TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-‘til the end-]

The ominous wave-like synth at the beginning is pretty cool. I love the atmosphere, although the harmonies are a bit dissonant at times, especially towards the beginning. The beat at :38 is really nice, and the synth lead is cool too, although it cuts out a little suddenly at :52. I like the gritty bass at 1:17 and the frantic synth pattern at 1:37 and other places. The piece still sounds a bit minimal, and could use some stronger melodic content at times, but it's much better than you think it is with your "predicted score" of 2.5 stars. :) Keep at it, CF24!

Creeperforce24 responds:

I guess it was because this is my first time trying to do such a genre as this, plus I have a feeling your a bit strict with your reviews (which is good) so I just made a prediction of that lol, but I’m glad to see I did better! Thanks for the critique.

[Jupiter]

Hey man! Sorry for the slow response. Busy week for me.

I like the synth riff at the beginning. The vocal sample at :30 sounds a tad out-of-place, but by :46 the drums are really catchy and keep up the energy level nicely. Some of the instruments sound pretty inauthentic, especially the brass at 1:01. Usually it's better to choose instruments that are meant to sound electronic rather than super fake ones that are meant to sound orchestral. But I like the harmonies here - they're much less dissonant than in Sunset Dreams. The transitions could be a bit more gradual at times, but the crashes definitely help make them sound smoother. Overall solid track, dude. Keep it up! ^_^

Jok3004 responds:

Thanks so much! Also, nothing in this song except the shakers at the drops are samples. And sorry for responding late. 😅

Instruments are... A little troublesome every now and then.
The crashes used to be less impactive... yea thats really all i have to say. Thanks again!
Wait, one more thing. Sunset dreams was my fifteenth song, and this is my 34th song. I guess that can be a useful piece of info XD

[-Limitless-]

I like the furtive tone at the beginning and the cutesy synth plucks. The drums at :28 sound nice and crisp in the mix and help keep the energy level up. The texture sounds a bit thin at times - lot of instruments with little to no reverb or other mixing effects to make it sound richer, although maybe that's not an option in FL Studio Mobile, idk. I like the progression with the strings into 2:17 - that was a good climactic moment. The more energetic beat starting at 2:45 is a nice touch, but the harmonies there are a little dissonant between the pads and the cutesy lead synth. I like the outro with the strings and airy synth at 3:30, too. Solid work overall, CF24! Somehow I'm sure Waterflame heard it and liked it a lot. :)

Creeperforce24 responds:

What do you know, I guessed exactly the correct score you would give me…

But you wanna know something, I have been obsessed with waterflame for over half my life, he’s lead me to a world that I never knew, I’m infinitely in debt to him. I get all giddy and excited just from a simple favorite from him on YouTube for lords sake. But that doesn’t matter, Waterflame has been my mentor and muse for so long, I have many dreams I want to come true, and I’m working towards them, but beyond every dream I could have, the biggest one is to just make waterflame proud. Sure, a collab would be amazing as fuck, just as well as meeting him to. But both of those can never compare to making waterflame simply proud of me…

And I’m just gonna let you know…

You will be the first to know when that happens, your a part of my journey, and maybe Im a part of yours as well.

[The NG Mall Music Collab]

Alright, need to finally listen to this thing front-to-back.

First of all, Teffy, the mix sounds amazing. Not only does the background chatter set the scene well, but it also truly sounds like it's coming out of wall-mounted speakers and bouncing off of the tile floor. Great job!

"Walking Down the Road or Something" sounds bright and wintry, and also flows nicely into PurpleGhost's piece. I expected to hear a lot of mallets in this collab, and I was not disappointed lol. The brass samples at around the 1-minute mark are not the best quality (just sound very fake), but I like the melodies and percussion a lot.

HC1's track feels more laid-back and sultry, almost like a lounge at an upscale nightclub. The percussion here is also really strong, and the minimal texture and rich atmosphere suit the genre very well.

The pulsating "whooshes" at 3:30 offer a bit of a different timbre to the otherwise smooth-sounding pieces so far. The mix is a bit quiet, and I would've liked to hear more of the bass, but once the piano comes in at around 4:15 the mall vibe is coming through much more. Similar to HC1's track, this is downtempo and relaxing.

