TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[Divide]

I like the bouncy piano chords and the quirky atmosphere around them. The vocals at :15 sound a tad over-processed - the reverb and delay effects are a bit overwhelming. The build-up into :45 is good, but the drop at :46 is a bit minimal and introduces a lot of new instruments at a rapid clip. The catchy rhythmic content is certainly a plus, and the mix at the drop sounds loud, clean, and well-balanced. I still think you could do a better job of integrating the spacey vocal sections and the drops - they don’t quite sound like part of the same narrative to me yet. I also would’ve liked to hear more variation on the main riffs of the piece the second time around, including more of a proper outro. The arrangement of this track is a bit generic, although the sound design overall is pretty neat. The production quality holds up well too. It’s mostly the compositional details that I think could use some more effort here - gradual transitions, fuller textures, more variety, etc. Still, I enjoyed the atmospheric and rhythmic elements and the build-ups. Keep at it, D4W1LL! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.75/10

D4W1LL13 responds:

duly noted! excuse the late reply, thanks for the contest!

[jazzy sunday]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the lo-fi production. The minimal snaps at :13 make for a good, mellow way of keeping the beat, and I really like the strong rhythmic content and bass at :24. I would’ve liked to hear the leads be a bit more prominent in the mix at :47 - the melody synths there seem to take a back seat to the bass and E-piano until 1:33 or so. The texture is also fairly minimal and bottom-heavy for much of the piece, and could use some more upper-mid-range frequencies to balance it out. Felt like the piece was just getting started when it ended, though (which is both a compliment and a criticism, I guess). Overall, a bolder composition where the melodies don’t just blend in with the backing harmonies would really help take this piece to the next level. But I still really enjoyed the atmosphere, sound design, and beats. Keep at it, Crysstal! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
8.25/10

Crysstal712 responds:

thank you! c:

[Cobblestone Cliffs & Errant Appetites]

I love the crisp string riffs and rhythmic content at the beginning. The tremolo effect at :07 sounds really neat, and the airy piano at :16 helps smooth out the texture nicely. The transition at :46 was a bit abrupt, but the rich chords there are great, and I also like the piano bridge at 1:25. The middle section of the piece sounds a bit minimal, but I like when the dark, murkier string lines come in at 2:05 and add more of an air of mystery to the piece. The track also comes full-circle well with the waltzy riff at 2:34. At times, the composition of this piece could’ve been a bit bolder, but the sound design, progression, and production quality are all strong regardless. Very relaxing and evocative piece, Cresince. Keep it up! ^_^

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

Cresince responds:

I am glad you enjoyed it! I'll be trying my best for the final round

[New Prey]

I like the foreboding mood at the beginning. The synths are a bit cheesy, though - that main pad at the beginning sounds like a preset from Nexus or Autogun. The vocals at :32 sound pretty good, but they also could’ve been more compelling if you had put more intensity behind them, as opposed to the furtive, whispered tone you have now. The mix is also pretty good, but the reverb is clogging up the texture throughout, and the drums could use a bit of a boost at times. I’d also suggest finding ways of creating variety within the vocal verses, which otherwise seem rather long and repetitive. Singing the first section of each of them down the octave could help, or adding additional layering later on. Otherwise, I like the eerie atmosphere and progression of this one, as well as the spoken word vocals during the bridge at 2:50. Finding ways of playing up the industrial aspect of the piece would really help take it to the next level IMO - more powerful vocals, more distortion and less reverb, pushing that synth guitar at 3:21 to the front of the mix, etc. I really like the dark themes in the lyrics and the creepy synth harmonies - you just need to bring out that apprehensive quality more in the rest of the sound design. Keep at it, Cotnp! ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

cotnp responds:

Thanks for the feedback! We'll see if I can do any better next year :)

[~ DISABLEDspace vol. 1 ~ // 04 EVERYTHING IS ROSY //]

I like the spacey pads and chirping birds at the beginning. The mix is a bit quiet, but otherwise clean and well-balanced. The crisp beat at :26 is really nice, and the piano melodies at :45 have a really sweet and upbeat tone to them. Long stretches of the piece are a bit minimal, and at times the mix feels like it’s missing some mid-range frequencies. The composition could be a tad bolder in general, with a pretty repetitive harmonic framework and similar instrumental hierarchy throughout the piece. You also start overusing the reverse crash during transitory moments after a while. Still, the mood, sound design, and atmosphere of the piece are really cool, and the production quality is rather strong as well. Very relaxing and blissful-sounding track, BottomKek! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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
8.75/10

[the dark reign]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning. The percussion at :15 could use a bit of a boost in the mix, but otherwise I’m enjoying the build-up into :30. The drop there is pretty cool, but I would’ve liked the choir to come through more clearly when the bass is playing. The mix is also a bit over-compressed, and the composition could use more variety in the harmonic content. I really like the sound design and progression of this, though. I hope you’ll keep working on it. With some more dynamic drops and a more well-balanced mix, this could be a top-notch track. Keep at it, blankfacedj! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

camelymusic responds:

Thank you so much! Even if I didn't make it into the final round, I'm still really happy that I got to this point. I'll try to keep working on my mix, as that's my weakness in terms of music production (I don't own expensive headphones, I got audition problems, I don't own a personal studio etc). Anyways, thanks for everything! Until next year :>

[mb it will b ok (NGUAC 2023)]

I like the haunting atmosphere at the beginning. The mix is a bit quiet, but I like the rich texture and melancholy tone. The piece is pretty slow to progress at first, and I would’ve liked the strings and later brass to be given a bit more room in the mix. There’s a great sense of gradual build-up into 1:50. The transition at 2:03 could’ve been a tad smoother, and at 2:04 the mix could’ve been a bit sharper, with the guitar getting a bit buried after the drums come in. The build-up into 3:25 was also enjoyable, but it ended up being a bit anticlimactic. I feel like this piece never really resolves all of the pent-up tension here, which could be a good area of focus if you decide to keep working on it. Still, I love the mood, sound design, progression, and atmosphere. Keep at it, ax1tl! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[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