TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Final Impact]

I like the synths at the beginning, although the chord progression is cliche. The instrumentation is good, although the piece is very slow to develop. The piece is mastered very loud, which is good. I like the build-up, and the drop at 1:09 has a great vibe of being simultaneously heavy and energetic but also victorious-sounding and upbeat. The transition at 2:04 was really sudden, though. I would’ve at least faded in the pizzicato-y synths because you go from a very chordal section to one with a lot of moving notes. You have a really long 2nd chorus/post-chorus section from 3:40 to around the 5-minute mark. I didn’t think you needed the extra repeat on the wub-based section at 4:21, and I’m not sure the more melodic riff at 4:35 added much either. The last ⅓ of the piece or so just seems really drawn-out without leading much of anywhere, and you haven’t varied the melody very much from the first half of the piece. The ending was also too drawn-out, and seems to cut off pretty suddenly. I want you to aim for concision more next time. This piece simply doesn’t have enough variety to be 6 minutes long, nor would it need it if is was 3 or 4 minutes long instead. I also don’t think you did a lot in the way of originality, but my main complaints are in the lack of variation and pacing. Overall, this is solid work. The mixing and mastering are strong and, generic though they are, I enjoy your melodies. Keep at it, Breakthrough!

7.75/10

[Lazy Day]

I liked the pulsating pads at the beginning. They established a kind of pensive mood that I found appealing. The quirky percussion you also have in there for the first 45 seconds or so was cool too. I think you needed a more gradual transition at :51, especially since the intro was so drawn-out. It just wasn’t immediately clear to me how the section at :51 was related to the very beginning. That said, once your eyes readjust a bit, the sounds blend together pretty well there. However, you immediately regress to minimalism again at 1:40. Perhaps my favorite part of the piece is the instrumentation. However, you have a lot of very loosely connected ideas strung together with little sense of coherence. The drum fill at 2:27 comes out of nowhere itself, and it is then somehow supposed to serve as a transition into the next section. Looking back, perhaps this piece has a bit more coherence than I thought, yet separately structurally similar sections by 3 minutes or more is not an effective way to provide enough repetition for the casual listener. Also, this piece has a lot of repetitive riffs in self-contained sections, yet lacks stronger and more dynamic melodic content. The mood and atmosphere are solid here, though. The only potential mastering flaw I heard was that the kick got a little lost in some of the busier sections, such as 6:05. That said, I’m not completely sure there even was a kick still in there or if you just had that low percussion serving the role of bass drum. The panning effects later on are quite enjoyable as well. That said, I suppose my main complaint with the piece is that it’s 8 minutes long (and it didn’t need to be). Because it’s 8 minutes long, it’s hard to keep the listener grounded in some much-needed structural repetition while also providing enough dynamic contrast to create some variation. Overall, this is pretty solid work, though. Long-form pieces like this can be risky and, despite my criticisms, it paid off for the most part. Keep at it, man! ;)

7.75/10

Birdinator99 responds:

Hey my dude, thank you for taking the time to review this, and for hosting the NGAUC yet again!

For the transition at 0:51, I was hoping the reversed drums leading up to that point would provide enough of a bridge between the two sections. To me they sound similar enough as to not be jarring or surprising when transitioned between.

I really like the minimalism in this piece -- the section at 1:40 is my favourite actually -- I feel that it fits the theme of "lazy day", where the mind wanders in and out of ideas more freely. Maybe just me?

The fill at 2:27 - hahaha, I don't even remember why I did that. Valid point, but its grown on me for some reason. The loosely connected ideas bit is something I run in to quite a lot in reviews -- it's very true, and I hope to one day be a better songwriter so that I can keep listeners more engaged! The use of repetitive riffs and lack of melody are related to this underdeveloped skill as well, I must admit.

Glad the atmosphere sold you, though!

The kick at 6:05 in indeed a kick, and I think the reason it gets lost is that it clashes a little with the toms playing hard left and right (when they play at the same time).

The length is also something I agree with. I did get carried away with the second half of the song, so I fully acknowledge any grievances you have related to the long nature of this piece.

Thank you again for your honest thoughts and encouraging words! Hope to see you again sometime!

[Sunflower Waltz | 2016]

I love how smooth and melodic this is. I rarely see pieces in ¾ time submitted to this competition, so that’s a plus. It has a great sense of continuity and flow about it. Nice job with the modulation at 2:22. The melody was starting to get pretty repetitive around that point, and you provided some structural relief in that sense. Overall, I think the piece is a lot longer than it needed to be, though, and I would’ve liked to see you vary the melody later in the piece. The piece starts to lack direction after a while, and the bridge at 5:04 is essentially the same as at 2:22. The samples aren’t bad, but you also didn’t do anything especially unique from an instrumentation perspective. The fade-out ending came across as pretty lazy and drawn-out. The balance is pretty good overall, but I thought the drums could’ve been a lot louder. Getting those crashes more up-front in the mix would’ve helped emphasize the grandness of this piece. I also might complain about the lack of rhythmic and dynamic variation. This piece needs a bit more emotional contrast to keep my attention, especially because it’s so long. You did a nice job of creating a full texture here, though, and the mastering is solid. Overall, this piece demonstrates a variety of important skills, but you could’ve done a lot more with it, especially from a phrasing and dynamic point of view. Hope that helps! Keep at it, man. ;)

7.5/10

Bertn1991 responds:

A fair, honest and articulate review. It is very much appreciated :D

Happy you enjoyed it overall despite a few gripes.

