TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Willow Wasteland: Fantasia]

I like the dreamy strings and atmosphere at the beginning. The pause at :15 actually worked pretty well (usually I don’t like transitions that disrupt the flow of a piece). The melodies at :28 were beautiful. Excellent pacing and atmosphere throughout. The production quality is also really impressive. Glad I inspired the “lack of continuity” here so-to-speak - not exactly what I meant, but this piece is still rather impressive. I would’ve liked to see you wear down the first movement a little more - it just didn’t have quite as much shape at the end as I would’ve liked. The second movement is beautiful in its own way. The mood is just engrossing, and I love the synthetic elements that bleed in at around 3:30. Another surprise in the instrumentation at 4:28, but wow those melodies are beautiful. I appreciated how the 2nd movement flowed a bit better into the 3rd, even if the climax at 5:58 didn’t quite reach the level of energy at 5:59 on its own (is that hypocritical, given my request for breaks in continuity? Maybe…) I also thought the very ending was a little underwhelming and came on too suddenly. Overall, amazing work, of course. You’ve taken some huge risks here with the composition and sound design, and they paid off very well. Instant favorite and DL. I was thoroughly entertained throughout these 7 minutes. You being paired up with Garlagan was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. XD  Keep up the great work, Phono! ;)

9.5/10

Phonometrologist responds:

Hey TL, I appreciate the thorough review. I don't disagree with any of it as the points you make are well-taken. This has given me ideas for what to do in the future, so thank you.

[Vaeltaja]

I love the tranquil moods and harmonies. Strong progression, too. A couple of the transitions here could’ve been smoother, like :37 and 3:21. The melodic content is great, and you do a good job of balancing the frequencies. Your orchestral samples are pretty good, but the uniform vibrato stills gives away their inauthenticity. I enjoyed the modulation at 2:10, too. Your mastering skills have improved considerably since “Tenebrarius,” although some of the string notes could sound a bit more distinct at 1:45.  Overall, the piece is very flowing, but lacks coherence (you knew that was coming). Make sure to let Jordi know that the vocals at 3:24 were great, btw. Tiny detail: I think the piano at the beginning is just a tad too strong - I thought I heard a little distortion, but it could just be an excess of reverb. At any rate, I think it would help you add a tad more shape at the beginning to fade it in more. How’s that for grossly specific, huh? All the same, this is a really strong piece. Keep it up, guys! ;)

8.75/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the very fast review!

I agree with the transition at 0:37 to some extent. I think maybe we should've incorporated a short break there?

As for 3:21, I think the transition is quite good. Especially if you don't read the description before the piece; the vocals are meant to come as an added bonus at the end. So the fact that the transition isn't entirely predictable and smooth and might catch the listeners attention, is a good thing.

I do think that SnowTeddy's mastering and mixing has improved indeed! The only part that I, LSD, mixed, is the part with the vocals at the end, and some atmospheric additions there and there. That said, we did talk about things, and agree upon the mix and what should be changed and all that. Collaborations can take a bit longer because of it, but it's also a great learning opportunity :D

There is no distortion nor clipping at the start; perhaps the piano sample just doesn't sound entirely right to you? It's a felt piano, so there could be some unexpected resonances here and there.

As for coherence, I have one long winded critique for all judges (even more so reviewers). Please bear with me.
It's easy to say that something lacks coherency, but if you're going to, do specify what it means to you, in that particular instance. Coherence can be interpreted in many ways. Is it the structure? The mixing? The instrumentation? The arrangement? The chord choises? The progression? The atmosphere? Something else? All of it?

Coherence in what, when, where, why? By definition, everything both lacks coherence, and has it. The word coherence is related to the words understand and interpret, or could even be connected to not being able to place something in a common formula, meaning one mentally has to create a new one. Is this bad, or good, and why? Breaking it down further, coherence is related to the goal or aim of something. Does that mean that the incoherent thing in question deviates from the set goal?

If that is the case, the person feeling that somemthing is incoherent has already defined (internally) what they feel the objective of that something was, and that the thing that's critiqued does in fact not follow suit, in regards to that objective.

