TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Derpcat - be happy]

Cute synths at the beginning, but they sound a tad dry. The riff at :15 is really cute and fun. Nice filtering work leading into :30, but the minimalism there threw me off a bit and didn’t really help with the directionality of the piece. The filtering at 1:00 compromises the sense of catharsis typical of a refrain, though. Much of this piece sounds rather transitional and repetitive. The melodies are nice, and perhaps 1:30 functions better as a refrain despite the conspicuous build-up into 1:00. I also think the mix, while loud and clear, is a bit over-compressed. Perhaps my biggest complaint is that the piece isn’t really sufficiently varied during the second half. There’s very little new harmonic content added to this piece after the first minute, and the result is that it’s hard to stay engaged after a while. That said, the production quality, blissful mood, and fun synths sell this piece well. Keep up the good work, DerpCatOfficial!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

DerpcatOfficial responds:

thanks!

[DeathbringerMusic - Everything]

I like the cool pads at the beginning and the distorted eastern-sounding instrument at :12. The claps sound a tad generic, but the mid-range riff at :26 is super catchy. I’m not sure how it fit into the directionality of the piece, though. The piece seemed really smooth and atmospheric one minute, and then the next it was this foreboding build-up. A bit of a jarring mood change imo. Regardless, the build-up at :52 was well-done, and the drop felt climactic, even if it was a little minimalistic. The riff at 1:17 is fun, and has an edgy and alarming tone that suits the darker thematic elements of the track. The mix here is very loud and clear despite the plethora of reverb. The mix also doesn’t sound too loud or overly-compressed either, but I’m usually not a stickler for that. I wish you had varied some of these harmonic themes the second time around, though. It seems like there’s very little new content after around 1:30 or so, despite the fun arrangement of that main riff in the higher register at 3:00. I think my other big complaint is that there isn’t a lot of strong melodic content in the piece. Overall, the piece together pretty well by the end, and the vocal samples throughout add to the texture considerably. Fun track with a lot of energy and some strong production. Keep at it, DeathbringerMusic!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Change of Heart]

I like the suspenseful mood at the beginning. Sounds ominous, too. I like the warm string sounds and the emotional appeal of the piano. The progression is nice, and the lead-in to :58 was a nice touch. The strings at :58 are panned way to the left, which I found bizarre for such a foregrounded element of the texture. The piece is starting to sound a bit more victorious at this point, but I really like when more ominous elements of the texture begin to seep back in at 1:12. Nice job once again with the transition at 1:57. The brass solo there compliments the strings quite well, and the victorious mood wins after all. I suppose I would’ve liked to hear a bit more variety in some of the main string riffs, though. Some stronger melodic content earlier in the piece would’ve also been advisable. I found the transition into 2:34 to be a bit jarring, but the atmospheric fade-out in the outro was beautiful. Overall, this is strong work. The piece comes together really well by the end, and the instrumentation and production quality are great throughout. Keep up the good work, Columbers!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

Columbers responds:

Haha I was 1 spot away from advancing to the finals which is kind of hilarious... oh well. Thanks for leaving the review!

[Schwank - Neon]

I like the arpeggios at the beginning. The cute synth at :10 and the sense of climax into :24 both work well. Nice melody at :48, too. Elements of the sound design and arrangement of this piece sound pretty generic, but I did enjoy the frantic bridge at 1:30. The mixing and mastering are pretty strong, although I’d be careful about the volume levels if I were you. It’s a tad over-compressed. Overall, this is really strong work, though. I love the VGM influence, the pacing, the catchiness, and the structure too. Keep up the good work, BoonanaOfficial! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[The Hall Of Kings]

