TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Melting Core - NGUAC 2022 R1]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning and the quirky percussion. The beats at :24 are a little loud and grating, especially when contrasted with the chill instrumentals in the background. After a while, you start overusing the bass slides a bit, although I like it when the texture becomes richer at around 1:43 and there are multiple basses competing with each other, even though they each sit rather well in the mix. The acoustic drum kit at 2:30 was a nice touch too. Overall, you nailed the mastering quality, rhythmic content, and sound design here. The piece could’ve had a bit more harmonic depth and structural coherence, though. For what it’s worth, I think you’re a really talented producer with a knack for stitching together some neat experimental textures. Keep at it, Arbelamram! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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
7.25/10

[melomaniacAngels]

I like the twittery synth at the beginning and the subtle tempo automations shortly thereafter. There’s a great sense of energy and drive to the texture by around :30, and the texture is really well-balanced between the bass and lead synths. By 1:06, though, the rhythms and sound palette are starting to feel a bit stale, so I’m glad the beat came in at 1:19 to switch things up a bit. The modulation at around 1:55 was another good idea, and the melodies shortly thereafter fit nicely. I’m not a huge fan of the clap sample at 2:14 - it felt a tad sharp and treble-heavy. The more minimal melodies at the breakdown at 2:45 are a nice touch, and I like how the piece ends how it begins (with a tempo automation, that is). The dreamy outro seemed fitting, and overall I really like the composition and sound design of this one. The mixing is solid, too, although the compression on the drums is very heavy in places. Still, you have a memorable track here. Keep at it, Answare! :)

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
.75/1
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

[Comforted]

I like the eerie atmosphere and solemn synth bass at the beginning. The mix is loud and clean, and the vocals at :34 were a pleasant surprise. Is that your voice? It sounds really rich and mature for a 17-year-old. The texture is mellow and minimal for a lot of the first quarter of the piece or so, but I like the prominent hi-hat at 1:26 and dreamy mood. At some point, it would’ve been nice to hear some more variety in the harmonic content, or maybe a more prominent instrumental solo or something. The structure feels a bit dragged-out after a while, especially since the most melodic part (the vocals) are so repetitive. The subtle bass drop at 3:26 was a good change in the texture, and the production holds up pretty well. The little riser at 4:35 seems to be the most exciting thing going on towards the end, though - I think that was a missed opportunity to make this piece feel more dynamic. Overall, you have the sound design, rhythmic content, flow, and harmonies down, but you need to find a way to create more variety and mess with the pacing/arrangement to keep the listener engaged. It’s catchy and well-mastered, but the composition felt a little bland after a while. Still, the instrumentation, atmosphere, and mixing were highlights here. Keep at it, ALG! :)

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[We Take Flight]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

The cutesy sound design at the beginning is really nice, although it might've needed more of a proper intro. Throwing the listener right into the middle of the action with the frantic mallet riffs was a bold choice. There are a couple of moments where the instruments cut off pretty suddenly, like at :07, 2:32, and :55, that make the arrangement sound a tad choppy. The rich harmonies and orchestral textures in between sound really lovely, but the mix might sound more full with some reverb or other effects that round out the sound. Otherwise, the production quality is really good - well-balanced and clean mix, etc. I like the sense of build into 2:09, but I also think that section needed more of a dynamic melody to really sell it as an "emotional height." The melodies at 3:20 or so are especially lovely, but the multiple swells at around 3:45 felt a tad artificial and drawn-out. That might be another section that could benefit from some reverb to smooth things out. The piece comes together with the triumphant-sounding melodies at 4:25, although the sudden cut-off at 4:45 is again a bit of a turn-off for me. Overall, you took on a really ambitious compositional project here, and it's executed rather well. The sound design is good, although it's really hard to make high-pitched brass samples sound good "in box" (piano roll or midi or whatever). My main gripes are the somewhat missed opportunity for more atmosphere to shape the piece, as well as the abrupt transitions and choppy arrangement. Still, your melody-writing and production skills are clearly well-developed. Keep at it, SomeGuyMusic! ^_^

[Distortion]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the gritty synth pattern at the beginning. Kinda reminds me of Darude. :D The crisp drums and sense of build into :30 help drive the energy of the piece too, and I like how the tone of the lead synth softens a tad by :31 or so too. The production quality is really good here, Stargame - loud, crisp, and clean mix, but also not over-compressed or too artificial-sounding. I like the build-up at around 1:20 too, but overall the texture is pretty minimal and bottom-heavy for a lot of this piece. The section with the atmospheric pads at 1:52 was a nice change-of-pace, and I like the catchy bass riff at 2:03 too. That said, at some point I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodic content. The glitches at 3:08 are a nice touch, and I'm enjoying the more blissful tone the piece is taking by this point. The piece's ability to maintain engagement over its duration is pretty dependent on the rhythmic content, though, and I would've liked to see more of a proper outro, as the piece ends pretty suddenly. That said, I think you nailed the sound design, mixing, atmosphere, progression, and rhythmic elements here. Congrats on a strong and catchy piece, Stargame, and good luck in the Knockout Round. ^_^

