TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Catastrophe- Mr. Germs (Ft. Reytunez Bz)]

I like the furtive synth at the beginning. The vocals at :11 sound a bit harsh in the mix, and much of the rest of the sound design could use a bit of polish. The kick at :21 is very heavy for an otherwise mellow piece like this, and I would’ve liked to hear some more mixing effects on the harmonic instruments to fill out the atmosphere a bit more. The way the lead synths kinda duck under the other instruments occasionally (suddenly gets quiet at :34, then louder again at :37, etc.) is a bit bizarre, and overall the texture feels very thin and slow to progress for most of the rest of the piece.

You layer on a high-pitched synth at 1:10 or so, but that one could also stand to be a bit softer in the mix - maybe add some reverb and then turn the dry reverb way down, to give it more of an atmospheric appeal. The added percussion at 1:28 is pretty cool, and overall I like the rhythmic content in this piece a lot. That said, the beat later gets a bit too busy-sounding and indistinct at around 2:30 onwards.

Overall, you have a lot of good isolated ideas here, but they don’t always blend together well, and sometimes the sound design detracts from the realization of those ideas. I’d suggest going for some bolder compositional decisions to add variety to the lead synth here - either increasing its range higher or lower at different points of the song, or even having it fade away entirely at times in favor of other melodies and riffs. The beat is really neat here, but the off-beats could’ve been stronger, with more compression on the main snare/perc that’s playing at a given time. I’d suggest adding some reverb on more of the instruments to aid with blending, and then using filtering to even out the texture so that nothing sounds too harsh.

I know this review hasn’t been very positive, but I think you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and progression. You just need the harmonies and sound design components of the composition to match the efforts you’ve put into the rhythm and progression now. When you feel like you’ve implemented my feedback or made other improvements, feel free to PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Keep at it, ReyTunezBz! ^_^

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
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5/10

ReytunezBz responds:

Thank you very much for the review. I will use this to grow and progress on future projects. -Reytunez Bz & Mr. Germs.🦠

[Into The Thünder]

I like the synth guitars at the beginning and the crisp drums. The synth melodies at :12 are also nice, but I think the balance feels a bit off there - the bass is way too loud, and the drums and lead synth are too quiet. The descending guitar riff at :31 offers a good transition back into the main melodies, although some of the articulation on the guitar riff at :39 could’ve been a bit sharper. Part of it may be an indistinct mix, but I also think the melody line itself was a little disorienting - a lot of jumpy note patterns that don’t create a strong sense of direction towards a specific cadence or other note pattern. The big 80s synth lead at 1:04 is nice, but again the bass feels like it’s taking up too much of the lead’s oxygen in the mix. Towards the end, the arrangement also feels a tad formulaic, and I would’ve liked to see you vary the main melodies a tad towards the end, just to cement an overarching sense of development to the piece. Still, I like the sound design, rhythmic content, and atmosphere of the piece a lot, and I can tell that the loop is really smooth despite the fact that Newgrounds hates loops now lol. Solid effort overall, despite my nitpicks! Keep at it, RetroCarrot. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
7.75/10

[Under Surveillance]

I like the echo-y, minimal beat at the beginning. The mysterious-sounding synth bass are a nice touch, as is the flute and the echo-y percussion at :42. The piece is a bit slow to progress at first, but the sound design is really cool, and the mix is really loud, crisp, and well-balanced. The transition at 1:25 was pretty sudden. There’s a great sense of mounting tension starting at 1:50, but the part at 2:11 ended up being a bit anticlimactic. The texture is pretty minimal for most of this piece, and as much as I enjoy the synth lead at 2:32, I think all the apprehensive set-up in this piece was a bit of a missed opportunity to really create a high-octane climax later in the piece. When do the burglars realize they’re on camera and start running? When does the guard’s throat get slit? Right now, I’m not sure that moment ever comes. I also think the mix begins to sound a tad strained during the final minute or so of the piece, and the drums in particular seem like they’re fighting for attention. That said, I really like the atmosphere, ominous mood, instrumentation, and progression of this piece. Keep at it, RedCocoa! ^_^

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

RedCocoa responds:

Thanks for your very in depth feedback :)
I wanted to audition with one of the more experimental tracks on this album and I knew it was a bit of a gamble but I'll take the feedback and improve whatever I'll come up with in the next two weeks. Thanks again!

[continuity error Jazz/IDM/Future [MUSIC VIDEO]]

I like the jazzy vibe at the beginning and the crisp, punchy drums at :16. I think you start overusing that pad and crash with the strong attack at :22, and otherwise the texture is pretty minimal. The sound design is really cool, though, and I like the tempo automations at 1:02 or so. The harmonic content here could use a lot more depth and variety after a while, and I also think the structure of the piece needed a stronger sense of ebb and flow. Right now, the piece just gets a bit repetitive and predictable after a while, despite the neat sound design and strong production quality. I also like when the beat slows down at 2:48 and the off beats get a stronger emphasis than they had before. Clearly, your killer sense of rhythm is on full display here, but I would’ve liked to see you round out the composition a bit more with an overarching sense of narrative and more variety in the harmonies. Still, the instrumentation and mixing are top-notch here. Keep at it, Quarl! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Quarl responds:

Thanks for taking the time TL, and salud!

