TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Bonds Of Hate]

I like the distorted guitars at the beginning, and that sharp, wet snare that comes in soon after. It progresses a little slowly, but the vocals add considerably to the mood and theme of the piece. I enjoyed the vocals, although it's hard for me to make out the lyrics (which is no fault of your own; I simply suck at discerning lyrics in most songs). It's a cool, energetic, and engaging piece. I enjoyed the guitar solo at 2:12. It really provided some structural relief in a piece that sort of lacked dynamic contrast otherwise. I did like the transitions and progression, though. The ending was a little lazily done IMO, but conclusive nonetheless. Overall, solid work here man. I think your cousin is going to be happy with the background music for his skiing video. ;D

Bad-Man-Incorporated responds:

Cheers mang! the whole song was written today, so MOSTLY lazy! hahaha. Glad you dug it, overall! Thanks for the listen and review\m/

[Fantasiamaailma]

Huh, funny. I had just randomly came across one of Dem0lecule's tracks a couple of days ago, and I remember liking it a lot. I love the emotion and the instruments. The quality of the string samples is very high. Beautiful work with the progression and phrasing. Some of the transitions are a little sudden, such as the one at 1:53 with the bell. You also change moods pretty quickly there too, and it starts sounding especially dark after 2:00 or so. Sometimes the strings cut off a little suddenly, as is common with string samples in my experience. I would suggest a) using a little more reverb and b) creating tiny volume automations just to help those exposed last notes of some of the riffs "tail off" a bit, if you know what I mean. However, I love the vocals at around 3:00, and I think in general you've accomplished a very full texture and complex sound design here. Well done! The (music box?) at 3:35 is also very well-incorporated. You used a wide variety of instruments that ultimately combine very nicely. I also love the pizzicatos around 4:25, as well as the flute at 4:35. Despite the variety and climatic/cinematic nature of this piece, I feel like it would've been good to make it sound more coherent. I'm sure if I saw the score I would be able to pick out some repetition across the parts, but as a casual listener it's hard to string together the structure, especially with only one listen. That said, it has an appropriately dramatic finish and an excellent mood and energy to it. Great work, both of you! ^_~ I'll be adding this to my favorites, er...NOW! :D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the long review, Andrew!

Yeah, dem0lecule makes really good and high quality music. I think he used different 8dio for most of the strings, but I can't tell you for sure :)

Interesting thing about the bell at 1:53 is that it accidentally starts 1/16 of a measure too early. But I've come to like it, as it catches the listener off guard and brings them back to the track, in case they were just casually listening.

The quick mood changes are for the most part intentional, just like if you were telling a story and suddenly something new happens.

As for the strings cutting off, I kind of get what you mean. I don't mind when listening, but if I'm trying to read into it, I can hear that a little bit. I don't think more reverb is a good idea, but if it could be made to sound realistic/good, the automation fade could be useful at some points. I've used it myself here and there is the past :)

As for the choirs, I think they're incredible. Dem0lecule got the library very recently, and it sounds brilliant, and is well used!

If I remember correctly, 3:35 is actually a harp, a glock and a xylophone playing slightly different things at the same time!

You can thank dem0 for 4:20 :)
Originally, he had the piano play that, but for the sake of variety he changed it up.

I get what you mean with the coherency. For the most part, this is a track about evolving and moving forward (I guess that in a way, you could say it's progressive, hehhe), and aside from that, it is essentially a loop. This means we definitely didn't want to make it too repetive. But that said, we have places where things repeat, which I'm sure you would've noticed more upon relistening.

The one that is easiest to notice, is the flute at 1:17, the piano at 2:08 (I think that the melody could almost be louder here, but then again, the choir is beautiful to listen to as well), and the choir at 3:02, which hints at the same melody.
I would've originally included the melody in some adaptation in two more places, but it didn't fit entirely there, and I didn't want to force it.
But aside from that, there are a lot of other places that feature some repetition.

Listen to the brass at 3:11 for example, as well as the brass at 4:09.

