TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Great Adventure]

I like the rich strings at the beginning. It’s a tad difficult to follow the rhythm until the big cadence at :09, but after that the piece is very smooth-flowing. Love the orchestral sound design and melodies, too. I wanted to hear more of the percussion in the mix, but otherwise the production is clean and well-balanced. The composition is full of variety, and has a lot of lovely twists and turns, like the woodwind flourish at 1:30 and the string solo at 1:50. If I had to complain about something composition-wise, it might be that you could’ve done more with dynamic contrast and phrasing - the energy level is fairly constant throughout. That said, you absolutely nailed the whimsical, upbeat mood, memorable and dynamic melodies, and well-varied instrumentation here. Thoroughly enjoyable track, Manvineo! And thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. It’s been an absolute pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Run Away]

I like the apprehensive mood and gritty synths at the beginning. The way you integrated the vocal samples was neat - reminds me of Waterflame, actually. The drop at 1:00 is actually a nice break from the frantic, in-your-face synths, even if it’s a tad minimal. The production quality holds up well, although the drums could’ve used a bit of a boost in the mix at times, and some more upper-mid range frequencies could’ve helped round out the texture a bit. The lo-fi bridge at 2:02 is probably my favorite part of the piece, and the melodies at 2:51 really help hit the piece home nicely - great moment of catharsis towards the end of the piece. Overall, I’m really impressed with this piece. It’s bouncy, fun, and the texture is very unique and experimental. Congratulations on your success in this competition, KayozKun! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Listen]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The dense percussion pattern is a nice touch too. Really lovely harmonies, and strong production quality here. I think the composition could’ve been fleshed out a bit more, though - I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodic content and some more “twists and turns” in the structure. Still, you nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and mood here. This is a really soothing piece, and I hope you’ll consider making a full-length version sometime! Also, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Kassich - it’s been a pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
8/10

Kassich responds:

Thank you for the review, and thank you for hosting/organizing the NGUAC. I love this competition, it gives me an opportunity to just write music for fun and listen to other fellow composers!

[Dregs and Grounds of the Story]

I like the rhythmic content at the beginning and the distinct velocity changes in the piano and brass. The mixing is not great - it’s hard to make out the drums once the texture gets busier, and in general the instruments could use a little more atmosphere/reverb around them. I know the mixing capabilities of MuseScore are not extensive, but I would’ve at least tried doubling the drums. There’s also some dissonance in the texture at around :33. Otherwise, compositionally this piece is rather impressive. The melodies are dynamic and memorable, the piece is full of variety, and the orchestration is well done. Some more gradual transitions might’ve helped smooth over some abrupt changes to the texture, like at :58 and 2:36. From what I can tell, the second half of the piece is a direct copy-paste of the first half, so I think it’s actually especially important that the transition at 2:36 is smooth if this is supposed to be a loop. Overall, I’m really impressed you made this in MuseScore. The quality of the samples is better than I remember it from when I used MuseScore in college. Anyway, congrats on an energetic, dynamic, and melody-rich track, iWTBAT! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
8.25/10

[Shiza]

I like the crisp drums and furtive atmosphere at the beginning. The plucked, staccato-y guitar riff at :09 is haunting, as are the vocals. The lyrics themselves really help play up the apprehensive mood. The pacing of the piece is a bit slow, and I also think the transition into the refrain at 1:25 was a bit abrupt. The mixing is also good, although at times I wanted the drums to be a bit punchier. I really like the heavy contrast between the verses and refrains here, but I also would’ve liked to see more variety in the instrumental tracks during the verses to help keep me engaged. The melancholy solo at 3:52 is really nice, although I also would’ve liked to see a section towards the end of the piece that releases some of the pent-up tension here a little more. Overall, though, this is an evocative, moody, and well-produced track with some excellent guitar work. It’s been a pleasure having you in the competition this year, Introverse! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Introverse responds:

Thank you. It was fun to be in this competition. See you next year!

[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