TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[3manon - What's left? Everything. (NGUAC2023KO)]

I like the pensive piano riff at the beginning and the heavy bass at :12. As the piece goes on, the bass seems to be taking up a bit too much of the mix, but I like the minimal beat at :43. The texture still feels a bit thin overall, though. I would’ve liked the guitar solo at 1:15 to pop through the mix a bit more. The airy guitar at 1:39 is cool, but that section also seems to double down on the minimalism. The piece starts getting a stronger sense of direction at 2:27 - I love the accelerating tempo and atmosphere there, but the extended pause at 2:39 kinda disrupts the flow. The heavier drums and frantic synths starting at 2:57 help hit the piece home nicely, but this track could still use some more harmonic variety and thicker textures throughout. Still, I especially like the melodic synth line at 3:19. The outro at 3:50 was majestic, but also felt a tad superfluous, and it might’ve functioned better as a bridge somewhere, maybe even at 2:39. Overall, solid effort here. Love the progression, sound design, rhythmic content, and mixing. Keep at it, 3manon! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
7.75/10

[Something's Wrong]

Dark indeed. I love the foreboding atmosphere at the beginning and the gritty bass drone. Very evocative sound design here - :26 sounds like I’m listening to the wind chimes on grandma’s front porch while on LSD (the drug, not the musician). The dark brass and thunder clap at 1:03 felt like a good way of progressing the piece beyond the abstract, bell-like textures of the first minute. The mood and progression of this track remind me of “Vos Postergum,” an old piece of yours that I still listen to sometimes. The skin-crawling descending phaser at 1:30 is great, and the spidery, pulsating synth at 1:44 and the eerie E-piano blend really well together. Rather incredible sense of pacing here, Alex. Sometimes I wish you had threaded the brass throughout the structure of the piece a little more - as it is now, the triumphant riff at 2:44 feels a bit out-of-place. Still, I like how you brought the piece full-circle with the bass drone and ambiance. Overall, this is an ambient beauty with some stellar sound design and a ton of variety! Keep it up, Lucid. ^_^ Also, for what it’s worth, I just want to point out that I’ve heard you make the “the dream is a Lucid Shadow Dream” joke both in real life and on the internet now. I laughed both times. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
9/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Haha, I'm very positively surprised that you still remember Vos Postergum!!! This is definitely a similar genre. One that doesn't always do so well in competitions, but it's what I was inspired to make, because of my dream. Honestly, I wish I had time/reason to write more ambient music.

I've always appreciated your vivid descriptions! Please keep going with those ^___^

In retrospect, I agree that the second time the brass comes in, I could've worked harder on translating that idea and contrast. It's a bit sudden, and not only in a good way!

My Logic, Tainted or not, tells me I should always let Lucid Shadow Dreams in through The Door! :6

[The Big Band Theory]

Albe, you know that song titles don’t affect my judging rubric, but IF THEY DID…you’d be in good shape. Luckily, you’re STILL in good shape because this piece is awesome. I love the Latin-inspired rhythmic content and sound design. The mix sounds a bit overly-contained here, though - the sax at :42 sounds both quiet and also like it’s missing some mid-range tones. The thick texture and syncopations by the 1-minute mark are absolutely gorgeous, btw - just in time for you to quite smoothly transition into the flute solo at 1:20. The furtive piano solo at 1:42 is another highlight, with the spidery percussion backing it up really well. There’s a great subtle swell of energy into 2:18, and while the piece doesn’t quite get back to the same euphoric quality it had earlier, by 2:35 I feel like I’ve walked into a traveling circus mid-act. Really evocative work here, dude! Ease up on the high-pass filtering, and this piece would be borderline unstoppable. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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

[FACUNDO GARDIOL - One More Time ( Slap House )]

I like the passionate vocals and furtive synths at the beginning. You do a good job of transitioning the texture to be more upbeat and melodic by :33. The production quality is really strong, and the rhythmic content is super catchy. The arrangement and sound design are a bit generic, but the glitchy bridge at 1:06 was a pleasant surprise. I would’ve liked to hear more of the hi-hats in the mix, though - they could use a boost in the EQ at the treble end. The piece might’ve also benefited from some more variety during the last refrain at 1:38, but it’s still a catchy and refreshing riff there. Overall, solid work, SPIRALi! My foot has been thoroughly tapped. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Following]

