TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Desire]

I like the warm pads at the beginning, although the synth that's fading in kinda clashes with the chords. I also think you overdid the reverb a bit, to the extent that the pads don't really sound very distinct from that point on. Also, the bass completely hijacks the mix at :30. The two riffs playing at :46 also run into each other a bit too much IMO. I also thought the build-up there was a bit too dragged-out to lead up to 1:14 in a very climactic way. The breakdown at 1:30 was probably my favorite part of the song. Very smooth-sounding piano sound and strong directionality to the phrasing there. I think I see two main problems with the piece: 1) you need to be more careful with the harmonic framework you use. It sounds like you've thought about a lot of chords, but oftentimes the way the patterns are overlaid makes the harmonies sound dissonant, which I don't think you were going for. Also, 2) the mix could be a lot tighter. The snare is clearly getting distorted during the drops, and you also have these bass bombs at 2:04 and other places that just don't sit too well in the mix. More compression and some careful equalization could help. Overall, not a bad track, but pretty rough around the edges. I'd highly recommend toning down some of that Nexus reverb and getting a bit more technical about which chords/riffs should go where. Keep at it, man!

[Slowly]

Cute riff at the beginning. The instrument at :09 sounds a bit harsh in my ears, and after :18 the texture gets a little dissonant. That sample at :19 sounds percussive, yet you use it as a pitched instrument here, which I think is a questionable call. After that, you kinda just oscillate between a few patterns to form the entire structural basis for your piece. The result is that the track doesn't have a strong sense of direction, climax, or resolve. I think in the future you should focus on building your track around a more melodic pattern. Right now, it sounds like you have a lot of ideas for riffs that aren't really developed beyond their minimal, staccato-y form, and I think that's a big problem. Still, a lot of the individual riffs are pretty catchy and interesting. It's just the arrangement and composition that's seriously lacking. Keep at it, man!

Gougou responds:

You are right

[Honor Within]

I like the orchestral hits at the beginning and the suspenseful mood they imply. The string instruments sound pretty fake, but overall the melodic content at :17 is well-composed. The snare sounds like you went a little overboard on the high-pass, and I'm also not a huge fan of the instrumentation by around 1:23. Also, when the strings come back in at around 1:40, the mix sounds a bit overly compressed. The source of the distortion there might be something else, though - some more careful equalizing may be in order. Despite the cool mood of the track, I feel like you didn't really do too much with the composition. After the beat comes in, the energy level is very uniform, and the piece was lacking a section of climax or resolve towards the end. Overall, solid work, but I'd love to see you do more with the composition going forward. Keep at it, man!

TenodiBoris responds:

Thank you very much for the review, I needed a skilled ear to hear this, and now I got one :) I have very humble studio, and sometimes I just hit the bottom up of what I think I can do, but, you proved me wrong, yes I could do more on dynamics of the song, some better lift up, and better ending... Again, thank you :)

[Rewind Once Forward]

Cute melody at the beginning. The transition at :44 could've been a tad smoother. You seemed to make a ritardando into it, which can work, but I think the timing could've been a bit better, perhaps with a big up-bow crescendo or something. That said, the section with the violins sounded absolutely beautiful. I also love when the oboe comes in at 1:34. The transition at 2:31 isn't particularly smooth either, but I appreciate the change-of-pace. Up until that point, the piece had gone quite a long time without much of a change in energy. The melody at 3:35 is probably my favorite part of the piece. The ending was well done, too. Nice job making it come full-circle. :) Keep up the good work!

Veneox responds:

I love in depth reviews like this, I will surely work on the transitions to evolve more smoothly. Hope you can review some of my early works as well, thanks. ;)

[JesúsRotela - Lighting]

I love the cutesy synths and the bouncy beat. Reverb is pretty excessive, though. The mix is still rather clean regardless, but I'd be careful about overdoing it if I were you. I like the build-up into 1:03, and how you re-tool the main progression during the section at 1:18. You might've needed a smoother transition at 2:04. The reverb helps smooth it over a lot as it is, but it still felt pretty sudden from a structural standpoint. I also wish you had varied the refrain the second time around, just to give the piece a stronger sense of direction. Overall, though, this is really strong work. I really like the atmosphere, instrumentation, and structuring. Keep up the good work.

