TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Separation (NGADM 23 Semifinals)]

Somehow, I forgot to post my review here earlier. I apologize.
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I like the radio voice and distorted atmosphere at the beginning - paired with the jazzy chords, the piece sounds downright moody. The subtle swell into :45 and the introduction of the cello line there are both gorgeous, and the rich bass there is a nice touch as well. The mix is strong, if a tad bottom-heavy towards the beginning. The riser into 1:18 is a bit cheesy, but I really like the prominent beats and soaring string melodies there. Love the dense rhythmic syncopations and rich texture throughout - even the relatively mellow bridge is really engaging and dynamic. I might’ve liked to hear the piano solo to be a bit more up-front in the mix, but otherwise you nailed the production quality here too. The final chorus feels really triumphant, and the ascending line leading into the post-chorus at 3:32 is a nice touch as well. I might’ve liked to hear more of a proper outro, but that’s a pretty small detail in the grand scheme of things. I’ll also say that the arrangement of the piece is a bit generic, but at the same time the progression flows so smoothly with all of the dramatic crashes and rich harmonies. I love seeing you put a jazzy, energetic twist on your style here. Keep it up, Papkee! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Lordant - Allegro Fratturato]

Somehow, I forgot to post my review here earlier. I apologize.
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I love the atmosphere at the beginning. It’s a bit hard to follow the rhythm at first, but once the texture fills out at :26 it certainly gets easier. Love the sound design here, between the crisp strings and dreamy harmonies. The piece has a nice escalation of energy over the first minute, too. A tiny detail that bothered me: the harmonies suddenly drop out at 1:07, but only for a beat. It was a bit jarring, is all. That said, I enjoyed the transition into the adventuresome bridge at 1:11 and the staccato-y percussion at 1:43. Part of me wanted to hear more of the percussion in the mix during the busier sections, but otherwise the mixing and mastering is top-notch here as usual. The final energetic section at 2:01 hits the piece home nicely, and I especially like the choir at 2:23 and the “afterglow” at 2:35. Stellar work, Lordant! I have a huge admiration for the consistency with which you churn out cinematic beauties. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Echoes (LE Remix)]

The chopped vocals sound really cool! Love the dreamy atmosphere and synth bass lines in the background too. The piece comes together nicely with the energetic part at 1:49. You've earned a scout, my friend. Happy New Year! ^_^

[Clyde! 2]

I like the frantic synths at the beginning. The synth guitar at :21 wasn't my favorite sound design choice, but the rhythmic content is still catchy. I like the filtering at :52 and the quirky percussion at 1:10. The harmonic content is a little repetitive, but I'm loving the energy, danceable synth riffs, and progression of this one. You've earned a scout, bonniii! Happy New Year. ^_^

[Shadow of a Doubt]

Dude, this is great! love the chill, airy pads at the beginning and the smooth bass. The cutesy synths and drum kits are also rockin' it. The piece is super flowing and relaxing, with some quirky melodies at 1:20 really putting the icing on the cake. Love the solos and prominent ride cymbal later on, too. Really awesome track, Busan. Happy holidays, and get well soon! ^_^

[This Corpse Can Still Dance]

Ah, I remember hearing the original! This one seems a bit more energetic. The E-piano at around the 1-minute mark really helps smooth over the texture - I especially like the low-register cadence at 1:38 or so. The gritty synth at 2:40 is really groovy, and it contrasts nicely with the higher-pitched synth that kinda sounds like a violin. The minimal percussion and airy pads at 3:10 wrap up the piece nicely. You've certainly captured the moody, jazzy vibe of the original. I think the one thing that's missing from the texture compared to the original is the echoey vocals. But perhaps I shouldn't compare it to the original too much. On its own, it's a really well-produced piece, full of variety, that threads the needle between catchy and chill really nicely. Keep it up, LLAAPPSSEE! Happy holidays. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

Thanks for checking this out TL!

Y'know, I thought about adding vocals to this, but nothing came to me, haha. Lots of times, I just make these little offchute/side pieces/extensions to the original piece. They sorta turn into their own little things. Glad you likes it though. Always a pleasure seeing your reviews pop up.

