TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Boundless-]

Some really quirky instruments. The wavering one that kinda sounds like an old western guitar especially stands out. I really like the strong snare, but I think it ducks under the mix a bit once the texture gets busier around the 1-minute mark. I like the melodic content at 1:15. Your great sense of harmony is clearly on display here, as always. The sudden change in the texture at 2:02 was made somewhat smoother by the reverb, but in general I think you overused the reverb a bit, to the point that it negatively affected the mix. Still, the texture is still very busy and full for most of the piece, which makes for quite an engaging track. I also really enjoyed the breakdown at 2:47 with the additions to the beat and the subtle, dreamy pads in the background. Compositionally, this is a really fun and adventurous-sounding piece, but production-wise I don't think it's your best work. Still thoroughly enjoyable, though. Keep up the good work, Waterflame! :^)

Waterflame responds:

Thank you for the great review! I agree with, well, all of it. In retrospect. I think the key to bringing this mix out a bit would have been less reverb on certain instruments.

[[Chillstep Remix] Astral Observatory - Majora's Mask]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. The percussion is interesting. There's a lot of top-end frequencies on that snap that plays on the off beats. The marcato pads at :34 are really nice, and add a lot to the progression. Really smooth and atmospheric piece. A bit repetitive, though, and the ending was a little underwhelming. Could also use some more melodic content, but it's still great for some ambient vibes. You earned yourself a scout. Congratulations! :)

emilyomily responds:

Thanks for the feedback man, and the scout! :D

[Onder 'N Nuwe Lig]

Awww, thanks for the shout-out, Arborescence! :') The changes in instrumentation at the beginning are certainly a step forward, yet convey somewhat of a different mood from the original. The piece sounds a bit more melancholy now, probably because of that cello. To be completely honest, that brass sample at :45 or so still stands out as sounding pretty fake. What DAW do you use? I can think of some VSTs that have pretty authentic orchestral samples that you can download for free. PM me if you're interested. I certainly appreciated the dynamics here, though. The swell at 1:25 was great, and overall the piece sounds a lot more human now. I think you did a nice job with the entrance at 3:01, too. It's a relatively sudden transition, yet there was some degree of foreshadowing with the ritardando in the previous section (which is a good thing). The last minute or so is especially majestic and serene, and features some of the strongest counterpoint of the piece between the strings, piano, and woodwinds. That said, the chord at 5:12 stuck out as a tad jarring, and also just unnecessary. Overall, this piece sounds so much stronger than when I last reviewed your work. It's tough to adjust the overall dynamic levels of a piece after-the-fact without creating mixing problems, but the piece is still relatively clear and blends rather well. Keep it up, Arborescence! ^_^

[AIM - distance]

---Official AIM review---

I like the soothing piano at the beginning and the breathy vocals. The lyrics have a wistful vibe that you bring out in the vocals quite well. The instrumental is a tad simplistic at first, but I thought it was a wise compositional choice to add to the texture as the piece goes on, between the bass fade-in at around 1:20 and the more conspicuous string entry at 1:55. The backing vocals and more legato style at 2:02 were great for some structural variety. The atmosphere of the piece is also really beautiful, and I love the atmospheric instrument at 2:27 that almost sounds like a theremin. The variations on the refrain at the 3-minute mark are great. You really hit the piece home before scaling back the energy for a fittingly sentimental ending. The vocal editing isn’t perfect. There are a couple of moments where your voice sounds a little strained at the top of your range (1:03, 3:12). Overall, the vocals are both strong and heartfelt, though. It’s hard to find much to complain about here. The production is quite strong. The instrumentation is beautiful. You’ve clearly put a lot of emotion into this piece, which certainly helps this piece stand out. Keep up the great work, both of you!

9.5/10

[endK - Automaton Squad]

---Official AIM review---

The rhythm is a little hard-to-follow at the beginning, but the texture really falls together nicely once the beat comes in. The melody with the portamentos at around :35 is a great touch. I love all the oscillations in energy, even if it led to some pretty sudden transitions at times (:55 in particular). My main worry with this piece is that you’ve tried to take it in a bunch of different directions at once. There appear to be a lot of melodic ideas that seem to be competing for the role of “primary melody” as the piece goes on. Oftentimes, these are simply well-fleshed-out variations of a similar theme, but the piece still comes across as bordering on too variational. There is some degree of cohesion, of course, as exemplified by the return of the refrain at 2:28 and the repetition of the motif at 1:06. Still, for a relatively short piece there’s a lot going on, and the pace of the progression is very fast. That’s really my only major complaint, though. The production is very strong. Everything sounds loud, crisp, and full in the mix, and you used a good balance of frequencies throughout. The instrumentation is really enjoyable. I love the little roll of clicks at the very beginning (and other places). The synth in the foreground at 1:17 is one of my favorites of the piece. The upbeat mood, full texture, and strong production quality really won me over with this one. Keep it up, EndK!

