TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[/crash/]

Experimental indeed. The harsh static and Fourier synths mesh well together. I like the bell-like texture, even if it's pretty minimal. It has enough bass to balance out the frequencies. Has dreamy harmonic content despite the harsh effects. The latter third or so of the piece has a nice comedic element while also showing off your production skills. Doesn't really feel structurally complete as it is now, and the pacing is also a bit slow. Certainly amusing and engaging content overall. Keep at it, Stardew!

[Broken Sea]

Pretty and tranquil beginning. The cello solo is gorgeous. Entire first 80 seconds is a lush wave of sound. I thought the transition at 1:18 was a little sudden, although the more staccato-y, energetic sound that followed was also really cool. Once you start re-introducing some more legato elements at around 1:45, the piece really comes together. I guess I wished you had brought out the choir more in the mix during that middle section, but overall the production quality is pretty strong. There's another sudden transition at 2:57, but the outro is beautiful. Your tracks always have so much emotion, Papkee. Keep up the great work!

[Leer of Doom]

I love the ominous mood at the beginning. The subtle pause at :11 is a nice touch. Drums are nice and crisp, and the mix is loud and clear. I like the more mellow section at :50. Organ synth at :54 was cool, and the melodic riff at 1:05 is pretty great too. The build-up into 1:51 was a little drawn-out and broken up, but I think my main complaint is with the superfluous 2-second transitory section at 1:48. After an already very dynamic build-up, that section seemed more confusing than anything else to me. I guess I was also a little thrown-off by the sudden injection of so many new harmonic elements at 1:51. It's a fitting bridge in a lot of ways, but I suppose at that point in the piece I was expecting a final refrain that was a little more in-line with some of the other themes and riffs of the piece. At the same time, I applaud the way you created variety across the piece as a whole. Saving the most dramatic and, in many ways, most melodic section for last is probably smart. Maybe I just didn't listen closely enough, but I think I would've liked to see some of the riffs featured in the last minute foreshadowed a bit more earlier in the piece. Obviously, you intended 1:51 to be punchy and jarring to some extent, but the transition there didn't quite work for me somehow. Anyway, I'm rambling about tiny compositional details. Overall, really strong work with the production, sound design, atmosphere, and thematic elements. Keep up the good work, Spadezer! ^_^

Spadezer responds:

Aw thanks for the review. Would have been nice for the Chips Compo lol but better late than never. Glad you like it.

:)

[Love Never Ending]

I love the warm strings at the beginning. Has a great cinematic vibe, and the build-up into :35 was really nice. You're really tugging at my heartstrings by the time the soft piano starts at :38. Seems like a lot of the piece is quite transitory rather than producing cathartic content, but that's probably my only complaint. Of course, the cathartic content starts coming at the cello solo, and there's a great sense of energy coursing through the texture after that. The texture is so rich and lovely towards the end. Strong sense of emotion and storytelling with this one. Keep up the great work, Jon!

Bosa responds:

Thank you so much! :):):)

Such a positive and in depth review, thank you!

[C'mon]

Stimulating work. Mix is clear. Very quirky sound design. The "k-k-k-k-come on!" vocals instigate a bit more energy than the rest of the piece could back up. Atmosphere and mood are really cool, especially when those ghostly synths start sneaking in there at around 1:15. Overall, the composition was a bit too experimental for my tastes, and the vocals get a little tired after a while. I would've liked to hear a bit more melodic content or dynamism. Maybe that's just my judging-mode self talking, though. It's a fun piece. Seems like you explore quite a variety of genres, Jacob. I'll check out more of your work soon. Keep at it! ;)

Jacob responds:

Oh, it's all terrible. But I do like to play around!
I was trying to get the "C'mon" to pull me out of the comparatively ambient background, sort of like the feeling of your name being called while daydreaming.
I want to play with that concept more, see if I can make it more effective. It'd probably help to take time to create a dream-state, eventually bringing in a voice (preferably more present and hi-fi) to abruptly pull you out, either to supplant a climax, or after the piece has concluded. Could be cool!
Thanks for the review. You always have great feedback.

[s n x // - ello]

Mix is really loud and clear. The little crackles in the background add a fun retro aesthetic. Sounds really spacey and chill overall. Not very dynamic composition-wise, but at least you stripped away the beat momentarily in the middle. The kick sounded really quirky - heavy, yet also with a pretty carefully curated afterbite. How did you do that? Did you make the kick yourself? Love the relaxing vibe, though. Keep at it, Sequenced.

Sequenced responds:

if I remember correctly, I layered a two-three kicks for it.

yeah after going back to this, I pushed the limiter a bit too much on this track. derp

[Gold Fever]

Smooth, pretty, and floaty content at the beginning. I really like the part at :38 - feels like a refrain, yet it's still so light and upbeat. I really appreciate the more subdued part at 2:10, and then the major breakdown at 2:23 as well. Piece needed some structural relief by that point, so I'm glad it got some. :) Ascending line into 3:05 was a nice touch too in leading back to the more energetic section at 3:13. The harmonic shift at 4:12 could've been smoother, but I did like the dramatic pause before it. Beautiful piece overall, Ale. You really thread the rhythm and contour of the floaty pattern at the beginning through the whole piece. Keep up the great work!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

0:38 is certainly a refrain of sorts, as it keeps reappearing here and there throughout the piece, in various ways :D
2:10 and 2:23 definitely happened quite naturally. For once, it's nice with a break from the intense playing, but it also feels like it makes sense musically.

3:13 is definitely the climax of the piece, despite coming quite early.

I guess I think of 4:04 kind of like a balloon that has been filled with air throughout the piece, and gets so big that everything kinda bursts out with one blow there, causing the composition afterwards to move towards a more relaxed tone, and an ending that brings the listener back to the feel at the start, but with a sense of conclusion :)

Thanks for the review!

[swept away]

Smooth and spacious. That detuned synth at :07 is a nice touch. The texture could've been thicker, but I love the crisp beats at :25. Transition at :38 was a little rough, but the vocals samples complement the texture well, and the more melodic content there was quite welcome. It could've been a tad more dynamic towards the end, but for a downtempo track, it has a fair bit of variety. Production quality is strong, of course. The mood and atmosphere win the day, though. Keep up the good work, Johnfn!