TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Nebulous Mind - Reimagined, Complete, Mastered]

I like the synth arpeggios at the beginning. The wet clicks and distortion there aren’t my favorite, but the sense of atmosphere and the quirky sound design are great. The punchy drums and heavy guitars at :26 are great, and the bass and added harmonies at :44 help fill out the texture nicely. The transition into :57 was a little abrupt, and there are also long sections of the piece towards the beginning that are pretty bottom-heavy and minimal. That said, the spacey texture at 1:28 or so is really nice, and the mysterious mood at 1:42 is great. Sounds like the first 1.5 minutes were the protagonist’s escape from some underground compound, and then the following 45 seconds is when he realizes the compound is in the middle of a barren desert, and he has to go back into the compound to steal a getaway vehicle.

The drum work here is truly impressive. Very dynamic and rhythmically dense at times, and it always fits the immediate context of the instrumental tracks around it extremely well. There was another abrupt transition at 2:44, but in retrospect I’m glad you have a re-intro there, with an added dreamy guitar line at 3:10 to boot. Over the course of the next 30 seconds, the piece really evolves into more of a soothing and upbeat track. I love the texture at 4:10 too - it’s somehow both crisp and atmospheric. Of course, this track fully deserved a baller guitar solo, which is exactly what it got at 4:50. The rhythmic content at 5:30 is also good for some variety, if a tad hard to follow at first. Still, it serves as a creative idea for an outro in a piece representing an incessant state of inner anxiety and confusion.

Overall, my favorite aspects of the piece are the production quality and the sound design. The arrangement feels a tad disjointed at times - it might be wise to consolidate your ideas a bit, or otherwise find ways of transitioning between them more gradually. Still, there’s a lot of compositional details to like here between the guitar melodies, rich atmosphere, amazing drum lines, and gritty, head-bopping breaks like at 2:10. Keep it up, Trunotfals! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Dreaming ft Hania [DnB Mix]]

I like the piano arpeggios at the beginning and the powerful vocals at :12. The instrumental track is a bit minimal and slow to progress at first, but I like the added percussion at :53. I feel like the snare should’ve been a bit sharper in the mix, though, and I also think that the mix was seriously lacking in bass tones for the first half of the piece. There’s a good sense of build into 2:02, which serves as a nice and cathartic “point of arrival” for a piece that had a lot of pent-up tension in it before. The repetition of the “dreaming” phrase before the final refrain at 2:46 was also a good decision. Sometimes, the lyrics are a bit cheesy and repetitive here, although the composition really helps channel their emotional quality well. I think you could’ve wound down the piece during the outro a bit more gradually - when the “falling” vocal lines stop at 3:19, it feels a bit abrupt. Despite my nitpicks, I really enjoyed this piece. The composition feels very dynamic, and the upbeat mood and emotional appeal are compelling. Always sounds like a daydream when Hania is singing. Keep at it, Trackers! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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

[98]

I like the groovy synth riff at the beginning. The synth lead at :08 sounds a bit cheesy, and the harmonies there start clashing a bit with the other instruments harmonically - the dissonance is especially noticeable at :27 and :35. There are a couple of transitions here that are pretty abrupt, like at :23 - some of the initial harmonies suddenly cut out there, which is a bit jarring. I’d recommend using a sweep, crash, or drum fill to smooth it over. You have similarly abrupt transitions at :54 and 1:25.

I’d also recommend giving the structure a bit more of an ebb and flow. Right now, the beat is constant throughout the piece - a brief breakdown where you strip away the beat, or an atmospheric section with a special solo and different harmonies, would’ve helped create some variety.

Still, there are a lot of things to like here, like the individual harmonic riffs and the cutesy flourish at 2:03. You also have a really good sense of rhythm, and I like your use of 9/8 time. For much of the piece, it almost feels like two measures of 4/4 with an added beat, giving the entire piece a really refreshing, almost glitchy vibe. :D Keep at it, Toad-shroom! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5/10

toad-shroom responds:

Thank you for your tips! The way you explained things makes a lot of sense and I'll definitely consider those things moving forward. I hope to do more fun competitions in the future :)

[Bones]

I like the groovy synth riff at the beginning and the sense of build into :12. The oscillating low-mid synth at :13 and robotic-sounding synth at :25 are also nice. The drums sound a tad flat, and could use some more compression. In fact, the mix as a whole is pretty quiet and bottom-heavy. I wanted to hear some more upper-mid-range frequencies early in this piece, especially melodic content. The mellow breakdown at 1:04 was good for some variety, but also felt a tad undecorated. Filling out the atmosphere here with some reverb, delay, and/or other mixing effects could help add some pizzazz.

