TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Partialism - Islands in Space [NGADM 2023]]

I like the ominous bass drone at the beginning. The synth at :06 sounds a bit thin and cheesy by comparison, but the texture starts coming together nicely by around :30. The kick drum towards the beginning is a bit heavy, though, and the snare at :52 sounds dry and artificial. It’s also a bit difficult to make out the rhythmic syncopations in the percussion.

Despite my complaints regarding the sound design and mixing, the composition here has a great cutesy and upbeat vibe, and the melodic content is both catchy and dynamic. The synth lead at 1:59 is a good example of this memorable melodic content, and also an instrument that sounds a bit unpolished and harsh in the mix. The mix is both pretty bottom-heavy and too quiet overall here. You could definitely use some more compression on some of the drums (besides the snare), and a little more reverb on most of the other instruments to help with balance and blending. Meanwhile, the bass is plenty loud enough as is.

Again, in terms of composition, this piece is really good though - well-structured, fun harmonies and rhythmic content, and some killer melodies to boot. The key change at 2:19 is also really cool. If I had to complain about one compositional decision here, it might be that the energy level of the piece is nearly constant throughout, which is not ideal in terms of maintaining listener engagement. Adding an extended breakdown or bridge, or at least shaking up the instrumental hierarchy at some point, might help add some variety in that regard. I also thought that the main chord progression here was a bit generic.

Still, you clearly have a fantastic sense of harmony and progression, and the mix, while quiet and a bit off-balance in places, is also pretty clean overall. Solid work here, Partialism, and by all means keep repping those gangsta Teletubbies! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Red Vox - Stranded (Papkee Orchestral Arrangement)]

I like the haunting atmosphere at the beginning. The piano at :20 has a great emotional quality to it, too. The piece is a bit slow to progress at first, but the texture starts coming together well by around :56. During the first half of the piece, I can’t help but feel like you could’ve done a tad more with the riff that first appears at 1:13 - it’s repeated often, but not extended or altered much. That said, the warm, rich strings at 1:47 are really nice, and the soaring melody lines at 2:40 really tug at the heartstrings. The woodwind and string solos at the breakdown at 3:20 were good ideas, and I love the gently swelling atmosphere during that section too. The major climax at 4:15 came on a tad suddenly, but was really exhilarating nonetheless. I also love the sense of urgency in the string line at 4:33, as well as the call-and-response solos that pop in and out between then and 5:16. The minimal, furtive outro was just as haunting as the introduction, and I like the callback to the initial cello riff at 5:39. Overall, this is fantastic work, Papkee. The melodies and sound design are beautiful, and you absolutely maximized the dynamic contrast and emotion here. I’m going to go check out this Red Vox song now - here’s hoping it’s half as good. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
9.5/10

[sleepwelltonight109 - Retro Beat]

I like the energy at the beginning. The lead synth there sounds a tad harsh in the treble range of the frequency spectrum - perhaps some filtering could help fix that. The chord progression, sound design, and arrangement of this piece are all pretty generic, but it’s also pretty catchy and upbeat. I like the melodies at :37, although the drums could’ve come through a lot stronger in the mix here. The breakdown riff at 1:24 is also catchy, but once again the snare at 1:39 sounds really weak. The filtering and distortion on the piano at 1:50 are pretty cool, and the transition back into the main melodic phrase at 2:51 is well done. I might’ve liked to see you add more variety to the harmonic framework and/or main melody during the second half of the piece, though. Even a key change or brief post-chorus would help add a level of interest here that’s currently lacking. Overall, my biggest complaint is probably how cliche the piece is, but the mixing could also be a lot tighter. There’s a lot to like here between the rhythmic content, memorable melodies, smooth progression, and atmosphere, though. Keep at it, Panacea! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

[Lilith (Vocals)]

I like the vocal samples and the catchy, energetic intro. The intro does drag on for a bit long, though - 48 seconds, in my estimation. Maybe it would feel less slow to progress if you had introduced the different instruments gradually, or even skipped right to the first verse at :25. I like the melancholy vocals, crisp drums, and groovy guitar riffs, though. The lyrics themselves are also really good. The mix could’ve been a bit more loud and distinct here - I especially think the lead guitar could use a boost, although it’s easy to overuse compression on electric guitars IMO.

