TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Heightened Hope]

It's pretty. :) It's also a little fast-paced imo. Could probably use some more pacing - some parts fast, others slower. Also needs some more rhythmic variation - I like the ups and downs of the scale and the modulations, but it's basically 3 minutes of quarter notes. The structure is pretty hard to categorize...like many of your other improvs, it's very flow-y. What I especially liked about "An Improv on Clarity" is that you switched up the mood and harmonic content frequently, while staying almost painfully loyal to the main theme. This piece, on the other hand, needs a little more direction and dynamic contrast. Right now it kind of sounds like an angry professor pounding out his woes on the keyboard in the university's church...lol. Anyway, overall it's an amusing piece. Hopefully you can do more with it at a later date, as well as cleaning up that mixing! ^_^ Talk to you soon, LSD! ;D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

This piece is one of the most monotone pieces I've ever made XD
I have at least two other piano compositions that are very similar to this one in that sense. I guess that I sometimes just get the feel to do stuff like this (it has been a while now though). I was mostly focusing on the chords and the flow while making this I think, so it's no surprise it ended up being so rythmically unchanging :D
This is no improv though. The only thing really changing throughout the entire song is the chords. Even the melodies are similar; simply with different chords :)
Thus, it's a very easy song to remember how to play.

I think I never really put that much work into this song, as I figured I would probably orchestrate it at some point anyway, which is why I didn't bother with the structure that much. Poor defence though, and I agree with all of the criticism XD
Thanks for your review!

[He Comes]

Wow, I love this! The medieval theme is really cool, and the lyrics and vocals are really good as well! :D It definitely has an interesting structure...climactic and emotional, yet the firmly plucked strings make it seem almost mechanical at the same time. It really tells a story - both with the words and the music. Nice work, both of you two! ;)

WingoWinston responds:

I struggled with the harp for a bit, but I got it somewhere I liked. I realize now I forgot to add human playback, but I still am quite pleased with the end result. The reaction you got is exactly what I was hoping for people to receive. Thanks for the review!

[Candid Candy]

I like the mood and progression. Sounds like music from a montage or flashback thing they would do on The Simpsons. ;) It's fun and upbeat, yet also has an attractive degree of simplicity. Good work, LSD! ^^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks! I agree with the fact that this could fit in the Simpsons too. As LunyAlex mentioned, this piece has some Danny Elfman-esque feels to it XD

[Dreams of Darkness]

Sorry I didn't review this earlier, LSD. Been busy, plus my computer has been having trouble loading media recently. :( Anyway, I love the dark mood that gradually brightens throughout the piece. I always hugely respect your improv skills. I think it's a great composition with an excellent sense of flow, if a bit long-winded. I loved the pads that started becoming apparent at around :45. Overall, though, it's beautiful. Sort of sounds like climbing the basement stairs of a church into a beautiful house of worship. Thus, the title fits well. I think the ending could've been a little more conclusive, though. If you weren't going for a big show-y finish (which I got the sense was the case), I'd have at least tried to really drag out a quiet one. ;) Seriously great job, though. If this is "low-quality" by your standards, I'm really excited for when you start making "higher-quality" stuff again. ;D I'll respond to your PMs soon. I'm sorry. I've been busy with work and stuff, and on August 1st the Common Application page for colleges is released. DX I also have to finish all my driving lessons by August 5th if I want to get my license before school starts again. Ugh, so much stuff...but, yeah, hope the army position is going well!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Don't worry, there's no hurry :3
My phone has been a **** lately, although it's new XD I should get it checked, as it clearly has some kind of issue :p

Well, to be fair, only part of the arrangement was improvised, while the melody and chords where already decided upon on beforehand :)
This piece is supposed to be a bit long and possibly even samey, sorry for that :)
I feel that soundtrack music (for a book though) has far less borders than other pieces, and can be allowed to be a bit more free, as long as they follow the story.
To me, the composition paints a slightly more dark image in mind, while still being a bit dreamy. I understand your interpretation though!

I'm happy with the ending myself. For the intents of fitting the story, I wanted the end to resemble the beginning a lot, which I think it does :)
This is a bit low-quality if you listen to the intruments and find all the mistakes, but compositionwise, I think this is a pretty good song XD
I am still working on a few "higher-quality" compositions, but I have little to none time to finish them up :(
Eventually though... Eventually...

I can totally understand that you've been busy! Don't work yourself too hard :')
The army thingy is going okay, although it's pretty tough :/
Hear from ya soon!

[Lai's Theme]

"I find it hard making songs with minimal instruments." --> *bursts out laughing*

Dude, "Windows" and this piece are both amazingly beautiful. You have such an excellent sense of progression, and you really tell a story with your work. I love that, especially in classical music. Did you improvise this? The melodies are just stunning. It has a good sense of climax, as well as emotion. I especially liked the ending. It was very conclusive, and really served to tie together the themes of the piece as I see them. Best of luck with your visual novel project, and thanks so much for doing NGADM again! Keep it up, man! ;D

Step responds:

Hey man, what an encouraging review! Thanks!

