TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Circutronics - NGADM]

The synth at the beginning was cool, but had a tad too much reverb. Between :30 and 1:30 or so, the pacing is really fast. It seems like you change up the texture a lot every 10 seconds, and quite predictably every 4 bars at that. I think you’d be better off gradually leading up to the chorus at 1:31. I also thought the clap at 1:31 sounded a bit too thin, with not quite enough low-mids. Some layering or perhaps just different EQ’ing could really help give the beat a little more punch there. Overall, the arrangement just needs a little more connectivity. Crossfading could potentially help you a lot here. There are just a few too many moments where the instrumentation is very different on either side of a transition, and that bothered me. That said, I’ve been tough on you in this review. The sound design is really cool, and I love the tension and apprehension that pervade this piece. Well-crafted mood, atmosphere, and melodies, too. Keep at it, Spadezer! ;)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Spadezer responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic. It sounds like you enjoyed which is good enough for me. It's not to say I'm ignoring your observations, they're things I haven't thought about.

Thanks alot and godspeed with the rest of the judging.

[Just a Little Improv]

Whew! It's about time I check out some of your personal work again. This is beautiful, of course. I especially like the suddenly tranquil mood at 1:07 and the contrast between the ascending and descending lines, both of which you feature a lot in the piece (beginning, 1:02, 1:32, 4:12, etc.). I also thought the call-and-response technique you use at around 2:10 was excellent. The spacious melodies at 3:15 are another highlight. The more energetic section at around 4:00 helped give the piece a "last hurrah," so-to-speak. I was a little thrown off when you cut off the chord at 5:42. I always think it sounds more conclusive if you let it ring, especially in a relatively spacious piece like this one. I also don't think you thought through the piece thematically quite as much as with some of your other improvs, but it's hard to say that detracted from my enjoyment of it. I'm always impressed with your improvs, Ale, and this is no exception. Great work! :)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I like 1:07 too, just happened by accident, as most things in this improv :D
This one is more major based than most of my other music, so that might be a refreshing fact :)
The call-response thing isone of the most common techniques that almost never goes wrong. Kind of like descending basslines!

As for the ending cutting of, I get what you mean. At the same time, it's just a realistic element there to show it's a performance. I didn't hold down the pedal anymore, and raised my fingers :p
I'm more unhappy about the chord I decided to end with, as that's the natural choice, and I should've done something more unexpected xD

Nice catch with the lack of a theme. For some improvs, I start with a simple theme or idea. For this one, I really just played whatever, from start to finish; no planning.
Thanks a lot for the review, as always! :D

Good luck with judging this round (oooo.OOOO) (It's a spider)!

[mistmurk + 3MBER - Utopia]

I like the spacious mix and synths. The snare sample wasn't my favorite, though. The progression is a little slow, but the vocal samples at around 1:05 set the mood nicely. Good job with the atmosphere and sound design here. I'm liking the sense of climax into 2:12. Could've used some stronger melodic content throughout, especially earlier in the piece. The transition at 2:47 seemed a bit jarring, but overall the piece has a nice flow and shape. Mastering is probably my favorite element of the piece. Everything just sounds really clean, and you do a good job of using the whole frequency range for most of the piece. Structure felt a little dragged-out, but the atmosphere makes up for that. Overall solid work, guys. ;)

[HEY! [Glitch Hop]]

I like the blissful mood and melodies. The lead might have a tad too much treble, but overall the frequencies are really well-balanced in the piece. The chopped vocals at :37 were well-done, and I like the sense of climax into 1:10. The chord progression is a little cliche, and the first minute or so does seem a tad dragged out, but the upbeat vibe of the piece is really engrossing. The melodies during the breakdown at 2:10 were enjoyable, and the production quality is really strong. The variations on the melody at 3:12 are really refreshing, although the piece is a tad repetitive overall. I liked the tempo automations at the very end, and the piece comes together really well. This is a really strong track, guys! Keep up the good work. ;)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.75/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Zelgeon responds:

Thanks for the review! In the updated version of this track we've fixed many things, we made sure to lower the high end of the leads. What do you mean with "the first minute or so does seem a tad dragged out"?
We made the song repetitive on purpose because we wanted to make a really catchy song this time :D
That thing at the final wasn't automations, it was made manually in the piano roll! ;)

Thanks for not disqualifying us again c:

_Adrián, Zelgeon member #2/2

[Shell]

I like the distorted puttering at the beginning and the tranquil guitar at :06. The vocals are powerful, but a little too dry. I’d suggest using some more reverb and chorus effects. The lyrics themselves are also rather powerful and entertaining. I think you would’ve been well-advised to add a little more to the instrumentation, though - it lacks variety and direction until around the 2-minute mark, and could use some drums, bass, and other harmonies to give it some more drive and contrast. I like the new direction the piece is taking by around 2:47, but at the same time I think you could’ve integrated the two halves of this piece a little better. Your production quality has improved a lot since last year, but I still wish the drums and acoustic guitar came through a little clearer at 3:33. The solo at the end was very well done - intense, soulful, and climactic. Overall, this is really strong work. I love the energy and the 90s rock vibe. Despite the slow pace and dry vocals, the piece comes together well. Keep it up, Verbicidemusic. ;)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[Every Photon, 100 Times a Second]

I like the tranquil, organic vibe at the beginning. By :30, the piece has a very warm and soothing texture, and a great sense of progression and climax. The rhythmic elements at :58 are really strong, and the instruments blend extremely well. The simple melodies in the bell/triangle are extremely effective. The oscillating instrument at 1:53 with the pitch bends is also quite amusing - almost sounds like an emergency alarm in slow motion. The dissonances at 2:18 work really well as a transition, and by 3:00 had I just broken out in a huge grin. Writing this on the 14th, I can all but guarantee you a top-3 spot. This piece is fantastic. It has an engrossing mood and atmosphere, clever sound design, strong production quality, and some extremely inventive quirks. Fantastic work! This might be the best NGUAC piece I’ve heard since the tryouts phase. By all means, keep it up, SleepFacingWest! :D  

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
2/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
1/1
Composite score
10/10

[True Thing]

I like the groovy vibe - sounds like a cheesy 80s dance track. :)  The progression is also enjoyable, but it could use some more prominent melodic content earlier in the piece. I like the breakdown at 2:05 - it offers some nice structural variety. I also enjoyed the melodic development you offered at 3:12. This piece is really catchy and refreshing, if a bit generic instrumentation-wise. I also thought the kick could come through the mix a bit clearer during some of the busier sections. Overall, it’s a really catchy and fun piece, though. Keep at it, PolarTrance. ;)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
2/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Lyra]

I like the soothing mood at the beginning. You may have overdone the reverb a bit, but the instrumentation was great, especially the strings and percussion. The melodic content at :58 is great, too. I was a little thrown off by the entry of the drums at around 1:10, though - they just didn’t fit the character of the piece so far very well IMO. The snare sounds especially generic, processed, and maybe too loud as well. The percussion at around 2:45 fits the rest of the sound design much better. Still, you’ve absolutely nailed the atmosphere, and the victorious/blissful mood was rather enjoyable as well. I love the little phrasing detail at 3:37, too, and the trumpet solo at the very end was a great touch. Overall, this is a very strong piece, both compositionally and mixing-wise. Keep up the great work, PianoreGD! ;)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
2/2
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the above elements interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

Tennon responds:

Wow that was beyond my expectations! I thought I failed this song lol. I strong agree with the fact that the snare is really bad, next time I will probably make a new snare that sounds not too distorted!