I like the spacey atmosphere at the beginning and the drums that start fading in at :20. The clap sample at :26 isn’t my favorite, although I enjoyed the build-up into :51. The drop was catchy, but could’ve been a tad punchier and more dynamic. The “double-dip” drop at 1:20 was pretty cool - it definitely filled out the atmosphere nicely. The piece could use a little more fill at times, and you start overusing the stop-start transitions after a while, but the energetic bridge at 2:09 sounds good. The last melodic phrase of the piece feels a bit dragged-out, and overall the arrangement of this piece is a bit cliche. In fact, the generic sound design and progression is probably my main problem with the piece. The composition is a tad underwhelming, but certainly not bad, and the production quality holds up quite well. Overall, the piece didn’t knock my socks off or anything, but you’re definitely being too hard on yourself when your author’s description is just “sorry for this.” :) Keep at it, Mockany! Hope to see you back in the NGADM next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Waiting For You (WIP) NGADM 2023]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning, and the rest of the sound design is really good too, between the vocals, strings, and thunderstorm sound effects. The harmonic framework is a bit cliche, and the structure certainly could’ve been a tad more fleshed out. I also think the drums could’ve used a bit of a boost in the mix, especially the snare. The progression and atmosphere are nice, though - at some point, a soaring string melody or haunting, minimal bridge could absolutely tie this piece together well. I’d encourage you to keep working on it, although I definitely like what I’m hearing so far. Keep at it, Sashik! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

MusicSashik responds:

Hi! (Once again :)) Thank you for your thoughtful reviews. I greatly admire your ability to describe your perceptions of what you're hearing. While I agree with your insights, I still have a clear understanding of my current capabilities and how they influence the sound. Yet, your positive and informative feedback (as well as others') is exactly what will motivate me to keep going and do better. Although the final version of the song may not become significantly better(I'm always unsure if I could do any better), it is about what it is. This song is about losing someone who was once very important in my life – an early and influential friend who initially introduced me to the world of music, but not too long ago, he passed away.

[Quantize My Heartbeat (NGADM 2023)]

I like the edgy guitars and crisp drums at :13, although the transition into that section from the intro could’ve been a bit smoother. I also think the vocals at :24 could’ve used a bit of a boost in the mix - they get pretty buried when they’re competing with the guitar for attention, like at 1:30. The lyrics are really clever, and I also like your singing voice a lot. The solo at 2:12 absolutely slays, and the “robot girl” at 2:40 was produced/processed very well. Overall, you nailed this. I was totally jamming out to the guitar riffs, laughing my ass off the first time I heard 2:40, and generally reminiscing about the good ol’ days when @UlfusNG was uploading a nerdcore banger twice a week. Clean up the mix a tad, and this piece would be borderline unbeatable in my book. Keep it up, CrossCarrasco! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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

CrossCarrasco responds:

Thanks for the feedback 😊

[anxiety]

I like the smooth guitar at the beginning and the melancholy vocals shortly thereafter. The vocal layering is really nice harmonically, but they don’t always blend together well in the mix. The way the vocal lines are articulated is just slightly different sometimes between the lead vocals and harmonies, if that makes sense. The lyrics themselves are really vivid and evocative. The piece also has a great overarching sense of build-up, between the addition of the strong beat at 1:33 and the guitar solo at 2:24. The production quality is fantastic, and the phrasing and arrangement feel really loose and organic, like you’re both communicating these feelings to me by talking to me rather than through music. Overall, this is a very strong piece, you two! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[LIVE THIS WAY (internet addiction)]

I like the edgy synth guitars at the beginning and the crisp beats at :11. The vocals at :22 sound good, although a bit over-processed. The lyrics themselves are also really good - clever, but also relatable. The instrumental tracks could use a tad more variety at times, and the texture seems to be missing some upper-mid-range tones throughout. I like the “this is how it is now” bridge at 1:48, although I would’ve liked to hear another refrain or melodic section or something instead of going right into the outro from there - the way it is now felt a bit anticlimactic. Still, I really like the production quality, rhythmic content, progression, and passionate vocals here. Really glad you went out of your comfort zone with this one! Keep it up, Ackee39. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Ackee39 responds:

Thank you for your (as usual) super in depth feedback!
I def ageee with you that the main thing that needs to be fixed is clearer instrumentation, the song is too reliant on the vocals I think

[art meadows]

The glitchy piano riff at the beginning is really evocative, and I love the atmosphere around it too. It’s a little hard to follow the rhythm/flow of the piece at first, but I also really like the thin-sounding percussion and funky synths like at :55. Also, don’t think I didn’t notice you sneak a Discord notification in there at 1:10, lol. Overall, the rhythmic content and sound design of this piece are really creative, and the relaxing atmosphere really helps win me over too. You even wrapped up the piece nicely with the smooth melody at 2:14. It’s pieces like this that make me wish my judging rubric had a maximum of 5 points for originality instead of 1. Keep up the great work, LordAndiso! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1+++/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10