TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Dancing On Our Graves]

I love the brass at the beginning and the strummed guitar. The injection of energy at :19 is a welcome addition to the texture, and I like the vocals at :31 too. The lyrics themselves are also really good. The drums get a little buried in the mix during the busier sections, but otherwise the production quality is solid. I especially like the growly vocals at 1:48, and you also kept the verses interesting with content like the scream at 2:26. The tremolo’d solo at 3:04 is really nice, although I might’ve liked to see some more variety in the refrain during the last time around at 3:27. Still, the energy level, sound design, mixing and mastering, and melodic content here are all fantastic. You nailed the Mexican-inspired instrumentation and rhythmic content too. Keep it up, CrossCarrasco! ^_^

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

[Finding]

I like the big swell at the beginning and the crisp string riffs shortly thereafter. The meter is a little hard for me to pin down at first (it almost sounds like the emphasis is constantly changing), but it stabilizes itself by :40 or so. The sound design here is fantastic. I might’ve liked the percussion to play a more prominent role in the mix, just to add some punch to the relatively smooth string and piano riffs. That said, the piece goes in a very different direction with the tranquil bridge at 1:25, which nicely breaks up the otherwise fast-paced structure. The bouncy string and piano riffs return at 2:07, but I’m not sure the piece ever returns to the level of uncontainable passion and triumph that I felt towards the beginning. That said, you’ve done a lot of creative work here with the rhythm, progression, and harmonies, all while doubling down on your typically killer sound design. Keep it up, Cresince! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
9/10

[Insomnia Addict]

I like the mumbly vocals and the crisp drums. The guitars sound a bit overly contained in the mix, though, almost like you filtered out a lot of the mid-tones of it. Your voice is a nice rich baritone with soulful undertones. I also like the comedic aspect of the last 30 seconds, although it might’ve been even more effective if you had made the piece come full-circle with an additional refrain that integrated aspects of both the classic country and “sleepy punk” parts. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the composition, sound design, melodies, and production here. Keep it up, Crammish! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[AIM - Pick it up - Corrupt Module]

I like the shimmering pads at the beginning. The high-pitched, spacey synth at :12 comes in a bit suddenly, and there’s a bit of dissonance in the texture by around :30. The ominous atmosphere here is great, as is the production quality - really crisp and clear mix throughout. Some of the transitions are a bit rough, notably 1:20 and 3:06. The distortion at 1:40 is a bit harsh-sounding, but that section leads nicely into the bass-y bridge at 2:08, where your excellent sense of rhythm is on full display. The arrangement of this piece is a bit disjointed, and the extended silence at 3:10 or so really threw me off of the flow. The outro has pretty haunting, but also sounded a tad unpolished and ended rather suddenly. Honestly, I feel very conflicted about this piece overall. The sound design and mastering are fantastic, but the structuring could use some smoothing over, and aspects of the texture are very experimental. At the very least, kudos on executing an ambitious composition with a cinematic flair that clearly complements the art it’s inspired by very well. Keep at it, CorruptModule! ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
8/10

[Chrome Coast]

I like the frantic arpeggios and bright-sounding lead at the beginning. The drums are a bit weak in the mix, though. Some more compression might help them “pop” more. The sound design itself is good - plenty of cutesy melody instruments and smooth pads.

The piece could use a tad more structuring, though. I know it’s intended for use in a video game, but the progression is basically a series of meandering melodies one after another, and after a while they blend together in my mind. None of them feel like they’re contributing to an overarching narrative or informing each other. Part of the problem may be that some of them have a lot of excess ornamentation. A good example is the part between 3:48 and 3:54 - you could achieve the same progression with way fewer notes, which would in turn help orient the listener to the direction you’re going in (i.e., the more low-register melody that follows it) a lot better.

Aside from the melodies, I can tell that the piece loops well, and I commend you for having a full, well-balanced texture throughout. Like I said earlier, I really like the sound design here. For a stand-alone piece, I just expected the melodic phrases to be a bit more broken-up and interspersed with verses/breakdowns/atmospheric sections. Still, you’ve put together a catchy and fun piece here, CommanderJersey! Keep it up! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

CommanderJersey responds:

Thank you for such an in depth review! I'll definitely look more closely at the structure and clarity/direction of my melodies going forward.