[Clash of Cass]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The sound design goes through several abrupt changes in the first 30 seconds or so, from big 80s synths to new wave atmosphere to videogame-ish to hard rock. It seems like the hard rock won the battle at the end of the day, though, and I like the frantic guitar riffs and crisp drums for the rest of the first minute. There's another pretty abrupt transition at 1:02, but the warmer tones of the strumming there help provide some contrast to the more edgy tone of earlier. At this point, the piece seems like a call-and-response between the frantic and heavy electric guitar riffs to the more laid-back vibe of the strummed one. The breakdown at 2:20 was a nice moment of structural contrast to break up that cycle, and the transition back into 2:46 was smooth, albeit a bit cheesy. The piece comes together well towards the end, but at some point I might've liked to hear a more dynamic melody or solo - something to really hold onto, you know? The heavy guitar refrain seems to play more of a rhythmic role here than something that really drives the "narrative" aspect of the piece. The other main problem I have with the piece is the choppy arrangement, with a lot of rough transitions, especially early on, that feel a tad jarring in the grand scheme of things. That said, I think you nailed the sound design, rhythmic content, production, and atmosphere. Really creative piece overall, Thetageist! Good luck in the Knockout Round. ^_^

Thetageist responds:

Thanks for all that feedback! I see one of my directions to go in in the future should be how to write for rock guitar, so I don’t have to use preset patterns as a crutch anymore. And transitions. Transitions have always been my weak point.

[Contemplate]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the edgy guitar riffs at the beginning. The echo effects are a little overwhelming, though, and that in turn causes the rhythms to trip over each other a bit. I also would've liked to hear more of the drums in the mix. Right now, they're clearly overwhelmed by the guitars. There also could be more structuring and ebb-and-flow over the course of this piece. I feel like that would help the listener warm up to the experimental texture and give the piece a stronger sense of development over time. The mix is loud and clean, but the weak drums and overuse of mixing effects detracts from my enjoyment of the production here. There are a lot of neat compositional ideas here, though, from the guitar riffs to echo-y syncopations. They just need to be arranged a bit more effectively to keep the listener grounded. Keep at it, BALDORF! :)

BALDORF responds:

My comment was more of a jab at my song being so mediocre that it didn't get a review, rather than asking for one, but thanks.

[-#ROOLFTREVNIDLOELPRUP#-]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning and the percussion at :15. The beat at :25 is a tad over-compressed, but it does help increase the energy level and give an otherwise ambient piece a sense of drive. I was a little thrown off by the repetition of the intro at :54 given that it felt that the piece hadn't hit a climax yet, and then the transition into 1:20 felt a tad abrupt. I'm enjoying the rhythmic content there, but the mid-range bass is a tad harsh in my earbuds. The harmonic content of the piece is pretty minimal and repetitive, and I think there could've been a stronger sense of ebb and flow in the composition too. The arrangement feels almost formulaic after a while. That said, the sound design, production quality, rhythmic content, and atmosphere are all really admirable here. Keep at it, Kierham! :)

Kierham responds:

Thanks!

[Asshole (NGUAC)]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the gritty guitars at the beginning. The drums could be a tad more up-front in the mix, but otherwise the production quality is solid here. The vocals sound pretty raw and passionate, but also a little dry in the mix, and I'm not sure the somewhat atonal nature of them works well for me. The solos at 1:49 are much more of my cup of tea, and I also think the "I must be fuckin' crazy" vocals later on work better because they fit nicely into the harmonic framework of the rest of the piece. Overall, I really like the energy, sound design, production, progression, and rhythmic content of the piece. The lyrics are a little cringey at times - seems like you're playing a one-dimensional character with them - but your raspy baritone fits the tone of the piece very well. Keep at it, KRB, and good luck in the next round. ^_^

guyfromKillerRAT responds:

haha, I had been so caught up trying to make my submission for the KO round that I forgot to ask larry and the other guys to review it, I'll probably do that now that you remind me, I especially am interested to hear what the judges other than larry would say since I think I already have an idea of what he might have to say, although his thoughts could surprise me too!

yeah, I've always been bad at knowing the right balance between guitars and drums lol. it's either that the drums are always too loud, or the guitars are always too loud. that's kinda something I'm still trying to get good at. as for the vocals, I really suck at like producing and mixing vocal tracks, I can do pretty good with guitar and bass but when it comes to mixing and mastering the vocals, idk, everything I do ends up sucking so I just kinda leave them dry lmao. The 1:49 solo was completely improvised, I kinda recorded it after just cherry picking a few notes and going from there, then after that I liked the solo so much I decided to practice it and re-record it before submitting to make it better lol. I suck at coming up with good vocal melodies, but I am getting better, so that is why I can sound a bit tonedeaf, singing-wise, in a lot of the song, although it is good to hear that someone appreciated my performance at the end there! that was the part where I was really trying haha.

I've always been a rhythmic kinda guy, never was too big into doing impressive melodies. I always hear the beat first, which is why I like a lot of hip hop and nu metal music, I love how complicated the rhythms and drum patterns are in those styles, and I always feel like good rhythms in music are the kind that aren't just "bootsncatsnbootsncatsn", you know? I like rhythms that are recognizable, ones that really drive a song forward to being picked out of a crowd. This song may not even show my rhythmic capabilities as much as it could have, when I really want to, I can sure make something that gets you bouncing even better than this, which I hope to be able to show more of soon.

As for the lyrics, yeah, they make me sound a bit one-dimensional cause I only sing about one aspect of my life and personality, and it's the part that makes me seem like, well, an asshole. There's a lot more to me than this, but I didn't think it made sense to make a song about literally every piece of my personality lol. One song at a time.

I really appreciate your feedback, man, and I hope to get further in the next round as well. I am admittedly a bit nervous cause I feel like I submitted something that could've been way better if I worked on it more, and I know I can keep working on it if I want to by the rules, but you know, I think I want to just see what happens. What if I work on it and end up making it worse instead? lol

Thank you for listening and thank you for your feedback.
ilyyyyy <3
-J