TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[After Rain]

It's short, but I like the mood. You combine the instruments here really well. Almost sounds Far Eastern in a way. It's a cool melody, but I think you could've done a lot more with this. Also, it ends a little suddenly. I think you should've played up the atmospheric nature of this piece by increasing the reverb. That way, you could've used an echo Ping-Pong effect or something at the end to just let the sound melt away. As it is now, it just sort of stops abruptly. Anyway, overall I like it, and I hope I'll be hearing more from you soon, DjGubkafish. ;D

[~ Decay ~]

I love all the reverb and echo effects you put on here. They really enhance the mood IMO. While I liked the progression, I think (and I'm sure you know) that you could've done a lot more with this. You got the mood across really well, and I like the atmospheric vibes, though. It loops well, too. Looking forward to the album, man! Keep at it. ;)

larrynachos responds:

Almost 2 months late, but finally, a reply!

I'm glad you liked it, TL! I definitely could have done more with this, but at the time I was almost sick of composing music, so I just wanted to make something short and sweet.

Thanks!

[Infinite Realms EP Sampler]

Awesome! I love the space you leave for climax at the beginning, and the distortion at around :25. "Eclipse" had a really cool mood about it. I love the guitar at 1:10 too. "Time Warp" had more of an atmospheric vibe, which I also think is a valued deviation from your traditional style. The vocal samples also added a lot to that piece. Loved the dark sense of mystery in "Alternate Reality," and the arpeggios later on added a lot to that mood too. The drop at 3:12 was really cool. The mixing is really good across all of these tracks too. It seems like you have a lot of variety across tracks within the EP, at least as far as mood, but I think you could've tried using a wider variety of instruments and textures. I loved the synths at 4:15. "Blood Moon" also has a really edgy, cool mood to it. "Final Frontier" sounds a lot like your classic style, DM. ;) I'm really excited for this EP! You've clearly put a lot of work into it. Nice job, guys! ^^

[Let it Out]

I like the sense of adventure this has. Interesting combination with the bass and the dreamy pads. I kind of wish you had built up a bit more to the drop at :45. I think you needed a stronger transition there. Your mixing has improved a lot in the past few months, but I think the bass was a bit too loud. You could've done a lot more with this piece. It gets really repetitive by the end, even if there are a few structural changes here and there. Overall, I like it, but I think it needed more of a sense of direction. Some more melodic content could help you establish that direction. Either way, keep at it, LN. ;)

larrynachos responds:

With this song, I was trying something new. To me, the bass isn't too loud. I've recently taking a liking to powerful bass that rumbles my headphones and massages my ears.

I do have to agree with you on the structural parts though. I didn't really build up to the drop, and it is kinda repetitive.

Thanks for the review!

[Overcome]

"Outrageously catchy" --> This, I can confirm! I really like the progression of this piece, especially around :30 - :45, and the lounge jazzy vibes at :47 (and other places) added a lot to the piece. As usual, the mixing is really good. I thought that the kick could've been just a bit stronger at times, but that's a pretty tiny detail. Obviously, these are engrossing melodies, and I love the arpeggios at 2:38 (and other places). This piece has a really cool energy about it that you've really highlighted in a lot of your recent tracks. I love it! Keep up the great work, Johnfn. ;D Looking forward to hearing your NGADM track. ^^

johnfn responds:

Just wait until you hear my NGADM piece its EVEN CATCHIER HA HA HA HA HA

[Radiant Palace]

I like the heroic and adventuresome vibe this has. It's definitely fitting for a videogame - full of variety and little riffs that really make it great. It could've used some stronger transitional content IMO, especially at :37 and 1:15. It's coherent enough without being overly repetitive. It has a full texture and a well-built atmosphere to it. It's also structurally pleasing, although the ending was a bit sudden. Are you intending to loop it? Overall, this is a cool piece. Keep up the good work, man! ;D

carhondalet responds:

Thanks for the review, I found it very helpful! When you say stronger do you mean adding more interesting melodies or more instruments? I was intending to loop it for a game although I'm not exactly how or if that can be done in FLStudio but I suppose I could make a proper ending seeing as it presented as a standalone song here. Thanks again for your input man! :D

[Hand Drum Improvisation]

Ooo...this is cool. I always really admire people who can improvise compositionally sound pieces on various instruments. You have a really good sense of rhythm. It sounds pretty exotic and danceable. You should expand on this by adding some melodic instruments!

[Aurore]

Personally, I found it a bit hard to follow the rhythms at the beginning, although I did like the cute synths and the reverb. The pulsing pads also added a lot to the somewhat furtive vibe of the piece, while also leaving a lot of space in the mix, which was cool. I liked the somewhat quirky percussion. The vocal samples at 1:20 are also really interesting and funky-sounding. This piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing, and has a really unique and creative mood about it. The woodwind solos at around the 3-minute mark were also a valuable edition to the piece. I'm not sure I liked the kick sample you used that much. The ending also seemed a bit rushed. Most of this piece is very easy-going and slow-paced, but the ending was almost comically short. Still, this is really original content here, which I love to see. Keep up the good work, Adieuwinter. ;D

[Babokon - Dragonfly]

I like the upbeat mood at the beginning. The melodies are catchy and fun. I think it progresses a little slowly at times, and I think you could've used a smoother transition into 1:31. Still, the drops were cool. The mixing and mastering is generally very good. I'm not sure I felt like the parts on either side of the transition at 2:55 were connected very well. Still, the arpeggios at 3:09 were interesting (I especially liked the VGM-style instrument you used for them). The coda was kind of strange. It had this chill, atmospheric aesthetic that didn't really fit with the bouncy, energetic vibe of the rest of the piece IMO. I also thought a couple of your instruments sounded a little too harsh and/or loud, perhaps most notably the melody instrument at 1:06, although that's a pretty tiny detail. Overall, nice work here! As I said, I like the melodies and the production quality is really high. Keep it up, man. ;D

[Let the Kingdom Crumble My Liege, the Crown Must Be Protected]

Well, that's quite the title you've got there. I like the emotional quality this has, and the puttering, jittery piano tremolos contributed a lot to the mood, and the atonal string sounds added quite the haunting vibe to this piece. I can already picture the dark thoughts going through the king's mind as he abandons his loyal subjects to save himself, his solemn queen and his children surrounding him. His young son stares up at him in wonder, attempting to be brave, and his young daughter tugs on his royal gowns, offering him a consolatory hug. It is a hot summer day, and he seems about ready to faint. But he is the king. What would it say to his family if he gave in now, even after committing this rather cowardly action? So grim-faced guard after grim-faced guard leads them down the long tunnel to the sea, where a ship is waiting to whisk them away to some desolate island. No one speaks. Occasionally the king nods at his men. We don't know if they ever make it to the sea. All we hear are the echoes down the tunnel left by the wind, and perhaps a brief screech by the daughter, who stepped on a rat...

Haha, I'm in a creative mood today, okay? In all seriousness, I really love the mood and atmosphere here. Keep up the good work! ^^