TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[White Lies]

I like the bright piano riff at the beginning. It has a nice sense of climax into :22, and the vocals are refreshing. The drop at :48 was full-textured and energetic and catchy, but it didn’t add much to the progression of the piece, using the same chords in a similar arrangement as was heard earlier in the piece. I also thought your kick sample had a bit too much treble, but that’s a small detail. The drop also drags on for a bit too long IMO, especially since you kept that same 2-measure chord progression the entire time. I appreciated the structural relief you offered at 1:53, although you could’ve used a less abrupt transition into that point. I like the melody at 2:03 a lot, although I think it gets a little buried in the mix when the vocals come in at 2:23. Otherwise, the mixing here was pretty strong. The second drop section was also enjoyable, although I would’ve liked to see you develop some of the themes of the piece more. The chord progression really needs some variety, and some more melodic development and innovative sound design couldn’t hurt. Other than that, this is a solid piece with some cool melodies and a diverse use of frequencies. Keep at it, 10Kmusic. ;)

8.25/10

[Hoes]

Dude, I'm not judging your group, but I gotta say - you've caused quite a stir in the judges' doc. This piece is hilarious. Excellent articulation and delivery on the vocals. You clearly are a talented rapper. The instrumental is a bit lacking in variety, but the mix is clean. Unfortunately, I'm not sure a piece that clearly has comedic intentions is appropriate for the NGUAC, but for what it is it's a really enjoyable track. Keep doing you, man. ;)

[Anytown, RPG]

I like the cute mood and progression. Some of the synths sound a bit harsh in my headphones. I might suggest taking a bit more treble off of the lead. Other than that, it's really flowy and melodic, and the loop is smooth. Good use of panning, and I liked the drum instruments a lot. Definitely fitting for a videogame. :)

ChronoNomad responds:

Yeah, there's a bit too much harshness in the higher ranges, but it's nice to know that the mood is conveyed well and the progression is appreciated. Smooth Loops Я Us! And I'm still waiting for someone to use it in a game...

Thanks again for a very nice little review! ^__^

[NGADM 2017 Round of 64 Podcast]

Aww yeah! Just as well-produced as the first one. Not quite as concise, but that's understandable. :) I wish we could have an ongoing discussion podcast with at least a couple of the judges that breaks down all the match-ups. Maybe that's more realistic for future rounds.

I appreciate the advert for the NGUAC, as well as your acknowledgement of the good sportsmanship at around the 5-minute mark.

The music in the background is amazing, of course, but personally I think the guitar music toward the beginning and the uplifting VGM at around 4:00 work better than the light piano music at 3:00 or so. The vocals aren't particularly fast-paced, so when the music gives the podcast some drive and energy, I think it works best.

I'm looking forward to your future podcasts about the NGADM, though. The competitors also probably really appreciate the biweekly injection of positivity. :)

ChronoNomad responds:

Yeah, I think this is pretty good for just freewheeling without any kind of script or anything, and I don't want it to make it too dry by making it overly professional. I am seriously considering adding match-ups in later rounds to the podcast, but I don't want to butcher anyone's pseudonyms, so we'll have to see.

You are very welcome! Just trying to spread the word in my own little way. :D

Yeah, I totally know what you're saying, but then there are others who have mentioned how much they enjoy the softer, more Fantasy-inspired music. I knew pretty instinctively what I wanted to use for the intro and ending, but the centerpiece was a bit more of a question mark. Believe it or not, it's tough to find musical puzzle pieces that fit the overall length of the podcast well. In this one I ended up having a bit more silence, but that seems to work out okay.

Awesome! These do seem to be surprisingly well-received, so I might as well keep cranking them out. I think we can all use the infusion of positive vibes, no doubt. Thank you for the stellar review!

[This Stained Portrait]

I love the energy and intensity at the beginning. The part at :43 offered some nice structural relief. The mixing is quite good, too. I thought the transition at 1:39 was a bit sudden, as was that of 1:48. Still, I like how you made a story of this piece. It's a little hard to make out the floaty piano riff that comes in at 2:08, though. It's very powerful, and has a great sense of climax at the end. Overall really impressive work! Keep at it, man. ;)

MetalRenard responds:

Hey thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it, I haven't made anything new for a while so this was the first in a long time.
Thanks for the feedback on transitions and mixing, I'll have a look into it again. :)
FYI, 2:08 is guitar but with a lot of effects.

[Lost In A Far Away Place]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The cello sample at :15 sounds really fake, though. The uniform vibrato and timbre gave it away right off the bat. I like the guitar instrument at :40 a lot better, though - in a way, the guitar fits the character of the piece better anyway. The melodic content is beautiful here, but the progression is very slow. I was waiting for a big climax or injection of energy or something to disrupt the tranquility. Not that your piece can’t be tranquil, but it definitely needs more structural variety and shape than this. This piece has a sort of continuity that, if you’re not careful, will fail to keep your listener engaged after a while. You seem to be taking the piece in a very different direction at 2:06, but I think you needed a smoother transition there. Overall, the mixing and mastering were pretty good, but I think you could’ve made the kick a little clearer. The texture does thicken a little towards the end, giving the piece some degree of climax, although you also don’t really address the themes of the first couple of minutes very well during that climax, which gave this piece a bit of incoherence. Still, the atmosphere is killer, and you have a great sense of melody and harmony. Keep up the good work, man! ;)

7.75/10