TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Drawing the Curtain (NGUAC FINAL ENTRY)]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning. There’s a bit of a stereo blip at the very beginning - not sure if that’s a recording issue, or what? The first 20 seconds feel a bit furtive and understated, but you really open things up at :28, which is rather effective. The piece is slow to progress and a tad minimal, but I really like the sound design and melodies. You also have a couple of abrupt transitions in here - the entry of the guitar at 1:17 in particular caught me off guard. The mix is also very quiet, and overall I think you could do more with dynamic contrast to fully capitalize on the emotional appeal of this piece. After a while, the main melody gets a tad repetitive - adding some variations on it later in the piece might help keep the listener engaged. I like the outro a lot, though - it’s both dreamy and sad at the same time. Really beautiful piece overall, GlowBoy. You’ve done your Nonna a great honor by making it.

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

GlowBoyMusic responds:

Thank you so mich for your review, and for having me in this years NGUAC! I am so proud of everyone who participated, and I cannot wait for next year.

As for the slight audio glitch at the beginning…I have no idea what this is either! It happened upon upload OR during MP3 conversion, since it is not present in the main project file :o maybe someone with a knack in music tech can explain here?

Oversll, thank you for this incredible opportunity, and for giving us all the chance to show our potential!

Mad love, Glow.

[Geekum - Too Long]

I like the atmosphere. The quirky lead synth has me torn - sounds a bit cheesy on the one hand, but also fits the mood of the piece rather well. The prominent bass and sound effects (especially the eagle screech) are nice touches too. The harmonies could use a bit more variety at some point, and by the end the piece sounds very repetitive. At the very least, switching up some of the main riffs during the last minute or so would’ve helped give this piece a stronger sense of overarching direction. I was also a bit confused by the “last hurrah” at 2:35 - seems like you didn’t quite find a place to smoothly integrate that into the rest of the piece. Overall, this is a catchy and well-produced track with some neat sound design, but it could also use some compositional elements that are bolder and more dynamic. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Geekum! It was an absolute pleasure. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Around The World]

I like the mysterious tone towards the beginning. The way the reverb cuts out suddenly after the big swell at :03 threw me off a bit, but I like the strings at :30 and the flute melodies shortly thereafter. The texture is a bit minimal towards the beginning, but the piece really falls together nicely by :52. The mix is pretty clear, but very quiet. Love the 7/4 time signature too - the pattern of rhythmic emphasis gives the piece a very organic and flowing feel, almost like a river. The tranquil breakdown at 1:39 is lovely, and I enjoyed the gradual swell in energy through about 2:02. I might’ve liked to hear more of the percussion in the mix at times during this middle section, but otherwise the sound design is great. The part at 2:22 is really nice, too. Is that a lute? Or a mandolin? Sounds like an acoustic guitar and a banjo had a baby. Anyway, the final melodic section hits the piece home nicely, and overall I really like the evocative tone and well-varied instrumentation in this piece. Thanks so much for coming out to the NGUAC this year, GDRH1988! Been a pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

GDRyuHayabusa1988 responds:

Thank you for your reviews! Glad to see that I'm still continue becoming better at music :)

[(NGUAC '23 Final Round) The Final Act]

The guitars at :26 are great. The choir sounds a bit inauthentic, though, and the pacing of the chords at the beginning is a bit fast for my tastes. The mix sounds a bit overwhelmed at :51 - the harmonies aren’t very distinct from each other, and the drums could’ve been a tad more up-front in the texture. There are also a couple of abrupt transitions in close succession at 1:40 and 1:43. The individual guitar riffs are really nice, and I also like the atmospheric parts like at 2:05. The mix just feels pretty strained when the atmosphere is playing together with the drums and guitar. I really like the string breakdown at 2:36 and the rich texture at 3:00. The pause that followed at 3:24 was a bit awkward, but I enjoyed it when the guitar came back in. The solo at 3:55 is especially good, but also deserves to be more prominent in the mix.

Much of the rest of the piece follows the same pattern: really good guitar riffs and compelling atmospheric content, but a relatively loose mix and some abrupt transitions. I’d suggest looking into some stereo widening or other mixing techniques that could temper the muddiness caused by the atmospheric instruments. Anything that would keep the melodies more front-and-center in the mix would help. Adding some more compression on the drums could also help.