Nonetheless, I like the renewed sense of energy at 1:45, and the key change at 2:21 also helps keep things interesting later in the piece. You might also consider shaking up the instrumental hierarchy (i.e., which of the instruments is the lead vs. mid-range harmony, etc.). Still, the dreamy arpeggios were a good way of wrapping up the piece later on, and I also enjoyed the rhythmic syncopations during the final refrain at 2:21.

Overall, the composition here is decent, but could use some bolder methods of creating variety and more well-balanced frequencies. The sound design blends well together and fits the mood of the piece well, but is also a bit cheesy and generic at times. The mixing is a bit quiet, and could have been sharper in places, but otherwise is pretty clean and clear. I admire your sense of harmony and progression above all else - the piece is well-structured and, with a little more reverb, would also have a really full and rich texture. Keep at it, TimeTravelleR54! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[SeeDs of Pandora - "Existence Still Denied" (Short Edit / Cut Version)]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the creative sweeps shortly thereafter. The creepy, circus-like riff at :09 is nice, and the vocals at :30 further cement the dystopian mood. The texture is pretty minimal, and the pace of progression is pretty slow here for the first couple of minutes. I like the warm strings at 1:06 and the demonic vocals at 1:26. The entire piece has a very cinematic flair to it, and the production quality is strong. Early on, it felt like the piece was being pulled in a couple of different directions, with a lot of different elements of the sound design introduced back-to-back that didn’t feel well-integrated into a cohesive whole. There are also quite a few stop-start transitions, which gives the arrangement a disjointed feel. The very end of the piece (last 30 seconds) has a number of stop-start moments, too, such that I actually thought the piece was over twice, before it kept going.

There are a lot of awesome individual riffs and textures here, though - I really like the frantic, spidery synth line at 4:46 and the ominous percussion at 6:08. At 6:23, the vocal line “welcome to hell” cuts off a bit towards the end - I’d suggest at least letting the reverb die off a bit so the transition into 6:30 feels smoother. Also, the undecorated vocals at 6:43 caught me off guard a bit, especially given the demonic-sounding mixing effects you layered on the vocals earlier. The instrumental sections both before 4:45 and after 7:25 have some really catchy and fun synth lines, but also feel a bit meandering at times. I find myself wondering where some of the distinct sections fit in with the overarching narrative of the piece.

Still, I really like the wrench-tightening sounds at 8:07 and the VGM sound design at 8:25. The sheer amount of effort you’ve put into the composition here is really impressive. The vocals are also really well-recorded and well-produced, although aspects of the lyrics are a bit cheesy at times, as is the echo effect on the “denied” line at the very end. I think my favorite element of the piece overall is the mixing and mastering - the instruments sound very clean and well-balanced with each other throughout.

That said, I think you may need to consolidate some of your ideas here. There are a lot of distinct riffs, melodies, and instruments that went into this composition, and it’s hard for me to digest the piece as part of a cohesive whole. I constantly feel disoriented about the direction you’re going in in the composition. A good example is the “welcome to hell” part, which seemed pretty climactic, except it was followed by the pretty mellow beat at 6:23 and the rap part at 6:42, which was stylistically very different from the rest of the piece. By the end of the rap verse, you’re clearly playing up the drama again, referring to violent battles and crushing the “pitiful seeds,” but the extended pause at 7:17 and somewhat cutesy synth riffs at 7:25 didn’t really capitalize on that dramatic energy.

