TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Estrella]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The quirky synths at :27 are really refreshing, and the drop at :44 has a fun pattern of rhythmic emphasis. The harmonic content is pretty repetitive, and some of the transitions here are pretty abrupt, like at 1:39. The echo-y percussion at 1:39 was a nice touch, though. The glitchy section at 2:06 was a good idea for a bridge, although I think you overdid the puttering effects after a while, and I think the piece needed another climactic section towards the end to really hit it home. Still, I really like the sound design and mixing here. Strong work, LN!

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

[Kuebiko, Pt.1 [NGUAC '24 FINALS]]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the thunderstorm sound effects. I like the filtering on the drums at :23 and the gradual build-up into :44. The drop at :44 is a bit minimal, and the mix is very bottom-heavy. It’s hard to make out the atmospheric elements there, although the chopped vocals at 1:05 are cool. The breakdown at 1:48 was a nice change-of-pace, but also didn’t add much in the way of novel harmonic content. The pattern of rhythmic emphasis at 2:11 is really wonky, and it took me a couple of listens for it to not be jarring. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some more memorable melodies or otherwise more variety in the composition. The atmosphere and sound design here are really good, but the arrangement could feel looser and more dynamic. Still, this is a seriously catchy track with some fun instrumentation. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, Kz-N! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

Kz-N responds:

thanks a lot for your thorough review, i honestly agree with everything you said, except for 2:11 being jarring? im not sure what to make of that honestly but i will definetely work on it in the future, it was a pleasure being in!

[the city we dreamt]

I like the ascending piano line at the beginning. The dreamy atmosphere at :20 definitely sends the piece in a different direction, and the vocals at :35 are a pleasant surprise. I especially like the echo effects on the vocals at 1:07. The transition at 1:20 was a bit sudden - up to that point, it felt like the piece had a lot of forward momentum, and the mellow piano breakdown threw me off a bit.

The vocal delivery can also be a bit overdone at times - the emphasis on the melisma syllables at the end of each line is often a tad too strong, and at other times (notably “dreamt” at 2:00) it also sounds trembling and uncertain. I also think the piece could have flowed a bit smoother during the transition at 2:28. The synth there cuts off very suddenly, as does the filter on the piano a split second later. That might be intentional, but it also sounds pretty unnatural in context. That said, the rich atmosphere at 2:30 hits the piece home nicely, and the majestic outro is a nice touch as well.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about this piece, from the poetic lyrics to the dreamy sound design to the melodies. I think the arrangement is a tad disjointed in places, and aspects of the vocal recording and mix could use a bit more polish (the instrumental track gets noticeably a bit louder in between vocal lines). That said, I commend you for the fun compositional details, like the fluttering, bird-like synth line that appears at :57, right after the vocal line about the phoenix. :D Keep at it, Kiiri! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

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
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
8.25/10

[VS. The Procrastination Demon]

I like the rhythmic content and bouncy synths. The bass has a bit too much reverb on it imo - that’s probably contributing to what is a pretty distorted mix here. The foreboding mood and energy of this piece are great, although the drums could’ve been a bit more punchy. The piece is smooth-flowing and has a decent amount of variety. I especially like the multiple sections that have dense harmonies with distinct patterns of emphasis. The tempo automation at the end was also a nice touch. Overall, the mixing is my main concern here. You might have to do more to pull apart the frequencies from the different instruments here - none of the instruments except for the bass and kick should have any frequencies below 200 Hz, and the pads/arpeggios could probably use some stereo widening or maybe just a tighter equalizer range to give the bass and main melodies some more room. Still, the composition is really fun and dynamic here. Love the instrumentation, too. Keep it up, JorelSimpson! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[UK Dubstep Track (NGUAC Finals 2024 Entry)]

I like the ominous and vaguely Middle Eastern-sounding riff at the beginning. There was a nice subtle build-up into :14, and the drop at :14 is catchy, if rather minimal. The mixing effects are tasteful and add some flavor to the piece, but I still think the texture could use some more fill here, and the harmonic content could use more variety. Rap vocals would certainly do the trick. Some of the transitions are also abrupt, like at 1:50. Otherwise, the compositional details are pleasant here - I especially like the build-up at 2:38, and the vocals and glitchy elements at around 3:00. It just needs more variety and maybe a more original arrangement. Still, this is a seriously catchy track with some creative sound design. Keep at it, JoeStasi! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

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

JoeStasi responds:

Thank you Andrew for organising this comp and for your extremely detailed feedback it's much appreciated!

