TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Powerful Melodies (NGUAC - Final Round)]

I like the rich atmosphere at the beginning. The synths have a distinctly wintery feel, and the thick, slidey bass at :24 really hits the spot. The piano melodies sound a bit square rhythmically, and also don’t take up a ton of space in the mix relative to the harmonic elements. The modulation at :51 was a pleasant surprise, and the transition into 1:15 was a tad abrupt, but also effective. The section at 1:35 sounds nice and climactic, but also a tad over-compressed. I really like the glitches starting at 1:45. I’ll also note that the kick doesn’t come through the mix very well, especially compared to the punchy snare. Overall, the piece has a nice triumphant mood and some great sound design. The harmonic content could use a tad more variety, but the atmospheric elements help keep things interesting regardless. Keep at it, G2961! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[(NGUAC '24 Final Round) So Close, Yet So Far...]

I like the powerful chords at the beginning and the floaty arpeggios. It’s a little hard to follow the pattern of rhythmic emphasis at first, but it gets substantially easier once the beat comes in at :15. The drums could use a bit of a boost in the mix at times, especially the snare, but otherwise the production quality is solid here. I love the “naked arpeggios” at :45 and :53 interspersed with the heavy guitar riffs. There’s a good amount of variety in the guitar riffs, too - I think the jumpy melodies at 1:14 are my favorite, and the string harmonies there are a nice touch too. The transition at 1:43 is a bit abrupt, both harmonically and in terms of the mood. The frantic harmonies at 2:43 are nice, though, and the rich pads at 2:55 really hit the spot too. Love the triumphant feel at 3:20 or so, which completely changes again by 3:24 into a foreboding and harmonically unstable riff.

There are a lot of good ideas here in isolation, but the arrangement feels a bit choppy overall and the piece often lacks an overarching sense of direction. There are some great compositional details - like the pause at 4:20 and the funky rhythms at 5:34 - but also some abrupt transitions, like at 5:06. The phasing effects at 6:00 are also really cool, and the piece comes together well in the end with the higher-register melodic content. That said, starting at 5:52 the lead guitar is struggling to stay on top of the rest of the mix, particularly the pads. I’d double check to make sure the pads don’t have any low-register tones that could be creating some mud, and maybe employ some stereo widening or other space shaping tools to separate out those frequencies as much as possible. The bass fill at 6:38 was a good idea, and the somber and dissonant piano/strings outro seems fitting too.

Overall, there is a ton of awesome creative energy in this piece. Love the sound design, melodies, and rhythmic content. The mixing could use a bit of cleaning up at times, and I think this piece would feel more cohesive if you would consolidate some of the compositional ideas and focus on crafting more gradual transitions. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of the guitar riffs, atmospheric content, and mood shifts here. Keep it up, FourTHat3! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Untinted]

I love the evocative chords at the beginning and the jazzy flair. The strings at :28 are beautiful, and the piece flows really nicely into the clarinet and sax solos at :40. The texture is a bit minimal, and part of me thinks it could use some more prominent percussion to give it a sense of drive. The tuba and “oom-pah” rhythmic emphasis at 1:38 are great, and also provide some variety in the mood of the piece compared to the more upbeat tone earlier. The second string section at 2:22 hits the piece home nicely. I still think this piece would be a tad stronger with a richer texture and atmosphere at times, but the melodies, sound design, and progression are all rather enjoyable as they are. Keep at it, Everratic! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Everratic responds:

Thank you for the feedback! I agree that the piece is a bit too minimal at times. I could have added more lines and doublings throughout different sections. I do like a minimal approach for a track like this for a cute, lighthearted vibe, so I wouldn't have added that much more though.

For most of the submission period I worked on a totally different track, and it wasn't working as well as I had hoped, so I made a difficult decision shortly before the deadline to start fresh. I got lucky because this track was extremely easy to compose, but I still didn't have enough time to fully develop it. The version I submitted had a few big mistakes that I didn't think I should mention :p I updated it after the results were released.

[There's a Battle in the Owl Forest]

I love the foreboding atmosphere at the beginning and the faint vocals. The mix sounds a bit quiet and contained, but by :41 I’m really enjoying the Celtic groove, and also how it’s interspersed with more legato sections like at :51. The percussion and (are those Rhodes?) at 1:19 sound really cool, and I like how the texture of this piece gradually gets fuller and richer as it goes on. There are a lot of twists and turns in the mood, with 1:59 sounding pretty melancholic. The composition could’ve been a bit more cohesive overall, and there were definitely some transitions that caught me off guard - like 2:41. It’s always nice to hear your vocals, although during the final climax at 2:55 or so they don’t quite punch through the mix like I want them to. The percussion could also be a bit more crisp in the mix in places, like at 1:50. The outro is absolutely beautiful, though - not to be trite, but it truly does sound ethereal. Overall, I love the melodies and sound design here. Strong sense of storytelling with this one. Keep at it, Jordi! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Ultimatum (NGUAC Finalists 2024)]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning. The ascending line and filtering into :28 are just haunting, and the production quality is solid here too. The transition at :50 is a tad abrupt, and the mood seems much lighter and more tranquil thereafter. The minimal section at 1:15 was a good segue back into the more energetic content at 1:35. The echo/delay effects at 1:57 are just beautiful, and the refrain at 2:03 sounds very somber and rueful. This piece is a bit of a slow burner, and I think the composition could’ve been a tad bolder in places, especially towards the end. I also think you overuse the sudden transitions a bit, and that the harmonic content is a tad repetitive. That said, the sound design is top-notch, and I love the creepy, sinister undertone of the piece. You could even play that up a bit more with some more mixing effects - subtle pitch shifts, reverb automations, etc. Still, really evocative stuff here, DefectiveSmile! 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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[Eye of Evolution]

