TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Angels and Demons Ft SeamlessR (DnB)]

The track clicks at the beginning. I’m not sure exactly what caused that, but I’d suggest trying to fix that by having a bit of silence at the beginning of the track. The mood is intense. I like the gritty synths at :17, but after I see that they’re going to take up most of the piece, I’ll suggest you flesh this thing out a lot more with some more melodic content. The kick also gets lost in the mix a lot because it’s competing (and losing to) the bass. This piece needs some structural relief, and the ending is really rushed. You have a lot going for you here with the atmosphere and instruments. Please turn this into a full-length track with more mind to dynamics and phrasing, and I think you could have a killer piece! Right now, it just doesn’t satisfy certain compositional desires of mine - melodic, dynamic, etc. Keep at it, man!

5/10

[-Run or Die-]

I like the energy. It’s a catchy and fun piece. I recognize the sample at :04 - I think Waterflame has used it in something? The beat could be a little more distinct - I’d suggest using some stereo widening techniques to really make it sound as crisp and clean as possible, and definitely equalizing and compression if you haven’t already. The melodies at 1:32 are really cool. I think this piece has a lot of variety, and the pace is also pretty fast. Be careful not to make the piece move so fast that it’s either jarring to the listener or the piece moves too fast that it has no coherence. You were on the verge of doing so here. I can clearly hear you’ve picked up Waterflame’s knack for creating music with really bizarre structures. Nice work with the instrumentation and energy/mood, though. The structure and variety are my main concerns. Otherwise, solid piece. ;)

8/10

Preds responds:

Aww yeah, I always wanted a constructive review of my tracks!!

Well, I use the VEC sounds pack a lot, guess that is one of my problems when doing a track, I always use those vocal loops but im trying to prevent that becuase it really sounds so... "Non profesional" and very repetitive. Yeah, I used a very common drum sequence, and I guess I needed to variate more on that too! I always try to master my tracks as much as possible, but I really don't know how to do it the right way, I should look up for it so my tracks wont sound too crapy :/
Yep, definitely my inspiration, I admire him a lot but I am trying to find my own style, because I know my melodies and bass rifts sound so similar to his oldish music, that is an issue I have always fight with.

And, really really thank you! I feel like im the roockie of the NGADM and its great to be in! Im learning of my errors and this is a great opportunity to get people to listen my music and of course, to improve as a musician!!

~ThaPredator

[Overlook]

I like the ominous intro and somber piano. The strings are a little distorted when they come in at :40. I’d be careful with the equalizing between them and the pads, maybe even adjusting the panning accordingly. The kick at 1:11 doesn’t sound very clean or distinct. The mood of the piece is pretty cool, though, and I like the melodic content that’s in the section between the refrains. Unfortunately, neither the melody nor the refrains are ever really varied significantly, which detracts from my enjoyment of it. Not a bad track, but overall it’s lacking the melodic development and phrasing that could really hit it home. The mixing and mastering also need work, as I mentioned earlier. Part of the problem could be an excess of reverb. Overall, though, I think your composition skills are pretty good. You should take more risks next time! Keep at it, man. ;)

7/10

acxle responds:

Thank you so much for the advice!

[Vacation]

I like the relaxed vibe at the beginning. I think the rapping is good. Vocals sound well-mixed and compressed, and full and rich to the ear, which probably means you used some kind of chorus effect and/or autotune. Lyrics are a little cliche, but I did enjoy the rhyme scheme. I would suggest filling in the texture on the instrumental a little more; those pads and the beat alone is fine for the verses, but once the chorus comes around I think you want people to know it’s the chorus. It’s a fun piece, but you could’ve done so much more with it compositionally. Overall, it just seems a little lack-luster. I didn’t notice any problems with the mixing or anything, though. Keep at it, man!

5.5/10

Kurtiskong responds:

In a sense it was slightly satire, it was meant to be an "radio rap song". But thank you for the constructive criticism:)

[Growl Kat - Never Give Up]

I like the beat and bright piano at the beginning, but I definitely don’t think you should have that snare panned so far to the left. Usually, core rhythmic section instruments in a piece should be front and center, and this piece is no exception. I’d concern yourself with compression and equalization before you change the panning on the drums too much. The melodies at around the 1-minute mark are nice, and the synth at around 1:20 was a nice touch. The structural relief you offered at around 2:00 was also enjoyable, and I liked the somewhat creepier mood the riff at 2:10 had. You have a good sense of harmony, but the texture doesn’t quite seem full enough at some points. Some of the instruments are a little dry and probably need more reverb, and I think some background pads or something could really help give this piece that extra injection of flow that liquid d’n’b usually has. I also thought the ping-pong effect at the end was a little over-the-top. I think the piece is missing a predominant melody that would give it a little more structural coherence. Overall, not a bad piece, although I think you could’ve done a lot more with it on the composition front. Keep at it, man!

7/10

DJCat12 responds:

Oh tanks guy, its really helpfull, I will try to make another Liquid DnB with this recomendations

[On My Mind...]

