TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Hero Reel]

Production was really well-done, and the voice acting was great. All the sudden changes in the music were a little jarring, though. They got distracting after a while. Still, quality content. Keep it up, man!

[NGADM 2017 Round of 32 Podcast]

Sorry I'm late to the party! I appreciate you doing this Chrono. The smooth, western-sounding piece in the background works well. By around 2:40, I thought the music got a tad distracting, but maybe that's just because @Etherealwinds is so damn good!

I agree that we need a better platform for people making recommendations about the future of the contest. Maybe we should set up a "suggestions and comments" thread after the contest so we can be as receptive as possible to the community's requests. Still, I appreciate the way you addressed those issues here. And personally, I don't think you have anything to apologize for at all. :)

Super impressed that you're making the sigs for the winners yourself, btw. Keep it up with the podcasts/judging/administrating, Chrono! ;)

ChronoNomad responds:

No such thing as being late to a party that quite literally goes on for five whole months! (;

Happy to see another review from you on these silly ol' podcast thingies. I'm glad that you enjoy the background music, and I don't even mind that Jordi's singing distracts a bit from the underlying message. I kept tweaking the volume incrementally, but I just didn't want the song to be too soft, and then the ending always gets so rich and full...ah, well! Six of one, half a dozen of the other, I suppose.

Yeah, I tried to be honest about how problematic that became, but it wasn't even really the nature of the conversation that was ultimately the problem. It was the massive walls of text that were, quite frankly, making the whole thread look downright unattractive. Obviously, if folks want to have water cooler discussions about the NGADM, they can have them in real-time on Discord, or simply make a thread dedicated to it. But hey, if going way off topic is against the rules, it's my responsibility to say something. I may not always do that in the right way, but when tensions are already high for various reasons, even someone with the patience of Mahatma Gandhi would end up taking return fire.

Aw, thanks! I was always planning on making the sigs, and it's feels nice to be able to do a few of the more artsy things for the NGADM. Even though I'm taking a hiatus from making new music during the competition, I still need a creative outlet or two. And hey, you keep up all that judging and administrating that you've been doing, TL! On top of a busy academic life and all that jazz. We must really love the people of Newgrounds, eh? ^__^

[Going in Style]

Woah - really interesting sound design on this one. The melodic content is amusing, although I think the low percussion could be a bit more distinct. The transition at 1:55 could’ve been a little smoother IMO. The piece also has a sense of continuity for quite a while without much direction until 1:55. I think it could use some more phrasing and dynamics work. The jumpy sax towards the end was a good idea, but it cut out a little suddenly at 2:52 and had a very square rhythm - it didn’t help the piece come together at the end too much. The piece also sounds a little robotic throughout - there are a lot square rhythms in the moving notes. Overall, I appreciate the experimental texture here. That was a bit of a risk that really paid off for you guys. I think my biggest concern is the lack of shape - changes in instrumentation dominate the variety the piece offers, which I find problematic. Still, it’s a cool piece. Keep up the good work!

8.5/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hi there! And thanks for the review. Once again, it's a shame that only a couple of the judges seem to have decided to review the pieces, even though I think that should be one of the main events of the competition (maybe that'll change now with fewer participants?). Thus, much appreciated!

The dynamics are generally always a problem with a good loop. Say you were to compose a looping background piece for a game; oftentimes you don't want something to stand out dynamically too much. But, I get your critique for the competition, since the piece should also work as a standalone.

I don't really hear a problem with 2:52. We weren't going for a realistic style, which is why the piano is obv quite flat and more hip hoppy (otherwise I would've played it). Same goes for the choir and sax. It's more of a blend of nu jazz, maybe some triphop elements, and a semi-cinematic style I guess. Maybe the style is what you feel is robotic, since none of the instruments are really made to sound like they're played by a human? Including the dry choir :)

We like the transition to 1:55, but it could've worked well as a breakdown, instead of bringing in the choir so quickly.

Thanks, dude!

