TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[CYANEKO WORLD]

I like the busy beat and prominent pads at the beginning. The reversion to the minimal atmosphere at :23 threw me off a bit, but I like the rich texture and cutesy synths at :30. I wish that section at :30 was a bit more dynamic, though, and there’s another really abrupt transition at 1:17, with the jazzy chord at 1:23 and ringing sound at 1:25 serving more to confuse me about the direction you’re going in here rather than help me get there. The mellow section at 1:26 was nice, although there’s another abrupt transition at 1:57, and that distorted bass doesn’t do too much for me. I would knock it back in the mix substantially if you wanted to keep it. Other moments with rough transitions include 2:27, 2:56, and 4:39. The spacey breakdown at 2:57 is good for some variety, but also doesn’t seem like it relates back to the earlier content in the piece very well. The drum work during the last couple of minutes is impressive here, but the harmonic content feels pretty repetitive and stagnant. The atmospheric outro during the last 30 seconds is nice too.

Overall, my favorite part of the piece is the production quality. Everything sounds really crisp and clear in the mix throughout. The biggest problem I have with it is the disjointed arrangement and the lack of cohesion in the structure. I think you need to consolidate some of your ideas and work on transitioning gradually between each section. Stop-start transitions should be used sparingly, and it’s rarely a good idea to introduce new harmonic elements during the transition that are not going to stay with the piece after the transition (example: 1:17 - 1:26). Integrating and overlapping the melodic section at :30, the jazzy downtempo one at 1:26, the rich pads and subsequent beats at 3:04, and the spacey outro at 4:40 will not be easy, but it’s generally better to make your piece have a coherent harmonic structure rather than have it sound like 4 different tracks playing in succession. Having some core repeated riffs that span the entire piece will help with that coherence. But don’t truly integrating these different riffs into a progression that sounds smooth will be tough, which is why I suggest only using 2-3 of the 4 “song seeds” here, at most. Also, I’d strongly encourage you to remove the “thanks for playing” sample at 5:00 - I highly doubt you have the licensing rights to use it.

Still, overall this piece is catchy, well-produced, and has some great sound design to boot. Keep at it, Cyaneko! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

cyaneko responds:

ah thank you for the feedback ^_^, everything sounding crisp is one of my main priorites with the overall mix

[Swingstep]

I like the punchy bass and crisp beats at the beginning. The squeaky-sounding rhythmic riff in the background is a little harsh in the treble range, and I might’ve liked the drums to have a bit more presence in the mix with some reverb or something. That said, the melodies at :19 are nice, and the minimal groove at :38 was a nice way of providing some variety. The bridge at :57 was also pretty cool, although I would’ve liked to hear a second climactic section towards the end to tie the piece together a bit more. The sound design is top-notch here, though, and the thick texture and solid mixing are highlights as well. Strong work, CommanderFrost! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[Enigma]

I like the airy pads at the beginning. The saxophone at :06 sounds pretty inauthentic, to the point you might be better off replacing it with a synth that’s not trying to mimic an acoustic instrument. The melodies at :25 are pretty cool, but I would’ve liked the drums to be a bit more prominent in the mix there. I’d look into adding some compression across the board, and some reverb to the snare in particular. There are also some pretty abrupt transitions here, like at :44 and 1:36. I like the gritty bass at 1:10 with the haunting string line in the stratosphere. After a while, the piece gets pretty repetitive, though, and I’d recommend switching up the main riff when it comes back at 1:36 in particular. Still, this is a catchy and cute piece. Some of the sound design is a bit cheesy, and the mix could be a lot punchier, but I enjoyed the melodies, rhythmic content, and somewhat foreboding mood. Keep at it, Colin8tor! ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Rooftop Adventures]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. The thin-sounding harmony line that comes in at :10 is just a little too loud. I might’ve taken it back a couple of notches with a filtering automation, and then added back some wet reverb for atmosphere. The melodies at :30 are great, although some of the transitions here are a little abrupt, like at :49. Some more prominent drums might’ve helped smooth them over - a short fill/break before the transition and then a simple crash would suffice. Also, I know this piece is really short, but I might’ve liked to hear the second refrain at 1:09 be more distinct from the first one, just for some overarching sense of development. Still, the sound design, production quality, rhythmic content, and melodies are all strong here. Keep at it, CheesyChan! ^_^

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

[Winter (2023 Edit)]

The tempo automations and pensive piano line at the beginning are pretty neat. The thin, high-pitched kick at the beginning sounds a tad out-of-place, but I like the strings at :20 and the gradual build-up into :32. The new rhythm at :33 threw me off a bit at first, and overall this section feels a tad anti-climactic. Might help if you had added a bit of a pause or something at :32. The snare at :56 (especially the one in my right ear) is not my favorite - maybe it would help if you had kept all of the percussion front-and-center in the mix. I think 1:35 is my favorite part of the piece, though - it has a slightly more sophisticated air about it, and transitions well back into the main melody at 1:59. The outro also sounds nice - the violin at 2:37 sounds a bit inauthentic, but the thin, almost squeaky sound of the sample has a nice furtive quality that serves to mimic an echo of the refrain. Overall, I really like the melodies and upbeat mood of this piece, despite a few rushed transitions and a couple of odd sound design choices (especially the panning on the drums). I feel like this piece is 80% orchestral and 20% drum ‘n’ bass. :D Still, enjoyable track. Cute harmonies, strong sense of direction over time, and some nice rhythmic content to boot. Keep at it, CelestialChaos! ^_^

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

CelestialChaos responds:

I appreciate the review! I agree with all of the comments, unfortunately I lack the technical know-how to fix them lol. Mixing is not my forte, but I’m planning on working on that and transitions for the KO round. Thank you so much for hosting NGUAC!

