TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Going Now-]

I like the pulsating energy at the beginning and the guitar solos shortly thereafter. I can tell it's not a "real" guitar - very uniform articulation from note to note - but the more downtempo guitar work at 1:00 has a great sense of atmosphere about it. The solos at 1:25 feel like hallmark Waterflame melodies - from the rhythm to the contour to the way they sit in the mix. :D I think my favorite aspect of the piece is the rhythmic content at the bridge and coda, though - reminds me of some of your older tracks like "Viscid." Rock on, WF! ^_^

[Summer Grass]

I like the pensive vibe and rich atmosphere at the beginning. The transition at :49 is a bit sudden, but the sound design is superb. The rhythmic content is a bit too dense by 1:20 or so - feels like the different elements of the texture are tripping over each other a bit. Still, great job with the mood, instrumentation, and mixing, guys. ^_^

[-Advancer-]

Really groovy stuff! I love the punchy synth bass and dynamic melodies. The drums aren't quite as up-front in the mix as I would've liked, but the bass line and other rhythmic elements really keep the energy up here. The brass during the breakdown at 1:40 is great, and I also like synths that vaguely sound like woodwind instruments at 2:25. The vocals add a real X-factor to the texture, and by 3:30 or so I'm really enjoying the victorious feel of the piece. The modulation at 3:40 works well, and the light, floaty melodies at 4:00 drive the piece home nicely, even if the ending comes on a little suddenly. Awesome work again, WF! ^_^

[Wicked in Winter]

Wow, you've been prolific so far this year! I need to catch up. I love the relaxed mood at the beginning. The atmosphere is nice and rich, and the melodic contour of the guitar patterns sounds like a wave. The piece starts going in a very different direction by around the 1-minute mark. The ominous choir vocals and strings give the piece a dramatic flair, and I love the injection of energy and the crisp drums. The vocals at the bridge have a great comedic appeal, and also fit the piece rather well. The frantic strings and pitter-patter of the piano at the end wraps up the piece nicely. Great cinematic piece for a wintry night! RIP Santa and LONG LIVE WATERFLAME AND PFTQ! :D

[Kings & Queens]

I love the edgy guitars at the beginning and the powerful vocals. The lyrics themselves are also really good. "Bleeding on the inside where it grabs you" is probably my favorite line. The production quality is rock-solid, and the flow is so smooth throughout. I love the solos at 2:40, too, and the breathy whispered line at the end was a good way of winding the piece down. If I had to complain about one thing, it might be that the refrain feels a little open-ended. What's binding the kings and queens? Musically, that phrase also feels rather unresolved. Maybe that's intentional, though it still bothers me. Anyway, top-notch track here, y'all! Love the sound design and crisp production. ^_^

[Geoplex - Breathless (feat. Lyra Ivy)]

Oh man, how did I miss this? I like the bouncy vocals and punchy beats. The lyrics are a little hard to discern, and the vocals theoretically could take up a bit more space in the mix, but otherwise the production quality here is superb. The melodies at 1:10 are killer, and there are also some great atmospheric details, like the orchestral instruments at 1:40. The melodies at 2:30 or so are also really engaging and energetic, and the chopped vocals later on in that phrase also get high marks from me. The melodies at 3:30 hit the piece home nicely. Overall, I'm really impressed with the amount of variety here, and the mixing, atmosphere, and sound design are all fantastic as always with you. Keep it up, Geoplex! ^_^

Geoplex responds:

Hey TaintedLogic! Thanks for the feedback <3! I have to say I completely agree with you on the vocal presence. In earlier iterations the vocals were much louder, I have some regret for how they ended up. Tbh this song was really over-produced. Gotta remember to always follow my gut :)

[Barely Here]

Ooohh. Scrumptious rhodes at the beginning. The minimal beat and rich atmosphere of this piece are great. The furtive vocals and wave-like synth patterns round out the sound nicely, and the glitchy beats help keep me engaged despite the minimalism. I like the echo-y vocals at the 3-minute mark or so - it's a little hard to discern the lyrics, but in a way the mood speaks for itself. There's a great sense of building energy in the texture by around 4:30, with the solos underlying the vocal lines really driving the piece forward. The piece never really reaches a point of climax, but in a way that fits the whole subtle and furtive mood of the piece. The distorted vocals at the end don't quite work for me, though - they're a lot less smooth and flowing than the rest of the texture of the piece. That said, I think the "body" of this track is really neat and evocative. Keep it up, LAPSE! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

Yer reviews are scrumptious as ever!

Nice to read you like the vox as I'm still a little shy/unsure about them -- probably why I try to subtly hide the phonetics of the lyrics a bit. I also kinda like the idea of people mishearing lyrics and filling them in, ha.

I suppose ~4:10 would be considered the "climax" of this piece, for me. The boiling/bubbling like subs in the background. It really is a sorta ez rider though, overall. The ending vocals are more of a "post credits" kinda thing. They happened on accident. My audio interface bugged out and had a lot of latency/choppy audio while I was recording a take. I kept recording and just started talking about whatever came to mind. At the time, I felt like it sounded like some weird transmission from across the universe or something. I just riffed. I then heavily edited that further. So yeah, it is a bit out of place, but that's just part of the fun. ;)

[Mr. 36 is buried in the ground now. But I don't understand why.]

I like the frantic and dissonant riff at the beginning and the warm, jazzy chords overlaying it. I'm not a huge fan of that snare sample - somehow, it sounds pretty dry and flat relative to the atmosphere of the piece. I like the E-piano solos at around 1:55, and the texture really fills out nicely by the end. I don't mind that snare too much when it's overwhelmed by the pensive, jazzy solos. :D Solid work, LAPSE! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

This whole piece started because of that intro glitchy synth noodling. Another happy accident. I get where you're coming from on the snare. It's just a simple noise generated snare. I suppose to reminisce and reference old 8-bit/16-bit games. Maybe it's just to loud. I should go back and add some little effects flourishes or something here and there to break it up. Or some light volume adjustments here and there. Sometimes you just get caught up in a drum groove and let'er ride.

[Fresh Metropolitan]

Really catchy track! I like the crisp drums and quirky synths. The harmonic content is a bit repetitive, but the compositional details help round out the sound nicely. I especially like the squeaky effects at 1:05 and that minimal synth bass that sits so well in the mix. You faked me out with that bridge/interlude thing at 2:38, but it was good for some variety and also showed off the bass more. Groovy stuff. Keep at it, Leia! ^_^

[-🅰🅽🅾🆃🅷🅴🆁 ѕᴘєᴄɪaƖ Ｄａｙ-]

I like the cute melodies and catchy beats. The lead's descending contour at the end of every 4-measure pattern sounds a little awkward at first, but I get used to it as the piece goes on. The relaxed breakdown at 1:20 was a nice touch, and segued nicely into the stripped-down refrain later on. Other than that, it's a little repetitive, but I like the upbeat mood and instruments. Happy birthday!