TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Freeway]

I like the pads at the beginning, but the chord progression is a little cliché. It's not immediately clear how the synth that fades in starting at :08 compliments the pads harmonically. The part at :36 is better, though. It's melodic and upbeat and cute. You also used crashes effectively to transition between the various sections of this piece. The part at 1:04 sounded like you simply repeated the crash while decreasing the volume. Instead, I would suggest using an echo "Ping-Pong" effect and increasing the reverb. I appreciated the variation you offered at 1:56, as this piece was starting to get a little repetitive. I didn't think it needed to be almost 4 minutes long. The refrain plays a lot. Still, it's a structurally satisfying and smooth-flowing piece. I liked the crowd cheering FX at 3:26, but it came as a bit of a surprise so I think you should also use it earlier in the piece. It's rarely beneficial to introduce new sounds during the last 20 seconds of a track. However, the crowd cheering FX did give the piece a rather conclusive feel. I also think this piece is not the most unique - I've heard a lot of upbeat techno just from judging this competition - but I admire your effort at melodic development, dynamic contrast and progression. The mixing isn't bad, either. Keep up the good work, FoxyThePirateFoxPL. ;)

7.5/10

FoxyThePirateFoxPL responds:

Well, thanks!
:)

[No Nose(N G A U C)]

I like the relaxed ambient vibe of this track and the static at the beginning. The drums are very smooth and original. The high pad at :52 was a little harsh-sounding. I think you need to use an equalizer to eliminate some of the high tones in that instrument. The pads throughout the piece also duck under the mix a lot, although I'm not sure if they're getting distorted by the drums or you just did that on purpose to make it sound more mysterious. The texture of this piece is very thin though: it's a little overly minimalistic and I think you could've done a lot more with it. I love the mood and atmosphere, but I want to see you take more risks with your music in the future. I have to say, though: ending the piece with the little microphone click of static was a cool idea. This piece sounds like the background music to one of Buzzfeed's fact videos. Anyway, overall pretty solid work, Arbelamram. ;)

7.5/10

[Shadow Play]

I like the energy at the beginning and the cute synths. I think you needed a smoother transition at :08. It was kind of confusing with the arpeggios at :06 because it doesn't sound like the transition at :08 occurs on a downbeat (even though it probably does). The bass was also way too loud, and I think you overused those crashes at :28. Maybe it would've been appropriate to fill the texture with some sort of closed hat, but the full-on huge sound produced by the crash is a bit overwhelming. At the same time, you needed the crashes in some other places to help smooth over some of your transitions, like at 2:06. I enjoyed the frantic and energetic nature of this piece, though, as well as the upbeat mood. There were quite a few clashing chords at around :50, but I think that section works well to channel the mood of the piece in a way. It sounds like it'd be good for a videogame. I can discern the structural elements of this piece pretty well, but I still think you should've provided a bit more relief and dynamic contrast. I think my favorite part was at 2:06 - it's very groovy. ;) Overall, I think this is a cool idea for a track that's just a little rough around the edges. Keep up the good work, Frootza. ^^

frootza responds:

Thanks for the review TL. Yeah the :08 mark occurs on the 1 of the beat. The closed hat at :28 wouldn't have created the kind of rhythmic counterpoint I was looking for here, so the crash was actually vital to the mood since it is the "rock out hard, keyboard solo is here" section. The clashing chords you are referring to at :50 is just a really basic example of chromatic diminished dissonance building up to the chorus at 1:01

Unfortunately the intro was actually musical satire, but it's alright that you didn't pick up on it. Just showing how some really basic and dull 8-bit ideas can be fleshed out into something that pops.

This isn't actually music for a video game and more than likely won't be featured in one, but for one of my live bands, in this particular ensemble I play bass and write the arrangements and we have two keys and a drummer.

Just to briefly elaborate again. If there was a crash at 2:06, even if it was closed by hand, would not allow the high hats which are holding quarter notes to be heard, which is what actually makes the Latin rhythm stand out in this instance. The crash would ring out for approximately an entire measure, so the drummer would have to STOMP the floor pedal, or hit it with the stick. Since the groove evolves into the intricate cowbell groove, it just does not make sense to utilize the crash in that manner. Prior to the groove, the high hat is playing, and unless the drummer has a rock crash, that move would be extremely difficult to pull off.