Especially because said objective might not be the same for the composer and listener, when it comes to something as subjective as music, I wish you would specify exactly what you in particular feel when you essentially say, you don't feel the track is logical and consistent (the definition of coherence); you could exemplify what it is or isn't logical and consistent, to you.

Otherwise, it's about as helpful as saying you like something, or don't like it. Which by all means, already is somewhat helpful.

Sorry about the rant! But I keep seeing that word (which really means next to nothing on its own) in reviews all over the place, and I thought it could be interesting to have a discussion about it!

Thank you a lot for so actively judging everything in multiple competitions, while taking the time to write reviews as well. That's strongly done.

[The rise of the machine]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning, as well as the ominous tint. The progression with the heavy guitars is enjoyable. I like how you contrasted the energy and passion throughout the piece, although the slower part at :58 lacks a strong sense of direction IMO, and also drags on a bit long. Much of the piece is pretty minimalistic, despite the appeal of the atmosphere and mood. The rhythmic elements of the piece are good, but I definitely think you needed another melodic section towards the end to hit the piece home. The repetition of the riff at the beginning wears on me after a while, and the piece doesn’t really feel climactic or conclusive by the end. Strong start, but this needed more effort put into the composition. Keep at it, InYourDreams! ;)

8/10

[Dust Sweeper]

All of the hits during the first 10 seconds are a little cheesy, although I did enjoy the rhythmic elements at :10. I LOVE the lyrics - they have an air of mystery about them, yet they feel so relatable. I’m curious as to what exactly they refer to, but if you don’t want to share that’s fine. I commend you for trying something so new to you stylistically. Your voice is great - the vibrato is amazing, and it has a cool retro vibe. Sometimes the vocals feel a little strained, though, like you ran out of breath. I think the mix might need a little cleaning up here, too. The drums need a bit more pop, and lose some distinction during the refrain at the 1-minute mark. I also wasn’t really sure the synth at :47 had a place in the texture here. The instrumental was a bit of a hodgepodge in general, actually, but again, I commend you for taking some risks in that regard. I think you could also use more bass in the piece, especially during the verses. After not much textural variety for the first couple of minutes, the pace changes almost without warning at 2:45. That drum fill didn’t quite do enough to foreshadow it IMO. I did enjoy the frantic melodies there, though. The tempo automations at 3:40 or so are amusing, but I would’ve liked to hear you do a little more with that final refrain at 3:55, just to give the piece a stronger sense of development. You’ve clearly put a lot of effort into this piece, but unfortunately I don’t think a lot of the risks you took here paid off for you. I think my favorite elements of the piece are actually the rhythmic elements, most notably the creative drum part and pulsing solo at 2:45. Overall solid work. Keep at it, LunacyEcho! ;)

8/10    

LunacyEcho responds:

=> first 10 seconds =>

Haha that was inspired by "404", an NGADM '14 track by SkyeWint and camoshark!

=> lyrics =>

Your interpretation is up to you ;)

=> mix =>

Yeah I think that's the biggest downside to the track—I mixed with 1. terrible earphones and 2. no knowledge on how to do a good mixing :P

=> changes without warning 2:45 =>

I was wondering whether to lead into that more, or just to jump into it. I eventually settled on this because I was modeling it off of prog rock bands like Rush or Dream Theater, who do this kinda thing rather frequently.

=> final refrain =>

That's another thing I was considering doing! I was going back and forth about whether or not to play the chorus one more time with some variations, but eventually decided the song had dragged on enough as it was.

