TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[PARTY HATZ! - Captain Obvious]

I like the cute, 8-bit sound design and catchy melodies at the beginning. The mixing and mastering is good overall - love the heavy compression on the bass at :14, although the drums don’t quite come through the mix as much as I would’ve liked. The vocals are really strong, both delivered and produced well. The lyrics have a nostalgic flair, which is played up really well by the melodies, sound design, and samples of children’s voices. The arrangement is a little generic, and the main melody (both in the vocals and in the synths) could use a tad more variety later on in the piece - maybe even a separate “B” melody as a solo before the breakdown at 1:43 would do the trick. Despite my nitpicks, I really like this piece a lot. It’s danceable, well-produced, and thematically really on-brand with itself, if that makes sense. I’m really curious why you titled it “Captain Obvious,” though - spent a bit too long overthinking that one. :’D Keep it up, PARTYHATZ! ^_^

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

PARTYHATZ responds:

"Captain Obvious" is a phrase I'm quite attached to as me and my friends used it a lot in the late 2000s when I was a kid. In my older years "Captain Obvious" sorta morphed into an alias/shorthand for my younger self and a romanticized idea of my youth. To me this song is about trying to surround yourself with things/people from the past in an effort to become a kid again. PARTY HATZ! as a project exists as an outlet for my nostalgic feelings towards that period of time, as well as a bitterness about leaving it behind, which I'm sure comes through in the lyrics xP

Hope this makes sense, I'm still trying to figure most of it out myself haha :3

[Latin Spirit (NGUAC 2024 Knockout Round)]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning and the cute sound design. The mix is a bit quiet and off-balance, though. You could probably use some more compression in the lead instruments and, especially, the drums. The percussion here is very well-written, but it’s often hard to hear all the detail of it during the busier sections of this piece. I would also give a slight boost to the upper-mid tones of the brass in the equalizer. The melodic content here is fantastic, though. Occasionally, the transitions between the different solos are a bit abrupt (like at 1:56), but I really like the “ensemble cast” of melody instruments overall. One thing that could use a bit more variety in this piece is the energy level. It feels like there isn’t a strong sense of overarching direction to the piece, just a succession of highly individualized melodies. You could change that by making a more dramatic build-up into the brass refrain at 2:14, and also by automating the volume levels a bit more. Overall, solid work, PaintedPenguin! This is a catchy piece with some great sound design and a fun, upbeat flair. Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
8/10

PaintedPenguin responds:

thanks for the advice, i really appreciate it! :^D

[Nasty GUACamole - NGUAC 2024 Knockout Round]

Very bold choice to have all those jazzy chords at the beginning. The rolled chords are especially nice, but the 2nd and 5th ones sound a bit clunky. Some wider spacing of the notes might help solve that. I like the busier texture at :14, but the mix sounds really distorted there. Sounds like the piano is causing some of the other instruments to duck under. I would try to separate out the frequency ranges of the different instruments a bit more with an equalizer. Also, make sure the harmonic instruments (i.e., everything besides the bass and the kick) don’t have any frequencies below 200 Hz or so. A lot of low frequencies in the texture can muddy it up really fast.

Anyway, I like the build-up into :32 and the frantic piano riffs at :33. The rhythmic content there is really catchy, and the slap bass at 1:01 was a fun surprise. The return of the piano at 1:30 in a higher register was also a nice touch. There’s a bit of dissonance in the texture at 1:43, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it was also hard to make it out because it sounds very faint and distorted in the mix. The high-octane synth and piano content in this piece is really awesome, though, and you’ve covered a lot of ground harmonically as well.

Overall, the composition of this piece is creative, catchy, and has a great narrative appeal too. The production could be a lot cleaner, although the sound design, transitions, and rhythmic content are also really good.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

NotLeLee responds:

I just knew I would get deducted points for soundtrap automix
welp

edit: I just realised how high score I got for everything but mixing. Wow. Soundtrap really funked me up >:(

[Go Forth]

I like the groovy bass line and spacey atmosphere at the beginning. The sound design is really engrossing, actually, although the arrangement feels a bit formulaic, with very regular changes in the texture every 16 bars. The piece is pretty slow to progress, although the lead riff at :57 helps give the piece a stronger sense of drive. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodies and some more variety in the harmonies. The production could also be a bit cleaner - the bass struggles to come through during the busier sections. Just make sure that the pads and lead don’t have any frequencies below 200 Hz or so in the EQ. The stripping away of the beat at 2:15 and subsequent re-intro at 2:19 was really smoothly done, although the harmonies were a bit bland for the next minute or so - that was a missed opportunity for a “B” melody or other major shift in the texture. The second half of the piece in general doesn’t have much variety, and in general I think the composition could be a lot bolder here. That said, I really like the mood, instruments, and atmosphere of this one. It’s a moody and smooth-flowing piece, but it doesn’t quite feel complete yet. A more memorable melody and some variety later on would easily bring up your score by a point or two. Until then, keep at it, MusicBySpektral! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

