TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[NOAH!]

I like the 90s coffee shop rock vibe at the beginning. The dark content of the lyrics contrasts heavily with the upbeat, pop style of the piece. The vocals sound good. At first, I thought this was a vocaloid because a couple of the words are mispronounced, but they also have a really even and organic tone. Is it sad that I’m surprised when people actually have a human record vocals for their NGADM tracks these days? Yes. Yes it is.

Anyway, the piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing, and after the repetitive verse-chorus structure, the solo at 1:57 really hits the spot. The additional vocal layering on the chorus at 1:44 is nice, but the final chorus at 2:12 still could’ve used a bit more “pizzazz” - 4 repeated phrases in less than 3 minutes is a lot, after all.

Overall, the production quality here is pretty good, but the drums could use a bit of a boost in the mix, especially during the chorus. This is a catchy piece with some creative lyrics and punchy guitars. Reminds me of Avril Lavigne’s first couple of albums. Keep it up, Zip-Zap! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Zip-Zap-Official responds:

Thank you for the review! I was going for a 90s vibe and I'm glad I was able to capture that here (I got Nirvana and Spiderbait to thank for that haha). Believe it or not, it IS a vocaloid :D Some of the words weren't supposed to be mispronounced; Hotel Arcadia is an Australian punk rock band so the singers are supposed to have a faint accent. I can now rest accomplished knowing I tricked somebody into thinking it was a human voice ;)

[Trauma]

I like the eerie whirring effect at the beginning and the crisp strings that come in shortly thereafter. The snare at :23 really pops in the mix, which is nice, but many of the other instruments sound a bit thin and inauthentic, especially the guitars. It might help to either give the bass more space in the EQ and/or add some reverb and other atmospheric elements to fill out the texture. There’s a good sense of build into 1:33, and the glitchy effects and added pads there are nice touches. The main riff (1:55) feels pretty bland and repetitive to me after a while - it and the other lead harmonies are doing little else besides outlining the chords for most of the piece. The re-intro at 2:45 was a good idea, although I still want some of these instruments to have more space in the mix. I also thought the extended stop-start transition from 3:22 to 3:34 interrupted the flow of the piece a bit. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear more variety in the harmonic content and more ebb and flow within individual phrases to break up an otherwise disjointed arrangement. Otherwise, I enjoyed the production quality, atmosphere, and rhythmic content of the piece. Keep at it, WingsOfAsh! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[The Threat in the Corner of Your Eye]

I like the pensive guitar riff at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere. While slow to progress at first, the texture really starts coming together with the powerful guitar chords at :45. The drums are rather soft in the mix, although it’s less noticeable during the verses. I absolutely love the lead riff at 1:36. The transition at 1:50 was pretty abrupt, as was the re-entry of the lead guitar at 2:06. The melodic content here is fantastic, but again, the mix could use some tightening up.

The drums should be way stronger at sections like 2:48 - idk what DAW you use to produce this, but if stereo widening is an option, it might be useful to keep the atmospheric elements panned to the sides so that the drums have more space front-and-center. I’m sure it’s also really tough balancing the heavy guitars and the drums in a piece like this, but giving the top end of the drums a nudge forward with an EQ might help.

The composition here is really strong, though. I’m really digging the variety, sound design, and progression of this piece. I think one of my favorite individual sections is the call-and-response between the bass and the kinda atonal lead riff at 4:03. You also hit the piece home strongly with the climax at 4:55.

Overall, this would be a top-notch piece if the different instruments, especially the drums, sounded more distinct and crisp in the mix. The composition is a storytelling journey, the sound design is evocative and blends well, and the rhythmic content and atmosphere really string me along nicely between the sections with the heavy guitars. Keep it up, Mischa-head! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Mischa-head responds:

Thank you! Really useful feedback too :)

[ShadowFox - Predator]

I like the warm pads at the beginning. The grainy bass at :25 isn’t my favorite instrument, and the distorted vocals on the off-beats at :38 sound a bit tinny. The drop at :52 is pretty catchy, but also pretty generic given the sound design and structure. You could also use a smoother transition into 1:19. I like the hip-hop-inspired snare at 1:45. I also think you start overusing the stop-start transitions (like at 2:09) after a while. My favorite aspect of the piece is probably the production quality - everything sounds crisp, loud, and clear in the mix throughout. I also think it was a good idea to end the piece with the more energetic section at 3:17. Overall, the piece is catchy and has a lot of cool compositional details, but the sound design could sound more polished and the arrangement less disjointed. Still, you really showed off your strong sense of rhythm and harmony with this one. Keep at it, ShadowFox! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Fever]

I like the eastern string riff at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere around it. The chord progression is a bit cliche, as is the hardstyle lead, but once the beat comes in at :31 the piece has a great energy about it. The drop at 1:01 is pretty catchy, although the sidechaining is a tad heavy for my tastes. I like the breakdown at 1:32, especially with the echo/delay automations at 1:44. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some more variety on the main riffs and harmonic framework of the piece, although I like the variations on the drop at 2:34 too. Overall, aspects of the arrangement and sound design are pretty generic here, and the composition could’ve been a bit bolder in places, but I like the atmospheric elements, rhythmic content, and production quality of this one. Keep at it, PsiStar! ^_^

