TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Spitfya - Adventure (Original Mix)]

I like the sense of action that the beginning insights. Fun synth riffs in the mid-high range again. The vocals fit into the texture of the piece well while also adding some flavor. My favorite part of the piece was the dense rhythmic texture at 2:05. I also liked how you thickened the vocals for the second rendition of when the guy says "NOW!" That was quite a thematically tasteful touch. This piece sounds especially bouncy and fun. Something about that lead synth makes it seem like I'm about to enter into the ring to fight that mutant narrator. XD

Anyway, so glad you decided to join Newgrounds, man. I probably wouldn't have found you otherwise. I will be buying several of your tracks and also recommending your music to my friends. Keep up the great work!

[Spitfya - Left Behind (Original Mix)]

I like the ominous, wavering, atmospheric synths towards the beginning. Once again, the piece has a really ethnic vibe, yet also a strong sense of climax and intensity. In this piece, I think you could've been a bit more creative with the drop. The texture was completely dominated by that one mid-range instrument. The vocals during the bridge (1:50 or so) add a lot to the piece, though. I also appreciated how you highlighted that weird, jittery effect during the calmer section at 2:20. Piece has more straight-forward structuring than a lot of your other piece, but I really thought the variations at around the 3-minute mark added a lot to the sense of variety. Ending was amusing, too, despite the overly harsh note at 3:48. Great production again. ^_^

[Spitfya - Apocalypse (Original Mix)]

Nice start. More of a regular rhythmic pattern than the other tracks of yours I've reviewed tonight. The distorted vocals are a nice touch too. The texture sounds somewhat exotic, especially with the odd intervals/jumps between notes in the section at :48. I like the more contained, measured sound at 1:27 too. I really like the melodic content in the vocals at 1:36. I think that's one of things that your pieces in general seriously lack: strong melodic content. The glitchy content at 2:42 probably constitutes my favorite part of the piece. The vocals at 3:02 just sound terrifying. You've got the sound design of this piece like a puppet on your strings, man. Compared to a lot of your other tracks, this piece also has a much greater variety of textures, moods, and energy levels, which I applaud. I also really like the synth riff at 4:09. In a way, the ending of this piece was really dragged out, especially with the ping-pong panning and repetition of "you can hear-", but overall the piece comes together really well as the "bridge" of the album between songs that are more uniformly intense and punchy, even if it is the title track. Nice work yet again!

[Spitfya & Desembra - Cut The Check]

Very engaging intro to say the least. XD The beats at :09 are solid. Catchy synth riffs and punchy drums are a good combo. Mix is really loud and clear. I love the smooth, groovy bass riff that fills the space in between the gritty mid-range bass during the drop (:38). Sound design is just really unique overall, and I like the call-and-response nature of the drop. Also the ominous mood. Sounds like Halloween. That said, the mood shifts really suddenly at 1:51 to this brighter, warmer sound. It was a sudden shift that isn't very well integrated into the rest of the piece tbh. I also thought the second half of the piece was a little too similar to the first half. There was room for a lot more dynamism than there was from a compositional standpoint. Overall, though, really strong work again. These breaks, vocal samples, and other elements of the stinging, thick texture here sound really, really good. Keep it up, guys!

[Spitfya - Empire (Original Mix)]

Really tight beat at the beginning. Ten seconds in, I can already tell that the production quality is really high and that you have a great sense of flow and structuring. The phasing synths are a nice touch. I thought the transition at :45 could've been smoother, though. The build-up into the drop at 1:00 was good. Really engaging stuff throughout, although at some point I think the piece needed more structural variety. There's a lot of energy in this piece and not a lot of shape and contrast in the intensity. That said, 2:17 was certainly an emotional high point that serves the piece well. Overall, I guess my main complaint is that the harmonic framework of the piece is very simple, using the same chord progression A LOT without much strong melodic content. You're clearly a really talented producer, though. There's a lot of variety and flavor in this piece, and everything sounds really clean and punchy. Great work overall!

[With Gun & Crucifix]

You just keep hitting home run after home run, my friend. The rhythmic work with the strings is really catchy, yet also makes the piece feel really accessible. Seamless transitions between the brass melodies, vocal credos, and prominent string sections. Even in a rather energetic piece, you still fit a breakdown in there at 1:50 that has a nice call-and-response substructure. Super tight production again. Yeah, I'm going to need to check out more than what you've posted on NG this year. Where can I buy your music, man?

Keep up the great work!

Danman87 responds:

Thanks so much man, really happy you enjoyed it! I currently got one album out, which is called "The First Five Years". It's available on most of the large music portals, but admittedly fairly old by now, which is why I'm planning to have another two out this year. One being a commercial video game OST, and the second one a trailer album that will feature this track. :)

[Thunderdome]

Wow. Never thought I'd see you on this site again. I don't think I was even here for your original run, but I remember the Stick War soundtrack being one of my main motivations for joining this site myself.

Anyway, I love the dramatic mood and crisp percussion. The vocals are great. Sound design in general is killer, and I think your mastering has improved quite a bit since I last listened to your music regularly. This is a piece that really tells a story. Really full texture and nice use of structural variety too. The vocals sound really wet and thick, like this was performed in a concert hall. Excellent music. Amazing amount of emotion and dynamic contrast. Welcome back, Dan!

Danman87 responds:

Haha yes, I remember that pretty much the majority of audio artists here had their music in Stick War! They even aquired a commercial license for their mobile game a few years back!

Thanks so much for the review! Really glad you liked the track! And yes, I've learned quite a lot in terms of mastering over the years, something that I used to consider one of my weak spots. :)

[Love the Night]

Very quiet beginning. ._. Really maximizes the emotional appeal. Sounds like solitude amidst a winter storm. Melodic content is beautiful. There's so much dynamic contrast, and the rhythmic work at 1:30 or so is really nice. The descending line at around 2:00 really got me too. Love the shifting moods at 2:15. Piece really tells a story. Flowing and beautiful as normal. I especially like the part between 3:30-4:00. Sounds like hurried footsteps muffled by the snow. In all honesty, the part after 4:15 seemed quite unnecessary. You never quite arrived at a satisfying cadence after that - why not end the piece on a climactic note? Still, one of my favorite compositions of yours in quite a while. Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to Iceland! Keep up the great work. ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hi there!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for all the visual imagery!

I'm not sure from your review if it was clear, but this piece is an improvisation. Maybe I should've been clearer in the description :D
The part after 4:15 is my favorite part, so I have to disagree with that xD

I feel like modern music listeners have become somewhat of addicts to climaxes, drops, and endings that end in the expected way or expected note. Seemigly to the point, where they find it more difficult to enjoy the more intricate and surprising aspects of music. That's part of why I love improvisations, as they tend to be way more free than formulaic compositiions!

Thanks for reviewing ^____^