TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[[Melodic Dubstep] Dystopia (NGUAC 2022 Knock-Out Round)]

I like the creepy atmosphere at the beginning. The sweeps sound a bit harsh in my headphones - it probably couldn’t hurt to take a bit of the treble tones off of them. The progression is a bit slow-paced at first, and the compression is very heavy during the build-up at :54. I think the instrumental tracks sound seriously distorted during the drop at 1:10 as well. You might have to ease up on the sidechaining and re-balance the mix a bit in favor of the harmonic parts. Only when the drums fall away at 2:03 does the texture sound clear and well-balanced. Other than the mixing issues, this piece was pretty enjoyable. I like the sound design, progression, and melodies a lot, although the arrangement is a bit generic. The second drop at 3:14 sounds better than the first one, perhaps because you compressed the bass just as much as the drums, but it’s still not as clean as it should be. The composition here is really dynamic, catchy, and fun, and I love the waltzy outro too. It really is mostly the mixing that bothers me here, but unfortunately it detracts from my enjoyment of the piece a lot. With the staticky sweep at the end, I even think this piece could make a good loop. It has a lot of potential, and I hope you’ll keep working on it. Keep at it, MRLinkins! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Rhythm Tension]

I like the cutesy mallet instrument at the beginning, but it sounds a tad indistinct in the mix, especially when the rest of the atmosphere fills in at :16. The kick at :31 also has a lot of treble tones for my tastes. The piece is certainly very catchy, and overall I really like the sound design. The main melody at :47 is great, but the instrument that plays it sounds a bit cheesy. The beat at :54 sounds nice and crisp, and that layered snare was a great choice. The ghostly atmosphere at the breakdown at 1:18 is pretty sweet, although I think the transition back into the refrain at 1:49 could’ve been a bit more smooth and gradual. Overall, I’m really liking the upbeat mood, instrumentation, rhythmic content, and atmosphere of this one, idimension! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[The Fairytale Continues]

I like the warm pads at the beginning. The rhythms are a bit square in the piano melodies - a lot of sixteenth notes in a row, and the contour is a bit hard-to-follow at times too, especially when you start introducing the chromatic notes at around :57. I like the mellow beats at around 1:10, but I think the strings and other harmonies could’ve been a bit more distinct in the mix there. The entire middle section of the piece feels a bit stale after a while, with very little changing in the texture for a full minute or so. You’re really aiming for a contrapuntal sort of melodic style where there are multiple attention-grabbing lines at the same time, especially at around 2:20. It’s a bit too ambitious at times, tbh. I think you need to consolidate some of your melodic ideas here and focus and keeping the listener grounded. Right now, all of the rapid chord changes and meandering melodic contour are very disorienting. It’s really hard to describe how to write strong, memorable, and dynamic melodies, but I think the ones you have in here are a bit too heavy on the “dynamic” part and not heavy enough on the “memorable” part. Otherwise, I like the cute sound design, upbeat mood, and crisp beats here. Keep at it, GeminiGemini! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.75/10

GeminiGemini responds:

Thank you. In fact, this composition was not quite round. :D

[Reflection]

I like the moody piano chords at the beginning, but the hi-hats at :14 are very loud compared to the rest of the texture. The beats at :28 are really catchy, if a tad minimal, and I still wish the harmonic tracks came through in the mix more. I would’ve liked to see some more variety later on in the piece, although the transition at 1:53 was pretty cool and kept me engaged for a while. The sound design is probably my favorite aspect of the piece. The mix is clean and loud overall, but a bit off-balance between the rhythm section and the rest. Overall, you nailed the mood, instrumentation, and rhythmic content. I think the composition might need a tad more fleshing out, but it’s still a catchy and fun piece. Keep at it, Frank! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Pistanthrophobia]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the rolled hi-hats at :22. The busy beat at :33 and the rich atmosphere complement each other very well, and I love the filtering and phasing at 1:14. The hollow-sounding synth at 1:17 is really haunting, although I enjoy when the atmosphere and beat come back shortly thereafter. At some point, I would’ve appreciated some variation in the harmonic content here, or even some more dynamic melodies, as I feel you didn’t add much in the way of novel content after the brief bridge at 2:47. The outro also seemed a bit dragged-out. That said, I enjoyed the added distortion at around the 5-minute mark. Overall, my favorite aspect of this track is probably the production quality. Lush, well-balanced textures in a clean, distinct mix. The mood is a close, second, though - if I didn’t know what “pistanthrophobia” meant, I’d describe it as almost dreamy. I think the composition could use a bit more variety and depth at times, but the sound design, atmosphere, and mastering are all top-notch. Keep at it, FlowerBoy! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Plesiosaur to meet you]

