TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Lordant - Eönwë]

I like the Celtic sound design and majestic melodies. The little scoop/glissando at :41 sounds a bit unnatural, but I like the crisp percussion and authoritative string lines thereafter. You blend in some electronic effects, like the jittery bass at 1:12, into the texture quite well, and the texture here feels quite loose, organic, and well-humanized. The melodies at 1:46 serve as a great “point of arrival,” and I also like the approach you’ve taken to balancing out the texture, with no one instrument serving as the lead melody by itself for very long. The breakdown at 2:18 with the string melodies is absolutely gorgeous, and you transitioned very smoothly into the key change at 2:50. The production quality is absolutely flawless, by the way - just a crystal clear mix with rich textures and punchy percussion throughout. The vocals and brass taking the lead on the melodic content towards the end was another wise compositional choice. I thought the transition into the outro at 3:58 was a tad sudden, but the outro itself was also rather beautiful. Amazing work, Lordant! By all means, keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
9.5/10

[Finnsfolks - N0VA]

I like the synth arpeggios at the beginning and the dramatic reverse riser at :09. Sound design has a nice 80s vibe. The piece is a bit slow to progress at first, and the percussion at :43 is very heavy in the mix for my tastes. The drop at 1:03 is cool, if a bit minimal, and it could use a bit more atmosphere to fill out the texture there. I like the double-dip drop model - it’s a fun take on an otherwise pretty generic arrangement. The echo-y piano melody at 2:00 is a nice point of contrast from the energetic breaks, and I like when the lead melody comes back in full force at 2:32. The build-up into 3:27 was a bit drawn-out, but I like how you layered the melody synth onto the drop the second time around. Overall, the compositional details here could’ve been a tad more fleshed out, although I really like the atmosphere and production quality. Sound design is pretty cliche, but fits well for the piece. You’ve put together a catchy and energetic track here with a strong atmospheric appeal. Keep at it, Finnsfolks! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[For The Love Of Tax]

I like the upbeat and energetic mood at the beginning. The vocals sound very inauthentic, but otherwise the sound design is enjoyable. The lyrics are pretty clever, but it’s also really hard to make them out with the weird articulation the vocaloid has. I like the stripped-down bridge at 2:16, although the final refrain at 2:39 could’ve used some more variety compared with the earlier refrain. The outro at 3:10 hits the piece home nicely. The arrangement of the piece is pretty generic, and at some point an instrumental solo or something would’ve helped break up the relatively long vocal phrases. Still, I think you nailed the 2000s-era rock/electronica hybrid sound design, and the energy level and rhythmic content help keep this piece engaging. The production quality is rock-solid too. Keep at it, 3xBlastMx! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Toy Soldiers]

I like the wind-up sound at the beginning and cutesy synths at :08. The mix sounds very top-heavy, but the percussion keeps the energy level up and the melodies are really nice. The rhythmic content is great, and the compositional details like the accordion solo at 1:30ish and the richer chords on the downbeat at 1:47 really make this piece what it is. The wind-down sound effects at the outro were integrated very well, signaling closure in the piece without bringing down the mood. Overall, I’m thoroughly impressed with this track. Keep it up, ZaneLittle! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
9.25/10

[Battle of Mind]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the eerie lead at :12. The transition into :26 could’ve been a tad smoother, but the punchy drums and heavy guitars there are great. At :43, the rhythm of the minimal synth harmonies kinda trips over the gritty guitar riff a bit, and for the first couple of minutes the piece could use more depth in the harmonies as well. The choir at 2:02 provides a nice break from the high-octane guitars, although the distorted percussion in the background could’ve come down in the mix a tad. The solo at 2:40 is probably my favorite part of the piece - passionate, dynamic, and creative - but the transition into it also could’ve been smoother. I’m loving how you integrated the atmosphere back into the texture at 3:20 along with the lead guitar, and the chaotic energy at 4:17 is also really nice. I wish the choir and the lead guitar came through in the mix a bit stronger during that section, though. The glitchy content at the end seemed like a fitting way to end the piece, although overall the structure feels rather disjointed here. There are a lot of sudden transitions and a couple of extended rhythmic sections that feel a bit stagnant (1:00 to 2:02, as well as 3:47 to 4:17). Still, I really like the sound design, energy, melodies, and variety here. Some of the disparate aspects of the texture just could’ve been integrated better into a cohesive whole. Keep at it, Trunotfals! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
8/10

