TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Finnsfolks - The Orbital Pt. 1]

I like the airy pads at the beginning and the dense, jazzy chords they’re playing. It’s a tad difficult to follow the rhythm in the first 25 seconds, but the dramatic hits at :26 and the gritty texture at :38 help keep me grounded. I like the build-up into 1:04 and the punchy breaks at 1:05. The sound design really shines during the drop, as does the clean and well-balanced mix. The string drone at 2:00 and the melodic content at 2:10 did a nice job of balancing the heavy drop with some emotional appeal and dynamic contrast. The breakdown transitions well back into the second build-up, although I wish you had done a bit more to make the second drop sound distinct from the first one. Overall, my biggest problem with the piece is how generic it is, especially regarding the arrangement. I could literally name dozens of EDM songs that go intro-buildup-drop-breakdown-buildup-drop-outro. That said, the sound design and mixing are especially good here, and I like how you end the piece with the ominous string riff. Reminds me of a T.S. Eliot poem (and I paraphrase): “the world ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.” Keep at it, Finnsfolks! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Hyper-Plasma]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning, but it’s a little hard to follow the rhythm, especially because the tempo is so frantic. It gets easier once the beat comes in at :33, though. Some of the synths here sound a bit cheesy and unpolished, especially the one at :43. Maybe a little reverb would help it blend in with the rest of the texture better? The production quality is strong, though - the mix is loud, clear, and well-balanced throughout the song. I like the upbeat melodies at 1:38, although they probably shouldn’t be more quiet than the clown horn-sounding synth at 2:02. The vocal samples at 2:22 were pretty cool, and that in turn transitions nicely into the heavier section at 2:33. I thought you probably could’ve done more with the drums in this piece, as the beat is not contributing much to the rhythmic content, and it’s also hard to make out anything besides the snare during the busier sections. The breakdown at 3:38 was a long time coming in my opinion - up to that point, the high energy level of the piece was constant, which ironically gave the piece a kind of drab sense of continuity. I like how you combined the heavy breaks from the earlier bridge with the blissful refrain at 4:35. Many of the instruments here still sound a bit cheesy and dry, and could probably use some mixing effects and automations to add interest during the final couple of minutes, especially since the piece is so long. I’ll also note that the harmonic framework and arrangement of the piece are both pretty generic at the end of the day. All of that said, clearly you have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression, and your mixing and mastering skills are very strong overall as well. Keep at it, Ezzedo! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

[ELIMINATE (NGADM)]

I like the distorted atmosphere at the beginning. The rhythmic content is neat, especially at the drop at 1:18. The texture is very minimal, though, and I wasn’t a fan of all of your sound design choices (like the lo-fi kick at :52). I would’ve liked to hear the piece either stay grounded in some more harmonic content, or otherwise have gone in a more atmospheric direction. Otherwise, the gritty, minimalist beats don’t really hold my attention well for 4+ minutes. Frankly, I’m not sure you’ve even begun to satisfy my scoring rubric’s criteria regarding variety, melody and tonality, or structuring and phrasing. I can tell you’re a talented producer with a strong sense of rhythm and progression, but I just wanted to see you put a lot more effort into the composition here. For what it’s worth, though, I’m actually really impressed that you made this in an hour and a half. Sometimes, it takes me an hour and a half just to select and modify instruments from my sample library for a piece. XD Keep at it, Exdrumi!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
4/10

[Holiday]

I like the relaxed guitars at the beginning and the mellow beat at :14. The electric piano (?) at :26 is also really cutesy and upbeat, while contributing to the rhythmic density of the piece as well. The mix is pretty quiet, but clear, although there’s not too much to mix here since the texture is fairly minimal. I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more - give the piece a stronger sense of ebb and flow over time, with more dynamic melodies and distinct sections, etc. I’d encourage you to keep working on this, although you’ve already got a great start with the sound design, rhythmic content, mood, and atmosphere. Keep at it, eTsundere! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Vs. Eve The Heart of Blasphemy (Remastered)]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning and the melancholy chords. The vocals are really nice, although I might’ve liked to see them be a bit more up-front in the mix, with some more reverb and other effects to help them blend in with the atmosphere. There’s a good sense of build into :55, although otherwise the progression here is a tad slow-paced. The delay effects at 1:22 are a bit too heavy for my tastes - I’d suggest either reducing the delay time or reducing the volume on the delay itself. I love the occasionally dissonant chords and the cinematic flair of the piece, though. The texture is a bit thin sometimes, but the minimal drums help keep up the energy level in between vocal phrases. Sometimes, it’s also pretty easy to tell that the vocals are inauthentic. The string solo at 4:20 was also nice, but otherwise I felt like the piece was missing the kind of high-octane solo or climax that I expect of cinematic tracks with this much pent-up tension. Right as the piece felt like it was getting there at 5:56, the energy level dies down a ton and the piece launches right into the outro. Still, I enjoyed the sound design, production quality, rhythmic content, and progression of this one. Keep at it, ET16! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Eternal Sky]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The crisp drums at :16 are great, as are the sassy string riffs and other acoustic elements. The transition at :30 is a tad abrupt, and the first third of the piece in general is a bit slow to progress. I like the heavier pads at 1:55, although I think they’re burying the snare in the mix a tad by around 2:15. The extended bridge at 2:35 was probably my favorite part of the piece - both dreamy and dynamic. You are overusing the transition with the airy crash (like at 3:16) a bit, though. That said, the final refrain hits the piece home nicely, and I really like the brass flourish during the final phrase. Overall, my favorite elements of this piece are probably the sound design and atmosphere. The production quality is quite solid, though, and despite my nitpicks it’s a catchy and well-structured composition with a strong narrative appeal. Keep up the good work, Erik! ^_^

