TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Home Called]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. Percussion is pretty cool - sounds really full and authentic, too. The entrance of the melody at :40 could've been predicated better, but I'm really starting to enjoy the thickening of the texture of the piece goes on. I think the atmosphere could even have been louder here - there's a heavy favoring of the foregrounded element/melody in the mix for the most part. I guess my main complaint here is that you didn't really maximize the piece's potential for climax and resolve. The string melodies at around 1:53 were gorgeous, but didn't fully satisfy the cinematic inclinations of the piece set up earlier. I also thought the ping-pong panning fade-out at 2:41 sounded a bit out-of-place in an otherwise quite organic-sounding piece. That said, I really love the sound design, atmosphere, and mood here. The melodic content is beautiful as well. Keep up the good work, LucasMasoch, and good luck in the ADM! ^_^

Baumarius responds:

Interestngly enough, I've had a lot of issues in most of my songs when trying to build into any sort of climax. Something about the composing process makes me shy away from backing myself into a corner (climax) and then not being able to move the song forward anymore. I'll have to work on that. Thanks again!

[Running Back]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the (LFO automations?) on those pads at :10. The transition at :21 was a little bizarre. A bit misleading with the huge build-up to :21 and then the re-build shortly after. The entire first minute of the piece sounds very transitory, in fact, and the volume levels are a little all-over-the-place. It's especially noticeable with the sudden explosion of sound at :58, and then again at 1:09. Dynamic contrast is a great tool to use, but it's most effectively used gradually in my experience. The drop at 1:32 was pretty cool, but I think the drums could've been crisper and the harsh-sounding high-pitched synth in there needed a bit filtered out of the treble to sound smoother. Filtering work at 2:25 is nice, though. I also think the song could've used more harmonic depth at times, and that you overused the riser at 3:14. The instrumentation is pretty cool. I can totally hear the electro rock influence. The bridge section at 4:16 was also well-done. Overall, I think the piece drags on a bit long, though. I wanted to see you consolidate some of these structural ideas and focus on the directionality of the piece a little more succinctly. Sometimes, the more transitory sections of the piece aren't very memorable imo. I really liked the big build starting at 5:08, though. Overall, I don't think it's your strongest work, but I like the passion with this one. Sounds like it's waiting to be an epic banger, but it just needs a bit more polish. Keep at it, SplatterDash! ^_^

SplatterDash responds:

Ok so I apologize for hardcore delaying the response so now I'mma get on that lol

I admit, the first part of the song was supposed to lead into a glitch-hop song, but that got thrown out the window as I thought the metal would do better. The mislead at 0:21 is kinda supposed to be the transition the song gets from the glitch-hop-y thing into the rock feel, and I can almost tell that it didn't work.

At those two parts where you mentioned that the "sudden explosion sound": the first was honestly a fail of something I was trying to achieve, which was to get the part quiet to let the (supposed-to-be) vocals take the song, and that failed. The second was something I never expected to be "too loud" and I think it was difficulty on both the mixing and rendering end.

The drums are my weak spots in my songs, I will say that right now. I've had quite a few songs where people have mentioned that the drums need a bit more of a punch, and this is one of them. I'm still trying to perfect the craft a bit, so hopefully I can experiment with that a bit more, as well as the volume thing that ADR3-N told me about in And Falling.

The riser at 3:14 is something I'm kinda confused about, mainly because it's the exact same as what's going on at 0:29. I'm guessing it has something to do with rendering, or maybe it's something with the riser itself at that particular time. I don't know why that part was mentioned, but it's something to take note of on my end.

Honestly, I really don't think it's anywhere near what I consider my best, which is The Timekeeper. The whole reason I did this was because of CHIPS wanting me to do a different genre for a Salsa Compo, and, well, not only did I flop on that end, but I also had too low of a voice to do vocals, the idea went awry, I tried dragging it to incorporate more ideas... yeah, the whole project was a near-fail on my end. There is some good things that are in this, though, like how you only submit stuff you know how to do for an Audio Contest lol

Thank you so much for leaving a review on this, and I apologize again for this being really late, life and CHIPS got on to me ;)

[Gaero - Blood Haiku]

I like the gritty bass and fun melodic riffs. The climax into :30 was great, but led nowhere. The section after it is still pretty cool, if different, but I don't think you did a good job of leading into the section at :50. The production is solid here. Lot of interesting work with the panning that keeps the stereoscape sounding fresh. The breakdown at 1:38 served you well structurally. I like the bright piano that comes in shortly after and the build-up into 2:22. The piece has a lot of distinct sections that don't feel very well-connected at times. I'm left simultaneously wanting more harmonic depth within certain sections and less structural variety overall. The sound design, production, and mood were my favorite elements of the piece. Texture seems well-balanced and progression is generally smooth. Keep at it, Ggaero, and good luck in the ADM!

ggaero responds:

Thanks for the in-depth review! I agree with your criticism concerning the choppiness of the songs sectional structure. In my eyes this is mostly a tool i use to keep the listener entertained, maybe even surprised - i can see how it can be seen as a deficit though. Thanks again!

[JUSTIFY THE HEAT]

I like the dramatic hits at the beginning and the percussion that bridges the gaps between them. The progression is a bit slow overall, but the sound design is really strong by around :45 with the higher-frequency elements bleeding in. Awesome climax into 1:12. Love the cinematic thematic content. The piece could use a bit more harmonic depth and/or melodic content at times, though. I also think you could stand to add a bit more structural variety - the beat has a constant energy to it that I would've liked to see broken up at some point in the piece. I really liked the part at 3:27 on with the prominent 5-note moving lines in the bass. The composition could be a bit more dynamic during the second half, though. My favorite elements of the piece are probably the apprehensive mood, sound design, and clean production. Keep up the good work, ActualElf!