[Petrichor - NGUAC]

I like the majestic chords at the beginning. The rhythm is a bit square, but I like how the higher-pitched tones of the chords soften in the lead-up to :31. The string pads are beautiful, although admittedly the fade-out of the piano/bell chords wasn’t quite gradual enough for my ears to adjust in time. The part at 1:16 sounds really whimsical. The pacing is much slower during this section of the piece, but I like how you brought it full-circle with the initial chords at 2:14. Overall, this is a really cute piece. I think you overused the stop-start transitions a bit early on, but otherwise the composition is pleasant, if not particularly bold. No complaints with the mixing or sound design. Keep at it, Irish-Soul! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

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

Irish-Soul responds:

Thanks for the review and thorough feedback! It's always such a pleasure to participate in NGUAC :)

[The Descent Of A Champion (NGUAC Finals Rank 23)]

I like the quirky synth brass instrument at the beginning and the church bells on the downbeats. The melodies are catchy, although there’s a bit of dissonance at :32, and the percussion could come through clearer in the mix. I’d suggest mixing the percussion to include more mid-range frequencies, and also double-checking the equalizer in other instruments to make sure there aren’t so many low-pitched tones that are interfering with them. That might help make the percussion sound more distinct in the mix.

That said, I especially like the melodic contour at 1:01 and the cute, 8-bit breakdown at 1:26. This track is well-varied harmonically, and flows smoothly as well. It sounds a little too dynamic to fit into a video game soundtrack, but the sound design and flavor are certainly there. Overall, strong work here, Interloping! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Tortuga]

I like the strong emphasis on the downbeats and the frantic string lines in between. It sounds like a large, lumbering beast indeed, almost like the camera is viewing the tortuga from the perspective of an ant. The mix is very quiet, though, and the melodies at :47 could be a bit more up-front in the mix. The composition could be a bit more fleshed-out and variational, but the content you have here now is still evocative and well-orchestrated. Keep at it, IglicaV! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Crystallis Ultima]

I like the downtempo piano riffs at the beginning. The string pads help round out the atmosphere nicely, and the flute solo at :50 sounds lovely. The string melodies at 1:02 seem to contribute to a quickening of the pace going into the climax at 1:27 - that’s a smart compositional choice. The mix is a bit quiet for most of the piece, but the dynamics are generally well-shaped within the phrases here. The arrangement feels a tad disjointed at times, with a lot of stop-start transitions. The piano breakdown at 3:26 serves as a nice re-intro, and the pacing of that transition serves as a nice and subtle attention-grabber. The next climactic section at 4:08 might’ve benefitted from a more gradual build-up, especially since it’s the main “point of arrival” towards the end of the piece. That said, the melodic content is beautiful, and in general the orchestration is both well-varied and channels the mood of the piece quite well. The emotional appeal of the coda at 5:24 is a nice touch as well. Overall, strong work, Holland! This piece is majestic, melodious, and well-structured. It could be a tad more smooth-flowing in places, but in general all of my complaints here are minor. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

HollandAlbright responds:

Thank you for the detailed breakdown, and especially thank you for hosting the contest! It gave me some motivation to write some new music and was fun to participate in something like that. ♫

[Conductor - NGADM Round 2 & NGUAC Finals!]

I like the muffled vocals and piano at the beginning. The sound design here in general is really strong, and the rich harmonies and rhythmic elements are also enjoyable. The part at :31 felt a bit like an anti-climax. I kept expecting it to be just an extended stop-start transition, but by the time the goofy sound effects came in at :31, the piece just lost all its momentum in my mind. There are definitely some cool elements of the piece later on, like the distorted vocals and syncopations at 1:49, and the production quality is top-notch. The doppler effect at 1:13 is also a nice touch, and the piece is certainly catchy throughout. I just think the body of it is a little too minimal and understated to be effective. Sorry! I think if you had successfully capitalized on the emotional appeal of the first 30 seconds of this piece, it would score at least a full point higher. Still, I’m giving you full credit for mixing, sound design, and originality here. Keep at it, GameBoyFireworks! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10