TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Bossa 07]

Right away, I'm enjoying the dense rhythmic texture and rather good saxophone samples. Melodic content is solid. The organ at 1:42 was a nice touch, too. I guess one criticism I have is that it has a very uniform level of energy and emotion throughout, which makes me think it's more background music than a stand-alone piece. Still, I'm loving the thematic elements, mood and instruments. I'm also glad the saxophones returned by the end. Keep it up, man! ;)

AzulJazz responds:

Thank you very much!

[Adventurous]

Chopped vocals work really well right away. Melodic content is solid as usual. An element of this piece that really stood out to me was the section at 1:08. It almost sounds like a drop, but it has a rather busy melody playing over the top of it, which I thought was a really good idea. Atmospheric outro was also a highlight. That treble-range synth that fades in at around 2:37 is a great touch. Another strong effort. Keep it up, man!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the constructive feedback! :)

[Nice Vibes]

Smooth intro and nice job with the instrumentation. I really like the string pizzicatos at around :15. Mix is really loud and clear, although at times it felt like it could've used more bass. Breakdown at 1:38 is a welcome dose of structural variety. Overall, the track is really smooth-flowing and has a pleasing progression. The melodic content is also enjoyable. The main melody gets a tad repetitive by the end, but the variations/post-chorus at 3:03 really help sell the thematic elements of the piece. Overall great work!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the feedback, TaintedLogic! :)

[Too Far]

Cool pensive-sounding synths at the beginning. Has a 80s space documentary vibe. Autotune is really heavy, yet fits the overall vibe of the piece pretty well. The guitar riff at 1:07 sounded a bit too busy rhythmically, and therefore distracted from the vocals. It makes a great riff for a post-chorus, but kinda dominates the texture a bit when it's playing along with the vocals. The lyrics are good, if a tad cliche. I also would've liked a stronger transition into the bit at 2:20 where the instruments re-enter the texture. Still, excellent job with the instrumentation, mixing, and atmosphere. Keep up the good work!

McGorilla42 responds:

Hey, Tainted! :)

Thanks for the review and feedback! I really appreciate you taking the time to listen and give some solid criticism. Yeah -- lyrics were definitely hastily written and a bit trite in parts. I'll look at re-working that guitar riff, or thinking of being less rhythmically dominating in future songs, because I overlooked its busyness completely!

[The Cross]

I like the groovy guitar riffs and bass line. Mix is loud and clean, although I think the effects on the vocals were a bit excessive. It sounds like you they were electronically harmonized with a chord, and I thought that was a bit much. The mix is also a bit overly compressed to the point that there's not a lot of room for shape and musicality. Lyrics are probably my favorite part of the piece. Relatable, yet insightful and poetic. Fun track overall. I remember listening to some of your earlier tracks a few years ago. The mixing has totally stepped up since then. Keep it up, man! ^^

[Gaia's River]

Oh my God. This has been in my iTunes library for 5 years. Really beautiful piece. I love the bass line that alternates between ascending and descending patterns. Has a very pensive and human feel to it. Nice job with the reverb and progression too. This piece is timeless, man. ^_^

[garlagan - There (Valent Remix)]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the original. I like the bright piano and other instrumental elements. One element of the original I wish you had done more with (or at least highlighted more) is the solo that's at 1:01. It didn't quite come through the mix as much as I'd like. I like the structural decisions with the breakdown. The drums at 1:54 are also rather refreshing. Also, the production quality in general is really strong, even if the mix is a tad quiet. Solid work overall. It's hard to top Garlagan, that's for sure, but you've made some good decisions with regards to what to change. Keep at it, man! ;)

UmValent responds:

I very much appreciate your input my good sir. I totally agree with you in terms of the mixing being a little bit too quiet since I later realised the export bitrate was very low and the compression overall is almost absent in the mix, though that is entirely optional in this case. Thanks again for the review, cheers! ;)

[Näcken]

Ale! It's been too long. I like the water samples and instruments. The piano is very soothing, and the violin certainly adds some emotional appeal. I found that, unlike much of your other work, the structure is a lot easier to digest with this one. Main problem is that it's too short, in fact. I'd love to see you take this in something of a new direction. Either way, the vivid imagery comes through. The poem seems to be about a child playing in a mystical land (based on Google Translate), and I think you've communicated the tone of the poem here well. Looking forward to hearing more from you soon! ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Haha, the poem isn't about that at all xD
It's about a human-like creature that's playing an instrument similar to the violin on top of the water, trying to lure children into drowning. However, the creature is unloved by God and because of its own self doubts, it submerges, never again to play the instrument again. That's more or less the short version :p

I won't make it longer; it's timed to fit a reading of the poem. I'm glad you liked it though! Thanks for checking it out, as it's been a while indeed. I hope you're doing well!