TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Heuristic]

I like the quirky effects and percussion at the beginning. The atmosphere at :17 is nice and rich, and the heavy bass and brass help balance it out really well. I’m usually not a big fan of sudden shifts in the sound palette or energy level, but the abrupt transitions here fit the character of the piece rather well IMO. Ditto for the slow pacing. That said, I think the much more downtempo section at 2:08 could’ve been more well-integrated with the busier beat from earlier. The jazzy harmonies there help keep me engaged, and I like how you bring back a more mellow version of the quirky percussion and effects from the first half. The melancholy brass line was a great way of giving closure to a piece that, in retrospect, does seem rather reminiscent of a dying computer, both with the sound design and the mood. Evocative work here, Crescince! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

Cresince responds:

Thank you as always for the detailed review, I am very glad you liked it!

[Critical Hypothesis]

I like the cute ascending piano line at the beginning and the rhythmic syncopations. The piece is a tad slow to progress at first, and I wish the drums took up a bit more space in the mix. Right now, they sound a bit thin and dry. The more melodic section at around the 1-minute mark is nice too, but I think the piano melodies could pop more with some reverb and other mixing effects. Also, some of the background synths here are a bit cheesy, like the main harmony line during the refrains. The melodies later on are also nice, although I think it would’ve made them feel that much more impactful emotionally if you had a stronger point of structural contrast somewhere in the middle (i.e., a longer breakdown where you strip away the rhythm section or at least switch up the instrumental palette more). That said, I’m enjoying the progression, rhythmic content, melodies, and mood of this piece, and despite the potential for more mixing effects, the mix is loud and clean as it is. Keep at it, ChaoticBou! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[dynamism]

I like the bassy atmosphere at the beginning and the chilly pads. The crisp hi-hats at :20 and ghostly lead shortly thereafter are great, and the texture really comes together at the frantic breaks at :40. The rhythmic content is top-notch here, and the mix is also really clean and well-balanced. Frankly, ⅓ of the way through this piece I’ve already put it onto my favorites list. The quirky melodies and atmospheric details sprinkled throughout really make the piece what it is for me, and I love the vocal samples at 2:32 too. If I had to complain about one thing, it’s that by 3:29 this piece is long overdue for a change-of-pace or breakdown in the texture. That said, I appreciate you subverting expectations by putting the breakdown/bridge towards the end of the piece. In a way, this piece really comes full-circle by descending into this pensive tranquility. Keep up the good work, Cade! :D

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Dream, Run, Fly]

I like the quirky synth pads at the beginning and the cutesy arpeggios that fade in at around :12. The blissful melodies at :20 are really great, and the mixing is solid as well. Later on, the piece gets a tad repetitive, and also didn’t really feel structurally complete. That said, the guitar outro was a great idea, and the upbeat mood and rich atmosphere really won me over on this one. I’d encourage you to keep working on this one. It doesn’t quite scratch all of the itches (i.e., for melodic development, structural contrast, variety in the instrumental palette, etc.) that a full-length track probably would, but you already have me tapping my foot and bopping my head. Keep at it, BAOWZ-Tobass! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
7.25/10

BAOWZ-Tobass responds:

Thanks. I'm agreeing with you. This is repetitive but quite addictive imo. I'll finish it if ever i find some new ideas for it

[OpenGain]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning and the cutesy riff at :10. The harmonic content is a bit bizarre here, with a lot of “jumps” and “runs” in the contour of the lead riff that make it a bit disorienting to listen to. At the same time, there isn’t much variety in the main riffs later on, and the entire composition feels a bit aimless and chaotic. I can tell you ran out of time to work on this, but I think the beats, quirky sound design, and cool use of echo and filtering effects are a good start. Keep at it, AnnieHer! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.75/10

[PROJECT - 20]

