TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[XS - Aurelius (NGADM '17)]

I like the sense of climax into :14, although the chord progression is a little generic. Really cool instrument at :14, but there are also some cliche elements to the sound design, like the mid-range bass at :44. I also wasn’t a huge fan of your piano or drum samples. Sorry - I’m going to talk about things besides the instrumentation now. I like the melodic content, but there’s a lot of minimalism in this piece, which I thought was a bit of a missed opportunity to create some richer textures. The mixing is very clean and well-balanced, and the piece is well-structured too. Unfortunately, the composition is just a little lack-luster, and the piece also could use some more originality. There are a lot of cool ideas here, but I think you just needed to spend some more time on the composition. Keep at it, Jimmypig! ;)

7.75/10

[Neurobop]

The piano and atmospheric synth mesh well together, but I really would’ve liked to see you craft a sense of direction into the first 30 seconds of this piece before the minimalistic drop strikes at :28. You have a good sense of harmony and structure, although I think you needed some more phrasing here. The breakdown at 1:09 with the echo-y piano was enjoyable. The mix is clean as well. My main problem here is that I think you should flesh out the structure more and give this piece some shape. Right now, there are a lot of transitions that rely on drum fills or stop-start changes in energy. Especially for the intro, I think you could do a better job of warming the listener up to the drop and, subsequently, foreshadowing the piano part at 1:09 a bit more. The structure feels a bit overly calculated in that way. That said, the mixing is strong, and I loved the atmosphere and mood of the piece. Keep it up, 5TanLey! :)

8.75/10

5TanLey responds:

song structure and transitions are my long time problems really, gotta work on that

thanks for the review :)

[Gravity Slam]

I love the energy and frantic guitar riffs at the beginning. The snare sounds a bit thin and quiet in the mix. I also thought you could’ve used a smoother transition at 2:19. My main problem with the piece is that it sounds uniformly energetic, which made it hard to keep my attention after a while. I think you should add more distinction to different parts of the structure by doing more creative things with the instrumentation and by trying to play with dynamics and phrasing a bit more. I also don’t think the piece felt very conclusive by the end. You’re clearly a talented guitarist, but at this point the composition really needs to be more than just a compilation of intense riffs. That’s a bit harsh, of course - obviously, there’s a well-thought out arrangement to the piece, but you could really keep the listener grounded in that arrangement more with some variation in the energy and dynamics. Keep at it, TSRBand! :)

8/10

TSRBand responds:

Thanks for the detailed review! Will be sure to keep experimenting :)

[Seres]

I like the relaxed mood and progression towards the beginning. The instrumentation wasn’t my favorite, though. The instrument at the beginning sounds a little generic, and the synth at :14 is very high-pitched and harsh-sounding. It might need a bit more treble taken off in the equalizer, because I think it could sound a lot more smooth and mellow to fit the easygoing vibe of the piece. That said, I did like the rhythmic variety and dense harmonies by around :35. You craft a gradual decrease in energy really well here, but the glitchy content at around 1:20 threw me off a bit - it didn’t seem to vibe well with the smooth-flowing nature of the piece up to that point. The piece sound pretty dark all of a sudden by 1:30 or so, yet 2:07 once again has a cathartic feel. Don’t get me wrong: all of the details in the phrasing and sound design here are fantastic, but the piece just simply has very little coherence. I also thought there were several moments of minimalism here that could be fleshed out a lot more. At the very least, I do recognize 4:28 as a repeated section, and the piece has a good sense of resolve by the end. The thing that bothers me most about this piece is the somewhat patched-together nature of the structure. The melodic content is amazing, and the mix is very clean. We’re both acutely aware that you’re facing Bassfiddlejones, but you should be immensely proud of this piece. Keep up the good work, 1f1n1ty!

8.75/10  

Onefin responds:

Hey TL. Your review covered pretty much all the things I thought it was going to :P

Like there were three big things on my checklist and you just ticked them all, no more no less

[Endowment]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. It’s a little slow to progress, and the string sample at :45 was a little inauthentic - the uniform vibrato is a dead giveaway that’s not a real instrument. I like the melodic content in the strings, although the texture is very slow to change during the first couple of minutes of this piece. The string arpeggios at 1:45 could also sound a bit more distinct - I’d suggest being a little stricter with the equalization there. The staccato ambient synth that comes in at 1:56 is really cool. The first true emotional height of the piece is at 2:30, and I find it’s quite enjoyable and energetic. The breakdown at 3:20 was a nice structural touch, although (again) the sample isn’t the best. I also thought it sounded pretty unnatural the way it faded out by 3:40. Personally, 4:28 was probably my favorite part of the piece - I like how it exposes those quirky synths and has a lot of tension, even in the minimalism. That section also made the second climax at around the 5-minute mark feel especially cathartic. The part at 5:21 was a bit of an unexpected progression. Given how long this piece is, I’m not sure that it was necessary. There are a lot of twists and turns during the last minute or so of this piece, and I’m not sure all of them paid off for you. You could’ve used 5:49 as a stop-start transition right at 5:20, without the bizarre interlude in between. Still, that’s a little picky. Overall, this piece is strong. The texture is nice and full, and it has a great sense of atmosphere. Keep at it, Ectisity! :)   

8.25/10

EctiBot responds:

Thanks again for the detailed feedback :D.
The part at 5:21 definetley sound forced. I really wanted to have that part in there, but didn't find a natural transition.
Really glad you liked it, and thx for the review :).

