TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Lavender Air Balloon]

I like the thick texture at :03, and the cathartic guitar riff at :23. The vocals are really refreshing and uplifting. During the verses, the constant call-and-response between the piano/vocal sections and the instrumental guitar sections is a little much, though - it just changes the texture drastically at very short intervals. The acoustic guitar solo at 2:30 was a great touch, though - it really cements the overarching tranquility of this piece. I also like the low register of the vocals at 2:52. It both complements the texture, allows space for contrast at 3:20, and also sounds quite sexy. The minimalism at 3:47 was a little unexpected, but works really well in giving the piece a little bit of spacing going into the final refrain. The refrain itself might’ve needed a bit more development (as it’s the final chorus in a relatively long piece), but overall this is really admirable work. I think this might be your strongest work yet in this competition. By all means, keep it up! :D

9.75/10

FinnMK responds:

Thanks for the tips, and will do.

[Sunrise Adventure]

I like the tranquil vibe at the beginning. Tiny detail: when the harp cuts off at :09 it disrupted the flow a bit. I like the cute instruments and harmonies. I think the bass is actually a bit too loud this time - sorry for the complete 180. The piano melodies at :40 are cute too. The texture breaks down a little quickly at :49, but I like the structural relief that :53 offers, and the percussion at 1:12 is a nice touch. The riser at 2:01 didn’t quite fit the character of the piece IMO, but that’s another small detail. The transition at 2:11 could’ve been smoother, too, and then the mood goes through another sudden shift at 2:17 - all of a sudden it’s got this tranquil, funky vibe that heavily contrasts the bouncy energy of most of the rest of the piece. Not that thematic contrast is a bad thing - I just think you could’ve connected the two a little better. 3:34 is another example of a time when the reverb and crash combo doesn’t quite cut it as a transition. I know I’ve nitpicked a lot in this review, but overall the sound design, atmosphere, and mood are really quite strong. The mastering is also strong, but you may have gone a little overboard with the reverb. Still, the cutesy melodic content and instruments really hit this piece home. It’s a fun piece. Keep it up, guys! ;)

9/10

johnfn responds:

thanks TL! it will indeed be kept up, at least for another round! :o

[Xtrullor & HeliXiX - The One Who Flies]

I like the arpeggios and the atmosphere at the beginning. That snare is really crisp, and the sound design overall is really unique and impressive. I love the quirky melodies at 1:08. The production quality is fantastic, and the heavy breaks at 2:15 added an impactful injection of energy. The texture is full and well-balanced throughout. It’s a well-structured and smooth-flowing piece. Great sense of atmosphere and blending. That arpeggiated synth you use at the beginning and during the last 30 seconds sounds a bit generic to me, but the way you use it in the piece is well-done regardless. If I had to complain about one thing composition-wise, it’s that I would’ve liked to hear another more legato melodic section later in the piece, like the one at 1:08. Still, there’s just not a lot to criticize here. Keep up the great work, guys! :)

9.5/10

[Anima]

Oh wow...I knew this matchup would be good. Excellent sense of atmosphere at the beginning. Something about the inflection of the vocals makes them seem religious in a way - they just carry an amazing amount of power, partly due to the reverb. The layering at :15 is great, and I also like the lyrics themselves, simplistic though they are. The injection of energy at :40 caught me a little off guard, and the volume/filtering automation at :38 with the vocals was both unnatural-sounding and lazy as a transition IMO. I think it would be a little more subtle to have some of the instrumental elements of :40 bleed into the texture gradually. Maybe it’s just me, but the electronic texture there was not what I was expecting at all. I like the vocals as they start to make their way into the texture again, and the sub-bass was a nice touch. The melodies at 1:38 are also pretty cool. Your instruments always blend so well together, and I appreciate the full, well-balanced texture here. I wish you had added a bit more structural variety later in the piece - it has a sense of continuous energy from the 1-minute mark to 3:30, and I would’ve liked to see you create more dynamic contrast in there. My reaction to :40 was overblown, but you also have another transition at 3:32 that could’ve been a bit smoother. The flute at 3:34 also was a bit of a sudden addition to the texture - I’m generally skeptical of instruments that are introduced for the first time during the last 30 seconds of a piece. Overall, the sound design and atmosphere really won me over with this piece. The production quality is also quite strong. I’ve nitpicked a lot at some of the structural elements here, but the melodic content, mastering, and rather unique instrumentation are all huge boons of the piece. Keep it up, Etherealwinds! ;)

9/10

[Lighthearted]

I like the bouncy, upbeat vibe at the beginning. The progression is cool - the low energy section at :55 contrasts nicely with the frantic part at 1:05. The percussion didn’t do much for me, though. It sounds really dry and unpolished, and I wish you did more with it. I thought the change-of-pace at 1:55 was a bit abrupt - hard to anticipate it without much foreshadowing. It’s a cute and fun piece, but I think you could’ve done a bit more with it. Given that it’s a solo instrument piece, I think it needs a bit more phrasing and dynamic contrast to really hit it home. The ending is rather abrupt too. Overall, I commend you doing something so different from what I’m used to seeing from you. I appreciate the balanced use of frequencies and the cheerful melodic content. Keep at it, Noisysundae. ;)

8.5/10

Noisysundae responds:

I admit that I had no idea how to end this, given the time left before the deadline. :P
I cut the bass off that snare sample, that might be why it's so dry. Hmmm, looks like the subtle reverb I added didn't make up for this. :(

[Discord Server On Saturn]