[Desertion - Japillow]

I'm so glad I found this! A remix of this has been in my iTunes library for years. The main riff is so catchy, and I love the progression and filtering work, which gives the piece a really smooth flow. The part at 1:28 is probably my favorite. Nice job with the production, too, but I think it's really the sound design that sells this piece. That organ-like main melody synth is just so captivating. My only complaint is that the piece doesn't quite get back to the same energy level in the second half of the piece as was present during the first half. Relatedly, I'm not a huge fan of fade-out endings in general. Still, impressive work overall. :)

[[Dubstep] Falkuma]

I like the distorted atmospheric part at the beginning. The percussive thing that plays on every off beat starting at :13 was a little much. It basically functions like a snare, yet sounds more like a transitory effect. The build-up wasn't bad, but the drop at :53 sounds really distorted. You may have used a bit too much reverb there. Despite all the reverb, the drop is also quite minimal from a harmonic standpoint. I like the mechanical sound effects at 1:54, though. I appreciate the variations on the second drop, but in general this piece has very little in the way of harmonic depth, which is probably my main complaint. It's a well-structured and smooth-flowing piece with some unique sound design, but I think you need more moving notes in there to offer the listener a more memorable harmonic framework. Keep at it, man!

Delerium responds:

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback. The snare sound you talked about was a risk i was taking for some interesting percussion. In general my music is minimal melodically and harmonically, and I think I could improve that. However, I feel like the lack of harmonic depth is what draws people to the focal point of this piece, which is the drop.
Did you notice that some of the percussion and foley pan? I was hoping that would add some effect.
:)

[Afterlife*]

You've added a bit more to the texture now, which is good, but I think the problems with the reverb and mixing are still there. What plugins are you using here? Do they come pre-made with reverb or something? I noticed the riff at 1:28, which fits well with the harmonic framework of the piece, yet all the reverb really distorts the mix there. The hits at 1:20 sit a little better in the mix, or at least that's my perception, and I think the drums sound clearer too, but it's hard to tell since you removed the previous version of the piece. My biggest complaint is still the reverb. If you happen to use FL Studio, and you tell me which plugins you're using, I can give you more specific advice on how to deal with it. Good luck, man! ;)

ingmar600 responds:

yeah want more specific advice deal it.... i use nexus. can we work to together ?

[Tranquil Cove]

The counterpoint is pretty nice, although I wasn't a huge fan of your instruments. They sound really fake, but also rather dry. Some reverb might help give the piece a little more flavor. The progression is pretty slow here, and has a rambling feel. You might want to use more phrasing and dynamics to create more of a sense of overarching structure. Another thing that bothers me about the piece is that it's really quiet. You might want to look into some compression techniques - or perhaps simply raising the volume levels - in order to make the mix feel a little more full. The rhythm also seems a little stumbly at times. Some percussion might help keep the rhythm grounded. I've been tough on you in this review, but this piece still demonstrates a great sense of harmony and flow. Keep at it, man. ;)

[Game Intro Loop]

The intro isn't bad, but I think you need a stronger transition into :18. Cute melodies at around :30, but I wish they were a little more up-front in the mix vis a vis the arpeggios. Also, that synth you used for the arps sounds a bit harsh in my ears, and could benefit from some filtering work. I'm not sure what the project is, but it sounds like some menu music or something. Cutesy and vaguely adventurous, yet not structurally complete. My favorite parts of the piece were the sound design and melodic content. Keep at it, man!

verjamon responds:

Yes it was a menu music!
Thanks for the critic!