The instrumental content in this piece gets a tad repetitive, too. There’s a near-constant energy level throughout the piece, which is not always conducive to maximizing listener engagement. At some point, an atmospheric breakdown or frantic solo would’ve been more than welcome. The only time the harmonic framework shifts is at 3:26, and even then it has about the same intensity as the vocal section before it. I also might have liked to see more variation in the vocal refrain the second time around.

Overall, I really like the sound design, rhythmic content, vocal work, and thematic content of the piece. The composition could use a bit more variety, though, and the mixing could be a bit tighter. Still, you’ve captured a great 90s “coffee shop rock” sort of vibe with this one. Keep at it, Paddy Davis! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Fluorescent Lights - Okathan & ItsMiguel09 (Synthwave)]

I like the dreamy synth pads at the beginning. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture by around :20, which adds a nice sense of atmosphere. Just be careful that it’s not affecting the quality of the mix too much - if you can have some of the harmonies pop through clearer, it might be worth it to dial back the reverb a tad. The pitch-automated synth at :54 was pretty neat, and I like the crisp drums and arpeggios during the section from :54 to 1:44. The breakdown at 1:44, while short-lived, was a good way of creating variety in the texture. The variations on the lead and harmonies during the second half of the piece are very subtle, and I would’ve liked to see a stronger sense of development over the course of the piece. I also think the arrangement is a tad formulaic here, especially during the first half of the piece, with regular changes to the texture every 8 or 16 bars or so, but not a lot of ebb and flow within those 16 bars. You also have some pretty generic structuring elements and chord progression. Still, the spacey sound design, solid production quality, and rich texture make this piece really memorable, and the rhythmic content and atmosphere are nice too. Keep at it, guys! ^_^

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
.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
8/10

[Instability]

I like the creepy atmosphere at the beginning and the airy piano lines. The riff at :14 has a couple of nice, dissonant chords, too. The transition at :23 is a bit sudden, but the glitches at :30 are pretty cool, and the mix holds up well despite the busy texture. The frantic synth pattern at :48 was nice, and later the breakdown at 1:20 provided a bit of respite from the high-octane breaks on either side of it. There was a good sense of build into 1:54, although I wished you had varied the melody there a bit compared to the first time it appears. While the mix is impressively clear considering how much is going on, I would’ve liked the drums to “pop” a tad more during some parts, and 1:54 is one of them. Overall, though, this is a really catchy and intense piece with some neat sound design, strong mixing, and a good sense of atmosphere to boot. Keep at it, Nixonic! ^_^

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

Nixonic responds:

*Skull*

[Mind Breakout]

I like the cute synth at the beginning. The frantic opening line is a little corny, and I think the airy pad at :11 is a bit too loud in the mix relative to the rest of the harmonies. I like the crisp beats at :22, and the variation in the harmonies at :57 offered a nice break in the repetition. Throughout the piece, the beat is a bit too loud relative to the harmonies, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content. The stop-start beat at 1:44 is a bit bizarre, although I like the glitchy breaks at 1:01. Most of the synths here are pretty cheesy and generic, but the drums sound good. In terms of production, I think the mix could’ve left a lot more space for the harmonic instruments, especially while the beat was playing. The composition is a bit bland after a while, and could use some more depth and variety in the harmonic framework. The piece also ends pretty suddenly. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and progression, but aspects of the sound design, mixing, and compositional details could use some polishing up and fleshing out. Keep at it, NikoN1nja! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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
5.5/10

NikoN1nja responds:

Thanks for review, I'll definitely try to improve all my weak points in the future :)

[Fall-Up]

I like the catchy synth riffs at the beginning and the minimal drums at :15. The harmonies at :30 also help fill out the texture nicely. I really like the injection of energy at 1:01, although the drums get a bit lost in the mix there. I’d suggest adding a compressor to them. The piece could also use some other mixing effects, just to create a stronger sense of atmosphere and more variety over the course of the piece. I’d suggest doing more with reverb and equalizers in particular. The sound design of the piece is fun, perhaps with the exception of the brass at 2:02, which sounds pretty inauthentic. The arrangement here sounds pretty formulaic - the texture shifts every 8 measures or so, but within those 8 measures, there’s not much of a sense of ebb and flow. You can use tools like filtering and automation to help address that - YouTube should have plenty of tutorials on how to do so in your software program if you don’t already know how. Still, this piece is catchy and cute, and has some neat synths and a good sense of rhythm and progression. Keep at it, NGE! :)

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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

NewGameExplorers responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I'll try to use what you suggested.