Thanks for the comments, again. I hope that you continue your musical studies so that you get a better understanding of music written for live ensembles, harmony and counterpoint. :)

[Transparent]

I like the fade-in method you used at the beginning to make this piece climactic. I thought that hat was a bit too loud, though, especially since it's a closed hat. This track has a great sense of climax into around the 1-minute mark. I love hearing pieces that really have a direction to them. The drop was also rather fitting and catchy, and you kept the drums interesting enough throughout the piece. I liked what you did with the echo effects on the synths around 2:20 as well. The mixing is pretty solid too. It has an excellent upbeat mood to it, and you really channel my emotions well. I love the portamentos you added to the build-up right before the second drop. While the drops were very similar, I think they still were very catchy and cool. You definitely used enough reverb. ;) I think you needed a bit more of a coda in there, though. The ending as it is comes on a little suddenly. Big room house tends to be very minimalistic and repetitive, but as far as big room goes, this kept my attention really well until the end, which is great considering it's also 4 minutes long! Nice work overall, Flletcher. I look forward to hearing some more of your work. ^^

8.5/10

[Orbital Crises]

The synth at the beginning had a cool melody, but the instrument itself was rather high-pitched and harsh-sounding. I think you should transpose that down an octave. I thought a lot of your other instruments were quirky and maybe even bizarre. This track is missing a lot of bass tones, though. You have a kick in there, but no other bass lines to keep the chords grounded. It seems rather pizzicato-based, which isn't that bad in and of itself, but with such a fast-paced and variational track such as you have here, it can be hard to follow the progression sometimes. I like the mood a lot, though, as well as a lot of the isolated riffs. You have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. I liked the ending, although the last note was a bit too dry to be quite...well...conclusive enough. Sounds like you need some reverb and/or echo effects in there, just to give it that extra finishing touch. I admire your ability to dabble across genres with this one, though. It's very unique and creative. It's not the most coherent piece, though, which, again, makes it a bit structurally confusing. You change up the beat and the melody a lot, for example. Still, a couple of easy fixes would make this piece a lot better: again, transposing some of the rather so-high-they're-in-your-face melodies down an octave. Also, I think you needed more bass tones in this piece, but the sub-bass you bring in at 2:08 for maybe 20 seconds is still too loud. XD I would recommend adjusting the volume levels on your instruments while wearing headphones - that might help you fix some balancing issues as well. The mixing, however, was overall rather solid. Very interesting piece here, Dubwolfer. Keep up the good work! ;D

8/10

Dubwolfer responds:

Oh thank you so much for the feedback! I see exactly what you are saying and will try to tweak it a bit.

A quick note, I'm actually currently producing with an iPhone app called Beatwave, because currently it's really all I have legal access to. But, like always, no matter what I use my goal will be to try and show that money doesn't indicate quality, and if you try hard enough you can make something of equal or even greater value than even the big boys in the industry.

:) This was super helpful I'll see if I can record it again with this in mind.

[Tides of Time]

I like the FX of the waves crashing. The piano had a beautiful, emotional quality to it that was only heightened by reverb. Same thing with the cello. The progression is absolutely beautiful, and while it is rather simplistic, the simplicity adds such a human quality to it that I absolutely love. The mixing is rather solid, although perhaps it's hard to screw up the mix when there are only 2 instruments playing at a time. It had enough coherence to make it structurally pleasing, yet enough variation to keep me engaged. It was strangely open-ended and conclusive at the same time, like the ambiguous last line of a novel that you know your English teacher is going to rant about in class the next day. Amazing job again with the progression and harmonies. This piece tugs at my emotions just like the moon does on the oceans. ;) Keep up the fantastic work, DSykMusic! ^^

9/10

DSykMusic responds:

Thanks so much! I'll aim to keep up the fantastic work :)

[Archangel Assault GD]

I like the energy and progression right off the bat. I thought the claps at :26 were a bit too quiet, though. I think you need to try to heighten the drama during the first minute or so by creating a massive crescendo instead of starting the piece with those bass synths roaring. Otherwise, a full minute of content with flat dynamics that fails to introduce new instruments won't keep my engagement that well. The part at 1:01, which is both more upbeat and more melodic, was interesting. It seems that the melodies are very up-front in the mix throughout compared to the lower pads and drums, though. That may have been a mistake, especially since such a long piece demands better harmonic support. The texture seems full, probably mostly because of reverb and generally good mastering, but it still needs some more going on besides one instrument dominating the mix for the entire piece in order to stay entertaining. I like the progression, but it just needs more structural relief - a bridge or breakdown or re-intro or something that will sort of serve as a reset button for the emotional quality of the track. I also thought that the ending was a bit rushed. With a track like this, I might suggest using tempo automations to gradually slow the piece down during the last 10 seconds. That's usually a good way of leading into an ending a bit more. Also, the last note should usually be on the tonic. Still, it's a fun and energetic track with some cool instruments and harmonies. Keep at it, DocterOreo! ;)