[[Chillstep] Adrift]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. It has this great upbeat and soothing vibe. In fact, I think the kick and snare might’ve been a bit too heavy for this piece, at least before the drop at 1:17. However, your frequencies are generally very well-balanced. I was a pretty disappointed with how minimalistic and underwhelming it was later on, though. From 1:46 - 2:55, it loses its sense of direction a bit. You still manage to have some fill with the pads and reverb, but it fails to keep me engaged through that section. The second drop was almost exactly the same as the first, too. You really missed out on some big opportunities to make a much more memorable track. The production quality here is great, and the moodiness and atmosphere are set up wonderfully, but you need to do more with this if you want to keep my attention. You just played this very safe. There’s basically no melodic development, no quirky effects, few memorable transitions or anything. I’ve heard your work before, too, and I know you can do way better than this, man. You just took zero risks here. I’m going to give you a REALLY generous score, though, because I see potential written all over this thing. Next time (if there is a next time), I want you to forget the stars and aim for...well...whatever is beyond the stars. Keep at it, man. ;)

7.25/10

[Wings beats]

This is pretty catchy. The chord progression is cliche, but the string samples aren’t that bad. Compositionally, the whole piece seemed pretty transitional, like one 3-minute-long breakdown section. You needed stronger and more memorable melodies in there, man. I also think you could’ve used some percussion to tie the various sections of the piece together more smoothly. You set it up to loop but it doesn’t loop all that cleanly, and the ending you have in there now is conclusive enough, if a little lazy. The main problem I have with this piece, though, is that it has extremely little structural contrast. You pretty much kept it at the same volume level for the entire piece. Across all these little 4-measure phrases you have, there’s no sense of build or climax. I’d recommend experimenting more with volume levels and filtering as a way of building tension and then releasing it. The mixing and mastering isn’t bad, but without drums, there’s very little mixing to do. I didn’t notice any panning, creative use of reverb, or anything else. Overall, it’s pretty dry and dull. I’d recommend looking up tutorials on how to use automation in your DAW as a first step towards improving your work. You can give pieces like this all of the emotional ups and downs that a real symphony has. It just takes more time and effort than what you’ve produced here. Good luck with your future projects, man. Let me know if you have any questions about what I’ve said here. ;)

4.75/10

[Hardcore Fantasy]

It’s a catchy piece. At the beginning, you did something really bizarre with the kick, as it seemed to fade in and out rather unconventionally. This whole track is held together rather loosely as a cohesive whole. It’s extremely minimalistic and lacks proper transitions at a number of places, including :24, 1:00, etc. Another really quirky thing about this piece is that for a significant section in the middle, starting around 1:12, the kick seems to play on the off-beats only. Then, at 1:40, you simply repeat the entire previous 80 seconds on loop again. Forgive my strong wording here, but that’s a pitiful way of structuring a piece unless the piece is itself a loop. The piece should have a sense of direction and overarching progression to it so that it feels both climactic and conclusive. I’d recommend trying to build off of the harmonies you had earlier in the piece during the second half. To do that, however, you’ll probably need more of a harmonic “skeleton” for your piece (bass, chords, etc.). There’s some serious lack of texture here. Most of the piece has no engaging or creative drum patterns, no bass, no pads, back-up melodies or unique effects. Instead, you’ve tried to tie everything together with an annoying, repetitive sample (:21 and other places). I don’t really regard this as a song so much as a collage of ideas that need to be fleshed out more. Compositionally, the piece is lacking...so much so that mixing and mastering aren’t really that relevant. I think you need to focus on structure and fill more than anything else. You could do a lot more with the rhythm section (drums and bass) of the piece, which will in turn help you smooth over those transitions and allow you to vary the melodic elements of the track more while still having enough structural coherence. I’ve been really tough on you in this review, so I hope that helped! Please don’t hesitate to PM me with any questions you may have. Thanks and good luck with your future projects, man. ;)

4/10

AlxEllis responds:

Thanks for the detailed review man! :) and not at all I appreciate detailed feedback!