Overall, your stellar sense of rhythm, harmony, mixing, and atmosphere are all on full display here. The composition might’ve just been a bit too ambitious for me to be to be completely along for the ride as the listener, if that makes sense. Still, I commend you for the enormous effort you put into the sound design, mastering, and vocal work here. Keep at it, TheVodouQueen! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[It's Gonna Be Great]

I like the bubbly piano line at the beginning and the Latin-inspired beat at :09. The quirky lead at :21 is nice, and the blissful melodies at :39 also hit the spot. The crisp drums and prominent hi-hats really keep the party going, despite the relatively minimal texture in between the solo sections. The sound design is probably my favorite element of the piece. The mix is well-balanced and pretty clean, but also a bit dry at times - some more reverb and other effects could help fill out the atmosphere more.

The arrangement also feels a tad formulaic at times, with regular changes in the texture every 8 bars or so, but not a lot of ebb and flow in the texture within those 8 bars. There’s enough repetition in the main riffs to keep the listener grounded, which is good, but making the entire soundscape feel a bit looser and more humanized (i.e., vary the note lengths, volume levels, etc. - use MIDI, not plugging things into the piano roll) would hopefully make the arrangement less formulaic.

Still, the synth melodies at 1:55 are among my favorite parts of the piece, along with the sax solo at 3:12, of course. :) Overall, the instrumentation, mixing, melodic content, and flow of the piece are all really good. Filling out the texture a tad more and integrating the different solos into a more cohesive whole would really help take this piece to the next level. Keep at it, TheRiskster! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Song for the Masses]

I like the airy pads at the beginning and the atmospheric details that sound like heavily distorted vocals. The vocaloid at :23 actually sounds really nice, and blends in with the rest of the sound design really well. The contour of the melody the vocaloid is singing is occasionally very jumpy and jarring, like when it’s high-pitched and nasally at 1:52 and then gets really low-pitched and rich at 1:55. The mix at :43 could’ve been a bit sharper - I would’ve liked to see the drums be a bit more prominent, especially at the chorus at 1:03. The post-chorus at 1:25 is cool, and you transition back into the second verse-chorus cycle well. The bridge at 3:06 is nice too, although it could’ve had a bit more variety in the harmonic content compared to the rest of the piece before it. Bit of a missed opportunity for a killer solo or something IMO. The filtering and distortion effects at 3:45 are cool, and overall the piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. Still, I really like the sound design, atmosphere, and mood in this piece. Very catchy, quirky, and spacey sort of track. Keep at it, ThePal! ^_^

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

[PartySlaughter (May 2022)]

I like the bouncy synths at the beginning and the energetic beats. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture here, which might be compromising the quality of the mix a bit. I might’ve liked the drums to get a bit of a boost, though. Aspects of the sound design are also pretty cheesy, like that acid synth at 1:18, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodies. Still, the texture is full and rich throughout, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony, progression, and rhythm. Another compositional detail that might need work is just how constant the energy level is throughout the piece - more ebb and flow in the intensity of the piece would really help keep the listener engaged. There were also a few transitions that were a bit abrupt, notably at 3:03, although it’s probably nothing a sweep/crash combo can’t fix. Overall, solid work here, TNM! The mix could be a bit sharper, but the composition is catchy and well-structured, and the sound design, while a bit generic, fits the mood well. Keep it up! ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

TheNormalMusic responds:

I think that's a very fair rating for this song. It has a lot of issues, as it's quite old. Next time I will make a brand new song so I'll have more chance. Thank you for rating this song and for running the NGADM this year!

[Funk You]

I like the heavy sidechaining at the beginning and the groovy sound design. The texture really comes together nicely at :16, and I even think you could’ve pushed the snare up a notch in the mix. The lead synth also sounds a bit quiet here, which is a shame because it’s such a neat, quirky synth. You totally nailed the rhythmic content and atmosphere of this one, although the composition feels a bit stale after a while, with the oft-repeated sweeps and near-constant instrumental hierarchy for the first 1.5 minutes. I like the prominent pads during the bridge at 1:47, and also the dreamy synth line at 2:05. Throughout the piece the arrangement feels a bit formulaic, with regular changes to the texture every 8 bars or so, but not much ebb and flow in between. I kept waiting for the really ambitious and cathartic solo to hit the piece home, but it never quite got there. Overall, the mixing and instrumentation are solid here, but you could’ve done a tad more with the composition. You still got my foot tapping, though! Keep at it, TeffyD! ^_^

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