9.25/10

endKmusic responds:

Yeah, there's always bunch of stuff going on in my songs.
SOMETIMES I resist the urge to not have that many things included but this is not the one ._.
Thanks for the advice and review TL, will focus more on cohesion in the future.
<3

[Happy World]

I like the melodic riffs and upbeat mood. The song kinda throws you right into the middle of the action, though. There isn't really a proper intro, I mean. I also think the snare could've been quite a bit stronger. I think you need both some stricter equalization and harder compression. Also, for a piece that's supposed to be happy-sounding, there are a lot of accidentals in here (e.x., the pickup notes at :22). The glitchy bass at 1:05 was cool, but I think you tried to integrate it a little too much with the upbeat melodic riffs. The two elements (bass and melodies) got in each other's way a bit too much, which sounded a bit jarring. Harmonically speaking, this piece is also very repetitive and has little in the way of dynamic contrast or phrasing. I don't think it needed to be 4 minutes long. The orchestral instruments, especially the brass, sound pretty fake, too. The ending was a bit confusing. It sounds like it's fading out, but then you modulate it to another key. This kind of transition is usually good when the fade-out is subtle, but this one was not subtle, leaving the listener (i.e., me) confused momentarily. I've been tough on you in this review, but I think my main concern here is the excessive repetition. Like I said, the melodic riffs are good and, despite the relatively quiet drums, the mix sounds very loud and full throughout. Keep at it, man!

[AIM - T-Rex Handshake]

---Official AIM review---

I like the frantic synth patterns at the beginning. Great job facilitating the energy and creating a sense of climax into :52. The kick could’ve been a bit stronger at :52, but the gritty bass and rhythmic elements come together very well there. The transition at 1:18 came on a bit suddenly, but I really like the orchestral elements and the mechanical whirring in the background. You did a great job with the phrasing and progression in this piece. You’ve really crafted a cinematic scene with all the changes in energy and direction. At the same time, the instrumentation and ambiance gives this piece the cohesion it needs for such a long piece. I thought the abrupt transition at 2:37 actually worked quite well, probably because of thematic similarities between the two adjacent sections. The transition at 3:04, on the other hand, probably needed a bit more fleshing out. I also appreciated the injection of melodic elements at 3:46, even if the melody didn’t feel very dynamic. The final climax into 5:30 was great. In a way, the entire piece feels very transitory throughout, yet I think this fits the character of it well. I relatively sudden ending felt appropriate here. Overall, I think you nailed the sound design, progression, and phrasing with this one. All of my complaints are minor. Fantastic work!

9.25/10

ActualElf responds:

Wow, thank you for such an in depth and thought out review!

You've pointed out things in my production and writing that I hadn't noticed or thought about for myself, it's always great to have a clear view of things I need to improve on and pay more attention to. Thank you also for the kind things you had to say!

I went back and smoothened out that transition and I'm happier about the turnout!

[AIM - Gemini]

---Official AIM review---

I like the dreamy vibe at the beginning and the bell-like synths. The vocal samples and the gritty bass at :14 are also good. The beat at :26 is very catchy. I think you have a fantastic sense of rhythm, and the sound design in the pieces I’ve reviewed for you is very well done. You didn’t foreshadow the slightly more laid back section at :55 very well, though. The melody at 1:09 is nice, although the rhythm of it is a bit square, especially compared to some of the exceptionally creative drum patterns you have in this piece. The dreamy synth pattern at 1:49 is really nice, too. While in general the piece is well-structured, it feels like you’re following a formulaic pattern for the progression instead of taking the piece in a new direction with each rendition of the theme. I’m sorry if this advice sounds repetitive from my other review, but I’d love to see you vary 1:49 a bit more given that you have the same exact same section at :27. That might help give your piece a bit more directionality and resolve. Stylistically, this is very similar to the other piece you submitted to the contest, although I love the interaction between the two melodic synths at 2:30 in this piece. Strong work yet again. :)

8.5/10

DarkHorseOrchestra responds:

Thank you for the reviews! Helps put in perspective what I needa work on. Definitely appreciate it!

[AIM - A delicate cycle]

---Official AIM review---

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the cute synth riffs. The vocal sample at :13 works pretty well, too. The entry of the beat at :32 was a tad sudden. I think you could use a riser or something to smooth over that transition. I also think the mix could be a lot louder in the piece. I might suggest some harder compression. The beat itself at :32 is really creative rhythmically and features some great sound design choices, notably the hi-hats. The spacey, lower-energy bit at 1:03 is also a plus. I like the camera FX at around 1:20. Just be careful not to overuse it (same goes for the phone alarm at 2:44). Hi-hats really stand out as driving the piece rhythmically. Again, I’d like to hear a stronger transition into 1:52. Despite the patchwork of very harmonically sound riffs here, I think you could still have some stronger melodic content. You don’t really develop a lot of the riffs (like the one at the very beginning) much as the piece goes on, and the climactic sections (:32 and 1:52) feel heavily chordal in nature. Still, you clearly have a great sense of harmony and rhythm. Overall, this piece is strong. Keep at it, DarkHorseOrchestra!

8.5/10