""I find it hard making songs with minimal instruments." --> *bursts out laughing*

Dude, "Windows" and this piece are both amazingly beautiful. You have such an excellent sense of progression, and you really tell a story with your work. I love that, especially in classical music."

Funnily enough I actually think that Windows' progression is a little wacky (especially how a string melody comes in almost out of nowhere) although I'm fairly content with the progression in this piece. And hey, whether these minimal-instrument songs are good or not, I still have a hard time making them haha.

"Did you improvise this? The melodies are just stunning. It has a good sense of climax, as well as emotion."

I didn't improvise any of this but I did play most of it live on my MIDI keyboard, and the melody itself was born out of improvisation on the piano in the end. Fun fact, the accompaniment progression at 1:09 was an idea I had created from improvising years ago. I tried to make a song out of it but never got anywhere. Years later, I experiment and play it behind the melody in this track and what do you know, it fits perfectly!

"I especially liked the ending. It was very conclusive, and really served to tie together the themes of the piece as I see them."

Yeah that's exactly what I was going for! If you noticed the thematic reference of 2:07 played at the very end then please have a cookie because I FELT SO CLEVER AFTER ENDING IT LIKE THAT.

"Best of luck with your visual novel project, and thanks so much for doing NGADM again! Keep it up, man! ;D"

The NGADM is my pleasure. I was a bit torn on whether to make another one since I have a lot of music projects I've committed to (including the visual novel of course!) but Echo and I agreed that we couldn't pass up another NGADM after going for six years straight haha.

Thanks a million for the great review mate.

[Ambushed]

I love the combination of the gritty synths and ominous strings at the beginning. The quirky percussion adds a lot too. The structure could've been a little more interesting imo, and I would've liked it to progress a little faster at times. Overall, though, I love the epic brass/string/synth combo. It's a fun piece. Maybe could've used a little more melodic development and a little less repetition. Idk if you intended for it to loop, but it does loop quite well. Also, it sounds a little muddy after around :38. You know you should drag all the tones below 200 hz down in the Parametric EQ (except for in the bass and kick), right? If you have questions don't hesitate to PM me. Anyway, overall nice work! Keep it up, Larry! ;D

larrynachos responds:

Ah, I got lazy and used maximus and fruity compressor, because parametric wasn't working for me. I'll play around with the project some more. Yeah, everything kinda clutters up after the 40 second mark, but I'm terrible at mixing, so all of my songs have that XD thanks!

[Bloody Tears Remix]

This is pretty good. I like the synths and melodies. Might need a little more dynamic contrast and structuring, though, just to add some variety. You've got the crashes down, but have you tried sweeps? I think you're using crashes here more to keep up the energy, but they're also very useful for transitions. Learning to make sweeps was probably one of the most useful things I learned how to do in FL Studio. ;) Also, I personally think fade-out endings are a little boring. Still, with all the complex harmonies going on, I think you could stand to work on the mixing a bit. The harmonies also seemed a little too loud at times. Mixing could help make them clearer so you don't have to make them as loud! :) Keep at it, man! I'm looking forward to hearing some of your more original work. ;D

[denial]

I love the ominous strings and synths - you were always so good at combining the two. It's very melancholy and emotional. You did a nice job with dynamic contrast, too: lot of ups and downs in this one. I love the piano arpeggios that start around 1:55. You had a good amount of reverb and balance in the mix in this one too. The drums at 2:35 sort of threw me off guard a bit. Perhaps you could've had a sweep leading up to them, at least? However, I like the direction the piece started taking after 3:00, and those glitches and harsher-sounding synths after 3:30 really added an interesting vibe to the piece. It's half-chill, half-anxiety-inducing. It's like you can feel the monster trying to escape from the closet for a minute or two, then it's back to the relaxing vibe at 4:15. I love it! :D Instantly fav'd! You started "writing good music" years ago, Johnfn! Keep it up, and best of luck in the NGADM 2014! :D

johnfn responds:

Thanks! I don't know why it took me so long to respond to this review, but I appreciate it nonetheless!

I guess the real monster is... our own emotions :O :O

[Aurora]

Dude, I haven't listened to your stuff for a while now! :D I love that melody synth and the spacey vibe to this piece. The "woops" that started coming in after around :30 were cool, too. Maybe it progresses a little slowly at times, but that's all right. I guess house is supposed to be that way, huh? Once all the harmonies started coming in, though, I think it turned into a really cool piece. The one thing that was kind of bothering me was the ending. Fade-outs are boring and not that creative imo. Also, working on the mixing a bit might be an important next step for you. The kick got a little weak/muddy late in the track once all the harmonies started coming in. Other than that, not much to complain about! Keep it up, man! ;D

DjGubkafish responds:

Thank you . I'll keep the advice in mind .