TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Heroic Loop]

I liked the instruments and mood, but it's very simplistic and, well...short. I think the loop isn't bad at all, but I think the mixing could've been better. It seems like the piano and its reverb covers up the other instruments a lot. Overall, nice job, though. This has potential, and I'm looking forward to your future projects. ;)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hey! You're completely right :p
Personally I think the loop is quite bad. Or well, I don't think it should really be a loop at all, but I guess I just gave up on the project in an early stage :)
The mixing is practically nonexistent, if I recall correctly. I think I was just trying out som new instruments :3

Oh, and don't worry about not replying to my PM; I know you have much to do :)
And yes, it is pretty odd that I'm still in school although I've completed my exams, it's certainly not customary. I've just had so many courses that there were some mandatory ones that I had missed, which I still have to complete ;)

Thanks for reviewing even this track!

[Energy Flux]

Nice! :D I think it starts off a little slow, but it's definitely very climactic and catchy. I love the melodies at :41. I loved how it got glitchy at :48, although I think you should be careful not to make it sound too harsh. The sweeps also seemed a little too loud at times imo, especially towards the beginning. I liked the breakdown at 1:37 a lot, especially with the syncopated snare. I also really like that bit at 2:57. It's definitely varied sufficiently, and is overall very fun, melodic, and upbeat! :) I like the structure and transitions a lot, especially the one at 3:28. I think elements of the balance could've been better, but with a track like this that's so harmonically complex, it's hard to do, I realize. In general, really nice work! Keep it up, LunacyEcho! ;D

LunacyEcho responds:

=> starts off slow =>

Yeah, I guess. I have a really hard time with both intros and conclusions. I think I went through about seven of them total before I settled on the ones I have here. And I guess they still need improvement. :D I tend to start with a filter on everything quite a lot. Around half the songs in my 'unfinished but may finish someday' folder start off in a similar fashion. I guess that's why I never got around to finishing them.

=> glitchy =>

I suppose I could've lowered the sound, but I was having too much fun with the realization that I could actually do this to care. :)

=> sweeps =>

I'm not sure we're hearing the same song, because I uploaded three different versions of the song on here in the space of about ten minutes when I first posted. The first one had a weird-sounding conc., and the second one somehow left off the filter in the first section. Maybe you were hearing one of those versions. (I hope not, though. Then again, I don't know how Newgrounds works...) Anyways, if you hear a filter in the first part, it's a version that I'm fine with you hearing. If not... Tell me and I'll try reuploading it.

=> syncopated snare =>

I don't know where I came up with that. I realized it might sound nice, and it did!

=> varied sufficiently =>

This one's definitely a lot more varied and progressive than my other stuff. It has a lot less repetition in terms of structure, which I think is quite nice.

=> elements of balance =>

Mixing, mastering, what'cha gonna do? They sound balanced to me, and they sound sorta balanced when I play it out loud, but I don't really have any way to hear how it sounds through any other speakers/earphones.

=> really nice work =>

Thanks! Although I may not be able to keep it up, since I'll soon be entering uncharted territories...

Thanks for the awesome review, TheDoor!

[Lost in Sound]

I love the mood and the instruments. The syncopations work well, and the progression if interesting, if a little slow. One thing I didn't like too much was the instrument you used for the snare. Also, by the end, it gets a little repetitive. I think you need to come up with more creative ways of ending your tracks, man. Overall, though, I like the structure, transitions, and melodies. Good work! ;D

DjGubkafish responds:

thank you

[An Improv on Clarity]

I love the emotion and simplicity of it. The sound design is excellent, and the melodies are beautiful. I love the changes in emotion, e.x. 1:17. I'm really impressed with you piano and improvisation skills, though. I couldn't do anything like this on the cello! At some times, it's very light listening, like the live piano music at a country club, and at others, it's very heavy and emotional, like the background of a PBS show based on a Charles Dickins novel. It doesn't bother me at all that it's not edited or manipulated electronically. It gives it a very organic vibe. I like the transition at 5:37 a lot. It is a little repetitive at times, but you already know that. Like you said in the description, it's good background music. Anyway, my favorite part is 6:37-7:27. I just love the dreamy vibe it has, and the contrast to the contemplative mood of the next section. It's like you're capturing someone's entire life in a song: the mix of emotion, security, reflection, relaxation, struggle, etc. Amazing! I also adored 8:17, as well as the transition around 9:30. One thing I suppose I didn't like was the heavy/low chords you used from around 10:10 to 11:10. I totally fanboyed over the part at 11:35, though. The space there just creates the perfect portrait of a starry night, or a child going to sleep, or something else which has so much clarity in its innocence. I felt similarly about the part around 13:30. 12:35 was also a highlight. You brought that main theme back in a timely manner. I think you should've transitioned more smoothly into 15:22, however. Overall, though, simply fantastic work. It's perfect in its imperfection, so-to-speak. It has an ideal bareness and simplicity to it which lets the haunting beauty shine through. I'm getting the sense that you simply played what you felt very clearly, which is hard to do and extremely creative. This is just freaking amazing. It's like I'm right there with you and the child that I picture when I hear this. This song is the reason why I need more classical music on my iPod. This is easily front-page material. I just love it in a way I couldn't possibly express over the Internet. Amazing. Fantastic. Bravo. There are no worthy words, LucidShadowDreamer. I think I'll let the music speak for itself now...

