TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Darkness]

I like the airy texture at the beginning and the rich bass. The vocal samples sound good and blend in with the texture well, but one thing that bothers me is the lack of articulation at the ends of phrases. The singer is barely pronouncing the ‘s’ sound in “darkness,” “accomplice,” and “heartless.” But that’s a really nitpicky thing.

The drop at :40 is catchy. The claps starting at :43 come a tad bit before the off-beats, which is jarring at first but refreshing after I get used to them. The rest of the sound design is cool, although the one drop could’ve been a bit more dynamic considering it’s most of the length of the piece. I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more here, but this track is definitely a good start. Catchy beats, solid mixing, and fun sound design. Keep at it, Jekoer! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[HRT Theory]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning and the blissful, chaotic riff at :10. The beat at :20 is catchy, but also sounds a bit grating on the treble end of the frequency range. The sudden transitions at :41, 1:01, 1:27, etc. are a bit jarring, and the harmonic content here could use some more variety at times. I have no idea what’s going on at 1:49 (cross-fading? Filtering/pitch-bending combo???), but it sounds really awesome, and the relatively mellow outro was a good way of hitting the piece home. Honestly, I really like the experimental texture of this, but I think you went a bit too far by having the arrangement be rather experimental too. It’s just hard to stay grounded and well-oriented as a listener with a piece that’s this…out there. Still, if you had dialed back the harsh percs in the treble end and implemented some more gradual transitions, I could seriously vibe to this. Keep at it, JarJarZoinks! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[thin layer of dust]

I like the funky bass riff at the beginning and the acoustic drum kit. The mix could be a lot sharper, though, with a lot of reverb clogging up the texture and the pads getting a bit lost during the busier sections. Some stereo widening on the pads could help clear out the center of the mix for the lead instruments and drums, but honestly I’m not sure that’s available in GarageBand. Panning may be an acceptable alternative in that case.

Anyway, I like the ghostly synth melodies and the rhythmic content here a lot. The harmonic framework for most of the piece is pretty generic, but you do a good job of switching it up at 1:22. The glitchy outro at 1:38 is really cool, but I’m not sure I like how the very end cuts off so suddenly at 1:56. Overall, this is a short-but-fun piece with some catchy, danceable melodies and some sound design that reminds me of a cute, Halloween-themed video game. Keep at it, JA4Y! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Jau nupliko Stalino pakaušis]

I like the moody guitar at the beginning and the crisp drums at :10. The furtive vocals at :20 are nice, too, although at times I feel like they could use a bit of a boost in the mix. The refrain at :45 sounds refreshing, as does the creepy bridge at 1:41. The breakdown at 2:01 sounds a little unpolished, though, and also out-of-place stylistically from the rest of the piece. The solo at 2:21 is awesome - very dynamic and cathartic. The chant-like section at 2:42 was a good idea, but that’s one section where I needed the vocals to be thicker and more up-front in the mix. They could be way more hard-hitting and punchy than they are right now. I also thought that section was a bit of an odd way to end the piece (although maybe I just don’t understand the lyrical themes because I don’t speak Lithuanian). Still, overall, this piece is really enjoyable between the smooth guitars, passionate vocals, rhythmic content, and solos. Keep at it, Introverse! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Suddenly Came Brightness]

I like the bassy atmosphere at the beginning. I think it’s a little awkward how the bass keeps fading in and out over the first 25 seconds or so - kinda disrupts the flow IMO. The texture remains a bit thin for the rest of the first minute, and the extended pause at 1:04 was a bit long. The choir at 1:08 sounds a bit indistinct in the mix, and I’m not sure I like how it suddenly cuts out at 1:24. I like a lot of the spacey sound design in the middle of the piece, as well as the crisp string riff at 1:57. The piece could use a bit more harmonic variety at times, and I also think the piece needed a strong sense of overarching direction to it. The energy level waxes and wanes, but the arrangement feels a bit formulaic (regular changes to the texture every 8 bars but not a lot of motion in between) and lacking in narrative appeal. Overall, the atmosphere, mood, and instruments are my favorite aspects of the piece. The mix could be punchier at times, and the composition doesn’t quite live up to its potential here. Still, the instrumentation and chord progression give the piece a nice, melancholic feel, and certainly help you play up the cinematic flair. Keep at it, GeminiGemini! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

GeminiGemini responds:

Thanks for the review.:)

[Legends of the Black Sea]

