TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Kanons]

Piece is awesome. Gorgeous atmosphere and instrumentation. I didn't realize the meter was so complicated the first time I listened to it. Melodic content is beautiful. The frantic bit at 1:23 comes on a little suddenly, but still fits the overarching direction of the piece. Nice job adding some structural contrast at 2:07. The rhythmic details really come out well in that section, too. 3:23 was a particularly haunting moment for me. It felt like taking a breath after all of the dense underlying harmonies of twittering synths you have going for most of the track. The frantic part at 4:20 came on less suddenly somehow, perhaps because the second half of the piece fits a similar structural mold as the first half. The coda added some emotional appeal, too. Excellent work all around. I know I spoil you with my praise, man, but I'm really, really impressed with how far you've come in a couple short years. Keep up the great work! ^_^

Onefin responds:

Thanks a ton TL! Yeah the time sig annotations probably look more complicated than they actually are :P

I tried to make 1:23 as smooth as possible, 4:20 was probably better cuz the build created some anticipation of it

Yeah I was sort of surprised the meter f-storm worked at all, especially at 2:24, there I just like slapped sixteenth notes to the end of certain bars for the heck of it and then was like "great let's somehow make these sound natural"

I like codas, Miyo complained about how I always make outros that creatively re-imagine the thematic elements of the track rather than just ending the track

[Calycycle]

I know I've reviewed this before on CHIPS, but I couldn't help myself. Excellent engrossing atmosphere and tranquil mood. I agree that it fits best as a loop. The cutesy synths that are arpeggiating throughout the section from :30-1:00 or so are great. Has a candid, jazzy feel throughout. Simply very intelligent composition, and a strong production to match. Keep it up, 1f1n1ty (or Evan, or what have you). ;)

Onefin responds:

Thanks TL! Yeah sorta glad you came back and gave thoughts on the intended loop rather than y'know talking about the reversed bit :P

[-Machine Politics-]

I like all the FX at the beginning and the rhythmic riff that starts fading in at around :11. The intricate rhythmic elements really carry the first minute of the piece or so. I like all the somewhat bizarre percussion and the pizzicato-y synths. After a while, I would've liked to hear some more moving notes in the texture. The harmonic depth doesn't really progress very much during the first couple of minutes. The transition at 2:06 was really enjoyable, but the kick gets a little lost in the mix after that point (during the section from 2:08 to 2:30 with the heavy bass). For most of the piece, though, the mix is quite full and clean. I know this is a track that heavily emphasizes rhythm (reminds me of a really old track of yours: Heavy Machine Rhythm), but I thought you could've added a bit more shape to the piece at times. The piece starts to have a stronger sense of direction at around 4:15 when the uplifting pads come in, but overall I think the structure of the piece is a little disjointed. The ending of the piece with the pulsing Lo-fi effects was cool, though. Overall, the sound design, atmosphere, and rhythmic elements are great. I just would've liked to see some more prominent melodic content to give this piece more of a focus. Keep at it, Waterflame! :)

[-Bastard Zone-]

Really catchy and fun piece. The mood/texture change a little suddenly at :27, 1:10, and some other places. This track is great for a video game, but as a stand-alone piece it has a bit of a wonky structure, which is made harder to discern because of the near-constant energy and the somewhat sudden transitions. The texture has a lot of pizzicato-y elements without many more legato textures to bridge the gap between sections. That said, the rhythmic elements of the piece are really strong, and the sound design is awesome. Structurally, it comes across as a bit of an experimental piece, but the production is clean and the mood is pretty engrossing. Keep it up, Waterflame! Happy 2018. :)

[Sunbeam Skies]

I like the bright, cutesy vibe at the beginning. It still has a great pulse and rhythm to it, though, and feels kinda "contained," like you're gearing up for a big explosion of energy. I guess that explosion came at 1:01, but that wasn't a lot of transitory content to bridge the gap there. In fact, I think this whole piece has a severe dearth of smooth transitions. I don't know if that's what you mean by "not quite touched up," but that's definitely my main concern with the piece. Still, great job with the mood, energy, and production. The melodies might've also needed more of a front-seat in the track at some point, but I appreciate the little piano solos that bookend the second half. Keep it up, Lockyn! Happy new year. :)

Lockyn responds:

definitely what i meant, analysis is spot on. happy new year!

[wax//wane]

I like the tranquility at the beginning. The build-up was very drawn out (which I guess is kinda the point, though). The sound design also wasn't my favorite - the synths up until around the 2-minute mark all seem like something out of 3xOsc. The arpeggios at 2:00 added a bit more depth to the texture, and I applaud the chord changes at 1:45. The pacing is still a little slow for my tastes, yet the atmosphere is pretty hypnotizing. The climax of the piece still wasn't particularly melodic or revelatory, and I think the tone of some of the synths is a little too harsh at around 4:37. That said, the instruments all sit well in the mix, and given the amount of time you spent on this (one day, I assume) a lot of progress was made. I also thought the ending was pretty great: mysterious and yet surprisingly conclusive. Not your typical fade-out at all. Overall, it was a relaxing listen with strong production quality and a fitting title. Keep it up, Midi. Happy 2018! ^_^

midimachine responds:

ty for the review! all the sounds in this- pads, arps and bass - are actually made from part of a sample of a woman screaming lmao. tbh i like the little wobble on the pad in the beginning, would be difficult to make that happen in 3xosc at least hehe. as far as time spent on it goes, FL says 49 minutes, which i think is about right! happy 2018 to you too friendo, thanks for all the support this year!

[I Love You]

Wow! That sure was a fast turn-around for your next track. :D I like the cute melodies at the beginning. The instruments complement the mood really well. By :45 or so, the energy and drive of the piece is really engaging and fun. The bass guitar is a great touch that adds a lot of depth to the texture, and the mix is super clean. The drums are loud, crisp, and you use them to channel the energy very well. Well-structured, smooth-flowing composition and rather heartwarming mood here. Keep it up, BO! Happy 2018. :)

[Form]

I like the dreamy intro and the sense of climax during the first 15 seconds or so. That said, I think the piece starts to lose momentum after a while. The thing that really threw me off was the re-intro thing at :52 or so. The atmospheric flair and excessive reverb makes it a bit difficult to follow the structure. I also think the strings and drums both could've been more prominent in the mix. The pads are great, but they're also a bit of an ambient sound that dominates the texture for most of the piece. That said, I appreciate how you "saved the best for last" in terms of the emotional appeal of the piece, and I really like the sound design and mood here overall. Keep it up, Garlagan! Here's to 2018. ;)

garlagan responds:

thanks for the great feedback TL!!

[Bring Me Down]

I like the intro with the chopped vocals and soulful piano. The pauses (:02, :08, etc.) made the flow a bit bumpy, though - if you're going to cut off the instruments like that, I would at least let the reverb bridge the gap to the next phrase. The sound design is cool, but I think you dragged out the build-up a little too long. I feel like it lost its momentum after a while. The chord at :54 also didn't fit very well into the texture IMO. The drop at :55 is pretty good, but I think you overdid the panning. The panning bounces around between my ears so much that it's a bit jarring. I really liked the breakdown section with the piano at 2:17, short-lived though it was. I think the haphazard panning is what bothers me the most about this track. Generally, it's a good idea to rely on equalization and compression for mixing and mastering, more so than panning. That said, I really like the chopped vocals, other sound design, and melodies. Keep at it, man. ;)