[Qshunt - The Wyvern Protocol]

I like the gritty atmosphere at the beginning and the ominous vocal samples. I’m also digging the crisp drums at :22 and the build-up into :33. The drop there is a bit minimal, but also catchy and well-balanced in the mix. The production quality is really strong here, even if there are a lot of mixing effects in the texture during the busy parts. The parrots sound really cool, too (I assume it’s the distant screeching sound at 1:50?). The breakdown at 2:01 was good for some structural variety, although the arrangement of the piece is a little generic and the drop/post-chorus sections drag on for a bit too long IMO. By 2:46, I’m loving the rhythmic syncopations in the bass, and the chopped-up vocal samples at 3:05 are also pretty neat. I would’ve liked to hear a stronger “point of arrival” and/or sense of development during the second half of the piece here, and I also think the ending comes on a bid suddenly. That said, you absolutely nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and mixing of this piece. Keep it up, Qshunt! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Qshunt responds:

Thanks for listening and your detailed review!
That's the parrots @ ~1:50 :D

I've actually replaced the file with a better sounding remaster last night that I was hoping to submit before the comp, but regardless, I'm pleased I got through the auditions!

Now for the next round!
I'm up against some pretty stiff competition.
I've checked them out and they make some excellent music.

[Everything]

I like the distorted percussion at the beginning and the airy synth pads. There’s a good sense of build into :16, and once again into :46. The drop is a tad minimal, but catchy nonetheless, and the open hat at 1:02 helps fill in the upper range of the frequency spectrum, if only a tad. The production quality is really strong here, though - all the instruments are loud, clear, and well-balanced in the mix throughout. Introducing the vocals at the bridge at 1:32 was a good idea, but they get very repetitive very quickly. The transition back into the drop at 2:17 was smooth, but I would’ve liked to see a bit bolder of a drop the second time around, especially since the first one was so minimal. Overall, you’re clearly a talented producer, and the sound design here is rather enjoyable too, but frankly the composition and arrangement here are a bit repetitive and generic. I hope you’ll keep working on this one - it has a lot of potential to be a catchy-yet-dreamy banger. Cheers, PsiStar! ^_^

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[In My Soul]

I like the rhythmic content and vocal samples right off the bat. I might’ve liked to hear more of a proper intro, though, instead of being thrown right into the middle of the action. The vocal samples also quickly get rather repetitive, though, and I’m a little thrown off by the extreme panning of some of the synths and pads. The beats are still really catchy, if a little minimal, and there’s very little variety or harmonic development in this piece. The production quality is probably my favorite element of the piece - all the instruments sound crisp and clear in the mix throughout, although some more mixing effects (filtering, automation, etc.) might’ve helped maintain some interest over time. The sound design is pretty sweet too, and I like the “fade-out fake-out” approach you took to ending the piece (i.e., starts fading out, then stops). Overall, my biggest concern here is the lack of variety and harmonic depth in the composition, but you’re clearly a talented producer with a great sense of rhythm and progression. Keep at it, Psilenth! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Pooo1-Summer wave]

I like the energy at the beginning and the build-up into :22. Some of the instruments here are a bit cheesy, including the pads at the very beginning and the thin, minimal clap at :03. The mix could use some tightening up. The kick drum seems to be distorting the other instruments a lot throughout the first 20 seconds - you might consider looking into sidechaining in your DAW to help fix that, but you may also have the use and equalizer (“EQ”) to filter out the bass tones (less than ~200 Hertz) in the other instruments.

Mixing aside, the transition at :46 was a bit sudden, as was the one at 1:00. I’d suggest looking into using more risers, sweeps, automation, and/or filtering to help smooth over some of the transitions here. Otherwise, the piece gets pretty repetitive later on, and I would’ve liked to see you vary the main riffs here more to give the composition a stronger sense of progression over time.

But if there’s one compositional element of the piece I think could use some work, it’s the arrangement. Basically, the middle section of the piece from :40 to 1:05 or so sounds like a choppy series of harmonic ideas, as opposed to a fluid, well-connected narrative. Mixing effects like reverb, as well as simple drum fills and crashes, may help create that type of connection, but eventually I’d suggest experimenting with more subtle phrasing details like filtering automations on harmonic instruments. You’re already using sweeps and build-ups during the first 30 seconds of the piece and again at 1:22, which is good, but the middle section of the piece could use some more smoothing over.

Still, I enjoyed the catchy rhythmic content and a lot of the individual riffs, like the robotic-sounding synth that first comes in at :03. You clearly already have a good sense of rhythm and harmony. Now I just want to see you work on your sense of progression, and also clean up the mixing a tad. Keep at it, Pooo1! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[Dreaming in Reverse - ft. SOLARIA Lite]

I like the guitar chords and the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The lead instrument at :12 also sounds really soothing and light. The vocals here sound incredibly realistic - maybe it’s just me, but the vibrato on them occasionally makes them sound slightly off-pitch, at least at the beginning.

I like the string melody at 2:13, but the density of the notes makes them sound a bit inauthentic (as a classically trained cellist, it always annoys me when string samples from plugins have a really weak attack, so that every single note sounds like you’re placing the bow on the string for the first time. In real life, the notes would be slurred together in one bow, or otherwise the musician would time it so that the main body of the sound is playing right as the note hits. It’s not your fault. I need to send an angry message to ImageLine or something. But I digress.)

The minimal breakdown at 2:32 was nice for some variety, and I like the re-entry of the vocals with the more mellow (“fantasy”) line at 2:55. The return of that first guitar melody at 3:12 was really nice, and I also really like the additional layers of harmony during the final refrain at 4:12. The production quality is also solid overall, but the drums do seem a bit weak between 4:12 and 5:00, as do the guitars during both refrain sections, actually. Still, I really enjoyed the pensive and mysterious outro.

Overall, the composition is quite impressive here. Despite my nitpicks regarding the sound design and mixing, you totally have me won over with the melodic content, progression, and amount of variety in the texture. Keep it up, Pixxlman! ^_^

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

PixxlMan responds:

Thanks for the awesome, in depth review! Really glad you liked the song! :)