TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[FRACTURED]

I like the glitchy reverse piano and glass breaking effects at the beginning. The texture comes together nicely by :32, although the piece is still pretty slow to progress. The bass-y breaks at 1:22 are catchy, if a bit minimal, and add some variety to the texture after 80 seconds of the rhythmic emphasis being based around the piano/glass breaking. I like the acoustic drum kit at 1:54 and the cool panning effects on the synth that comes in at 2:36. The climactic section at 2:36 hits the piece home nicely. I think this piece could be stronger with a bit more variety in the harmonic content, and especially some more dynamic melodies. Right now, the sound design is engaging, and the production quality is solid, but the piece also doesn’t feel like it’s leading anywhere. That said, I commend you for taking such an experimental approach with the texture and instrumentation here. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, Octaneuro! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

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

octaneuro responds:

I've never thought about progression while making my songs, it usually hinders me.
But honestly, hearing about this tells me that I should focus on that more from now on.

Thank you for the kind words, TaintedLogic! :D

[Satisfaction]

I like the glitchy pads at the beginning. The beat is nice too, although the clap could use a bit more “decoration” in the mix IMO - maybe some reverb at the very least. The piece is pretty minimal and slow to progress, especially for the minute or so following 1:07. The entry of the pads at 2:17 helps add some interest, but the piece still could use some more harmonic variety - a countermelody, or different chord progression, etc. The mixing is solid, and I like the sound design and progression. It just needs a fuller texture and more variety, is all. That said, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, Nxes! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Nxes responds:

ima cook next year trust

[Overclocked Chip [NGADM + NGUAC 2024]]

I like the catchy bass riff towards the beginning, but I agree that you “overclocked” the glitchy effects. There’s a good sense of build into :44, and the drop has some refreshing sound design, and the post-chorus melody at 1:15 is also nice. Aspects of the arrangement and compositional details of this piece are pretty cliche, but the production quality is top-notch and I really like the rhythmic content too. The drop could’ve used a bit more variety the second time around, but overall the rich texture helps keep things engaging. Keep at it, NatahDN! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[Mr.Must3rd; ID 3 (NGAUC)]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the slight dissonances starting at around :25. The piece is pretty slow to progress at first, but the faller at :56 is pretty cool. The texture could use a bit more fill, especially in the middle and treble frequency ranges. The filtering and other automations are pretty cool, but aren’t really enough to keep me engaged for 5+ minutes here. Some more melodic content, or at least variations in the energy level and instrumentation, would really go a long way towards adding more interest and variety in this piece. I like when you “reset” the atmosphere at around 2:50, stripping away the pads to emphasize the bass, but it both doesn’t lead much of anywhere and also is pretty short-lived. Overall, there are some good ideas here between the rhythmic content, sound design, and atmosphere. I’d encourage you to keep working on this, though - there’s a lot of potential for storytelling and variety that you’re not quite capitalizing on yet. Still, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

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

[Breathing Glitch]

I like the quirky percussion minimal bass line at the beginning. The piece is a tad slow to progress at first, and the texture could use a bit more fill for the first minute or so. The slidey synth melody at :58 is really refreshing, though. The atmosphere could use a bit of fleshing out, as the body of the sound remains pretty thin, especially in the middle and treble frequency ranges. Later on, some variety in the harmonic content or, especially, the main melody would’ve also been welcome. The composition just doesn’t feel very bold here, despite the fun sound design and arrangement details (like the recordings of coughing). Overall, the mixing, rhythmic content, and instrumentation are really good, but I’d like to push you to really have a big moment of arrival later on in the piece that gives it a sense of overarching development. Keep at it, mjattie! 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
1.25/2
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

mjattie responds:

Thanks! The song isn't totally finished and you have some good ideas to add. Melodically it would be cool if there was some variation. Thanks for the feedback!

[A Marriage Of Convenience]

I like the catchy guitar riff at the beginning and the ghostly pads at :08. Really strong vocals as always - love the harsh, almost judgemental tone they have. The lyrics themselves are also really strong, centered around a very versatile metaphor. Is it literally about a human relationship? Or someone’s unhealthy habit (drugs, gambling, etc.)? The lyrics leave all of that ambiguous, which is what I like about them. If there’s one thing I had to critique about the lyrics (or really about their delivery), it’s that the line “you can walk away” didn’t feel like it deserved the weight of 4 full measures every time it’s delivered.

Structurally, the piece is smooth-flowing and arranged well, although the copy-paste of the refrain at 2:32 felt a bit underwhelming. Even harmonizing it a bit more the second time around would be preferable imo. The solo at 2:50 was refreshing, a nice climactic way of hitting the piece home. The mixing is solid, but not perfect. The drums are crisp and loud, but at times the pads sound a bit too front-and-center to cut through when the vocals and guitar are playing simultaneously. Overall, despite my nitpicks, this is a really strong piece, Mischa-head! Love the sound design, progression, vocals, and melodies here. 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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Mischa-head responds:

Thank you for the feedback!

[Last Chance]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. By :27, there’s a lot of reverb in the texture, and the sidechaining is a bit heavy for my tastes. That said, I like the melodies and progression here. The sound design is a bit cheesy at times, and the mix could use some more polish, especially during the second refrain at 1:36. I would make sure to cut back on the reverb on the lower-register instruments and maybe pan the pads to both sides to make more room for the lead melody and rhythm section in the middle of the mix. Still, this is a cute, well-structured piece with a rich atmosphere and some strong melodies. Keep at it, MiniMusicPieces! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
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

[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