I like the staticky atmosphere at the beginning, although the synth pads and piano at :12 sound a tad unpolished. I might take a bit of the treble of the pads. The key change at :40 is a tad bizarre, but the beats are nice and crisp, and I like the warm sound of the bridge at 1:05. The spacey drops at 1:18 were also a good idea, and the added arpeggios at 1:43 help sell the blissful and triumphant mood and hit the piece home. The minimal outro felt a bit excessive - more of a breakdown than an outro, and not as conclusive as the climactic section that came before it. I think my main problem with the piece is with the cheesy sound design, but I enjoyed the harmonic content, progression, rhythmic elements, and atmosphere of this one. Keep at it, AniGlebGD! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[The Mirror]

I like the mysterious mood at the beginning and the spacey pads. The cinematic quality of the piece is great, but the progression is a tad slow-paced and the mix could be more distinct in places. The string lines start to get a bit buried at around 1:30, for example. I love the pent-up tension of the piece, and the melodies at 2:08 help create a sense of resolution to the tension. That said, I couldn’t help but feel like elements of the piece were a bit dragged-out and underwhelming. I think you craft the narrative arc of this piece so well that you could’ve made the final climax much more dramatic, hard-hitting, and ambitious. But that’s less a critique and more of a missed opportunity. The sound design, progression, melodies, and atmosphere are all great as they are. My main complaint is that the mastering could be a bit tighter, but I think that’s a pretty straightforward matter of toning down the reverb and getting stricter with the equalizers. Overall, you’ve done a great job of channeling the emotion, creating full and rich textures, and reconnecting the piece with its mysterious origins towards the end. Keep it up, Ana! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[The Bell of Death - NGUAC]

I like the eerie church bells and spoken word vocals at the beginning. The rich synth bass at :14 and organ stabs fill out the texture nicely, although I thought the drum samples were a bit cliche. The texture is pretty reverb-heavy, and I think the drums get a little overwhelmed in the mix after a while. The groovy bridge at 1:42 has some great rhythmic content, though, and the quirky melodies at 2:15 further add variety to the harmonic framework. That said, I do think a lot of the chord progressions and arrangement elements of the piece were a bit generic here. The sound design and melodies are top-notch, though, and the thematic cohesion with the bells and vocals give the piece a strong narrative appeal. Keep at it, amishpimp! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[AlphezoPlay - Overcharged (Dubstep)]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning and the dramatic orchestral hits shortly thereafter. The reverb is very heavy in the mix, and I think the piano and other harmonic elements would come through more distinctly at :25 without such an over-saturated atmosphere. That said, the sound design choices here, from the groovy guitar riffs to the sweeping saxophone solos, are really nice, and the melodic content is both dynamic and refreshing. The drop at 1:30 takes the piece in a much more rhythmic direction, and the mix sounds rather strained there too. I wanted to hear more bass frequencies in particular during the drop. The moody bridge at around 2:15 was good for some structural contrast, and the woodwind solos at 2:40 or so had a really soulful texture. The guitar solos at 3:30 or so are especially nice, although the texture starts to sound pretty dissonant at around 3:50 with the atmosphere bleeding in. The tranquil section after that was also a nice way of breaking up the climactic sections here, especially before the final drop at 4:44, which sounded much more dynamic than the first one. Still, the string pads and drums get really buried in the mix there, and there are some more clashing harmonies at around 5:15. The haunting ambient outro was a pleasant surprise, though - this piece has a lot of twists and turns, making the arrangement both impressively ambitious and a little hard-to-follow at times. Overall, the composition and sound design here are really strong. I just wish the mastering was a bit tighter and the structure a tad more cohesive. Still, you’ve clearly put a ton of effort into the melodies and instrumentation here, and it shows. Keep at it, AlphezGD! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Grim Ego]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning and the hip-hop-inspired beats at :24. The reverb is pretty heavy here, which may have distorted the mix a tad. I would’ve liked the drums to come through a bit more than they did. The ghostly synths at 1:12 really help sell the mood, although there isn’t a ton of harmonic variety or depth in this piece. The rhythmic content and atmosphere are my favorite elements of it, and the sound design is rather good too. That said, the composition is pretty underwhelming at the end of the day, with a predictable chord progression and stale harmonic framework. I think the piece would make a good loop, though, and I applaud the foreboding mood of this one. It’s still rather catchy, but as a stand-alone track it feels a tad bland. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, Aetherous! :)

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