Aside from melodies, there are a lot of places in the rhythm and backing elements that repeat. One is the piano at 2:26 and the pizzicato you mentioned at 4:18.
I could go on to name other spots too, but I'm sure it's more fun to listen for yourself :)
You're very right though, there is perhaps not much coherency in the in the traditional sense featured in this composition :p

Thanks a lot for your constructive review, and thank you for listening and favoriting :D
I hope to hear more of your stuff once you get time to make some more ;)

[Somesing1324124]

I like the synths you used, but it was a bit to follow the progression of this piece during the intro. You used a pretty strange chord progression, and then the part at :19 didn't seem related to the intro very closely. I also thought your drums were a little too loud and your synths sounded Equalized a bit too high. It's also not a structurally complete piece you have here, although given the extremely casual title I'm not sure that's what you were going for anyway. It's a pretty smooth-flowing and catchy track, and I like a lot of the isolated riffs (like the slide-y synth at :33), but it needs some more harmonizing and structural considerations IMO. More melodic development and dynamic contrast also couldn't hurt. I will say that the mix was pretty clear throughout, and your drums, though loud, sound very crisp. It has a lot of potential overall. You should do more with this, man! ;)

The-Cockenator responds:

Thanks and yes this track has no structure atm but it will come and it is really early in the making so no real mastering to the track and the drums are loud yes that is just my miss calculated ear haha but it will hopefully be ready soon

[.: Eternal Darkness :.]

I liked the ominous vibe at the beginning. The synths are really cool in this piece. I'm not sure I got the hang of that hi-hat at the beginning right away, though. It was kind of too quiet and strangely clashed with the slow-paced synths at the beginning. It was made clearer what you were trying to do once the drums came in at :12, though. I thought the synth at :23, while contributing considerably to the spooky vibe of the piece, has a little high-pitched and harsh-sounding, which could've been fixed with some more careful Equalizing. The transition at 1:05 seemed a little inappropriately comical to me. Perhaps you could've pulled it off, however, with some more reverb AND if that last note of that descending scale was the tonic. Compositionally, the breakdown that followed that transition was appealing, but I think you needed to mix and master the basses more carefully so that they sounded less muddy and distorted. Overall, I like it. It's very appropriate for a videogame, as I believe was your intention. It loops pretty well (the role of the hi-hats is less confusing when it loops), and it definitely has a lot of character and whatnot. Keep up the good work, Larrynachos! ;D

larrynachos responds:

I think you might be listening too loud, because it all sounds good to me. The bass is supposed to be distorted like that. It gently massages my ears, and also helps compensate for the high frequencies.

I'm glad it loops well. Thanks for the review!

[Lucid (Original Mix)]

I love the catchy, pizzicato-esque synths at the beginning. This does sound quite a bit different from your usual stuff! Those vocal samples at :36 added considerably to the texture of the piece, and I enjoyed the VGM-ish vibe that the build-up into 1:10 gave me. The drop at 1:11 was chill, and nice work with the snares at around 1:35. I love seeing you do a lot more with the drums and subbass than you have in the past. While it is a bit more minimalistic than some of your full-sounding electro bangers (Gradient comes to mind), the level of creativity is still extremely high, and it keeps me engaged throughout. I also applaud you for watching the length of the track more than you sometimes do. The title is fitting, it's a catchy and smooth-flowing piece, and I think the mixing is top-notch as well. :) Overall, excellent work! I love seeing you trying different genres and moods, as it's clear to see you've already aced it. ^^ The ending was, as it sometimes is with your tracks, a bit underwhelming, but that won't stop me from instantly fav'ing and DL'ing it. Keep up the great work, Lockyn! ^^

Lockyn responds:

I'm glad you enjoyed the build up, I think that was my most frustrating part to get right x) I'm still not completely satisfied with it but it was getting worse as I worked on it so I was like "okay enough". I'm very happy you feel this piece is still creative, I really did try to keep my own style in with this genre. Glad you enjoyed the little things throughout - and again with the ending LOL I suck with endings man ;__; Thank you as always for the support, TL, you're the best. <3

[Shock]

Ooo, I love the guitar samples, and it sounds really funky and cool when you add that synth melody line at :12. Nice use of harmonies and structuring, and despite the heavy guitar sound, the mixing seemed a bit better this time. However, the drums really got drowned out here, which was a little disappointing. Also, you may have needed more of a breakdown/bridge section just to add some structural relief, but otherwise it's a catchy and smooth-flowing piece. I usually don't think that fade-out endings are very creative or interesting, and this is no exception. Still, this is a unique piece with quite a great deal of potential. Keep up the good work, Larrynachos. ;)

larrynachos responds:

Yeah, I've learned that it's better to keep the drums louder in the mix, but then it sometimes clashes with other instruments.

