TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Where the Heart Is]

Beautiful! Invokes a lot of emotion. I suppose I would've liked to see a more gradual climax into :25. You added quite a few instruments at :25 and tied it to that piano solo with just a crash. That said, the following minute or so of luscious melodic content is gorgeous. I love the cello. :) The timing of the loop isn't great, but I like how it's loop able while simultaneously feeling very conclusive at the end. I would've liked to see you flesh this piece out a bit more, though. It's really short and probably deserves to be a full 3-4 minutes IMO. Otherwise, keep up the good work, both of you. ;)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I actually disagree about the gradual introduction of 0:25. I like it the best the way it is, with just a simple reversed cymbal, and then the sudden addition of the entire orchestra.

I agree the timing of the loop could be better! Unfortunately though, the best possible timing doesn't work, as you'd hear some of the strings at the end at the beginning of the piece. Also, the first note is unfortunately out of rhythm, which makes the start a bit odd in contrast to the end xD

I disagree about the length too, as this is supposed to be a video game track, and a somewhat retro one, for an RPG. You usually wouldn't want too many super long pieces, as that'd cram up the project. So a lot of RPG music is actually around 1:30 in length, and loop instead :)

When we both have time, we'll work more on other pieces like this though! :D

[-Conspicuous-]

This is a great track! Super catchy and energetic and refreshing. The vocals add a lot too. I agree that your mastering is improving. Your sense of rhythm is amazing as always. If I had to complain about anything, it might be that there never is really a break from the constant stimulus in the piece. Maybe a bridge or something that starts with just the bass and drums and slowly builds could help. That said, it definitely has an intricate structure and appropriate length as it is. Keep up the great work Waterflame! ^^

[Hong Kong]

This is a catchy and fun piece. I really like the instrumentation here. The little pause at :47 is a great way of adding a little extra punch. The mixing and mastering is solid too. Simple, yet satisfying. Just like this review. :S Anyway, good luck in school!

LunacyEcho responds:

=> instrumentation =>

Awesome! johnfn told me certain things about my sound design that I should change, and I tried to incorporate them into this one.

=> little pause =>

That was... completely accidental :D Glad it worked out though!

Good luck in your school as well!

[Meltzer]

Woah...this is really groovy! I love the stuttery effect on that guitar with the descending line. The drums should've been a bit louder IMO, but otherwise the balance is good. A lot of bass! May I ask why "Philadelphia" is in the tags? Either way, I'll have it stuck in my head for a while. ;)

LunacyEcho responds:

=> groovy =>

Yay! That's all I was going for, really.

=> drums =>

Mixing :'(

=> Philadelphia =>

Gotta have those silent Ps! ...Okay, yes Philadelphia isn't actually a silent P. But I was too lazy to think of one and reverted instead to the examples that the Thompson twins would use when describing the difference between their names. Tintin!

[Looking for the Stars]

I love the dark mood and pitch shifting effects. I think your mixing has improved a lot recently, and this isn't even close to your most recent piece! The transition at 1:22 was really abrupt, but I'm sure you meant for it to be that way. Especially since the next section was such a jarring change-of-pace, I might've tried to at least make it seem more climactic into 1:22. It also didn't necessarily seem conclusive enough for my tastes at the end. The first half of the piece is very energetic and rushed, while the latter half is more fleshed out. I think you could've had a lot more direction to the piece during the second half, which would ultimately add more conclusiveness. Overall, though, I like it a lot. It's very moody and cinematic, and the instrumentation is fantastic. Keep up the good work, Ale! ;)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Even though you think my mixing has improved a lot, there are a ton of things I'd probably go back and fix here at this point. Especially in the very beginning, where everything sounds way too silent, compared to the rest of the track. I do like the second part though, with the strings and the percussion.
Timewise, it's actually the second part of the piece which is rushed! I made that in a super short time. It was just easy to do, as it's standard symphonic arrangement, I suppose. The lack of time I had for this, is what limits the piece's potential, unfortunately. The transition is way too abrupt, but in order for the story to make sense, I needed there to be that second part as well.

I don't have a problem with the conclusion from a compositional standpoint though! I mean, it's a bit generic, but it puts a nice little dot at the end of the story, imo.
Thank you for listening :3

[UNHOLY CACE]

Very catchy, well-mixed and loudly mastered, harmonious and reverbalicious as usual! The silence at 1:10 was so sudden I thought I had accidentally pressed F10. I'm still not totally convinced that Newgrounds didn't just buffer right over the music between 1:11 and 1:20. Either way, I'm sure LunacyEcho loved it. *scrolls down* Yep, this is confirmed. Nothing says Johnfn like a little chipstep in the morning (err...10:00 at night). ;) Keep at it, man!

johnfn responds:

You must be referring to my amazingly perfect ending? Which is perfect in every way?

[Wanna hear me sing?]

I love the atmospheric vibe. It's great that each mini-phrase starts very harmonic and then descends into dissonance. You should definitely do more with this! Letting go of your inhibitions about how your voice sounds will only quicken your improvement. ;)

trunotfals responds:

It has been put into a song actually I just am not quite satisfied with it yet and im trying to collaborate with an artist to sing for me. I should finish it though i loved it more and more as I listened to it