ActualElf responds:

Thanks Logic!

I agree with all the points you made and will take the criticism on-board for future tracks <3

[Could've]

I like the dreamy riff at the beginning and the retro sound design. Very relaxing mood. The bass entry at :37 was really smooth. I like the cute melodies and progression, even if the pacing here was a tad slow at times. The laid-back drums complement the mood of the piece really well, too. The sidechaining on the string pads is a bit heavy, but otherwise I don't have any mixing/mastering complaints either. The transition at 2:31 was pretty sudden, but I liked the emotional appeal of the outro. Strong work! Sounds really nostalgic and cute. Keep up the good work, and good luck in the ADM! ^_^

acxle responds:

thank you so much! the suddenness in the end is part of the story I tried to tell in the music (a blooming relationship tragically cut short). anyway, thanks for the tips!

[SKYWARD - Jessie Yun]

I like the heroic vibe and the smooth melodic content. The song has a nice, wet atmosphere and smooth flow throughout. The composition is a little repetitive, but I really liked the violin solo. Always nice when people can still play real instruments. :) The texture is nice and full throughout. That subito piano at 1:36 right before the final flourish was a nice touch. I'd like to see a tad more variety in the composition in the future, but overall strong work here, Jessie! ^_^

JessieYun responds:

Hi TaintedLogic,

Thank you very much for such a detailed and constructive review. I'll keep your words in mind while creating the improved track in the future!

[Them Strangers - Backseat]

I like the comedic aspect of the intro skit. Cool groove at :10. The drums are panned really wide, though. Usually I think drums and other major rhythmic components of a song should be mixed front-and-center, but it doesn't sound overly harsh here because the drums aren't too punchy. Your voice is great. Has a nice, conversational tone, like I'm hearing the narrator tell me about it face-to-face. The song is well-structured and smooth-flowing, with some nice vocal layering and atmosphere. The mini-solo at 2:04 is really cool - I like how it sounds both heavily filtered and strained/screechy at the same time. I'd really appreciate if you post/PM me the lyrics. They sound great from what I can make out, but I'd like to read them in full. :) Really nice full texture, pleasant (if rather traditional) structural elements, smooth atmosphere and transitions, and fun thematic content. Super strong piece! Keep up the good work. ^_^

oldmanorange responds:

Thanks a bunch for the super in depth review of Backseat. That is awesome you dug that song this much. I hope you enjoy some of our other tunes cause they are all a little different in genre from the next. I'd love to find you the lyrics and send you them. But it's been a while since putting this song together so I'll have to look for them exactly. But thanks a ton once again.

[ALESDA! - Lost]

I love the atmosphere at the beginning. The explosive transition at :05 was pretty sudden, but worked well in the context of the piece. The mix is very loud, clear, and well-balanced, and the climax into :28 was great. The compression on this piece is SUPER heavy, though. The kick completely hijacks the mix every time it plays, which is actually a bit jarring in the context of the smooth, melodic vibe of the rest of the piece. That's my only real complaint here, though. The composition is fantastic. I love the melodic content, atmosphere, and sound design. The little moment of structural relief at 1:45 was great, and the percussion at around the 2-minute mark is also really cool. I love how the build-up into 2:42 is overlaid with this gorgeous melody. The texture here is so rich and full, too. Your transitions are all very well-done, and I love the spacey, majestic outro. The details of this piece are really strong - the perfect amount of reverb, the rhythmic patterns, all of it. Fantastic piece overall, man. Keep up the good work! ^_^

[Omniverse (2014)]

Solid guitar riff at the beginning. Drums are pretty loud and crisp, too. I like the atmosphere and melodies at :22, but I think the pads are distorting the mix a bit. The composition gets a little repetitive after a while (at least during the first half), and also might need a little more textural fill. The breakdown at 1:20 worked well, and the melodic content at 1:45 really helped give the piece more drive and energy going into the more climactic section towards the end. I think there are a couple transitions in here that could use some smoothing over, notably :22, 1:44, and 3:07. The fade-out at the end also seemed to come on a little too fast. That said, I really like the energy, production, and structural variety on this one. Strong work overall.

I remember really liking your work back in the day (I think you submitted something to the NGUAC back in 2015 or so...). I'm excited to see what you produce in the next round! ^_^

Ritz190 responds:

I appreciate the review! oh yea my mixing ability can be pretty hit and miss but it's all part of the fun. This song follows my usual upbeat positive vibe and I'm pretty happy how it turned out over all. Hopefully I can pass on to the next round with my next submission! again, thanks alot! :)

[[EXTENDED] Mountains of Ethnia and Rebuilded Auroras]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The soulful guitar pairs well with the oscillating bass drone. The percussion sample that comes in at :31 sounds good, but I think the pacing of the piece could've been a lot faster there. The atmosphere fades away completely there, and I think that ruined the flow a bit. The piece develops a brighter mood in time, which was nice in its own way. All of a sudden, the percussion sounds more danceable than intimidating. :) I guess my main complaint with the piece is that, especially during the latter 3.5 minutes or so, the only way the texture changes is by the addition/subtraction of instruments. There are certainly some awesome riffs and melodies, like the brass at 2:56. But the piece also didn't really fully capitalize on its potential for phrasing and structural "ebb and flow," which is particularly notable because the beginning part of the piece had so much of that compositional aspect. That said, I've been really tough on you so far. I love the sound design and the blissful mood of the piece. The production is quite strong. The only minor mixing/balance issue I noticed was that the main western-sounding guitar seemed to be struggling for attention in the mix at the final climax (~4:30-5:00). Overall, though, super fun piece. Keep up the good work, AlbeGian! ^_^

Albe responds:

Thank you TL for the feedback! Gonna keep it in mind for next time