I like the dramatic string swells at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere around them. The part at :39 is catchy, but I think the percussion is missing some bass frequencies there. I love the rhythmic content and string melodies at :57, and the choir at 1:15 is a nice touch. At around 1:30, the mix becomes a bit strained, with the drums and choir not coming through quite as clearly as earlier. Scaling back the reverb might help with that. The accordion (?) at 1:33 sounds a bit inauthentic and unnatural, both the sample itself and the way it suddenly fades out at 1:51. I like the mellow section that follows, as well as the melodies at 2:12. I also like the injection of energy at 2:30 and more bottom-heavy mix at 2:57. The synth guitar at 3:16 was a pleasant surprise, and also a good way of hitting the piece home, but the mix also sounds a bit muddy there. I’d try doing more with stereo widening, especially on the choir, so that the lead stays front-and-center there.

Overall, this is an enjoyable piece with some fun sound design, a strong cinematic flair, and some memorable melodies. Keep at it, GDRH1988. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[(NGUAC '23 KO Round) The Misadventures of a Hardcore Punk Guy Into Math Rock]

I like the punchy guitars and the crisp drums at the beginning. The frantic lead riff at :24 is great, and that in turn contrasts nicely with the rhythmic section at :43. The progression is really smooth, and there’s a lot of variety in the texture. I also like when you briefly slow down the pacing intermittently starting at 1:33. The breakdown at 1:58 was good for some structural contrast, and by 2:10 the rich atmosphere is really engrossing. The transition into the hard-hitting content at 2:24 could’ve been a tad smoother, and by the 3-minute mark you’ve definitely re-attained the energetic euphoria of earlier. Overall, this piece is awesome. Really refreshing sound design, tons of variety, solid mixing, and dynamic and memorable melodies. By all means, keep it up, FourTHat3! Let me know if there’s somewhere I can download this. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

[I Wll Remember]

I like the breathy vocals at the beginning. Sometimes, the articulation on them is a little odd, like at :10. The mix is very clogged with reverb, and the piano doesn’t always come through very clearly. The rhythmic content and synth leads are good, and I like the mellow atmosphere to the piece too. The texture is a bit thin for most of the piece, though, and you could also use some bolder melodies and more variety in the instrumental tracks at some point. The additional layer of synth harmonies at the second drop at 2:11 was a nice touch, though. Overall, this piece is relaxing, upbeat, and has some pretty cool sound design. The composition was a tad underwhelming, though, and the mix could be a bit tighter. Still, I also think you did a good job with the progression - very smooth arrangement here. Keep at it, Farmobus! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[BASCUTI - STAR DANCER]

I like the crisp beats and ghostly synths at the beginning. The drums could use a bit of a boost in the mix, although I’m enjoying the build-up into :40 and the rhythmic content. Part of the problem might be an excess of reverb as well. I like the hybrid electro-rock sound design and energy throughout. The composition could use a tad more variety at times - there are long stretches where there’s a 2-measure lead pattern that repeats over and over again without much else changing around it. Later on I also think you could smooth over some transitions, especially 2:41. Still, the sub-bass at 2:14 is great, and I also really enjoy the spacey outro with the catchy synth patterns at 3:48. Despite the repetitive composition and somewhat overcrowded mix, this is a thoroughly catchy piece with some neat sound design and a frantic, upbeat energy to it. Keep at it, DWAAAN! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Lost Memories]

I like the gritty texture at the beginning, although it sounds a bit grating in the upper register at times. The guitar riff that fades in at around :20 is nice, and really helps take the edge off the harsh atmosphere. The drums at :42 could use a boost in the mix - maybe less wet reverb and more compression. The composition is pretty slow to progress - some vocals or more dynamic melodies could help give this piece a stronger sense of narrative. I like the strummed chords at the breakdown at 1:43 and the heavier chords at 2:11. The harmonies could still use some more depth and variety here, but the texture still sounds full and rich with the atmosphere and well-balanced harmonies. The section at 2:40 serves as a nice, distinct climax to hit the piece home, but the mix also feels a bit strained there - the drums and bass definitely don’t have enough room to operate between the atmospheric textures and harmonies. Still, the mellow outro serves you well, and overall the sound design of this piece is really cool. Two things I would prioritize to take this piece to the next level are: 1) clean up the mix a tad with some stricter equalization and a little less reverb, and 2) do more to add variety to the composition, whether it’s a killer solo midway through or some more creative rhythmic content (or both!). Still, this is an evocative track - sounds like an introspective ballad minus the wistful vocals. Keep at it, debashir! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10