TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Leaf Dance]

I like the calm mood at the beginning, and how it quickly devolves into apprehension. The mix isn’t very loud, and I think the piano riff gets really buried by the instruments that come in at :26. The samples also aren’t of great quality or authenticity. The composition has a nice flow and phrasing, but could use some stronger melodic content. The percussion that comes in at 1:21 is pretty weak and dry - I really think you need to look into mastering skills like equalization, compression, and panning. The piece also ended a bit abruptly, and doesn’t quite feel structurally complete. Overall, you have a good sense of harmony and progression. Please work on mixing and mastering as a priority. Keep at it, Austing93! ;)

5/10

[Relativity]

I like the atmospheric vibe at the beginning. I think the arpeggios need some of their treble tones equalized out. Otherwise, the piece is really well-balanced, and uses the frequency spectrum well. Nice job with the climax into :56, and the melodic content thereafter. While the drums are a little generic, they sit nicely in the mix - crisp and clear. I think the post-drop dragged on a little long (until 2:08, under my analysis). The piano melodies there were beautiful, though. You have a lot of talent for crafting atmospheres, my friend. I think the pacing is still a bit slow, but the part at 3:48 was beautiful once again. It disappointed me that you didn’t include much melodic development during the second half of the piece, but really that’s the only thing separating this piece from the 9-range. Keep up the good work, Attackofthetroy! :)

8.5/10

Attackofthetroy responds:

Wow thank you for the feedback! I'll be sure to look into some changes.

[That Tree Have A Face]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. I think the square bass line is a little too loud compared to the melodic content that’s at a higher register. Overall, this piece needs way more humanizing and variety. It has a drab sense of continuity where it could really use some dynamic contrast, phrasing, and structural relief. The melodic content is enjoyable, though. The transition at 1:38 threw me off a bit - there wasn’t anything that foreshadowed it at all. Same thing with the change in pacing at 1:58. Overall, the composition here is pretty weak, and that’s what’s really dragging this piece down IMO. You clearly have a good sense of harmony, but I think you need to consider implementing variety along more parameters, especially since this is a solo instrument piece. Keep at it, Ardakio2! :)

5/10

ardakio2 responds:

Thanks for the review, i should try to apply your tips and growing as musician, i hope be better the next year. Respect and thanks a lot cx.

[flow master]

I like the relaxed mood at the beginning. I like the injection of energy at :12. This piece has a cool atmosphere and sound design. There’s a lot of minimalism here, and I think it’s missing some melodic content. You have a good sense of rhythm, and the reverb was a nice touch. My main problem with the piece is that you could’ve done a lot more with the composition. It has little sense of direction, and probably needs more contrast in energy or dynamics throughout. I’m really torn about it because, again, the atmosphere is really well-crafted, and the piece has a lot of character. I think you needed some stronger melodic content and inventive structuring to really sell this piece, though. I’d encourage you to keep working on it, because I love the mood and instruments. Keep at it, Arbelamram! ;)

7.75/10

[Intergalactic Pop Tart Space Ship]

I like the sense of climax into :15. I think the synths are a little generic, and the sweeps seem a bit...undressed. There are a lot more creative things you could’ve done with them. The frantic melodies at :41 are pretty cool, and with a bit more of a build-up that could’ve been a really euphoric section. I like the section at 1:09 that strips away the energy, too. You have a good sense of phrasing and progression, and the racecar (I think?) FX that comes in at various points fits in well. It’s a shame you didn’t put a little more effort into the composition here, because this piece has a lot of potential. I’d suggest fleshing out the structure a little more and switching up the instrumentation. After that, this’ll be a killer track! Keep at it, AndChicken. ;)

