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TaintedLogic

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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!

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

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.

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 :)

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! :)

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

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

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. The arpeggiated synths and clap sample seemed a little generic, and it was a little slow to develop. I don’t think aspects of the sound design like the heavily panned snare at 1:01 added much to texture - it was very dry and didn’t fit the dreamy mood of the piece well. You also may have gone a little overboard with the reverb on some of the synths. I commend you for using the entire frequency range for much of the piece. The track only really has one climax, and could probably use a little more fleshing out structurally. The ascending synth line at 2:53 makes it sound like you’re leading into another refrain, in fact. Overall, the melodic content is strong, and I enjoyed the atmospheric quality of it. I guess the main thing that bothered me is the sound design - a lot of cliche synths and drum samples, is all. Keep at it, Techmo-X! ;)

7.75/10  

Teckmo-X responds:

Thank you TainteedLogic! I agree with you on that snare there. It felt out of place but that one was a last minute add. Thank you for the review!

I like the simplicity at the beginning. The sudden change in instrumentation at :16 caught me off guard a bit, but the texture starts coming together better by :45 or so. I think the kick drum at :45 was too static-y, and had too much treble. The texture also feels very thin and contained. It needed a stronger sense of direction during the first minute and a half. At 1:45, it seems to be evolving a bit, but at 2:01 the low strings are completely overwhelming the more melodic content, which is problematic. There’s a lot of tension in this piece - it’s pretty mysterious and pensive - but I think you needed a more cathartic moment to hit it home. You had a lot of emotion here, but I think you could capitalize on that emotional potential more with some more phrasing and dynamics. There simply wasn’t enough textural fill for most of the piece to keep me engaged very well. I also thought many of your instruments sounded either unpolished (of the synths) or inauthentic (of the strings). I’ve been tough on you in this review, though. You clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression. The composition just seemed a little lack-luster, and aspects of the mixing and sound design need work. Otherwise, keep at it, Veronina. ;)

6.75/10

I like the spacious mix and the vocals at the beginning. The lyrics themselves are also enjoyable. The piece is a little slow to develop, and is still rather minimalistic until about the 1-minute mark. The synth that lays out the root of each chord was a little generic. Also, I think you need to enunciate your consonants a little more - “enough” at :49 sounds like “enaaaa.” I like the injection of energy at 1:02, although I think you could’ve used a stronger transition at 1:25. The drop at 1:31 is cool - I like the chopped vocals and rhythmic elements. I think you could’ve left a little more space in the upper range for that hi-hat, though. I think my main problem with the piece overall is that there are long sections of it where you could add a lot more harmonic depth. You’ve set up a nice structural contrast between the verses and refrains, but textural fill and phrasing will help create a lot more variety within the phrases here. Overall, though, I like the themes, mood, and instruments. Keep at it, Steelside! ;)

7.5/10

Hi. I'm Andrew. Audio portal junkie since 2010, supporter since 2017. I always want to improve what I do! I make music, run the NGUAC, post poetry on BBS, and am the all-time #2 audio reviewer. I love this site, and I want to make it the best I can! ^_^

Andrew Mikula @TaintedLogic

Age 27, Male

Policy Research

Bates College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Joined on 8/16/12

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