TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Hamulndurrtale]

Well, I don't really understand what was with the string riffs during the first 4 seconds (and only the first 4 seconds). I was looking forward to this being a string-and-synth call-and-response thing, but that didn't really happen. I couldn't quite make out what the lyrics were until :34, after which I just about died of laughter. Now the title makes some sense, at least. The chiptune content is catchy, and the piece has a good sense of climax. I'm taking this too seriously, though.

You guys should do more collabs. Just make sure you're sober next time. ;)

johnfn responds:

> I'm taking this too seriously, though.

Huh? THIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS SONG EVER. THERE IS NOTHING TO NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

[A New Future - DubAudio]

Interesting. That fade-in was a little furtive (I could barely hear it until around :11), but still effective overall. I don't really regard this song as structurally complete. The melodies at 1:24 are nice, but I think that section sounds more like a breakdown than a coda. Otherwise you have this strangely inconclusive two-part piece here. The mixing and mastering are good - I can hear everything clearly. You also may have needed a smoother transition at 1:24 - even a simple crash or something would've helped. The instrumentation is enjoyable. I dunno. I have mixed feelings about this one because there's not a lot to complain about, but you also could've done a lot more with this piece in terms of progression, emotional contrast, etc. Either way, keep at it, man. ;)

darthduba responds:

Thanks for the advice. These are valid points you are making. I could have spent a lot more time on this track to make up for it's flaws.

[Azure Dusk]

Cool piece. I love the bright tone at the beginning and the cute melodies that begin at around :20. This piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing, with a great bouncy mood and energy to it. The mixing and mastering are solid, too. I loved the more emotional appeal of the breakdown too. It helped offer some structural contrast, which is always a plus. If I had to complain about something, it might be that the chord progression is a little cliché, at least the part from 3:28 - 3:35. Also, the ending could've used a tad more reverb because otherwise it sounds like it cuts off more abruptly (but that's a miniscule issue). Overall great work! Keep it up, man. ;D

Geoplex responds:

Thanks dude :D Cliche chord progressions are my guilty pleasure, unfortunately, a lot of the time I like to mix it up but sometimes it doesn't feel right if I'm doing it for the sake of it. Still, i agree that it's an important part of being creative. Thanks for the review :)

[Tonight We Fall]

Man, you love atmospheric D'n'B, don't you? XD Once again: enjoyable percussion. This piece is full-textured and energetic yet at times tranquil. I like how you've fleshed out the structure of your track here, but I think you could stand to add some more melodic content. The production quality is solid, but (especially with the last piece, actually) it may have been mastered a bit quietly. Especially since this is D'n'B, compress to your heart's content! I enjoyed reviewing your work, dude. Keep it up. ;)

SierraRising responds:

I like to think of DnB as my main genre, though ambient styles also have a place in my heart. The result is usually something in between. Melodies, man. Still my weakest point. I'm glad the production quality is ok, but I will keep the compression in mind. Thanks so much for the feedback, I always treasure reviews like yours, they help me so much! You keep doing what you're doing, man!

[Forest of Fear]

I love the soothing, atmospheric mood. Also, sub-basses in ambient tracks are awesome. I love how you mesh the nature samples and soothing pads. I thought you could've done a bit more with the sweep at :55 - made it pulse or added some distortion or something. That said, the percussion is really cool. Usually, I like to keep the drums centered in the mix, but the way you panned them added a lot to the piece. After a while, it lacked direction and resolve, but perhaps that wasn't your intention with this piece. Either way, this is really solid work. It's a shame you couldn't join the contest, man!

SierraRising responds:

Ok, I'll be working on buildups and progression, especially for my longer projects. I've been working on keeping drums wide-spaced, I kind of prefer it that way, but I will consider keeping them tighter next time. Thanks a bunch for the review, even though I can't be a part of your contest this year, I'll be waiting for the next one!