[Psychadelic Junglegolf]

I like the jazzy harmonies and quirky synths at the beginning. It’s a little hard to follow the rhythm at first, but once the beat becomes more regular at :20 it gets easier. The transition at :42 was pretty abrupt, and I would’ve liked to hear more variety in the harmonic content at some point. You have a lot of creative compositional details in here, but the core riffs are still very repetitive. I would’ve liked the piece to have a stronger sense of direction, and the arrangement also feels a tad formulaic with the amen break section playing at such regular intervals. Really cool sound design and atmosphere here, though, and the production quality holds up well. Keep at it, JensVide! ^_^

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

[Into the Sunset - NGADM]

I like the Wild West theme and the soulful trumpet melody at the beginning. The crisp percussion and whistling at :38 are excellent additions to the sound design, although the kick at :42 sounds a tad sub-bassy for a piece like this. The quirky chordal instrument at 1:16 is great - sounds like a rubber band on crack. The rubber band in turn contrasts nicely with the somber breakdown at 1:26. This piece has a great atmospheric appeal, while also having multiple high-energy sections and a good sense of pacing. I love when the main melody goes double-time at 2:37, although later in the piece the harmonic content could use a bit more variety here. Feels like variations on the main melody make up 80%+ of the “foregrounded” element of the texture here, which is not very conducive to holding my engagement after a while. The mixing is indeed a lot better than on “Tower of Tech,” although the composition doesn’t feel nearly as dynamic. Still, you nailed the sound design, progression, atmosphere, and production quality here. Keep it up, Irish-Soul! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[While We Still Can]

I like the orchestral tuning sounds at the beginning, although I’m not sure that transitions super well into the guitar melodies at :05. Love the punchy mix and rich harmonies, though. The panning work is also nice, although drums could’ve been a tad more up-front in the mix at times. The guitar work absolutely slays - I especially like the frantic solo at 1:30. I appreciate the variations on the main melody at 1:59, and the airy bridge at 2:15 was good for some structural contrast with the busy guitar riffs. The key change at 2:32 was really smooth, and the strings at 3:06 help give the texture a sense of balance before the final refrain. Overall, the sound design, progression, melodies, and atmosphere of this piece are really strong, and you’ve clearly put a ton of effort into making the composition as memorable and dynamic as it is here. Keep it up, Wontolla! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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

[Dreamwalker]

I like the airy, blissful synths at the beginning. You’re definitely playing up the 80s synthwave vibe, but you integrate the punchy percussion and guitars at :21 very well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the kick sample - sounds very sub-bassy for a piece like this. That said, the synth melodies at :49 are really nice, and overall the production quality here is really strong. The bridge at 1:50 is refreshing, but otherwise the harmonic content in this piece is pretty repetitive, and the arrangement feels a tad formulaic after a while with all the stop-start transitions. Overall, the sound design, mixing, atmosphere, melodies, and rich texture of the piece are all really nice. Keep it up, BOE! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
8.75/10

BeyondOurEyes responds:

Thanks for the awesome score and feedback! Wow to be in the NGADM Top 16 is crazy and an honor, thank you - Now I really gotta bring it for the next submission, haha!

[That One Talks]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. The piano is nice, but also feels a tad undecorated in the mix, and is a bit quiet relative to the strings at :18. There’s a good sense of climax into :52, and you follow that up nicely by introducing the guitar and interweaving the harmonies. Some percussion might’ve helped channel the energy a bit better, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear some bolder and more memorable melodies. The coda section (last minute or so) felt a bit dragged-out and bland compared to the richer texture before it, and in general long sections of the piece are rather minimal. That said, the sound design, atmosphere, and production quality of the piece are all quite strong, and you’ve done a good job of creating some ebb and flow in the texture throughout. You certainly played up the emotional quality of this one, which is also to your advantage. Keep at it, A145! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10