absolutely amazing, though. You get full credit for instrumentation, atmosphere, and originality. The production quality is also really good, despite my complaints with the harsh percussion. My main concern is the lack of fill for most of the piece. I think it would help to have some more melodic content, bump up the volume on those bass frequencies during the emptier sections as you’re able, and also implement some more legato/drone-like content to keep up the flow. Otherwise, sweet piece. Thanks for the nightmares! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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
7.75/10