[New Genesis (Instrumental)]

I like the airy synths at the beginning and the uptempo beat. The drums are a tad generic, and the piece is slow to progress at first, but I really like the frantic synth lines at :46 and the overlapping rhythmic patterns between the different instruments. The sound design is a bit cheesy at times, but also fits the style of the piece well. At times, there are moments of dissonance in the texture, like at 1:59, and also some rough transitions, like at 2:07.

The mixing is pretty good, although many of the instruments sound pretty dry in the texture. The lead synth and snare could probably use some reverb. I can barely hear the snare for most of the piece, so it might be worth slapping a compressor on it as well, and maybe boost the mid-range tones in the EQ. This piece also has a pretty constant energy level - at some point, it would’ve been nice to strip away the beat and go in a more atmospheric or at least slow-paced direction, just for some variety. That said, I like the bridge at 3:18, which served as a nice “point of arrival” later in the piece, although you could’ve sold it better with a more sustained tonic note there and some dramatic drum fill or something.

Overall, I enjoy the energetic synth lines, rhythmic content, and sound design here. Creating more interest via mixing effects and more of an ebb and flow of the intensity of your track over time would be a good next step for you. Still, you nailed the blissful VGM vibe here. Keep at it, Cavernsparten! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
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

[Information War (Upgraded)]

I like the tense bass riff at the beginning. The vocals could have a bit more emotion behind them, but I like the crisp beats and atmospheric elements. The texture of the piece shifts quite abruptly, and the vocals quickly become overused. The mixing could be a tad sharper, although I like the sound design, rhythmic content, and eerie mood of the piece. The main problem is the bland, repetitive composition though. Most of the variety in the piece comes from chopping up the vocals in different ways and transitioning between a number of similarly gritty, minimal bass lines. I think the mix would benefit from some more content in the upper register to balance out the bottom-heavy texture, and layering additional harmonies onto the piece regardless of the pitch should be a big priority for improving this piece. That said, the piece is catchy and has a great dark energy about it. I just wanted to see you turn the piece into more of a compelling narrative, with ebbs and flows in the energy level and some dynamic harmonies and a more diverse instrumental palette. That said, there are a lot of good individual riffs to build on here, and I hope you keep working on this. Keep at it, C-Lehman! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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
6/10

[Space Blessing]

I like the rich strings and the quirky synths at the beginning. The harmonies are a bit strange and hard-to-follow for the first 10 seconds or so, and there’s also a bit of dissonance in the texture at around :27. The sound design and atmosphere of the piece are really cool, but the arrangement feels a bit choppy with the sudden transitions at :45, :56, and other places. Maybe adding some drums with crashes on the down beats would help smooth things over? The composition feels a tad directionless, with a lot of loosely-connected ideas playing out in sequence in the middle of the piece. I would’ve liked to see you better integrate or consolidate some of these ideas, or at least introduce them more gradually. For example, there’s a descending string line at :56 whose progression is eloquently woven throughout the piece, but it took me a few listens to even recognize that. Some more structuring, with distinct sections and perhaps a greater variety of instruments, might make some of these connections more apparent to the casual listener. I appreciate the bold compositional vision you had for this piece, but I’m not sure it quite lands for me yet. The blissful mood, instrumentation, and atmosphere are all highlights, though. Slowing down the pacing introducing some of the elements of the texture more gradually might help it sound both more coherent and dynamic. Keep at it, BroHighVlady! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
7.5/10

[Ji4h3 - Battling the Laziness(Original Mix)[Free Download]]

I like the cutesy lead at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliche, and the drums could’ve been a bit louder and punchier in the mix throughout. I’d recommend turning up the gain on the compressor on the drums a tad, or simply putting a compressor on the master channel considering how quiet the mix is in general here. The melodic section at :45 is nice, and I also like the squeaky synth at the breakdown at 1:15. The second half of the piece is a bit repetitive, but I like the additional layering on the melody at 2:15. The glitchy effect at 2:47 is cool, and the piano outro was also a good choice. Overall, my biggest problem with this piece is probably how generic it is - from the sound design to the harmonic framework to the arrangement, it uses a lot of cliched ideas. Still, the production quality holds up well, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression. Between the upbeat mood and cute melodies, I still enjoyed the piece a lot. Keep it up, bow1255! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Soda Pop]

I like the fade-in at the beginning. The percussion from :08 to :16 is a bit bizarre, and at :17 I think your open hat could use some more room to operate in the mix. Sounds like you filtered out all but the most high-pitched tones there, and frankly I’m not sure I like it. The sidechaining is pretty heavy during the first minute or so, but the mix still feels pretty distorted and the bass doesn’t quite have enough room in the mix either. I’d double-check to make sure you’ve eliminated all of the frequencies below 200 Hertz in every instrument except the bass and drums - that’ll make your mix sound more crisp and distinct. I really like the section at 1:23 - it offered some much-needed variety. The busy drums are also a nice touch at 2:00, although the harmonic framework (chord progression, as outlined by the pads) could still use some shaking up at some point, especially since they’re the main thing going on for most of the 3rd minute of the piece. The texture sounds very distorted at 3:03, and frankly the entire 2nd half of the piece could use more variety, especially compared to the first half - more dynamic melodies, variations on the main riffs, a switch-up in which instruments “take the lead” in the mix, etc. Overall, I think you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression, but the mixing and mastering need some polish here and the composition was a tad bland and repetitive after a while. Still, the atmosphere and sound design of this piece are really neat, and the quirky percussion with the guy exhaling in place of a snare really grows on me after a while. Keep at it, bottledf0x! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10