TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[ODYSSEA - Part 1]

I like the foreboding mood at the beginning and the sassy string riffs at around :10. The reverb is very heavy in the texture, but the mastering quality is still rather good. The frantic orchestral lines at :30 or so really help sell the drama, and I’m enjoying the sense of climax into :58. The moody breakdown at 1:12 was great for some structural contrast, and the ominous vocals at 1:12 help get me back into the apprehensive mood of earlier. I think the percussion doesn’t quite come through the mix as sharply as I’d like at 2:10 or so, but otherwise the composition here is compelling, the production quality is crisp, and the sound design and atmosphere are top-notch. Impressive work, Omson! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
9.25/10

[untitled song for nguac]

I like the quirky atmosphere at the beginning. Can’t tell if it’s a bunch of reverse pianos or just some very heavy echo/delay effects. I would’ve liked the drums and bass to be a bit more prominent in the mix towards the beginning, but the crisp beats at :42 help scratch that itch. Other than that, the composition could’ve been a bit more dynamic here, especially harmonically, and some of the transitions are pretty abrupt. I like the more melodic content at 1:26, but by then the mix sounds rather strained. I’d suggest toning down the reverb and getting stricter with the equalizers. The mid-range pads get especially lost at 1:26. I think my favorite aspects of the piece were the sound design and atmosphere. The mastering, progression, and compositional details could all be a bit more polished here. That said, I appreciate your knack for stitching together some experimental textures with neat rhythmic content. Keep at it, NNmusic! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
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
6.5/10

[Sunshine]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The reverb is a bit heavy here, but the mix holds up pretty well. There’s a good sense of build into :48, and the blissful melodies and quirky sound design at the refrain are great. The chord progression and arrangement of this piece are a bit cliche, and the mix is a bit bottom-heavy during the busier sections. I like the synth arpeggios at 2:05, and you lead back into the refrain at 2:42 effectively too. I might’ve liked to hear some more variation on the main melodies during the second refrain, but otherwise the progression is strong here. Overall, solid work with the mood, instrumentation, production quality, and atmosphere. Keep at it, MarquinRobes! :)

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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[RetroMania - Main Theme]

I like the bright tone at the beginning and the crisp percussion. Some of the drum patterns seem a bit square and cheesy (with some overused tom rolls and crashes at times), though the classic rock organ and spacey pads give the piece a strong sense of atmosphere. The melodies at :52 are nice too, and the upbeat mood and sound design help me stay engaged. I think the piece could use a bit more structuring, though, as the energy level and most of the instrumental palette stay pretty constant throughout. There are also some abrupt transitions in places, like at 3:20. The ending came on a tad suddenly; I’d suggest either a full-volume flourish or a more gradual fade-out. That said, I really like the instrumentation, production quality, atmosphere, and harmonic content of this piece overall. Keep at it, Manvineo! :)

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

Manvineo responds:

Thank you so much for the review, Tainted <3. I am so honored to be judged by a professional like you. Reading your review gave me the determination to hone my craft in composing so that by the next NGUAC, I might create a piece that you and the other future judges might find satisfactory.

[Rose Mirror - Lunziestella]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning, but some of the tinny synths in the treble range sound a bit harsh in my headphones. You might consider taking some of the treble off of them, or at the very least softening the echo effects. The grating atmospheric details and dreamy harmonies blend quite nicely together here, and the drum patterns are quite creative too. The dissonance at :53 seems fitting too, and the modulations at 1:06 really doubles down on the experimental texture. I think at some point the composition needed a stronger sense of direction about it, though. There are a lot of creative ideas here that I would’ve liked to see you flesh out more, but - much like a ghost that can walk through walls - this piece doesn’t seem to know which room it wants to be in. I’m really torn about this piece overall. You’re getting top marks for originality, sound design, and atmosphere, but the mixing could be a tad more polished, and the composition seems a bit choppy and jarring at times. If you ever revisit this piece, though, send me a PM. It has a lot of potential. Keep at it, Lunziestella! :)

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
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

[Bro I'm straight up having a good time]

At first, the fade-in at the beginning sounded somewhat ominous to me, but by :05 or so I’m fully invested in the blissful vibe of this piece. I wish the drums were a bit more prominent in the texture towards the beginning. That said, the sound design (including the quirky chopped vocals and bubbly VGM synths) is great, and the melodies are catchy and upbeat. In the second half of the piece, it would’ve been nice if you had added more variety to the vocal lines and melodies, but I appreciated the compositional details like the drum fill at 2:08 and the layering of the vocals over the melodies at 2:37. Overall, really fun piece, Ko0x! The sound design, mixing, rhythmic content, and melodies are all super enjoyable here. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

ko0x responds:

Thank you very much for this positive and detailed feedback :) <3

[Red Dwarf]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning along with the quirky percussion and rich atmosphere. There’s a good sense of build into :42, but the drop thereafter sounds a bit grating and minimal. I like the cinematic flair and spacey sound design (no pun intended), but the progression is pretty slow-paced, and I would’ve liked to hear some more memorable melodies and harmonic depth at some point. The echo-y piano seems like it’s the main “foregrounded” element of the piece for long stretches of time. I think you could’ve more effectively engaged the listener with some more dynamic riffs or phrases. The second half of this piece doesn’t add much in the way of novel content, either. You did an excellent job of establishing the mood and transitioning into an emotional height at the drops, but the composition still felt a tad underwhelming at the end of the day. That said, one element of the piece that’s truly impressive is the production quality - you balance the mid-range bass and screechy synths quite well at the drops, and the atmospheric instruments blend together quite well. Full credit for sound design and mixing here. The composition just felt like a bit of a missed opportunity, is all. Keep at it, JustTop! :)

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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Rise of Hope [NGUAC]]

I like the acoustic sound design and waltzy vibe at the beginning. The whimsical string lines at :32 and reverb-heavy atmosphere really contribute a lot to the texture, and you do a great job of giving the composition a dynamic feel. The mallets at 1:45 are especially nice - I wish they were a bit more prominent in the mix, actually. The upbeat mood and cutesy sound design really win me over here. If I had to criticize one thing, it might be that the progression feels a bit slow-paced at times, but in the context of the piece, that often helps to sell the emotional qualities here. Overall, the composition, sound design, production quality, and atmosphere are all great. Keep it up, Jotrocken! ^_^

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Jotrocken responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic for sending me feedback after you finished judging phase. Glad you liked the dynamic feel, there is a lot of effort. Mallet could be more in focus at 1:45 right. Gonna start my Final now hope you all like it as much as you liked this one :)

Very happy with this result.

[Starting Anew]

I like the tranquil piano line at the beginning. The violin at :18 was also a good idea, and overall the texture sounds rich and full despite only containing two main instruments. The melodies at :45 are beautiful, and you’ve done a great job of giving the composition a strong sense of storytelling and dynamism despite its short length. The emotional appeal of sections like 1:20 is great. Towards the end, I think you overuse the stop-start transitions a tad, but overall I’m really impressed with the progression, harmonic content, production quality, and sound design here. Keep it up, Jesse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
9.25/10

JesseTikka responds:

Didn't even come think that a transition type could be overused, but good point. Thanks a lot!