7.5/10

[2+]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning. I think some of the synths and/or effects are a little harsh-sounding. I’d suggest removing some of the treble tones with an equalizer. I think the kick drum also had a bit too much treble for my tastes. The rap at :29 fits into the texture well. I didn’t think it was necessary to repeat it 4 times, but I did enjoy the refreshing, atmospheric texture at :58. Some of the instruments here are a little generic, but they still blend together really well. I also enjoyed the more minimalistic texture you concocted at 1:46 - it offered some nice structural contrast. The fade-out ending came across as a bit lazy, but overall the piece flows really well. I think you could’ve used some stronger melodic content here, despite the fact that you clearly have a good sense of harmony. There are a lot of arpeggiated riffs here that use really square rhythms - not exactly melodies in my book, but great for constructing the full, rich texture you have here. I also think the piece could use a little more cohesive structuring. Right now, there are certainly repeated ideas and themes, but they occur in a way that’s a little hard to predict, which isn’t really a good thing. Overall, killer atmosphere and sound design. I’d encourage you to think about some more compositional elements of the piece, as well as being a little stricter with equalization. Besides that, cool piece! I’ll give you a scout. ;)

8.25/10

[ALESDA! - Lifetime]

I like the smooth fade-in at the beginning. Right off the bat, you’ve done a good job of having a well-balanced texture, using the entire frequency range to your advantage. The build-up into :45 was great, but the section at :49 was a bit underwhelming IMO. The chord progression there was pretty cliche, somewhat made up for by the clean mixing and cool melodies. It got better once the melodies came in at around the 1-minute mark. The blissful mood contrasts nicely with the gritty mid-range bass instrument here. I enjoyed the structural relief at 2:37 and how that section really highlighted the melodic content in a way you hadn’t earlier in the piece. Perhaps I would’ve liked to see you channel the energy into a final build-up or refrain, but the contour of energy here is still pretty satisfying. Overall, this is a smooth-flowing and well-structured piece with some cool melodies and solid mixing. Keep it up, AleXizGD! ;)

9/10

[Inner Demons]

I like the spacey beginning. That instrument at the beginning sounds a little harsh in the upper register, though. I’d suggest removing some of those high-pitched tones with an equalizer. Despite being a short piece, you have a lot of minimalism in here. A lot of the instruments, particularly the drum samples, are quite generic, and I’m not hearing a lot of strong melodic content. You also overuse the transition with the snares at 2:07 (and other places). The riff that comes in at 2:35 sounds very square and repetitive, and I don’t think it quite functions how you want it to. Strong melodies usually have a more complicated contour than this, as well as some rhythmic variety. The piece is pretty catchy, and has a good sense of flow. My main problem with it is that the composition is very underwhelming. Please put more effort into giving your piece variety and harmonic depth. Keep at it, Akaruhime. :)

5.25/10

[Abendland - Forest Whisper]

I like the gentle tone of the beginning and bird samples. The piece has a bit of a square rhythm, and for much of the first minute or so the chords are what’s giving the piece its drive. I did enjoy the melodies that became prominent at around :30, though. The piece was very flowing, yet also had a dull sense of continuity that needed some more structural variety. I think the percussion at 1:25 sounded a bit indistinct. It could be that you need to tone down the wet reverb, or otherwise give in a little breathing room in the equalizer at some middle frequencies. I enjoyed the sense of climax into 1:58, although 2:28 was the real emotional height here. I think 2:28 reveals further mixing problems. The low percussion sound really muddy and distorted. I think part of the problem is that you need to equalize the other instruments of this piece more carefully, particularly removing the low frequencies on strings and melody instruments. This piece comes together pretty nicely composition-wise, although I’m still not a fan of the lack of change in energy and dynamics during the first half of the piece. You did a good job with the melodic content here, and I admire your sense of harmony and progression. Keep at it, Abendland! ;)

7.75/10

Abendland responds:

Thank you so much for your feedback! This means a lot to me and helps me to see und understand flaws within my music. I am not yet good enough to really understand all the aspects that form the music I'm making and its a more like a sort of trial and error Szenario. So your hints and tips are an excellente source for me to understand on which aspects I need to work.
All the best and have a good week,
Chris Abendland