7.5/10

DocterOreo responds:

Hmm i felt like i needed something like that
lets just say my next song is a huge rival of
this one

no one has been able to say which one is better

but anyways thanks for the review

[Through Darkness]

I like the atmospheric pads at the beginning. This piece progresses really slowly though, especially for such a short track. The kick had a lot of higher tones for a bass drum - I think you should've Equalized that a bit more carefully. My main problem with this piece, though, is that it seems very safe. There are some cool sweeps and harmonies and stuff, but you could've done so much more with this. I feel like this should be a roaring, 5-minute long piece with tones of quiet tension and drama that eventually explode into epicness, but instead it's a 2-minute skeleton of a track that seems like it's unfinished. The piece cuts off really suddenly, which I would've excused if it looped well (but it doesn't). The mixing is solid, and, as I said, the instruments and harmonies are cool. However, I'm getting the sense that you didn't really show off your skill set at its true potential here. I want you to aim for a fuller texture with more effects, engaging melodies and harmonies and, well, generally riskier things! Overall, this track is cool but also relatively bland. I'd love to see you really go all-out with it next time! Keep at it, DJmadalrian. ;)

7/10

DJmadalrian responds:

Thanks I will keep working at it!

you are right its not finished I have a bad habit of working on a song for weeks then never finishing it and scrapping it, so I am forcing my self to just throw things out :)

[Midnight Paradise]

I like the cute synth at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliché, and I didn't think you needed to establish the chord progression 2 times over before fading in other elements of the piece, but I did like the climactic nature of it and the energy. I liked the way you used those portamentos as a transition at :49. You used crashes and volume automations/filters effectively to connect various parts of the piece, and I think it's structurally a very solid track. It does get a bit repetitive by end - I don't think it needed to be 4 minutes long, maybe closer to 3 - but I still love the mood and melodies. The mixing is also not that bad. I can hear everything clearly throughout. The ending was cute, too, albeit a bit sudden. What I really think you should consider next time, though, is that I don't think you took as much of a risk with this piece. It's not very unique - I've heard a lot of tracks like this during my time on NG. There wasn't much melodic development, and I think you could've done a lot more to give more direction to this track. I think pretty much everything after the first 1.5 minutes or so is simply repeated from the first 1.5. Still, it puts a smile on my face and I admire your sense of harmony and progression. Keep up the good work, DjHoneyb! ;D

7.5/10

Jakki responds:

Thank you really much!

[Espada]

Ooo...I like the Latin theme. You have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. Unfortunately, the strings seem to get very distorted by the guitars. I would suggest working on your Equalizing skills as a priority. Also, this piece doesn't have much in the way of drums, which could really help give it some energy and also help it move forward. You have a sweep at 1:05, but I think you needed a crash to smooth over the transition at :41, and some cool percussion could really help spice up the rather dry texture you have at around :50 - 1:00. It's really easy to tell that flute-like instrument you have playing throughout the second minute of the piece distorts the piano pads and drums. Here's where the Equalizing would come in handy! It's catchy and cool, and I like the upbeat mood. However, there are also long, repetitive sections, such as between 2:45 and 3:20. I didn't think this piece needed to be 4 minutes long. Also, you don't really transition effectively into 3:20. There should really at least be a crash there to smooth it over a bit. Also, I don't know where the bass at 3:40 came from. Generally, I'd advise against introducing new instruments 30 seconds before the end of your piece. This piece has a fun mood and atmosphere, though, and, again, I admire your sense of harmony. It has potential. Compositionally, it's not bad, but learning to mix is an important next step for you. Keep working at it, man! Good luck! ;)

6/10

DeadlyAlchemy responds:

Literally every problem I highlighted with this was mentioned plus more xD I didn't have enough time to completely fix the piece before submission, so this had a lot of holes in it. All the same, thanks a lot for taking the time to listen to it and leave a review with such attention to detail. I'll be sure to actually remake this with issues fixed now I have the time to spare.