I like the ambient plodding sounds at the beginning and the warm pads. I think the lead at :24 might’ve needed a bit more reverb to blend in with the atmosphere, though. I like the progression at around :40, but by :44 is a bit too loud and the snare is a little quiet. It sounded like the progression was straying a bit too far from its owner by 1:45, so I’m glad you offered a re-intro there. The details in here are really well done, from the puttering white noise to the radio effects at 2:17. The piano at 3:05 had a great, warm sound, but I wished you had foreshadowed its entrance a little better. I’m generally skeptical of new instruments that are introduced during the last 30 seconds of a track. Overall, the piece doesn’t quite come together for me - there’s no emotional height during the second half, and little cohesion overall. You nailed the mood, atmosphere, and sound design. Some structural repetition would help this piece a lot, though. Keep at it, 1f1n1ty. ;)

8.75/10

Onefin responds:

There are no new instruments entering in the last 30 seconds, those are all things you've heard before. Except the piano. That was new

EDIT: I don't remember if I was joking or if I was just dumb, but I just repeated Tainted's exact point \_\

[A City Not Forsaken]

I like the warm atmosphere at the beginning. The vocals are gorgeous. The progression is a little slow towards the beginning, but I like the tranquil piano that comes in at around the 1-minute mark. Nice use of phrasing at 1:35. You’re definitely giving the piece a strong sense of direction, and the synths that fade in at around 2:15 were an intriguing and quirky touch. The instrumentation takes another drastic turn at 3:35, and I like the vocals at 3:48 a lot - they’re very smooth and soulful. That said, I can’t help but be turned off a bit by the lack of cohesion of the piece. There are distinct sections, all with very distinct sound designs, that are only loosely connected. At 3:35, you appear to fade out the piano, only to fade in the guitar, almost as if this track is an album preview, playing short clips of several songs in turn. I don’t think that’s the effect you want the structuring to have on the listener. Despite the thematic similarities between the sections of the piece, I think you need a little more repetition to keep the listener grounded. I also thought that the vocals at 3:48 constituted the first example of a prominent melody in the piece, which is problematic. Furthermore, the panning on the guitar was a bit too off-center for my tastes. The guitar provides a clear pulse that gives the piece a lot of drive and, as such, I think it should be mostly front-and-center. That said, the production quality here is great overall. Despite my criticisms, there are a lot of strong attributes of this piece: the emotion and atmosphere, the mastering, the excellent blending of your instruments (especially during the first half of the piece). I’m a stickler for structuring, though, and it was hard for me to ignore the fact that this track sounds like at least 2 different pieces. I commend you for taking that risk, but it didn’t pay off for me, I’m afraid. Nice work nevertheless! I’m looking forward to hearing your future tracks. :)

8.25/10

Phonometrologist responds:

Greetings TL,
You are quite right in pointing out some of its flaws in its current state, but you and I both arrive at different responses. Oh how boring music can be if one didn't take the risks to stray away from what one is taught and what one ought to do with sound! If given more time, I would have made the transitions more seamless, but I literally wrote the first half of the piece the day it was due and spliced the two pieces together 20 minutes before the deadline. The beginning comes naturally whereas I spent a lot of time chipping away what would eventually be the latter half of the song. Even then, and as jarring it may seem, I couldn't help but smile and laugh to how it turned out. Why not? Of course I can write a piece with more uniformity, but consider it a dream yet to be and yet to come as the scenes of a devastated, forgotten city finds life once again forevermore.
In terms of the technical and a mixing choice I made, the guitar being off centered comes from a retro perspective. I could have stacked the guitars, but decided not to at the time of recording. Even now, I was just listening to Space Oddity by David Bowie where his acoustic guitar is entirely played in the right speaker. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I still plan on updating this track now that I have the time to do so.

Cheers

[Battle Born]

I like the guitars and the energy at the beginning. The vocals in the background at :11 were a nice touch, too, although the chord progression is a little cliche. The vocals at :32 had a lot of intensity, and a great raspy edge. I also like the lyrics themselves a lot. The instrumental section at 2:11 was a great relief from the continuity of the vocals. The vocals are also much more up-front in the mix this time, so I commend you for that! As always, the production quality is top-notch. If I had to complain about something composition-wise, it might be that the second refrain “on we ride, on we fight…” could’ve used some variety when compared to the first one. Still, I’m exceedingly impressed with this track. The instrumentation, the theme, the mastering, the emotion - it’s all there. By all means, keep it up, guys! ;D

9.5/10

[In the Mist]

I like the tranquil, bassy intro. Has a quirky pulsing vibe, and also leaves you a lot of space for climax later on. The progression is a little slow, and the basswork suddenly drops out at around the 1-minute mark. The minimalism was wearing on me after a while - I think you needed to introduce some drums earlier to give this piece a little more drive. Same with melodic content. The beat pattern at 1:45 is really cool, though. I like the climax into 2:14, but the minimalism there was really underwhelming. Same with 5:15. I think anti-climaxes like that are best when the lead-up to them are not minimalistic themselves. The transition back into the floaty synths at 3:17 also seemed a bit lazy, and the very end of the piece is rather abrupt. Perhaps this piece is fitting for a DJ intro number or club mix, but as a stand-alone composition it leaves much to be desired. Solid work with the sound design, atmosphere, and mixing. I’d highly recommend putting more effort into your compositions, though. Keep at it, Voltus! ;)

6.75/10

Voltus responds:

thank you for your feedback and thank you for the time and effort you and all the judges put into this contest! I wish you good fun for the final round. :)