TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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!

[Blast Off! (ft. Lupis)]

I like the minimal vocals at the beginning and the upbeat mood. Has a much more pop sugar sensibility than some of your other tracks. The melodies at :48 are great, and the extended post-chorus is nice too. The lyrics themselves are a bit cheesy sometimes, but the production quality and sound design are great. You've also paced the track really effectively too, with the short-lived re-intro at 1:36 and the extended melodic/high-energy sections. Really strong work overall, MKT! ^_^

[Resolution (NGADM '23 Finals)]

I like the pensive, echo-y mallets at the beginning and the woodwinds shortly thereafter. Sounds very Far Eastern. The string melodies and plucks are lovely, and the piano at the 1-minute mark provides a nice element of contrast from the richer texture of before. The mix could be a tad more polished here - it seems like almost all of the harmonies are playing the middle of the frequency range on down, so maybe opening up the frequency range a bit with some transpositions would help the mix breathe a bit, especially earlier on in the piece. As for the composition, I absolutely love the meditative piano riff at 1:41 and the gradual (and then not-so-gradual) swell into the final climax at 2:25. You absolutely nailed the sound design and melody-writing here, Papkee. Oddly enough, I remember especially liking another Eastern-inspired piece of yours from a few years back, “Heart of the East.”

Also, I’d be remiss not to point out that your work has been an inspiration for me for 10+ years now; I think the first piece of yours I heard was “Utopia,” which you submitted to the 2013 NGADM. :’D Anyway, heartfelt congratulations on your success in this year’s competition! It’s been an absolute pleasure hearing so much of your work these past 5 months, Papkee. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
9.5/10

[Whispering Willow Waltz]

I’m always a sucker for waltzes, and this is no exception. :D The graceful piano melody and strong bass line at :11 are in a lovely dance of their own, and the occasional swell of the strings (like at :38) is a nice touch as well. The mixing and mastering of this piece could be a lot sharper, though. It feels rather muddy at the very beginning, and the mix is rather bottom-heavy throughout. The percussion towards the beginning could also come through more strongly, but that’s a relatively short-lived problem.

I think my favorite part of the piece is 1:25. The syncopations in the piano line are great, and the strings have a much more tense and driving tone than before, which is a great point of contrast from the warm swells of earlier. The ritardando at the end, cheesy as it is, really put a smile on my face.

It’s great to see you branch out from your jazz roots here. Apparently you also make EDM? I’ve got to check that out sometime. Congratulations on your success in this competition, FJOB! It’s been an absolute pleasure listening to so many of your tracks over the last 5 months. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Eonian Sweven]

I like the theremin and waltzy meter towards the beginning. The texture sounds a tad watery, but the mix is still pretty clear. In fact, it’s almost jarring when the watery atmosphere fades away by around :30. The cadence at 1:05 or so sounds a bit melancholic, as does much of the piece, actually. There are a couple of places where I would’ve liked to hear a shift in the balance between a couple of the instruments. For example, the violin melodies at 1:35 don’t pop through the mix quite enough, nor do the strings at 3:23, and there are a couple of places where I do think the murky texture got a tad overwhelming (like at 1:25 or so).

The sound design of this piece is fantastic, though. I love the bells right at 2:00, the aforementioned theremin, the ambient textures, the flute at 3:10, and the rich strings later on. As always, your compositional details are scrumptious, like the tremelos at 2:30. The section at 3:50 feels like a big moment of triumph and arrival later on in the piece, although the descent back into the melancholy is swift (4:16 or so). I also thought the transition at 4:22 was a bit sudden. Even a pause for dramatic effect may have helped foreshadow the lightening of the mood there. The chord progression at 4:56 is a great way of concluding the piece, though. It felt simultaneously climactic and humorous, almost like our beloved protagonist is finally realizing it was just a dream after all. :)

Powerful stuff here, Alex. You’ve clearly shown your versatility as a composer, both in this piece and throughout the NGADM this year. Heartfelt congratulations on your success in this competition. It’s been an absolute pleasure listening to so much of your work over the past 5 months, which reminds me of old times to boot. :’D

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
9/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Finally, I've got myself a free evening, and happen to be browsing Newgrounds. There's really no excuse for replying this late, but let's just say life has been hectic, and is starting to calm down a bit :'D

I definitely wish I would've had more time to get the production even more balanced on this piece in particular! At times, I tend to work on the content of the compositions for so long that I'm not left with enough time for the final polishing. I was definitely suffering a bit from ear-fatigue when mixing this!

I am glad you like the sound design, however, as a lot of thought and time did go into those aspects. I will do my best again this year, so we'll see how that goes! The NGADM is definitely nostalgic, so even though times are busy, I try to squeeze some in here and there where I can :D