[Lavender]

I like the panning effects at the beginning. I really like the dissonance leading up to :17 and the ensuing melodies. The build-up at :42 was a little drawn-out, but the drop at 1:04 is awesome. I wish the kick was a little heavier, though. It really would’ve maximized the contrast between the kick and the snare that usually heightens the emotion in tracks like this. I enjoyed the relative tranquility of 1:25, but I wasn’t such a huge fan of the transition at 1:53. It just didn’t help channel the energy that well IMO. During the 2nd build-up and refrain, I was looking for subtle differences that added variety, but I couldn’t find many. The ending was appropriately conclusive. Overall, this is solid work. It’s catchy and well-mastered. I enjoyed the melodies and harmonic quirks of the piece. That said, I think you could’ve done a lot more with that 2nd build-up and drop, and also perhaps more to make this piece more unique. Still, I hope to see you in the next round. Keep at it, man. ;)

8.5/10

AeronMusic responds:

Thanks a lot TaintedLogic for the detailed review.
Indeed, I could've done that but I felt quite done with this song. (:

[Nanobyte]

I like the melody. I think you should Equalize out some of the treble frequencies on that lead, though. I know it’s supposed to sound that way, but it comes across as really harsh-sounding. Toning down the high-end pitches will also help make way for the hi-hat more. I wasn’t a huge fan of the clap sample you had in there for the first 6 seconds, but after that I thought the claps were nice and loud and crisp. I enjoyed the climax into :39. This is a very catchy and energetic track. Given the fact that this was made in Garageband, the mixing is actually surprisingly good. However, that bass bomb at 1:02 still distorts the drums quite a bit. Structurally, this piece is impressive. You’ve definitely covered a lot of ground in only 2 short minutes. That said, I also found the ending a bit lazy. This piece also could’ve potentially made a great loop. I also liked how you varied the melody slightly during that last build-up. Overall, really solid work. Most of my complaints here are pretty small details. Keep it up, man. ;)

8.75/10

[Aim - Midnight Skies]

This is catchy, melodic, and upbeat. I’m immediately bopping my head and tapping my foot. The pads at :13 might’ve been a bit too loud, but otherwise the mixing and mastering is really solid. The synths were peppy, engaging, and fun. I think my favorite was what you did with those pads at :53. It’s a very flowy piece, yet you contrasted the build-up and refrain really well with that breakdown section at 1:20. I think I even hear crickets in there. Despite this being a relatively energetic piece, you’ve done a lot with the atmosphere as well. The cute little vocal samples are awesome, too. The texture is so full, and the frequencies are incredibly well-balanced. If I had to complain about something, it might be that the ending was a little underwhelming and/or lazy. That said, you’ve clearly displayed your talent here. If you can produce tracks like this every round, you’ve easily got a top-3 spot, my friend. Keep up the great work!

10/10

8-bitheroes responds:

Thanks for the review, i appreciate the feedback and encouragement :)

[Within The Sadness (1f1n1ty Remix)]

I like how the mood at the beginning is both furtive and somewhat cute. There’s this great dreaminess about it, and the quirky drums at :40 add a lot to the texture. It progresses a little slowly at times, but the atmosphere truly makes up for that IMO. The production quality is also really solid. The kick might’ve been a bit too heavy for a piece this spacey, though. The harmonic direction of this piece is phenomenal: there are some great subtle modulations, like at 2:14. I really wish you had built up the energy more gradually into 2:35. The build-up at 2:27 kinda came out of nowhere, and it only lasts 8 seconds - not really on par with the overall pace of the piece during the first 2 minutes. That said, I thought the breakdown at 3:14 was great. The pensive vibe there was amazing, and the well-panned percussion was extremely appealing. Overall, the piece is very smooth-flowing. You’ve pulled off some pretty epic transitions here, my friend. I’m not sure you quite made this piece coherent enough as is desirable, though. The ending sounded conclusive, but I don’t recall hearing a piano during the first 5 minutes of the piece, so perhaps throwing one in there at the end was questionable. Also, the main climax of the piece occurs less than halfway through, which damages your effort to keep this piece engaging toward the end of an already-long 6 minutes. Having listened to the original, I’d say you’ve certainly added to it considerably. Despite this being a remix, I’m giving you full credit for originality. The thing that hurt you the most was probably the lack of some core structural repetition, actually. Other than that, really solid work! Keep it up, man. ;D

8.75/10

Onefin responds:

Hey, I made it into the competition! WOO! Alright what do we have here

Heavy kick, eh? I guess that's something to keep in mind. I tend to just fall on heavy kicks from pretty much anything, as not-heavy kicks tend to get weird on the mixing side.

At 2:14, I sped up the tempo to try and ease the way into 2:27 and kinda tell the listener
"this track is about to go places", but I guess it wasn't enough pull :/

I'll admit, I had to look up "pensive" to see what it meant.

Epic transitions? Kind of surprising, given that I have a history of really bad transitions. I'll see if I can replicate what I did here in my NGAUC attempt.

The only reason I added a piano at the end was because there was a piano right at 3:47 which doesn't actually sound like one but is one. At the end, I was all like "what instrument should conclude the piece?" and I saw the piano there and was like, "let's go for it".

I thought the climax happened pretty much exactly halfway through. It starts at 2:35 and ends at 3:14, setting the midpoint at about 2:54. The piece is 5:34 long, which means half is at 2:46. Which means the climax is pretty much exactly at, if not further than, halfway. :/

Hey, thanks for listening to the original! Some people don't bother and they're all like, "I can't comment on your composition because it's not original" and don't even go see just how much originality I try to add into my remixes.

Lack of core structural repetition. Got it. Taking notes. Let's do this.