TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[The Garden of Eden]

I love the atmosphere at the beginning. Feels very evocative of nature between the instrumentation and sound effects. The production is strong too. The mix is loud and clear, and everything blends together so well. The piece takes a while to develop, but I thought the re-intro at :46 actually functioned quite well for the piece as a whole. I certainly see how Xtrullor influenced you, too. The transition at 1:32 was a bit sudden, but the atmospheric elements of the piece after that were really spectacular. I love how this piece has such an ebb and flow of energy and texture. The incorporation of the more energetic electronic elements at 1:46 could've been more subtle/gradual. I think that's actually my main complaint here. The orchestral elements clearly function as more than just an intro here, and therefore the drop really does sound like a completely different piece. The close proximity to the second drop was also a bit jarring given the pacing earlier in the piece. I'd almost be tempted to juggle around the structure to move the first drop earlier and leave more orchestral elements for a bridge in the middle. That said, I enjoyed the piece overall, but especially the orchestral parts. You have a great sense of atmosphere and progression. I look forward to hearing what you produce for this next round. Keep it up, Tennon! ^_^

Tennon responds:

Wow I didn't even see this review. I pretty much agree on everything you said here. I will do my best to avoid these mistakes in the future!

[Miston Music - Miston's Arcade Medley]

I like the cutesy mood at the beginning and the sound design. Sounds a little generic at first, and I think the transitions between a lot of the various sections could be smoother, especially :29, 1:48, and 2:10. The production quality is quite enjoyable, though. The lively drums and well-balanced frequencies do a lot for the piece. Obviously, the structure of the piece doesn't sound too cohesive, but at the very least the sound design and rhythmic components of the piece were threaded through the piece as a whole. I also really like the sound effect at 2:54. Cute and fun piece! Keep it up, Miston. :)

Miston responds:

thanks. :)

[Should Have Stayed Home, Should Have Stayed Out Of Trouble]

I like the phasing at the beginning. The sudden punctures of the pads at the beginning contrasts nicely with the airy atmosphere of :15. Reverb on the clap felt a bit excessive, but also contributed to the atmosphere in its own way. I especially like when, later on, you interchange the drier clap and wet one. The progression is pretty slow here, but I like the soothing mood and sound design. The production quality is also good. The transition at 1:45 felt very gradual, yet the sharp attack at 1:56 still felt heavy and jarring in a way (but I think that's what you were going for). You clearly have a great sense of harmony and progression, though. The piece just takes a long time to develop. There isn't a lot of prominent melodic content in this piece, and I would've liked to see a more creative ending than a fade-out. That said, I like how the texture erodes away in a subtle way before the transition at 3:52. The sound design and atmosphere have really sold this piece. Keep up the good work, RedSoul92! ^_^

RedSoul92 responds:

It's definitely a main idea that drags around for 5 minutes, the absence of a lead melody is intentional to give the ambience a bigger role. The fade-out may have been caused by a lack of structure in the ending.
I will keep it up, thnxs!