GoatSpunk's piece has some really interesting percussion at the beginning - reminds me of a train rattling on the tracks as it passes by. The light, orchestral sound design and melodic lines that tend to descend in pitch almost make it sound melancholic. Moody and evocative stuff.

Meanwhile, Inku-Inku is picking up the tempo with a bubbly groove. The crisp beat at 8:34 is really nice, although the harmonies get a bit drowned out with all the reverb in the texture. Love the sound design here, though - the vocal samples, E-piano, and guitar blend so well together.

Casper also has some cool vocal samples. I like the furtive intro and the gradual increase in the energy level during this piece. The melodic bridge at 11:08 is great - really gives those smooth pads a chance to shine. One of the catchiest pieces in the collab right here.

Stonmann's track has some neat rhythmic syncopations, and the saxophone melodies really hit the spot.

LBNewgrounds' track is very short, but it sounds so cute and mischievous.

Wobwobrob's piece has some great melodies, and also some nice percussion. The track sounds Christmas-y somehow - maybe it's the sound design?

I'm loving the energy of Xanxoepico's piece. The danceable sax solos and the strong off-beat emphasis really give this a sassy flavor. Apparently, those mannequins at Macy's talk back!

AnonymousFrog's track is full of neat percussion, and some beautiful pads. Sometimes, the pads get a little grating/dissonant, like at around 16:20, but overall this is a really majestic piece with an eerie undertone.

TVP06 has the best title in the collab IMO. The jazzy flair and bass-heavy sound design also get high marks from me. Really good example of how a stop-start sort of arrangement can be really effective at making a track sound fun and engaging.

HC1 is back at 18:36 with another banger! Love the mallets and the jazzy harmonies. Sounds like HC1 is writing the soundtrack for the next James Bond movie.

AhWham has a tranquil and bright sound design. The vocals caught me off guard at first, but also have great comedic value. The little "awww" after the announcer says the escalator is broken got me good. XD Then it's right back to the chill pads, with some extra layering at the end. It seems like the piece is over a little too soon, though, but props to the maintenance guy for that.

RetroCarrot's track is blissful and energetic, with some memorable melodies and cutesy sound design.

Beeetelgeuse has a unique one - the beat sounds vaguely hip-hop inspired, between the prominent hi-hat on the down beat and the minimal moving notes in the background. The mood is eerie and almost industrial - sounds like I'm shopping for a hitman to kill my ex-wife, and not clothes or a new blender.

7chains' submission sounds very 80s to me, like it's the soundtrack to a documentary on outer space that my substitute teacher put on. Definitely captures the sense of wonder of exploring a mall, especially one you haven't been to in a while.

POSTELVIS's track has some powerful percussion and rich pads toward the beginning, but they smooth out nicely by 29:00 to yield to a schmaltzy groove. The vocals were a pleasant surprise, too - they sound vaguely nostalgic and introspective, but it's hard for me to discern the lyrics. Still, this is a stand-out track in the collab for its narrative development and compositional details. Loved the sax solo at the end too.

Undertalekid12's piece has a nice, strong beat and some quirky vocals counterbalanced by some smooth pads and piano chords. I like how the texture gets progressively thicker over the course of the first 90 seconds, and how the beat falls away as the piano plays its final line.

Charlmot has a catchy track with some bouncy synths and clever syncopations.

Creeperforce's piece is cute and harmonious, with a lot of plucked strings and, later, some powerful percussion by around 36:00. Especially towards the end, it also sounds a bit mischievous.

URAYsan's track has a lot of variety in terms of sound design, with a sitar (?) solo punctuated by some prominent piano and woodwind solos. The rhythmic elements sound Latin-inspired - all that's missing is the clave in the drum kit. I love the ritardando at the end too.

YoannB, incidentally, has another piece with a Latin-sounding rhythm, this time with a organ lead. I love how the energy picks up by around 41:40, too. Later on, the jazzy piano solo is a great touch, accompanied by some lovely strings before the final refrain at 43:00 ties it all together. This is another stand-out piece of the collab IMO. Why yes, I take my salsa dancing lessons at the mall!