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
.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
7.5/10

[Lost Island (NGADM '23 R1)]

I like the echo-y strings at the beginning and the floaty flute line. The low-pitched piano chords at :40 really hit the spot, and by the 1-minute mark this is turning into a real “tapestry of sound” approach to composition, with no one instrument dominating the others melodically. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture, though, and sometimes the drums get a little lost in the mix. The breakdown at 1:54 was good for some structural contrast, and the piano and strings blend really well together at 2:20. The string line at 2:36 is gorgeous, and at that point I might’ve liked to hear the main melody stay on top of the mix a bit more. You’re always so good at giving your tracks a rich longer melodic section towards the end, and this is no exception. Beautiful composition here, Papkee. I’m going to challenge you to tighten up the mix a bit for next time, though. Keep at it! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[Summer Skies]

I like the filtering on the bass at the very beginning and the heavy kick at :07. The mix sounds a bit dry here, though, and could use some reverb and other effects to fill out the atmosphere a bit. The piece is also pretty slow to progress at first, and the sweep at :46 was a bit generic. The vocals at 1:03 fit into the texture well, but I think you missed an opportunity to channel their energy into a climactic melodic section or something. It felt a bit anticlimactic to follow up the vocal phrase with the minimal, repetitive beats at 1:18. That said, by 1:50, the piece feels more upbeat, melodic, and full-textured, which is good, and the second vocal phrase has a more distinct post-chorus at 3:02. I think my favorite aspect of this piece is the production quality, and you also have some cool compositional details here, like the glitchy vocals at 3:31. Still, the composition feels a tad bland overall - I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodies and also a faster pacing to the song at some point. The rhythmic content, mixing and mastering, sound design, and vocal editing are all really nice here. Keep at it, Mauxus! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Mauxus responds:

Thank you, this is really helpful!

[Paradigm Shift (NGADM 2023 Round 1)]

I like the dramatic flair of the beginning and the eerie howling in the background. The strings at the beginning sound a bit indistinct in the mix, especially the ones in the lower register. At :24, I would’ve liked to hear a little less kick and a little more of the other aspects of the percussion. The texture comes together well by :48, with the soulful guitar/string melodies and the piano ornamentation. The more laid-back section at 1:12 is good for some contrast with the high-octane section earlier, and I really like the transition with the descending piano line at 1:46. The second half of the piece doesn’t offer much in the way of novel content, though, and I also think the composition could benefit from some more gradual transitions and dynamic melodies. I would’ve liked to hear a more creative ending than a fade-out. Still, the sound design, atmosphere, energy, and rhythmic content here are really good. Keep at it, ET16! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
8/10

[Floating]

I like the crisp percussion and pulsating string line at the beginning. The beat at :21 sounds really punchy, and the vocal sample of the girl laughing is a nice touch. The open hat sounds a bit cliche, but otherwise the sound design here is great. The harmonies could use a bit more depth and variety, but I really like the distorted guitar riff at 1:25 and bongos/vibraslap combo you use as a transition a couple of times. The composition could use a bit more fleshing out, but you nailed the instrumentation, mixing and mastering, and rhythmic content here. Keep at it, Semzaiy! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Ryzmik - "Time Lapse" (NGADM)]

I like the pensive synths at the beginning and the dramatic sweep at :16. There’s a good sense of build into :31, and I like the energy and variety in the sound design there too. The mix could’ve been a tad sharper in places, and there’s a lot of reverb in the texture that’s probably not helping matters. I had to replay 1:33 several times because I thought my ears were deceiving me, but YES there is a bit of dissonance in there, probably layered onto one of the sweeps with a stray oscillator. It’s really subtle, though, and actually helps contribute to the underlying tension in the piece.

The drop at 1:46 was a pleasant surprise - the rhythmic content there is especially creative, but it’s also the section that lays bare the production issues. The drums could be a lot more punchy there, and are seriously struggling to stay on top of the mid-range bass and airy pads. I like the injection of energy at 2:31 and the return of the string synths at 2:47, although it also would’ve been nice if you had switched up the main melody the second time around. Pacing-wise, the end of the piece felt a tad rushed - even if you had copy-pasted the post-chorus at :47, that might’ve helped wind down this track in a more satisfactory way.

Overall, I really like the melodies, vocal samples, instrumental sound design, and rhythmic content here. The mixing remains my biggest concern, although a tad more variety later on in the piece couldn’t hurt. Also, I didn’t find a place to mention it earlier, but that little snare roll thing you do at 2:42 and a couple of other places is awesome! Keep at it, Ryzmik. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Ryzmik responds:

Thank you for the great review!
My intention for the final was to make an even more melodious chorus and some calm break but due to all the stuff I had to do to make that chorus full, I felt very lazy to be honest and left it as when I uploaded. Also I was so nervous and rushed cause I actually misread the deadline date thinking it was on August 16th as the last year. Regardless, no excuses lol.