[The Santa Detective]

Ah, a classic waltzy Everratic track for the holidays! Love all the mallets and other percussion. The melody writing is a bit more subdued than some of your other recent tracks, but the atmosphere, mixing, and sound design are fantastic as always. The big swell of emotion during the last 15 seconds puts a nice little bow on the piece (see what I did there?). Happy holidays, Everratic!

Everratic responds:

Thank you for the review!

[Great Asset (Lethal Company Original Song) By Feisty Fennekin]

Sorry for the slow response, Feisty! Busy times.

I like the eerie bell-like synths at the beginning. The glitchy vocals at :06 also work well, and I like the sense of build into :38. The pacing is a bit slow, and the texture is a bit minimal at first. The blissful lead synth line at :39 could use a boost in the mix - the distorted vocals and acid synth overwhelm it a bit. Speaking of the mix, the drums are also a bit weak at times and could use some more compression and maybe even looser EQ'ing. There's also a lot of harmonic dissonance in the texture. A little bit of dissonance is fine when the piece is supposed to sound creepy, but once the vocals come back in at :51 it's a bit much IMO.

The rhythmic content here is good throughout. I really like the gritty riff at 1:13. Some of the transitions are a bit abrupt - there's not much of an overarching sense of direction to the piece, but rather a bunch of short-lived riffs that come and go suddenly. The filtering work sounds really good, like at 4:01-4:05 for example. It would be cool if you used that as a basis for more of your transitions.

You also do a good job of keeping the piece well-balanced frequency wise. For example, the bass-y breakdown at 3:12 still has these nice, prominent hi-hats to keep it from being too bottom-heavy. Otherwise, a lot of the piece sounds a bit choppy. You've squeezed a lot of different riffs and synth patterns in here, but most of the variety is created by adding and subtracting instruments rather than creating a sense of evolution from the riffs you start with. It might be good for you to consolidate some of your ideas and focus on doing more with those few ideas. For example, the vocal riff at :06 could have a different rhythm or pace later in the piece, or the synth pattern at :39 could use slightly different pitches, or even be transposed up or down an octave. Instead, right now all of these riffs sound very copy-and-pasted whenever they appear in the piece.

Still, I think the sound design, atmosphere, and rhythmic content of the piece are really neat. Most of my complaints are about the arrangement and mixing details. Keep at it, man! ^_^

music69012 responds:

thanks for the comment! even though it the final version, there is nothing wrong with editing it for future vip or final master edit. it will be worth while and i will be creative with ideas again!

[Youth Television Cathode Ray Tube Supervision]

Love the upbeat vibe at the beginning. The vocals sound a bit strained at times, and also could be just a tad further up-front in the mix. I really like the processed vocals at 2:12, as well as the ones with the alternative filtering at spots like 1:20 and 2:20. The lyrics are really good, if a little hard-to-follow in real time. The guitar work here is really nice. The drums could've been more powerful at times, especially during the busier sections, but there's some great vocal layering towards the end that keeps up the energy regardless. Overall, really cool track, AjSkull! Happy holidays. ^_^

AjSkull responds:

Awe thanks so much for the review! We just finished this one in the studio. Interesting note about the vocals. I actually had to record it with a cold that just wouldn't quit, but we had the time booked so I went for it.

Happy holidays!

[Catch My Breath]

Love the airy pads at the beginning and the glitchy beats at :22. The frantic arpeggios at :46 add a nice, lighter flavor, and the breaks at 1:10 are really nice too. Some of the percussion at 1:15 gets a little too loud and harsh-sounding for my tastes, but the compositional details (like the little woop-woop at 1:53) are great. The piano breakdown and nature sound effects at 2:13 were some tasteful sound design choices, and at 3:01 I'm really digging the quirky lead with the pitch automations. The piece doesn't quite get back to the same energy level it had during the first half, but the soothing atmosphere and creative sound design helps keep me engaged. Solid work, LN! Enjoy the holiday season. ^_^

larrynachos responds:

I might have to update the song and fix that buildup, the drum levels do kinda jump up accidentally.

Thanks for the listen and thorough review TL!