[The Afterlust]

I like the bright tone at the beginning and the powerful chords. The vocals are really smooth and rich, and overall the song is just really easy to listen to. The lyrics themselves are also pretty good, although they take a bit of a jarring turn in implication at 1:36. The pacing of the lyrics was also a bit slow, making the piece seem a bit dragged-out (it’s almost 5 minutes, after all). I also like how the second refrain at 3:09 was much more full-textured than the first, giving the piece a nice sense of direction. I really like the solo at 4:00, and the “hey-ey-ey” vocal motif is great throughout. The piece is really well-structured and smooth-flowing overall, and the mixing is top-notch. Perhaps the instrumentation here wasn’t as creative as it’s been in the past with your pieces, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. The lyrics are really relatable, and I can’t help but think they’re almost an extension of your last piece. The protagonist wanted to put his ambitions in front of his emotional connections, but he can’t help but realize how others have contributed to his success. Really powerful work. Keep it up, FinnMK! :)

9.5/10

FinnMK responds:

Thanks for the tips as always!

[Rushing into Deepness]

I like the instrumentation and atmosphere. The gritty bass at :11 and sharp percussion at :23 are particularly enjoyable. It’s a little slow to develop, although I like the melodic content in the piano at 1:08. That said, you also go a long while (roughly a minute) without changing the texture until the bass comes back in at around 1:58. You did a good job of filling out the texture throughout, though, and the mixing is quite strong. My main problem with it is that the latter half of the piece lacks an emotional height or refrain that adds resolve. I think you channel the energy well here, but the lack of strong melodic development later in the piece makes the last ⅓ or so sound a bit underwhelming. Still, I really enjoyed the attention to detail in the composition and sound design. Keep it up, Adjeye! :)

9.25/10

Adjeye responds:

Thanks for the feedback :), it is much appreciated. I wanted to create a sort of suspense and contrast between a bit more quietness and then the dynamic build of the drums after 1:58, too bad it didn't come out as strong as I would have wanted.

[Timekeeper]

I like the atmosphere you provided at the beginning and the tranquil piano that fades in shortly thereafter. Nice use of reverb on the piano and the subtle percussion in the background. The pace of the piece is very slow, and the crash at 1:04 seemed a little exaggerated. I did like the sense of climax, though. At around the 2-minute mark, I’m really itching for some more melodic content. I do like how you wove the theme of clocks into the piece, and the emotional outro at 3:57 really hits this piece home. The string riff at 1:37 is melodic, but it’s made to blend in with the vocals, and the way you phrased it made it feel transitional more than cathartic as an emotional height. You have a habit of saving all of the resolve in your pieces until the very end, which might not be a bad thing right now, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind if your pieces are much longer than this. The one-climax model is risky in that it relies on keeping the listener engaged for a long period of time in which not much is going on. That said, the compositional risks you took here largely paid off IMO. The mix seems a tiny bit strained at around 3:30 - I’d encourage you to go easy on the reverb - but otherwise I didn’t notice any major problems there. Overall, this is a really enjoyable piece with a strong atmosphere, theme, and sound design. Keep it up, Papkee!

9.25/10

[Battle In The Halls]

I like the smooth, easygoing vibe at the beginning. However, I don’t think that vibe meshed very well with the vocals - there was a lot of vocal layering/chorus effects that gave the vocals a really gruff sound. It just seemed a little overdone in that regard. I don’t think my issue is with the vocals themselves, just the way they were mixed. They probably need to have the high-mids boosted a little, just to give them a bit more distinction and avoid the gruff overtone. The pacing is good, and I like the lyrics a lot. The mix could use some sharpening - the weak snare especially caught my attention. I really like the solos at around 2:28, but I think they drag on for a bit too long. The second half of the piece also doesn’t feel too climactic. I know this is a long piece already, but it felt like you ended it right after a verse - it just wasn’t very conclusive in its instrumental content. I’ve picked at some smaller details here, but overall I admire your organic sound design and sense of flow and harmony. Keep at it, Ceevro! :)

8.5/10

Ceevro responds:

Thanks. I lost by .03, which tells me that those tiny details can make all the difference!

[Codename: Tom Selleck (NGADM '17)]

The fade-in at the beginning struck me as a bit lazy, but I did enjoy the catchy riffs and energy at :13. The build-up during the first minute or so is good, but I think you needed a stronger transition at :59. The melodic content there is enjoyable, though, and I enjoyed the transition at 1:25. I also enjoyed the melodic content at around 2:36, although I would’ve liked to hear a little more structural variety in the latter ⅔ of the piece or so. It has a near-constant sense of energy and drive that could use some variety. I also think the mix could use a little more clarity at 3:48 - the harmonies just seem to be straining to get attention. I also thought the ending was a tad bit rushed. You just seemed to be arriving at this really cathartic melodic section, and then it ended. Overall, though, I’m impressed with your effort here. The melodies are really enjoyable, and you keep the texture nice and full throughout. Keep at it, JDawg00100! :)

8.75/10