[Euphoria - [Impact EP]]

I liked the busy yet atmospheric beginning. It seems a little furtive and distant, and gradually creeps into the foreground. The intro (which, as I see it, lasts until 1:09) is pretty drawn-out. I might try to keep it to 45 seconds or so. I feel like the melody would be a bit more powerful if you didn't have all that sidechaining in there, though. It just steals its own thunder after awhile, especially since that main melodic section lasts so long (once the piece passed the 2.5-minute mark and was still fleshing out that melody, it started losing my interest). The breakdown at 2:59 is cool. I thought you could've transitioned into it a little more smoothly, though. Also, I would've liked to see more of a build-up into the last refrain. The ending is a little anti-climactic too. However, the mixing and mastering are, once again, very good. This also probably didn't need to be a 4.5-minute-long track. You might be able to shave off a minute just by editing down the intro and first refrain. Either way, solid work. Good luck in the competition, man. ;)

Breakthrough responds:

Thank you once again Andrew, I always love reading your reviews. I actually got really carried
away while making this. I was messing around with some new synths and my friend Jake was complaining that I never used sidechain. So once I was done experimenting and found a sound
that I would define as "Melodically appealing" I just kept going and going. I obviously did get
carried away, but I still like it :)

[Meltdown - [Impact EP]]

I like the sense of climax at the beginning. The pizzicato-y synths at :14 really catchy and cute. You have some great harmonizing going on early on in the piece. You have needed a smoother transition at :40. Even some more of that subtle filtering would've helped. I liked the drop. It may have been a little minimalistic, but you filled in the texture with some more melodic riffs between 1:07 and 2:00. I loved the start-stop transition heading into 2:07, btw. I appreciated the variations you incorporated into the 2nd drop, too. You might've needed a little more melodic development here, though. The coda was a little unnecessarily drawn out, but overall I like the structure a lot. The piece is a little long, but it's pretty smooth-flowing and engaging throughout. Perhaps you could've done more with the drums, but that's a small detail. The mixing and mastering is very good. The only potential flaw I noticed was that the clap gets a little distorted at 2:46, as the kick overwhelms it a little. Overall, great job. You've improved a lot since last year. I can tell. Keep up the good work, man. ;D

Breakthrough responds:

Wow man, I was expecting a long review from you (as usual). And I'm glad to finally get some critiques. I'm glad you like it too. But honestly I kinda rushed this one a little bit (as you can probably tell). Final Impact + Stratosphere took me weeks longer...each to complete. But thanks as always Andrew ;)

[Scratch!]

Cute loop. Interesting samples too. I like the pizzicato-y synths and vinyl. It's intricate enough to keep my amusement for more than a few loops. The loop itself is smooth.

...but it's not really appropriate for the contest, as you probably already know.

Anyway, looking forward to your real submission man. ;)

sebastien01 responds:

Thanks for the review! Yeah I know this one was more like a little joke about a submission "made from scratch" It inspired me to tweak some scratch samples. I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to make it loop more than once though :D

I'm actually in a lack of inspiration for making music lately, but it comes and go. I'll try to kick my ass a little and make something for NGAUC. It's a really nice contest, I like the idea and the way it's done. I'll surely post something on the forums on July 8th and see what happens :)

[Edge of Night (All Shall Fade)]

First of all, I'm exceedingly impressed that you didn't use any sort of pitch correction effects on your voice. The piece sounds quite in tune to me, and you pull off several little ornaments (e.x. :32) really well. I love the reverberant sound and the subtle sense of power here. It's as if you're reciting some sort of spiritual chant. Even in such a short piece, there's a great rise-and-fall to its structure. Also, the high quality of the vocals here is substantiated by an occasional quivering vibrato that perfectly fits the furtive energy of this piece. Well done!

[Gröne Lunden]

I love the celtic theme. It evokes a medieval taste of sorts. The intro may have been a little long (as I see it, it lasts almost the first full minute), but at the same time it lets you establish the gentle pace of the piece quite well. May I ask what language the vocals are sung in? At times, the harp gets a bit buried in the mix, but otherwise I'm loving how spacious and full the texture is. Your style fits your username perfectly, Jordi - it's tranquil yet supple. Keep up the good work! ^^

etherealwinds responds:

The lyrics are sang in Swedish! :) Thank you thank you!