I like the percussion at the beginning, even if the reverb is a bit excessive. The quirky string instrument that comes in shortly thereafter is great. I love the atmosphere and the foreboding mood, too. The piece has a drone-like quality, with a relatively slow progression. I also think the mix could stand to be a tad louder. In contrast to the creepy mood, the vibes at 1:30 sound somewhat cute and catchy. I would’ve liked to see you come up with a more gradual way of bridging the gap between the cute mood there and the ominous mood of before. I like the breakdown at 2:40, though. You’ve given this piece a decent amount of dynamic contrast despite the drone-like quality. The return of that bizarre stringed instrument at 3:30 helps give the piece some cohesion too. Really engrossing mood here. Despite my compositional complaints, this is solid work, AvapXia. Keep it up!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[Second Oportunities Come Packed in Honest Apologies]

Soothing piano chords at the beginning. I really like the atmosphere too. The emotional appeal of this piece is great, even if the pace is a bit slow. The bass at :40 really fills out the texture, too, and the rest of the instrumentation really blends well together. The piece has a nice sense of directionality. At around 1:20, there’s a bit of atonality in that cutesy, frantic synth. After a time, the piece has a real drone-like quality. I wish it had a bit more shape. The mood is really engrossing, though, and the arpeggios at 3:00 or so are a nice touch as the piece is winding down. I’m not usually a huge fan of the one-climax model, especially in full-length tracks like this, but you had me sold with the mood and atmosphere of the one. The loop is not that smooth, but the production quality here is pretty high. Enjoyable piece overall. Keep at it, AlbeGian!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[HeaD BoP]

I like the contained sound at the beginning and the punchy drums at :28. The frequencies are well-balanced, and the sense of climax into :53 is great. Despite the somewhat generic-sounding synth bass (3xOsc?), I thought your sound design was pretty good overall. The drop wasn’t quite as hard-hitting as I was expecting, but I like the interaction between the bass and the piano. The melodic content at 1:45 was a nice touch that really gave the piece back to a blissful, easy sound momentarily. I guess my main complaint here is probably that there isn’t much variety between the first and second halves of the piece, although I do like the addition of the melody above the grouchy bass during the second half. Harmonically, the piece isn’t particularly interesting, and elements of the arrangement and texture can be generic at times. The structure and transitions are all good. The production quality is high, and the mix is very loud (maybe even too loud, but I’m usually not a stickler for over-compression). Just be careful about distortion when you have a flat brick of sound in the visualizer. Overall, solid work. I can tell you’re a talented producer. Keep it up, YeahYay!

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

[Crusher]

I like the quirky arpeggios at the beginning and the sense of climax into :17. The drums are a bit cliche, and the transition into :32 could’ve been smoother. The mix is really loud and clear, but the volume levels might need some reigning in if you’re not careful. The drop was pretty minimalistic, and that one high-pitched synth that pops in at the post-chorus sounds pretty harsh (1:05, other places). I don’t think this is a structurally complete piece, but I also think it’s clear that you’re a talented producer who simply ran out of time. I’d highly encourage you to keep working on this piece. Please PM me when you do, and I’ll give you a proper review. As for now, the texture needs more fill, the composition needs more fleshing out, and down the road I’d love to hear some more melodic content or a bridge or something. Good luck! Keep at it, UmmabeatsMusic.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6/10

[On Edge]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the oscillating pads in the background. It has a vaguely ominous mood about it, and the instruments all sound pretty cold and wintery. I really like the prominent use of hi-hats at around :50. Other than that, the progression of the piece is really slow and doesn’t really feature much prominent melodic content. I think the piece is too long for the amount of harmonic content that’s here. Also, when there is a significant variation in the texture at 2:08, the transition could be much smoother. The ending sounded somewhat climactic, but the harmonic framework becomes so stagnant after a while, and there isn’t really any sort of cathartic moment in the piece. It sounds good for some sort of intermediate level in a videogame between two huge bosses or something. But as a stand-alone piece, there isn’t really enough variety or memorable content to keep me engaged. That said, the mastering quality is solid and the instrumentation is good. Keep at it, TheoryGD!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

Andethy responds:

Thanks for the feedback, man. Completely agree with the slow progression and melodic content. Will attempt to improve that in upcoming tracks. At 2:08, I updated that but must've forgotten to update to NG, oh well...