I like the quirky synths and ominous piano riff at the beginning. The entrance of the piano doesn’t really line up with the downbeat for a while, but it becomes less noticeable when the beat comes in at :09. I’m enjoying the sense of climax into :35, and the quirky rhythmic content at :36 is really creative. I think you may have gone a tad overboard with the echo and reverb effects, as in several places the piano gets a bit drowned out in the mix, especially at 1:20. The texture also sounds pretty thin throughout, although the more frantic sections like 2:00 or so are slightly richer than others. The rhythm at 2:22 is a bit hard to follow, but I like the piano solos at 2:43 and how you transition back into the gritty percussive texture at 2:57. It seems like 3:32 is a good culmination of the various motifs in the piece, but I was a little disappointed to see this piece end in a fade-out - doesn’t really resolve the tension that’s present in the piece, nor does it feel very conclusive in general. Overall, I think the piece needed a bit more harmonic depth in places to keep me engaged, and the experimental texture of it was a bit overdone. Counterbalancing the creepy rhythmic and industrial ideas with something more atmospheric, melodic, or at least full-textured might’ve been more effective as a way of channeling the tension and energy of the piece into a more compelling narrative form. That said, this is one of the more unique sound designs I’ve heard so far in the contest, and you’ve definitely sold the ominous mood of this piece really well. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, dogsinmrimachines! It was a plesiosaur to meet you too. :)

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

[overgrowth]

I like the percussion at the beginning. The monkey sound effects and claps are a bit loud in the mix, but I like the sound design and catchy synth riffs a lot. The chord progression is a bit cliche, but I’m enjoying the melodies, especially the one at 1:47, and the texture feels very full and well-balanced throughout. The minimal breakdown at 2:43 was also a nice touch - the secondary melodies and bongo rolls there really helped press the reset button on the piece. I would’ve liked to hear some more variation on the main melody the third time around at 3:40 or so, but I think the quirky sound design and rhythmic content help keep me engaged. Overall, solid work, Dimas25! :)

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Dekiru - Shattered (NGUAC22)]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning and the nature sound effects. The mix is loud and pretty clean, and the cutesy melodies at :25 and rich bass complement each other well. I’m enjoying the build-up into 1:04, but there’s some dissonance in the texture at 1:07 with that chord change. Some of the drum sample choices at the refrain weren’t my favorite. The snaps at 1:20 don’t come through the mix very well, and the snare you layer on top at 1:28 sounds a bit flat, like you filtered too many of the treble tones out of it. The melodies at the breakdown at 1:40 are nice, although sometimes the harmonies there trip over each other a bit. I also would’ve liked to see you vary the main melody more in the last half of the piece. As it is now, the main melody is not very dynamic or memorable, and the modulation at 3:05 felt a bit abrupt. By the way, 3:15 is another spot where I think there’s a bit too much going on in the texture harmonically. I think the arrangement and sound design in this piece are also a bit generic, although they do complement and enhance the upbeat mood well. Overall, the composition is a bit rough around the edges, but I like the atmosphere, rhythmic content, progression, and a lot of the individual riffs. Keep at it, Dekiru! :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[VOID]

I like the heavy beats with the quirky stereo clicks, synth bass, and popcorn snare. The progression is a bit slow-paced, although I like the organ riff at :58. Most of the piece is a bit lacking in harmonic depth or dynamic elements that keep it engaging. The production quality is good, and the sound design is also interesting. That said, I think the bland composition and lack of variety hurt your score a bit. More structuring, melodic content, and/or changes to the sound palette would’ve been welcome here. Still, I appreciate the ominous, well-balanced atmosphere and quirky instrumentation. Keep at it, Deathincan! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6/10