I like the dreamy pads at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress at first, but I like the gentle woodwind instruments at :30. The transition into :58 could’ve been a tad smoother, and the kick sounds a bit heavy for a piece like this with fairly light and airy harmonies. Maybe some more mixing effects on the harmonies could help fill out the atmosphere a bit more. The bass at 1:27 also takes up a bit too much space in the mix. The texture comes together well at 1:58 - very upbeat and much more full-sounding. The rest of the piece has a solid progression of melodic and harmonic ideas, but they often sound a bit disjointed. Some more variety in the energy level, and perhaps a consolidation in the number of distinct synth patterns, could help keep this piece sounding both more cohesive and appropriately varied. Overall, I like the energy, sound design, and rhythmic aspects of this piece. The choppy arrangement is my main concern here. The transitions could be a lot smoother and more gradual, and I’d like to see you integrate some of the main melodic motifs across sections (as opposed to just having one idea after another in succession). The drum fill at 1:55 would help smooth transitions over in a couple more places, but sweeps, risers, or melodic transitions would also be appropriate. Still, I love the upbeat mood here and the instrumentation! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, CosmoSynth, and hope to see you back next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
7.75/10

[Way Back Home]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning and the nostalgic tone of the vocals. The vocal delivery is great - conversational in tone, but also captures the introspective lyrics well. I like the crisp drums and airy pads too, although the drums could’ve been a tad stronger in the mix at times. Writing-wise, the instrumentals here could’ve been a tad bolder at times - the solo at 2:06 is catchy and blends in with the atmosphere well, but it also could’ve had a bit more range to really sell the emotional appeal of this piece. The chord progression and aspects of the arrangement are a tad cliche, and I would’ve liked to see you create a more climactic section in the second half of the piece. Despite these nitpicks, I still really like the sound design, vocals, and atmosphere of this one. I think “the embers might not glow” is my favorite lyric in the piece. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, AveragePhoe! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[AndrewCR × Upcoda - Glee]

I like the cute synth pattern at the beginning and the subtle build-up into :18. The production quality is solid, although the first minute already feels pretty repetitive. I like the melodies at :54 - very upbeat and dynamic. The breakdown at 1:31 was a nice change-of-pace, and the tense atmosphere at 1:50 created a good backdrop for the build-up into 2:26, although the build-up itself felt a bit dragged-out. The mix sounds a bit strained at 2:26, with the snare in particular struggling to pop through at times. The glitchy outro at 2:45 was a nice touch, but also a bit overly repetitive. Overall, I really like the sound design, melodies, and progression of this one. The composition could be a bit bolder at times, especially later in the piece, and at times the pacing feels a bit slow too. That said, the triumphant mood and bouncy synths are still very strong elements of this piece. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, fellas! ^_^

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

HeSmusic responds:

thanks for the review taintedlogic! believe me we will really take the comments into account!

[Finale]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning and the funky rhythmic elements of this. The melodies at :45 are really majestic, and the strings blend in really well with the synth harmonies. The piece flows really smoothly into the breakdown at 1:09, and the vocals at 1:52 were a pleasant surprise. The piece comes together nicely with the second climactic section at 2:14, although the mix there sounds a bit thin in the middle and the repeated vocal verse at 2:37 already felt a tad stale. Overall, the production quality and sound design here are really good, though. Love the rich bass at :45 and the crisp percussion throughout. The first half of the piece in particular sounds very refreshing and unique. Overall, strong work here, ALGO! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[dubble-bubble (NGUAC 2024 Knockout Round)]

I like the flashy beats and cute synths at the beginning. There’s a nice subtle build-up into :30. The drop is catchy, but the mix sounds like it’s missing some mid-range tones. Maybe some more prominent pads or something would help fill it out a bit more. The atmospheric bridge at 1:17 is really nice, as is the transition into 2:02. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some more depth in the harmonies. That said, the production quality is really strong, and the rhythmic content here is top-notch. Some of the synths sound a bit thin in the texture, and that’s especially noticeable when most of the instruments playing during some of the busier sections of the piece sound like that. That said, overall the sound design blends together well and has a nice, light and airy flair. Really evocative piece here, and fitting of your username! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

whymsical responds:

thanks for rating! i admit that mixing mids are kinda rushed, and the synths arent layered.