Oh, and one more thing. I had to fade it out because this was an old song and I had lost the projects file.

[Frisky Hornet]

It's great hearing from you after all this time, Garlagan! :D I love the whirling synth patterns at :08 (and other places), as well as the drums and more up-front synths that start fading in at around :22. Cool and engaging title you got there, btw. ;) Nice use of modulation at 1:07. That was a really cool use of (reverb? Flangers?) at 1:20, and I loved how you used it to lead into the breakdown at 1:29. The breakdown itself had a much more reserved and intelligent vibe to it, which offered some much-needed structural relief IMO. I then enjoyed the build-up back into 2:08. Your tracks always have the perfect balance of being easy to listen to and not too overwhelming, yet also very full-sounding and thickly and spaciously textured. The outro brought back that intelligent vibe, too, which I loved. Excellent work, Garlagan! Instant favorite and download! Please make more. :D

garlagan responds:

thank you Andrew!

[-Grind District-]

Okay, I love the gritty synths at the beginning, as well as the hard-hitting bass and beats. It might progress a little slowly at first, but I love the fuller texture you start creating around :40. Structurally, it's a cool piece, and it's great to see such a high quality of mastering from you, Waterflame. I love all the dramatic hits, like at 1:32 (and other places). It has a strangely mechanical vibe at times, despite sounding so experimental and energetic at others. I felt like it was just getting to a point of climax when it ended, though. I enjoyed a lot of the effects you threw in there at the very end, although I'm not sure you needed the part at 2:36 and onward. Still, it's a cool and jumpy piece. Definitely more industrial than anything else as I see it. ;D Keep up the great work, man! ^^

Waterflame responds:

Thank you! I appreciate it. as you mentioned, It is very much experimental, And I see it as more of a "introduction" to more FM based Industrial in the future. Thanks!

[~ Undercover Action ~]

I like the climax at the beginning, but right away I'm seeing some areas mixing-wise where you can improve. I believe the low, muddy bass at the beginning is playing for almost the whole piece, yet I can barely hear it after the first 5 seconds! Please work on your mixing, Larrynachos! It really is what's separating you from the NG greats IMO. Otherwise, this is compositionally a very solid piece. It's engaging, climactic, dramatic, and has a lot of cool instruments. Interesting how you said it was a loop in the description but didn't set it as a loop in NG's project manager. Tbh, it could've looped better, too. ;P I like the frantic synths and beats, and structurally it's a solid piece. The transitions were smooth, and I liked the filters on the drums you used from around 1:10 - 1:30. Again, though, you're an excellent composer, but I want to hear all the awesome harmonies you make AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE! Mixing, man! :O This summer is an amazing opportunity for you to drastically improve your mixing and mastering. In fact, I'd be more than willing to mix one of your compositions for you (assuming you use FL Studio). It could really help you understand how to Equalize and balance your instruments well. I'll PM you my email address and/or Dropbox info upon request. Seriously! ;D

larrynachos responds:

I don't think it's that I don't know how to mix, it's just that I don't have the patience for it lol. My newest song sounds a lot better because I spent a decent amount of time working on just the mixing.

I'm not sure I can even begin to compare to the greats, haha.

Thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind if I ever feel the need to get mixing tips ^^

[Time Slows Down]

It progresses a little slowly, but I like the climax and the way you gradually fade those synths and melodies in amidst the piano. The sweep leading up to 1:05 lacked effects, IMO. It needed some more interesting filters/distortions/phasers and things so that I couldn't recreate it in 90 seconds in FL Studio. That's a pretty picky detail, though. Obviously, you continue your reign as the Awesome Melody King, as evidenced by 1:05. That said, I think the texture of this track isn't as full or engaging as many of your other tracks (and just because it's slow doesn't mean it has to be less engaging). Also, that breakdown from 1:50 to 2:30 dragged on a bit too long IMO. Still, I love the beat and the melodies after 2:30 or so. I will beg you to start ending pieces properly, though. I'm literally on my knees right now, Johnfn. Fade-out endings are just not my cup of tea. Still, solid effort as always. It's a nice, smooth, and relaxing piece. Keep it up! ;)

johnfn responds:

Pffff. I like that one thing that you didn't like. I can't believe we have a difference of opinion on such a thing! You like the thing and I don't like the thing. Can you believe this thing?!?...