TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Through the Fog - Peaceful Stagnation (V1ZION Remix)]

Okay. Thanks for your patience, V1ZION!

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning and the orchestral sound design. The way the strings fade in and out is especially nice. The cute melodies help keep things engaging, but aspects of the harmonic framework are a bit cliche. I also think the piece could've used some percussion or other stronger rhythmic elements to give it a stronger sense of drive. At 1:14, for example, I wanted those piano chords to be a bit more prominent in the mix. Overall, though, the production quality here is good, with well-balanced frequencies and a full and rich texture throughout. I also like the riser at 2:02 and how the piece comes full-circle at the end with the cute melodies and pensive chords. Solid work here, V1ZION! :)

[oh oh]

I like the distorted guitars at the beginning and the melancholy tone. The vocals fit the mood well, but sound a little too far back in the mix, especially once the beat comes in at :45. Otherwise, the instrumental tracks could use a bit more variety. But I'm enjoying the production quality and sound design overall. The piece comes together well by the 2-minute mark or so, but the vocals still sound a bit mumbled and unpolished. Still, you've captured the feeling of self-pity quite well here, and the sound design and progression are big pluses. Keep at it, man! ^_^

[Sasayaki V2]

Sorry for the slow response! I still really like the dreamy atmosphere and sound design here. You did a good job of toning down the reverb too. The mix is a lot sharper now, although still a bit quiet. If there's one section where you could still curb some more reverb, it might be around the 4-minute mark. The brass chord hits at 1:03 seem a bit incomplete, and there's some dissonance in the texture at around 2:30 when that string line comes in. The progression is a bit slow-paced at times, and I still feel like the arrangement has more of a meandering style than one centered around a strong narrative appeal. That makes the piece seem to drag a bit after 6 minutes. Still, there are a lot of great atmospheric riffs here - soothing bells, orchestral flourishes, etc. Great for a cinematic soundtrack or something. Impressive work overall, Tetrahedrix! Certainly much improved. ^_^

[Together]

I like the cute melodies at the beginning. A lot of the sound design is pretty generic here, like the pads at :24, but the beats are really crisp and the texture is full and well-balanced overall. The main melody at :34 is really refreshing and dynamic - I love the post-chorus variations at :58. The mellow breakdown at 1:30 was good for some structural contrast, and I enjoyed the transition into 2:17 as well. You find a lot of creative ways of adding melodic development and variety to the harmonic content in this piece, and the prominent synth pads at the last refrain gives the texture a more determined and cinematic feel. Overall, the composition is really great here, although the sound design and arrangement are a bit cliche. That said, I also really enjoyed the production quality - a lot of lush, loud and clear instruments in the mix. Keep at it, Zephpopli! :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Z3rky - Neodub]

I like the catchy synth riffs at the beginning and the foreboding mood. There’s a good sense of build into :35, and the drop there was catchy and energetic. Aspects of the sound design and arrangement here are pretty generic, and I think the composition needed to be fleshed out a tad more. I wanted to see the melodies at the beginning make a comeback and a second drop to expand on the percussive motifs in the first one. That said, the production quality here is really strong, and I’m also enjoying the sound design, atmosphere, and rhythmic content here. Keep at it, Z3RKON! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[pipeline punch is the best monster flavour you cannot tell me otherwise.]

I like the spacey pads at the beginning and the vocal samples at :15. The progression is a bit slow-paced at first, but I like the beats at :40 and the loud, crisp mix. The piece could use a bit more harmonic variety and melodic development after a while, and I also thought the transition at 1:20 was rather abrupt. The rhythmic content is especially good at 1:51, but the pads there get a bit lost in the mix. Overall, the atmosphere, drum and vocal samples, danceability, and bouncy mood are my favorite aspects of the piece. The compositional details could use a bit more fleshing out, though, and at times the mix seems rather strained. That said, kudos on a catchy and fun piece, xpastelxbloodx! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

xpastelxbloodx responds:

thanks for letting me come along!

[Jungle Secret]

I like the percussion at the beginning. The theremin at :34 was a nice touch, although it sounds very loud in the mix compared to the percussion. The brass samples at :56 were a bit inauthentic, and overall this piece has a bit of a meandering progression, with a number of distinct riffs that don’t feel very inter-connected thematically. The melodies are pretty, and I especially like the echo-y mallets at 1:50. I’m also enjoying the dissonance in the texture at around 2:30. The elevated sense of urgency at 2:40 or so is nice, but the texture still feels rather minimal, but I enjoy the production quality and balance of frequencies here. The piece still feels like it needs some sort of section towards the end to hit it home and resolve some of the pent-up tension, and the ending itself comes on a bit abruptly. That said, the sound design, mastering, atmosphere, and harmonic content are all enjoyable here. Keep at it, VictorLincolnPine! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[caterpillar]

I like the cutesy synth lines at the beginning. The rhythmic elements to the lead synth lines are nice too, although the progression is a bit hard-to-follow at times. I’d like to see you fill out the texture a bit more with other instruments besides the frantic drums and meandering synth lines, just to give this piece a stronger sense of structuring that will keep the listener grounded more. The sound design is good, perhaps with the exception of some of the drum samples (wasn’t a huge fan of the 8-bit snare at :08 - it just sounded a tad out-of-place). I also think the texture is pretty minimal for a lot of the piece, missing some bass frequencies in particular. Otherwise, the mixing is pretty solid, and I enjoyed the experimental texture and alternately blissful and creepy vibes I was getting from this. Neat stuff, Vater-roboter! Keep at it. ^_^

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
.75/1
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

[Spectral Dual]

I like the crisp drums at the beginning and the bright piano chords and guitar harmonies. The strings at :23 give the texture a slightly darker feel, but the synth melodies at :33 were a pleasant surprise, even if the synth itself was a tad cheesy. The mixing here is really great - I love how much the drums pop and the sense of balance between the melodies and bass. The pacing of the piece is pretty fast, bouncing around between a number of different solos in rapid succession and taking a few unexpected turns in terms of the mood and chord progression, especially at the bridge at 1:00. Despite being rather short, this piece has a compelling narrative appeal and a ton of variety and flair. Strong work, TheTrester! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Pressure Point]

I like the quirky pads at the beginning. The beat seems very loud relative to the instrumental tracks, though, at least in the beginning. I like the melodies at :20 and the secondary harmonies at :45 or so. The breakdown at 1:45 was a little minimal and bland, but it served as a good point of structural contrast. I would’ve liked to see you vary the melody during the last refrain or add some other harmonic variety in the piece at some point. Also, the arrangement of the piece feels a bit formulaic - a secondary solo or change in the instrumental palette at some point might’ve been a good way of adding some extra “pizzazz.” Still, this is a cute piece with some solid mixing and neat sound design. Keep at it, TechnoDrama! :)

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
.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
8/10