Nice chill mood at the beginning. Vocals are solid. The kick gets a little lost in the mix, and I don’t like the harsh-sounding high-pitched instrument that plays on beat 3 of every measure, panned way to the left. Good articulation on the rapping, too. The texture is nice and full throughout, and I like how you broke it up at around the 2-minute mark in advance of the next refrain. I would’ve appreciated it if you varied the chorus a bit towards the end. It plays 4 or 5 times, and sounds essentially the same throughout. Solid piece with feel-good vibes, though. Keep it up, guys!

8/10

Vinstigator responds:

Thanks! My singer changed it up a little towards the end by dropping one of his harmonies, so it does sound slightly different. And the hook was so catchy that we had to let it run! Just like 2Pac's "How Do You Want It" and "Do 4 Love", those hooks were so catchy and just played over and over throughout the songs. But the hooks were so catchy that you didn't mind. In fact, you wanted to keep hearing the chorus as the songs were fading out! Anyway, thanks for the review, it's greatly appreciated!

[The Crystal Guillotine (Hyper Light Drifter cover)]

I like the dreamy guitar at the beginning. Sounds a little ominous with the chord progression. It’s really slow to develop, though. I think you should’ve thickened the texture way before 45 seconds in. Even then, it’s not a very rich texture. By around 2:15 when the melodic content seeps in, I really enjoy the soulful vibe it has. It’s like a long intro to an old western movie, with the camera panning around beautiful mountainous terrain. The pace of this piece is really slow. I think it doesn’t function great as a stand-alone piece until 3:45, when the energy picks up significantly. The mixing and mastering seem pretty good. I like the crash hits on every beat during the middle section of the piece, although they do get a bit distorted at times by the guitars. The mood of the piece is great - it’s very powerful and foreboding. The transition back into the tranquil section at 5:45 was a little sudden. Perhaps it’d be appropriate for a movie scene with a dramatic plot point, but without the accompanying visuals you need to foreshadow that transition a little more carefully. The distortion at 7:30 is enjoyable, but I didn’t quite understand the stops and starts. It didn’t turn out to be a very effective transition IMO. Overall, I think you need to think more carefully about the pacing of the piece and to gauge the textural depth that’s needed to keep your listener engaged. Several of the transitions in here also need work. That said, the guitar work is quite enjoyable, and the piece does have quite a unique mood and atmosphere. Keep at it, man!

6.75/10

Twone responds:

You've given me quite a bit to think about. Thanks for the review!

[Far Light]

The kick is pretty hard-hitting, not that that’s a bad thing. I like the little atmospheric percussion clicks you added, though. It’s really slow to develop for the first minute or two. I really don’t think the piece needed to be nearly 7 minutes long. The mixing and mastering are solid. I like the sense of climax into 2:03, but getting to some mid-range notes really shouldn’t take you more than 2 minutes. I’m really itching for some melodic content after a while. You had another big climax into 4:27, but it didn’t lead much of anywhere. The repetition wears on me after a bit. I’d like to see you using the whole frequency range more. You did a nice job with the filtering towards the end, though - it sounds cool. I have really mixed feelings about this one. But I think you need to do more with this compositionally in order to keep my engagement. Keep at it, man!

6.75/10

Sequenced responds:

bruh compared to most techno tracks in the real world this is SHORT. Most techno tracks are AT LEAST 8- 10 minute songs. If you guys actually judged a song by the actual genre and the actual professional EDM scene you wouldn't give this a 6 lmao.

look up this track and maybe you'd have a better understanding of this genre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m47tO1Ctck8

ugh why do I even try and make real edm songs for newgrounds
If I were you I would go research more EDM lmao. The same shit happened to Masq a couple years back when he made a brilliant neurofunk peice, but all of you were like "lol where is melody".

If you aren't f-777 for EDM you literally have no chance for any sort of competition here. the AP is a joke.

No one actually appreciates real electronic music here. No wonder xKore left.

[Over Manhattan]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the instrumentation. Very mysterious and tranquil intro. I like the beat and the vocal samples, too. After around a minute and a half, I’m itching for some melodic content, though. I didn’t hear any problems with the mixing or mastering either, but I’d be careful that the excessive reverb doesn’t distort anything in the future. I’d also say that despite the killer atmosphere, it needed a bit more phrasing and variety to function as a proper stand-alone piece. Cool track. It’s a shame you don’t have it ripe for downloading. I’m a sucker for ambient electronica, melodies or not. ;P Keep at it, man!

8.25/10

[Purple Glass]

I like the chord progression - it has a somber bent. Combined with the instrumentation, it almost reminds me of “Viva la Vida.” The piece progresses really slowly, though, which is a problem. There isn’t any strong melodic content within the first few minutes of the piece. I think the solution here is to cut down the length a lot. I do like the dreamy mood, but you change up the texture several times without really ever taking the piece in a new direction. Then, the more energetic 3:05 hits, which is good, although the snare got very lost in the mix there. I think you need some more compression and equalizing to help it stand out. The synth patterns you have playing throughout almost the entire piece are a little too frantic to really make up strong melodic content. I would’ve liked to see you tone down the energy to make way for some moving notes with a more melodic appeal. Imagine, for example, layering a melody on top of the chords at 5:30. Otherwise, it’s hard to stay engaged with a piece that uses the same few riffs over and over again with different instruments. Sorry. My favorite parts of the piece include the mood and atmosphere. Your synths all had a suitable amount of reverb that made the piece really dreamy and luscious-sounding. Keep at it, man!

5.5/10