Alia Facies' track has some heavy, low-register piano chords, and later some brighter, higher-pitched harmonies to round out the texture nicely. Sometimes, the piano chords don't always sound very distinct - spacing out the notes a bit more widely might help with that. By 46:00, the piece is really blossoming into a melodic and graceful track. A lot of effort went into this composition, and it shows.

Redcarpet has a catchy track with some neat sound design. The main pads overwhelm the melodic content a bit in the mix a bit, although the bridge at 48:00 without the pads sounds more balanced and fruitful.

VoicesByCorey nailed his job interview as the intercom announcer at the mall I own.

Aalasteir's piece has some catchy beats and a mood that wavers between chill and unsettling. The pads are a little eerie and dissonant, but not in a grating way. Sounds like a wayward shopper cutting through the truck depot at the back of the mall, surrounded by graffiti and flickering lights.

LANpartyanimal's track is cheerful and soothing, with smooth pads, a strong snare, and dynamic melodies. The sax solo at 54:20 is probably a highlight of the piece, although the instrument itself sounds a bit inauthentic.

Mr. Purple's contribution is a cutesy and melodic track with synth arpeggios, an upbeat lead, and shimmering, bell-like harmonies. The percussion occasionally sounds a bit harsh in the mix, as does the melodic instrument at 56:50, but later on the beat smooths out and the guitar solo really hits the spot.

Mizemu has a catchy piece with jazzy harmonies full of innuendo, from the torrid strings to the rhythmic piano line and punchy drums. The texture sounds a tad too busy at times, especially around 59:00, although overall this is a fun and engaging composition.

Vividlance has a smooth, tranquil, almost otherworldly track with synth pads, jazzy harmonies, and creative percussion. This mall feels rather upscale - I can't decide if that "Shiny Sphere" is a disco ball or a chandelier, but by the end of this piece this sounds like some avant-garde 70s dance music.

Dynamic0 has a cutesy, whimsical oom-pah sort of beat here. Sounds like I'm in a video game trying to lure a giant out of his hiding place in a mountain, tbh. Very catchy track with some great sound design. The added piano harmonies at the end are really nice, too.

Nonomino brings back the jazzy sound of earlier tracks in full swing (pun intended). The E-piano lead melody and hat/cymbal-heavy drums really hit the spot. Tons of ornamentation on those melodies, too, and the switch to the lower-register at 1:07:00 adds some nice variety that I didn't even know it needed. One of my favorite tracks of the collab! Great for some high-energy shopping with a spring in my step.

PurpleJoe has some flashy pads at the beginning that then mellow out into a minimal, galloping beat and warm synth strings. Later, some higher-register synths help add some flavor and rhythmic appeal to the piece. Solid effort here!

JanBuilder has some great, smooth E-piano leading the way, and then the tambourine and slap bass hit and I'm 1,000% sold. The crisp drums and laid-back pacing really give this piece a great old school vibe, and the classic rock-style organ and the occasional flurry of E-piano notes don't hurt either. The rhythmic appeal of the piece is just as powerful as the soulful melodies and killer sound design, too. Top-notch effort here, Jan.

Ehh, piece #37 is okay, I guess.

Manvineo's track has some great percussion and an upbeat, easygoing harmonic structure. Love the saxophone lead and the balance of frequencies in the mix. The piece is melodic and engaging, but not too in-your-face either. Definitely striking the right balance for a mall. Super catchy and fun piece here, dude!

Jini has a smooth, downtempo groove with a prominent bass, as well as some really creative drums. I wanted to hear a bit more of the sax in the mix at 1:21:40, but the instruments all blend so well together. The energetic beat at 1:22:50 was also a good choice compositionally. Nice work, Jini!

I like the evocative pads at the beginning of realityreimagined's piece. The vocals were a nice touch - did you record them yourself? Their pop sensibilities really fit H&M's brand well. I'm glad someone dedicated their piece to a particular store. :D The rap part caught me off guard a bit, but overall this is a neat and energetic track that covers a lot of ground in terms of mood/genre. Solid work!

I like the chill pads and big 80s-style beat in Trah's piece. The vocals are smooth and vaguely somber, but certainly fit the laid-back vibe of the rest of the piece.