[It's Getting Real (NGUAC 2024 Knockout Round)]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. The kick at :07 has a lot of wet reverb on it, so it doesn’t quite sound as sharp once the rest of the instruments come in. That said, the sound design and rhythmic content are really neat here. Love the stumbly two-pronged snap at :27. The piece really changes directions a lot, but it still flows smoothly. The texture is pretty minimal, though, and after a while I think the piece needed some more harmonic depth. That said, 2:05 was a clever place for a re-intro, and I especially like the watery pitter-patter effect that first plays at 2:13. There’s a lot of tension in the texture at 2:40 (and throughout these 197 seconds in general), and the tension doesn’t quite feel resolved by the end of the piece. At some point, a big climax or moment of arrival that hit the piece home would’ve gone further to make this piece sound more like a cohesive narrative. Still, I appreciate the experimental texture, fun sound design, and creative rhythmic content of this one. After a while it needed some core harmonic content for the listener to hold onto a bit more, but for what this is you executed it very well. Oh, and overall, the production quality is rather clean. Keep at it, Lumiflag! ^_^

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
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
8.25/10

["Happy Pills" (Demo)]

I like the organic sound design and clever, relatable lyrics here. The production quality is pretty good - I can hear the instruments clearly throughout, although the vocals sound a tad dry at times. Some more reverb, compression, and chorus effects might help. Also, there are times when it doesn’t sound like the mic is picking up your voice very well, even if it’s just for a split second. The start of the refrain (“I didn’t ask…”) is a good example of that. The vocal delivery is really good, though - soothing and conversational, despite the lyrical content. It feels like there’s so much variety in where you place the vocal lines within the phrase (for example, it feels like a long time between “nothing’s ever planned” and “the sky”). Also, the solo at :56 is killer. It feels so dynamic, cathartic, and refreshing, like it’s washing away all the angst and introspection evident in the vocals from the previous phrase. Overall, I think this would be a top-tier piece with some slightly better recording quality and a more polished production. The composition, sound design, and vocals are all really great. Keep at it, LANPartyAnimal! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Recheck [NGUAC '24 KO]]

I like the ominous atmosphere and grouchy bass at the beginning. The bass is a little loud relative to the drums, but the rhythmic content and huge jumps in the bass line’s contour are really creative and fun. The mix is a bit distorted at times - especially at :55, you can tell some of the pads and atmospheric details are ducking under when other instruments play a note. The piece also peters out in energy a bit as it goes on, and with the constant frantic beats, an atmospheric or melodic breakdown at some point might’ve made for some good variety. That said, I really like the sound design, mood, and catchy beats here. Keep at it, Kz-N! ^_^

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
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

Kz-N responds:

thanks a lot!!!!

[Lightspeed (NGUAC Knockout Round + NGADM Round 1 Entry)]

I like the bright, airy tone of the pads at the beginning and the vocal sample shortly thereafter. The bubbly synth lead at :22 is a nice touch, and the atmospheric details and crisp drums are also really pleasing sound design details. The compression is a bit heavy for my tastes at :44, with the pads getting pigeonholed into tiny gaps in the texture. The beats are catchy, but the harmonic content is very repetitive. It helps add some variety to introduce new instruments, like the piano at 1:50, but overall I was craving a B melody or other major switch-up in the texture. The breakdown at 2:12 is a nice change-of-pace, but it doesn’t quite feel new enough to constitute a “major switch-up.” The funky arpeggios at 3:45 are a nice way of adding a little variety during the second major refrain, and the piano melody towards the end helps hit the piece home. Overall, I really like the sound design, atmosphere, and rhythmic content here, although the mix is a bit distorted at times and the composition could’ve been a bit bolder and more variational. Still, you’ve got a smooth-flowing and catchy track here, Joe. Keep at it! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[3_0_3 - BREACHING]

I like the distorted synths at the beginning and the gradual build-up into :22. The chord progression is a bit cliche, and the mix is a bit distorted. By :33, the melodies and pads are seriously distorting the mid-range bass and drums. I would double-check to make sure that the harmonic instruments (other than the bass) don’t have any frequencies below 200 Hz or so in the EQ. That said, the breakdown at 1:05 was a nice change-of-pace, and I love the filtering work on the bass (like the build-up into 1:16 and other places). The soaring melodic solo at 1:34 is great, too, although much of the rest of the piece is a bit too minimal and could use some more harmonic variety. The filtering and other compositional details help keep things interesting, but some more variation on some of the core riffs and melodies later on could really help take this piece to the next level. Still, overall this is a really catchy and fun track. The distorted, unwieldy mix is my main concern. Otherwise, the sound design, melodies, and foreboding mood are great. Keep at it, Joecoustic! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
8/10

Joecoustic responds:

Thanks for the feedback, I had a lot of fun partecipating in this contest and I wish good luck to everyone in the finals ^^

[Autumn Girl]

I like the mellow guitar at the beginning. The kick is very heavy for a piece with such a tranquil mood at first. I like the high-energy section at :37, and how you intersperse the rhythmic and melodic elements there. The change in the meter at 1:00 is a bit clumsy - some of the drum patterns there might need to be re-recorded - and the transition at 1:10 is pretty abrupt. I like how you slow down slightly at 1:41, though - it was a nice, subtle way of foreshadowing the breakdown at 1:44. Overall, the frantic guitar riffs and sound design here are really enjoyable, and the mixing is solid, but the arrangement feels a bit disjointed, and lacks a strong sense of overarching direction. Some smoother, more gradual transitions might help in that regard, and also more distinction between the high-energy sections. Still, this piece has some killer rhythmic content and a great, engrossing mood. Keep at it, itskosama! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
8.25/10

itskosama responds:

Thank you! It was a blast participating in this!

I'll definitely practice on those transitions! I also really enjoyed time constraint of the event! It was really good on getting me going to make something! Super grateful to everyone!