TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Tergiversation]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the very beginning and the sense of build into :24. The synth melodies and punchy drums at :24 are great. I wish the low-register piano line at 1:00 popped a bit more in the mix, and sometimes the drums feel a tad over-compressed, but otherwise the production quality is really strong here. The emotional quality of the string and piano melodies counterbalance the frantic beats really nicely. Aspects of the harmonic framework and sound design are a bit cliche, but I love the revolving cadre of melodies you’ve strung together during the middle section of the piece. At some point, it might’ve been nice to play around more with the energy level, as the piece seems to be at a near-constant intensity for 3 full minutes, which is not always conducive to maximizing listener engagement. Still, the glitchy mid-range bass at 3:30 was pretty sweet, and the ominous outro also helped provide a fitting conclusion to the piece, although the very end came on a little suddenly. Overall, this is a really neat and well-varied track with some cool instrumentation and solid mixing. Keep at it, JinZ! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Orange Sky]

I like the groovy guitar riff at the beginning and the crisp percussion at :07. The section at :22 was a bit minimal by comparison - might be a good place for a vocal phrase, actually. The rhythmic content and atmosphere are great here, and I really like the quirky sound design decisions like the choir vocals at 1:20. That said, you could’ve used a bit more melodic content, especially in the first half of the piece. The guitar solo at 2:02 is awesome, and the filtering effects at 2:32 work well to transition the piece into the outro. You also made good use of panning at 2:48. The mix is loud and well-balanced, but could be a bit more distinct in the bass range, especially when the sub comes in at 1:48 and other places. Overall, this is a really creative piece that’s full of variety, great sound design choices, and well-designed compositional details. Keep it up, Jens! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
9.25/10

[The IPU]

I like the catchy mid-range synth riff at the beginning, although it sounds a bit dry and minimal. Some more reverb or other mixing effects might give it a bit more “pizzazz.” The piece is pretty slow to progress, and the percs at :29 could use a boost in the mix, as could the E-piano at :45. Some drum kits or pads or something would really help fill out the texture and add a sense of energy and drive. I like the sound design, but I also would’ve liked to see you create variety by changing up the harmonies at some point, not just switching out instruments playing the same couple of riffs. The cute mood, catchy harmonies, and solid sound design still get you a lot of credit here. I also think that, if you had sped up the pacing at the beginning of the piece, this would make a good loop. Keep at it, Jeffbeard! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Double Flavored Femboy Smoothie]

I like the quirky percussion and the eerie organ synth at the beginning. The mix is a tad harsh-sounding for my tastes, but the rhythmic content is neat and the rich atmosphere. The harmonic content could use a bit more depth variety at some point, although the moody breakdown at 1:04 was a nice touch. The second half of the piece gets pretty repetitive, though, and overall I’d suggest fleshing out the structure a bit more. Despite my compositional complaints, the experimental texture is really cool, and you also get full credit for sound design and atmosphere. Also, this doesn’t factor into my scoring rubric, but the title is really creative too. :) Keep at it, JarJarZoinks!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

2keg responds:

thanks for the review Mr.Logic bruv, gonna come back harder for next year's NGADM

[Flutter - Future Electronica]

I like the quirky atmosphere at the beginning. It’s a little hard to get a sense of the meter/rhythm at first with all the risers in the texture, but by 1:00 the texture is coming together well. The progression is a bit slow-paced, but the creative percussion and rhythmic content helps keep me engaged. I would’ve liked to see the harmonic framework have a bit more depth here, and throughout the piece it felt like it was missing a strong lead instrument. Maybe some vocals would fit the bill? The dreamy atmosphere and production quality are top-notch here, though. The compositional details just need a bit more fleshing out. Full credit for mixing and sound design, though. Keep at it, Jans! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[EXPLODING ESCAPE]

I like the dense rhythmic content and quirky sound design at the beginning. The brass stabs at :17 are a nice touch, but I wish they were a bit more up-front in the mix. The production quality is solid, though, with loud and crisp beats, and a clean texture. The structure could be much more fleshed-out here, though. The piece might make a good loop, but it also needs a bit more ebb and flow in the composition first. I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodies and variety in the harmonic framework at some point, and it’s hard to do all that in less than a minute. You might also consider adding vocals here - feels like the piece is missing a strong lead instrument. Still, I love the catchy beats, instrumentation, atmosphere, and mastering work here. You’ve certainly earned a scout. Keep at it, J-P! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
7.5/10

[Apparitions]

I like the filtering at the beginning and the bassy groove at :16. This isn’t the kind of music I remember you making back in the day, but it has the same solid production quality and rich atmosphere. The mix is perhaps a tad bottom-heavy, but I love the piano solo at 1:20 and the crisp beats. The string melodies during the breakdown at 2:08 are really nice, as are the rhythmic syncopations with the percussion there. The piece comes together really well by 2:45 - great triumphant feeling to the final chorus. Overall, I’m seriously impressed with this track - the engrossing atmosphere, cool sound design, and airy piano melodies in particular. Keep it up, Jakey! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
9.25/10

[Breathe]

I like the tranquil atmosphere at the beginning. The chord progression and sound design are a bit cliche, but the sound design is enjoyable, and I like the melodies at :42. The production quality is pretty good, with crisp drums and a well-balanced mix throughout. I also like the filtering work at around 1:45. The transition at 2:05 was a bit sudden, but overall I like how the piece comes full-circle with the soothing E-piano line at the end. I might’ve liked to see a little more variation on the main riffs later in the piece, but otherwise the piece is well-structured. My biggest problem here is probably how generic the arrangement, harmonic framework, and instrumentation are. Still, you’ve made a catchy, well-mastered, and smooth-flowing track here, JaceyBear. Keep it up! ^_^

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
.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

[Tower of Tech - AIM]

I like the furtive and eerie mood at the beginning and the variety in the sound design. By :37, the synth riffs are seriously catchy, and the orchestral elements really help fill in the atmosphere around them. The drums get a little lost in the mix, but there’s great sense of build into 1:10, and the watery sound effects at 1:30 are a nice touch. Love the return of the creepy ascending line at 1:44 too. It seems 2:10 is another place where the drums would have benefited from some more compression, and the equalization on the other instruments probably should have been a bit stricter. That said, the rich texture and engrossing atmosphere by 2:30 or so is great, and the glissandos on that one synth lead really help hit the piece home. At first, 3:04 almost sounded like the start of a different piece to me, but it also adds a fitting air of mystery and whimsy to the content that came before it, like the ruins of the tower are slowly being overtaken by nature. Really cool piece overall, Irish-Soul! Focusing on tightening up the mix is a good next step for this, but the composition has a great sense of storytelling here, and the sound design is really effective at telling it. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[GETTING 40 LETTERS A DAY FROM SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW]

I like the mellow pads at the beginning. The drums are a bit dry, though, and might’ve used some reverb or other mixing effects to create a sense of atmosphere. The sound design is definitely really nice overall, though, between the funky synths and groovy guitars. The texture is pretty minimal and repetitive, though, and after a while I would’ve liked to see you add a bit more melodic development and variety to the piece, especially during the second half. Still, it’s hard to deny that this got my foot tapping and my head nodding. The mix, while not particularly ambitious, is also clean and well-balanced. Keep at it, InventoryObjects! ^_^

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