[Dusk]

I like the dreamy pads at the beginning. The drums sound a little generic, but a bigger problem here is the mixing. The pads at :36 are way too loud, and also distort the drums a lot. Notice how the drums sound a lot quieter at :36 than they did before those pads came in? That’s a sign that the texture is getting distorted because you have multiple instruments playing at the same frequency range. You can fix it by adding a compressor to the drums, and then using an equalizer to filter out the bass tones (less than 200 Hertz or so) in the harmonic instruments. I’m sure you can look up “how to use a compressor in LMMS” or “how to use an equalizer in LMMS” to help you navigate the technicalities of your DAW. You also might already be familiar with these mixing tools - you should use them way more often, is the point.

Production aside, I’m enjoying the re-introduction of the dreamy pads at 1:05 and the airy melodies at 1:10. The chord progression is a bit generic, and at some point I might’ve liked to see you shake up the harmonic framework here. Most of the variety in the piece comes from switching out the instruments over time, rather than the note patterns themselves. The result is that the piece sounds very repetitive after a while, and some of the instruments also sound rather unpolished, like the lead at 1:40. I like the arpeggios at 2:02 and the synth bass at 2:16, though.

Sorry if this isn’t a very positive review, but the production quality could be a lot tighter and the composition is a bit bland and repetitive. Overall, my favorite element of the piece is probably the rich atmosphere and upbeat mood. Switching out a few of the cheesier synths might help you double down on the dreamy quality of the piece, too. I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece, though. It certainly has potential, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony, rhythm, and progression. When you feel like you’ve implemented some of my feedback, feel free to PM me, and I’ll give you another review. Keep at it, Colin8tor! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6/10

Colin8tor responds:

Thank you so much for the feedback. I found it helpful and really appreciate it.

[ColBreakz - 100.000]

I like the spacey intro and the bouncy synths at :20. The mix is a tad over-compressed for my tastes, but all the instruments sound crisp and clear too. The vocal samples are well-used, and I’m enjoying the build-up into 1:13. The drop was catchy, if a tad minimal, and the filtering work at 2:05 is really nice. I like the mellow and dreamy breakdown, as well as the punchy bridge at 2:33. Aspects of the arrangement, drum samples, and chord progression are pretty generic here, but you’ve certainly kept me engaged with the high energy level and fun sound design. I really like how the tempo accelerates at 3:03, and also how the drop at 3:22 is so distinct from the one earlier. The outro with the cutesy arpeggios was also a nice touch. Overall, this is a really strong track - catchy, well-structured, and full of variety, with some memorable drops and a crisp mix. Keep it up, ColBreakz! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[Scourge of the Seven Seas]

Really nice sound design and cinematic flair here. At first, I had a bit of trouble following the meter, but once it’s in 3/4 time at :24 with a strong downbeat, it gets easier. :) I love the majestic choir at :40 and the transition back into the brass melodies at :56. The fast pacing, dramatic tone, and variety in the sound design really make this piece what it is. I love the mood at 1:35 or so - it’s the perfect combination of adventuresome and apprehensive. Despite the slower pace, the part at 2:10 really feels like a grand arrival point for the piece. The melodies are so triumphant, and the choir is simply angelic. I feel like I’m face-to-face with Poseidon himself after weathering the superstorm of the century. Fantastic work, CloakedSoup! Wonderful to have you back in the NGADM. Remind me to catch up with some of your other work from the past couple of years at some point. ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

[Warpdrive 2]

I liked the fade-in at the beginning. The snare is a bit goofy here - very thin and high-pitched, but also kinda cutesy. There’s a great sense of build into :38, and I like the melodies during the refrain a lot. The mix is a tad over-compressed for my tastes, but otherwise very crisp, clean, and well-balanced. The second drop at 1:30 was also nice, although I might’ve liked to hear a little more variety relative to the first drop. The arrangement and chord progression are both pretty generic here, although the sound design and production quality help make up for that. Overall, kudos on a catchy, well-produced, and upbeat track, CC! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10