TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Adreanaline Sample Pack!]

Love the rhythmic content and crisp drums. Reverb and eerie mood help make up for the minimalism. The organ-like instrument at 1:30 helps smooth out the percussive texture, too. Really appreciate that you're making free sample packs, Adrean! The rich orchestral symbols complement the eastern-sounding percs really well. Cheers! ^_^

ADR3-N responds:

Heya! Thanks for the review! The "organ" is actually a Japanese reed instrument called the Sho. It is capable of crazy polyphony and was my favorite instrument when I was younger. I'll have to turn it into a sample instrument, now that I mention it.

[Nebulous Mind - Track 2&3]

Ooohh, didn't even realize this was a re-master of the track I just reviewed lol. I like how you carry the arpeggios throughout the intro with distinct notes a little more in this version. The rhythmic density at 1:20 is great, and flows much better into the eerie breakdown at 1:30. The spacey texture at 2:44 functions much better as a bridge than an outro. I like the echo-y guitars at 3:05 and the change-of-pace during the middle section here. The transition back into the more edgy and energetic section at 3:45 was also really nice. I also like how you integrated the dreamy guitars with the drums at 4:10.

At 4:30, the mix sounds a bit strained, but otherwise I didn't notice any major problems with it. I've never been a huge stickler for mixing, though. If you want more specific advice, I'd suggest reaching out to @midimachine or @ADR3-N. Feel free to tell them I sent you. :D

The arrangement still sounds a bit choppy, but you've squeezed a LOT of ideas into one piece. Some more gradual pacing and some consolidation of those ideas might help. But at the same time, I love the atmospheric details and variety in this piece. So glad you're back, Trunotfals! Keep up the good work. ^_^

[Split Consciousness - DJENT BABY]

I like the dreamy mood at the beginning and the crisp drums and edgy synth guitars at :25. At times, the texture sounds a little empty in the middle of the frequency range, but the rhythmic content is engrossing. The transition at 1:26 is a little sudden, but I love when you play up the atmosphere there with the pensive guitars and, eventually, solos at around the 2-minute mark. I think my favorite element of the piece is probably the mixing and mastering quality. Really clean and well-balanced production here, Tru. The dreamy outro was a nice touch, too - made the piece really come full-circle. I think the arrangement is a tad choppy in places. You could use some more gradual transitions or work to integrate the different motifs (heavy rhythmic content, atmospheric bridge, ambient filler) a little more, but the compositional details and sound design here are really impressive. Looking forward to hearing more of your new stuff soon! ^_^

[Bad Smell]

Catchy stuff. I like the sound design and rhythmic content a lot, especially the mallet-like instruments. The piece could've used a bit more structuring, though - the texture sounds very similar throughout. I like when the rhythm suddenly becomes more square at 1:45 and the mood becomes more blissful towards the end. Neat track overall! Cheers. ^_^

[Drunk]

Hey, thanks for the shout-out! The background chatter at the beginning was a good idea, but it goes on for a bit too long without any moving notes. The audience cheering when the guitar solo starts was a bit cheesy, but made me smile nonetheless. The guitar solos and punchy "hey"s are nice, and I like the atmospheric synths and strings too. The waltzy breakdown at 2:00ish is really nice, and the section thereafter is full of variety. I especially like the drum riffs at 3:08 or so. The mix is punchy and well-balanced throughout, although you may have overdone the reverb at times. The glass breaking sound effects at the beginning and the creepy deflator at 4:00 were the cherries on top, and it seems like you're really getting into the Halloween spirit by the time that ghostly synth at the end comes in. Really cool piece overall, Theta! It seems like the energy level never quite got back to the level of the first half, but the sound design, production quality, and melodies are all really enjoyable, and your transitions have improved a lot! Keep it up. ^_^

Thetageist responds:

Yay! Happy to hear I’ve improved! And since you consider it Halloweeny enough, I’m going to declare that it did what I wanted it to, and enter it into the Spooktacular audio contest now!

[-Got it Going on-]

Right off the bat, I'm loving the sound design here, from the groovy synth bass to the banjo-like stringed instruments. The rhythm is a bit square at first, but I love the catchy piano riffs at 1:17 and the layered harmonies at 1:40 or so. The blissful melodies at 2:30 help keep me engaged, although I appreciate the break-up of the texture at the 3-minute mark into the more minimal bass-y groove. The melodies at 3:30 or so feel a bit aimless, but the rhythmic synopations during that section are really neat, and they flow quite nicely into the breakdown at 4:30. I'm loving the more atmospheric flair between 5:30 and 6:00, and the spacey outro and echo-y synth riffs there give the ending a nice and elegant feel. Strong work overall, WF! I'm starting to think you should dig up and finish some more 2-year-old tracks. ^_^

[Shine [Exobolt Release]]

I need to catch up with your more recent releases! This is a really fun track. Love the synth melodies at around :10 and the blissful mood throughout. The mix is really loud, and the sound design is really flashy and crisp. The melodies at around 1:38 are another highlight, and the structuring on this piece is really unique - full of surprise breaks and catchy rhythmic filler and constantly changing. The synth brass at the end was a nice touch too. Keep up the good work, MrKoolTrix! ^_^

[Channeling (Early Demo)]

Nice to hear your vocals again! I like the percussion and the long, lilting vocal phrases. The layering is really nice, and the warm pads in the background really give the texture a rich and full feel. The mic seems a bit overwhelmed at times (like at "much else" at :20-21), and it would be nice to even out some of the levels on the vocal recording. Other than that, I love the reflective mood and sound design here. Keep it up, KC! ^_^

SensoryDecay responds:

Yet another abandoned project. This is a rough draft, but I don't really ever linger on songs to a fault. I just move on. Also I think I recorded the vocals on a headset haha, which is why it sounds pretty garbage BUT does give it some "personality" at least that's my story haha

[Midnight]

Aww yeah, we're getting to the oldies now. I like the crisp drums at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere. What's that puttering sound in the background underneath the guitars and percussion? I can't quite place it. Really evocative and moody piece. I like when the guitar riff at :53 gives the listener some more solid ground to stand on, and the piece flows really well between a murky ambiance and some more concrete guitar patterns. Really beautiful piece, KC! Keep it up. ^_^

SensoryDecay responds:

So this...weird piece. I was drunk at like 12ish, which is why this is called Midnight, in college. I was kinda done with film school and just wanted out so I made this, not really as a "fuck you" statement, but more like a "awww fuck it" statement haha.

[Short Ends]

Short indeed! Love the relaxed mood at the beginning and the soulful melodies at :10. The soft drums fit the character of the piece well, and I also like the more grating texture at :24, although there could've been a smoother transition into it. The guitars sound a little harsh in the upper register during the fade-out beyond the 1-minute mark or so. Otherwise, a really smooth track with some nice ambiance. Keep it up, KC! ^_^