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

OMG! Thanks for such a super long and totally über-AWESOME review!

Okay, I think I'll have to try a Johnfn style reply for this one...

=> changes in emotion

Yes, I'm glad I managed to play this so truly from my heart. Sadly, this was recorded so long ago that I don't quite remember what was going through my head at the time D:

=> Improvisation skills

Thank you as well for thinking this :D But trust me, only in rare cases do I manage to actually improvise this well XD
If you keep playing your cello, and especially if you practise melodies and improvisation, I'm sure you could learn to do very well too!

=> not manipulated electronically

Well, I did do a few things, to improve the sound quality, but nothing else. I forgot to mention it in the description, but as usually I added some reverb, tried EQ:ing this sligthly (although I suck at it) and ran the sound through UpStereo :D

=> Transitions

Yeah. Most of these worked, as the structure of the song really helped me in leading the piece back to the main melody. But as you mentioned, 15:22 is not that functional. Especially since I totally played the wrong bass-tone and apparently also managed to press a few other false notes hahha XD

=>6:37-7:27

Ahh, I love this part too! :D I think it's very inspired by some of the inspirations that Kyle Landry plays! (He's not on Newgrounds).

=> Catching someone's life in the song

Yeah, I guess so too. It's probably because of all the variations in emotion, as you said. Also, it might be because it almost feels like it takes an entire life to listen through the whole improvisation XD

=> Heavy/low chords at around 10:10 to 11:10

Yeah, in retrospect I kinda agree with you. I still wouldn't edit that part out though, but I should've avoided mashing the low keys so hard I think :p

=> starry night, or a child going to sleep (11:35)

Great. Now I can't NOT imagine a child looking at a night sky filled with stars, through the window while lying in the bed, when hearing that part. But you're right, it really would suit that scenario :')

=> perfect in its imperfection

I feel that way too. This song is actually filled with mistakes, but I've grown to like most of them, since they too add to the improv, imo.

Aaannnyhow. Really, I can't thank you enough for writing such a long and detailed review! It really means the world to me :)
I owe you a big review (probably many) sometime in the future!

[The Sisyphean Cycle]

I love all the traditional VGM sounds. The pads also gave it a sort of epic vibe, like I turned the corner and I could suddenly see a huge animated metropolis in the distance. It loops flawlessly, and seems very climactic, especially into :35. It's a bit minimalistic harmonically, but overall I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work, Mr. Tibbetts! ;D

BenTibbetts responds:

Thank you!

[Focus (progressive trance)]

This is really good. I love the synths and mood of it. It could've progressed a little faster, but I realize that that's the nature of the genre. I really like those "woops" that started coming in at :57. I didn't really liked how it stopped so suddenly at 1:12. Maybe you could add a sweep or crash there, just to channel the energy a bit more. However, I did like how the track sort of "reset itself" at 1:13 with that mechanical, frantic bass synth. I have to admit, I didn't really like the ending that much. It was kind of sudden, and the track didn't really loop that well, although in game it would probably be looping (?). Also, I don't think I liked the instrument you used for the kick that much. Anyway, overall I like it. I see you joined the site pretty recently. You're off to a great start, man! Keep it up! ;D

DjGubkafish responds:

Thank you for your feedback .

If i told you how fast i made this track you wouden't belive me ... 40 minutes and its all original midi

THe WOOPS were a unintentiaonal mistake by the way XD

Going into silence is something that i like to do a lot personaly and i undestand that some people may or may not like it .

[[SM 321] - Another Walk]

I really like the synths and the climactic nature of it. The melody is really catchy and memorable. I think the bass was a little too loud at :16 and onward, though. It's very smooth-flowing and structurally coherent, but it got a little repetitive at times. Overall, though, there's a good amount of variation. Sometimes the sweeps are a little too loud, like at 1:52. I like all the filtering work you did on the hats, though, and in general, I liked it a lot. Keep up the good work, Supaman321! ;D

MidnightSugar responds:

Thanks door for all the great reviews you have been giving me lately, I really appreciate it.
I will take note to all the advice you gave me.

As a side note
The hats were actually a full drum beat that I filtered to make it sound like just hats. I am
always trying to make my songs have as much variation as possible.