[Osman - "The Mountain And The Sky"]

I like the atmospheric vibe at the beginning. It certainly has an emotional appeal, and I like the piano melodies at around :40. The progression is a little slow, but the sound design is really strong. I really like the combination of the quirky, ambient vibes with the hip-hop-inspired beats. The section at 2:50 offers some nice structural relief, too, although I think you could’ve maximized the emotional appeal of this piece with more moments of climax and catharsis. All the reverb you put on the low piano parts was a bit of a risky move mixing-wise, but overall I think the mix is really clean. I really wish you developed the melodies a bit more during the last minute or so of the piece. You add very little new material to the last ⅓ of the piece, and that’s a huge problem IMO. The ending was also a bit lazily done. Overall, I really like the mood, instruments, and atmosphere. The composition could use a bit more effort, though. Keep at it, Osman! ;)

8.75/10

[Frailty and Hope]

I like the dreamy vibe at the beginning. It’s a little slow to progress, but I like the somber tone the strings add at around :30. I wasn’t a huge fan of the instrument at :58. It sounded very synthetic, which may have been intentional, but either way I don’t think it fits the texture of the piece very well. The percussion at 1:29 is interesting. I think there was just a bit too much of an attack on the offbeat, though - the piece is a little too smooth and pensive for such a crisp hat IMO (even if that criticism sounds a bit absurdly specific). I like the re-intro at 2:35, but the additional extended pause at 3:16 was a little much. The structural and transitional elements of the piece are strong, and I didn’t notice any problems with the mixing or mastering. Overall strong work! Keep it up, Spadezer. ;)

8.75/10

Spadezer responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Typical Liberal]

I love the thematic content...wow. The emotional piano is great, and I commend you for addressing a controversial/political subject in the lyrics. The sound design is nice, between the smooth pulse of the guitar and the bright pads. The drums could’ve been a little louder, but that’s the only complaint I have mixing-wise. You also do a great job of adding structural contrast - 2:56 had a great relaxed vibe to contrast the old-school classy party vibe of the rest of the piece. You had me engaged the entire way, though. Fantastic concept and theme - sounds like Frank Sinatra meets Jimmy Fallon. Is there somewhere I can access the complete lyrics? The mood, atmosphere, and sound design really make this piece what it is, although I have little to complain about composition-wise either. Keep up the great work, McGorilla42! ;)

9.75/10

McGorilla42 responds:

Thank you for this, TaintedLogic. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! I'll send you the lyrics in a PM :)

[Move Around]

I like the fun melodies at the beginning with the quirky instruments, although I think the piece throws the listener right into the action a bit. I would’ve liked to hear a proper intro here. That said, this piece is really catchy and upbeat. I appreciated the structural contrast you offered at 1:34, too. The rhythm at 2:33 sounds a bit stumbly, but I did enjoy the climax into 2:49. I would’ve liked to see you vary that section a little more from its original form at 1:01, though. Overall, my biggest problem here is that it’s a little generic in terms of the transitory content and structure. It’s really catchy, though, and I didn’t notice any problems with the mixing or mastering. Keep up the good work! ;)

9/10

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for reviewing! :)

[-Round 2-]

I like the catchy bass groove at the beginning, even if the instrument wasn’t my favorite. The kick doesn’t come through the mix very distinctly at :12, but I love the build-up into :30 as well as the melodic content there. The little post-chorus with the two basses (:52 - 1:16) drags on for a bit long IMO. The melodic content at 1:16 is enjoyable, though, and I appreciate the variety you added to the bass part by then. At some point, I would’ve liked to see you vary the energy level a bit by stripping away the drums and bass and giving the piece a bit more shape. It’s just so much easier to keep your listener engaged when you include more phrasing, dynamic contrast, and the like. You have quite a few different melodies in here, and I think it detracted from the cohesion of your piece that there were so many. The kick also could’ve been clearer throughout much of the track. That said, I like the energy, instruments, and melodies overall. Keep at it, ThaPredator. ;)

8.5/10

[XS - iO (Audio Deathmatch)]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the quirky instruments. The piece throws you right into the action a bit, though. It could’ve used more of a proper intro or build-up with some variety in the dynamics. There’s very little that foreshadows the drop at :55. The texture remains pretty minimalistic, and I think the drop section with the harsh mid-range bass drags on for a bit too long. It gets better when the atmospheric elements start to come in again at around 1:45. You don’t really have a lot of melodic content during a cathartic emotional height - that might be a subtle reason why this piece doesn’t sound particularly conclusive or carefully structured. The more obvious reason why it doesn’t sound conclusive is because you ended in the middle of a post-chorus. It seems clear to me that you didn’t really complete this piece how you would’ve wanted. The production quality is strong, but I think you could’ve done a lot more with the composition, including adding some harmonic depth in places, adding more phrasing/build-ups, and maybe fleshing out the structure a bit more. Keep at it, Jimmypig. ;)

7.25/10