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

[Cosmic Speed]

I like the frantic beats and distorted vocal samples at the beginning. I’m not sure they quite blend in well with the bouncy VGM synths at :12, though, especially with the way the piece is mastered to really highlight the vocals and beats over the synths. Otherwise, the piece is pretty repetitive, and also doesn’t have much in the way of dynamic melodies for the first couple of minutes. I do like the dreamy breakdown at 1:30, although once the beat comes back in at 1:53 the vocals get a bit lost in the mix. The gritty, rhythmic bridge at 2:16 was also a good idea, as was the organ solo at 3:30. I still think the mix is a bit too dominated by the beats and vocals from the intro, but you hit the piece home nicely with the tonic landing at 3:46. The fade-out at the very end could’ve been a bit more creative, though.

In general, my favorite aspect of the piece is probably the sound design. The mix needed a bit more blending and balance, but was pretty clean overall. Still, you nailed the upbeat mood, energy, and rhythmic content. Keep at it, Eptheus! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Eptheus responds:

That's a perfect review for me. There's so much here that I can take into improving my sound and mixing/mastering. Thank you very much!

[Embyeee - white space]

I like the haunting ambiance at the beginning. Sounds like you took a vocal sample and then heavily manipulated the tempo. It’s actually a bit hard to get a sense of flow to the piece since the pulsing synths oscillate in tempo so much. The beats are cool, and I like the sound design a lot, but the progression is pretty slow-paced and the texture is minimal enough that I get a bit restless after a while listening to this. I know you’re a really talented producer, Embyeee, but the composition and arrangement just needed a bit more fleshing out here. For what it’s worth, I think this would be great background music for a horror-themed game or something, especially if you doubled down on the mixing effects and atmosphere. Still, really creative instrumentation and engrossing mood here. Keep at it, man! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.5/10

Embyeee responds:

Hey, thanks for your feedback!

[Catfishin']

I like the heavy guitars and twangy vocals at the beginning. The rhythmic content and production quality are great, and the lyrics have a great narrative element. The vocal phrases get a tad repetitive after a while, as to the instrumental tracks, actually. I know you have the brief bridge at 2:35, but I think an introspective breakdown or high-energy solo could’ve really taken the composition to the next level. Still, you’ve got a lot of character and soul in this piece, and the clean mix and smooth vocals totally win me over. Keep it up, ELEVENT! ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[AIM 2023 - World Code Destruction]

I like the crisp beats at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere. The heavy bass and twittering synths work well, although the mix sounds a bit strained once the heavy guitars and added harmonies come in at :41. Easing back the reverb might help, but you also might need to get stricter with the equalizers and give the drums a boost in the mid-range frequencies. Otherwise, I like the mood and sound design, but I also think the piece could use a bit more ebb-and-flow in the structure at times. The piece has a near-constant energy level, with the exception of 4 bars or so at 2:30, and it was a missed opportunity to really sell the drama with a big build-up from a minimal breakdown or atmospheric bridge to a final refrain. Instead, you’ve got this call-and-response action among a number of different leads, and no one melody line in particular stands out. The result is that it doesn’t really feel like your piece is leading anywhere, despite some cool individual riffs and catchy rhythmic content. Overall, you did a good job with the instrumentation, atmosphere, and intensity, but the mix could’ve been a lot sharper and the composition lacks an overarching sense of narrative. Still, I admire this piece’s cinematic flair and the variety in the harmonic content. Keep at it, EldritchAutopsy! :)

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10