Thanks for the review, and apologies for responding a month late! :) And keep up the great work you're doing for NGADM :D

[Getting Started]

I like the sense of climax into :13 and the sound design. Good use of the entire frequency range here. The piece has a dreamy, atmospheric quality that works well with the upbeat mood. I like the way the riff at 1:08 gradually climbs up the scale. Still, I really think this piece needed to be fleshed out more. Some stronger melodic content would also have helped a lot. Despite the atmosphere, it has a lot of pizzicato-y elements without many legato sounds for contrast. The loop is smooth, although overall I think this piece is lacking compositionally. The production quality is high, but the structural and arranging elements needed some more effort. Keep at it, Noisysundae. ;)

7.75/10

[War and Peace]

The nature FX at the beginning was pretty quiet, and I think the (electric piano?) at :20 has a bit too much attack. The tranquil mood and atmosphere were great, though. The vocals were amazing, of course. Very smooth and reassuring - they fit the mood well. The thematic elements of the piece are really enjoyable, too - avoiding conflict in a deathmatch, while getting samples from your opponents. :)  The minimalism adds to the emotional quality of the piece, yet by around the 2-minute mark I was itching for a little more textural fill. The lyrics themselves are quite strong, though, and I love the melodic content in the piece. I think the part at 4:20 is my favorite (no marijuana reference intended). The vocal riffs there were just really calming and flowy. I did think that there were a couple of transitions that might’ve needed a little smoothing over in the piece, such as 4:45. The sense of climax, however subtle, the piece has at 4:45 is great, though. I think you could’ve done more to add some more emotional heights and energy to the piece at times, especially since it’s so long, but overall this is stunning work. Great job with the atmosphere, mood, and instrumentation. I couldn’t help but admire the production quality as well. Keep it up, Etherealwinds! ;)

9/10

[Colossal Encounter]

I like the drama at the beginning, and the vocals fit the texture well. The progression is a little slow, and I think you needed some stronger transitions at some points (1:11, 2:13, etc.). The melodic content was enjoyable, but overall I think you could’ve done a lot more compositionally with this piece. It has a great cinematic vibe, but the harmonic work is a little underwhelming for the first minute and a half or so. I also thought the percussion could sound a bit more distinct and powerful in the mix. Overall, it’s a cool track that could use a lot more shape and flavor. Keep at it, AceMantra! ;)

8/10

AceMantra responds:

I agree with all your points. The mindset I had with this piece was more "get it done" rather than "make it the best I possibly can" and it shows. While they are both important, a healthy balance of both is ideal.
Thanks for the review! I will certainly keep your feedback in mind for future compositions. :)

[Slowing Down]

I like the quirky atmosphere at the beginning and the blissful mood. Stellar sound design. The vocals are really smooth, and I love the breaks at :45. The production quality is superb. Sometimes the articulation on the vocals could be clearer, but the cutesy nature of the vocals at 1:02 really won me over. Well-structured and smooth-flowing piece. I love the percussion at 2:05, and the chant-like vocals at 2:27 fit in really well too. You might’ve needed a smoother transition into 2:45, but overall the progression is great. Honestly, this piece probably has the best mood of any piece I’ve reviewed for the ADM so far this year. It actually made me laugh out loud because it was so cheerful and quirky. Really strong work here, Garlagan! ;)

9.5/10

garlagan responds:

thanks for the feedback tl!

[Gottcha]

Catchy piece. The chord progression is a little cliche, as are several of the synths. The descending synth pattern at :55 was a little absurd, and the (drop?) at 1:24 was very minimalistic, and could’ve used some more high frequency tones to fill out the texture. You also needed a stronger transition at 1:49. The production quality is strong, although I really needed to hear some stronger melodic content and more development in the 2nd half of this piece. It has a bit of a stagnant structure, and overall is rather generic. There are some strong attributes of the atmosphere and rhythmic components, but I think this piece needed a lot more effort put into the composition. Keep at it, JaThu! :)

6.25/10

JaThu responds:

First of all thanks, and yes, it's mostly a basic piece with not much love. That's all in fact, thanks for the review and ofcourse I'm going to expand this later, make it more "songish"

[A Whisper From The Heart.]

I like the emotion at the beginning, especially with the floaty piano synth arpeggios. It certainly has a simplistic texture, but the simplistic texture gives it a lot of emotion too. The melodic content is strong here, and it’s very flowing and structurally coherent, which is good. I think you could’ve put more effort into the composition, despite the emotionally driven simplicity, but overall you won me over with this won. Keep at it, ColinMuir. ;)

8.5/10