Still, you did a lot of ambitious work here with the composition, and it shows. The sound design and melodies are fantastic overall. Tighten up the mix and make the arrangement a bit less choppy (more gradual transitions, drum fills, sweeps and drum fills in choice places, etc.), and this piece would be truly top-notch. Regardless, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, FourTHat3! Been an absolute pleasure. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Remembering Our Journey]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning. The dissonance at :10 is a nice touch too. The melodies at :46 are really beautiful, although part of me wanted to hear more of the harmonies in the mix. The jazzy chords between 1:26 and 1:50 or so help spice up the piece nicely. The composition is really lovely, but also a bit understated at times - the texture is pretty minimal during the section between the refrains, even considering this is a piano solo. Of course, you know how to channel the emotion well towards the end. The final refrain at 2:22 felt very cathartic, and the soft echo of the main melody at 3:05 was a lovely way of concluding the piece. Overall, the fact that you made a piece like this in the “last few hours” before the deadline is a testament to your immense talent. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Everratic! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[4th Entity]

I like the upbeat mood at the beginning and the jazzy piano chords. The piece is a bit slow to progress at first, and the mix sounds a bit distorted at around :40, but there’s a good sense of build-up into :55. The lead synth at :55 sounds a bit harsh in the mix, and overcompression may be part of the problem. In fact, a significant portion of the sound design sounds a bit unpolished here. The arrangement, chord progression, and aspects of the sound design (especially the drums) are a bit generic, but the production quality holds up well overall. The bridge at 1:41 was good for some variety, and the bass line at the outro at 2:15 or so is really delicious. Overall, like you alluded to in the author’s description, I don’t think this is your best work, but you still got my foot tapping and showed off your production skills with this one. Pleasure having you in the NGUAC this year, entropicvoxels! Keep it up, and good luck with school. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[nguac final submission]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning and the crisp drums at :15. The piece is a bit slow to progress, and could use some more variety in the harmonies in particular. The creepy atmosphere is nice, although the mix sounds rather bottom-heavy overall, with not a lot of upper-mid-range frequencies to counterbalance the arpeggios, piano, bass, and kick. The production quality holds up pretty well, but with the fairly minimal texture that might not mean much. Overall, the composition is pretty bland and needs a stronger sense of progression, but the sound design and rhythmic content are cool. Keep at it, emersonkid! Pleasure having you in the NGUAC this year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Gazing Ball]

I like the bouncy beat and dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The subbass is a bit loud IMO - the mix feels a bit bottom-heavy between that and the kick rolls. The rest of the sound design is great, though. I especially like the church bells during the intro and the synth melody at :45 that sounds like a woodwind instrument. The tranquil breakdown at 1:28 was great, and the majestic synth guitar at 1:39 is yet another strong addition to the instrumental palette. The pace of the piece is a bit slow at times, especially during the middle section (1:39 - 2:23), and one thing you might consider is switching up the drum pattern more substantially at some point. After a while, the arrangement feels a tad formulaic, with the copy-paste atmospheric section at the end and a very rigid harmonic structure throughout. Still, you absolutely nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and production quality here. Thanks so much for coming out to the NGUAC, Ellie! ^_^

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

[shopping at the mall]

Love the prominent bass and jazzy flair of this one. The drums are a bit flat, and could use some more compression or something to make them “pop” in the mix more. Otherwise, the production quality is fine, and the groovy synth melodies and slidey bass riffs seriously get my foot tapping. Overall, you’re right that the mixing isn’t perfect, but it’s hard to go overboard with synth melodies in my book. :D Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Crysstal712! Been a pleasure having you.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Crysstal712 responds:

thank you for the opportunity, i'll be here next year!

[Superior Magnetic]

I like the rich strings at the beginning and the robotic-sounding atmosphere. The synth bass at :22 is a nice touch, and the rhythmic content of this piece is especially creative. The guitar at :47 was a pleasant surprise. There’s a plethora of reverb in the texture, and the drums get rather lost in the mix for most of the piece. The softer tone of the strings at 1:30 comes on a bit suddenly, but the ensuing 30 seconds or so served as a nice breakdown to contrast with the heavy bass and dense texture beforehand. Love the synth melodies at 2:02 as well. The distortion at 2:12 sounds a bit harsh in the mix, but the atmosphere around it helps soften the blow. Overall, you’ve put together another ambient beauty, Cresince. Congratulations, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC again this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Cresince responds:

It's always a blast to compose for these competitions. I always learn so much from the wonderful judges, and I hope I can keep improving! Thank you for hosting such wonderful events!