Alia Facies' second track has a great syncopation about it. I like how you used the guitars - that's one instrument I feel like I haven't heard a lot of in this collab. The metallic-sounding percussion and echo-y piano chords round out the sound design well here. I especially like the bass-y bridge at 1:30:45. Solid work!

Popolamusic's piece has a more upbeat, danceable vibe to it. I like the smooth pads and prominent bass. The E-piano solo at around 1:32:00 really hits the spot, and you do a good job of varying the sound design later in the piece too. The melodies at 1:33:00 feel like the climax of the piece - they're just very cathartic and refreshing-sounding. Great job!

It seems like everyone in this collab has better drum samples than me, and BlakeyTakeyTheCakey is no exception. Love the jazzy E-piano and crisp percussion. Some of the solos sound a bit bizarre, though - like the stuttering piano one at 1:34:55. The rhythm of the solos could also fit inside the beat pattern a little better - it's a little hard to follow the progression of the piece right now. Still, a lot of your individual melodic ideas are really good, and as I mentioned, I really like the sound design.

And of course Teffy wraps it up with an upbeat and melodic banger! Love the modulation at 1:37:30 and the rhythmic elements of this piece too. The sound design blends together very nicely, and the jazzy rolled chord at the end is truly a fitting conclusion to this epic collab.

What else is there to say? I am so grateful to have been a part of this! It seems that everyone interpreted "mall music" in their own way, yet the commonalities are undeniable - light, melodic, mostly upbeat, and vintage sound design. I'll be sure to throw this on my earbuds next time I'm doing some shopping. ^_^

10/10 * 45

Charlmot responds:

WOW thats a lot of feedback, thanks for taking the time to write all of this!

Be sure to check out the individual tracks as well, some entries are sped up unintentionally :D

[Ireland]

I like the dark, wavering synth bass at the beginning, although the panning there is a bit strong for my tastes. The beat is really coming together nicely by :30 or so, and the eerie "screeches" at :35 help add some flavor. The texture is still pretty minimal, though, with not a lot of mid-range frequencies. There are a lot of cool individual riffs here, like the ominous synth riser at 1:32, and I'm digging the prominent hi-hats there too. The "Ireland" vocal line is a bit overused after a while, and overall the piece doesn't have a very strong sense of progression. There's some variation in the synth patterns, bass, and beat over time, but I'm not sure it's leading anywhere in particular.

In the future, I'd challenge you to structure your piece around a couple of climactic "events" - it could be a particular melody, or an atmospheric bridge, or a notable change in the sound design, etc. Any stand-alone piece (i.e., not part of a video game soundtrack or playing in the background at the mall) should feel like it's telling a story, and this piece isn't quite doing that for me right now.

That said, I really like the instrumentation and the creative drum patterns in this piece. The production quality is also solid - the frequencies are well-balanced and come through the mix clearly. I also appreciate the neat compositional details, like the white noise/filtering effect at 5:50. The transitions are all very smooth, and the breakdown at 6:05 before you slowly brought back the beat for a "last hurrah" was a good idea. As I alluded to earlier, the somewhat aimless structuring and minimal texture are my main complaints here.

Keep at it, C-Lehman! ^_^

Caustic responds:

Thank you so much for your insightful and sage wisdom!

[daze]

I like the mysterious mood at the beginning and the gradual crescendo into :16. The rhythm at around :30 threw me off a bit at first, but I'm getting into the groove once the beat comes in shortly thereafter. I really like how you're playing with the reverb and filters here, although the stop-start nature of the beat makes the arrangement sound a bit choppy at times. The bridge at 1:30 is super cool - I love the gradual build-up there too. The variations during the second drop are subtle, but they really help keep the energy up later on. Nice work overall, Crysstal! ^_^

Crysstal712 responds:

reverb swell overuse !!

[gutter rap oldhead type beat]

I like the guitar riff at the beginning and the crisp beats later on. Could use some vocals or otherwise stronger melodic content, but I appreciate the quirky variations at 1:02 and the vinyl scratch at 1:25. Mix sounds really clean and punchy. Keep at it, Midi! ^_^

midimachine responds:

some weeks are better than others hehe - only gonna get busier but the beats still be weekly'd :)

[Thorn]

It's a little hard to follow the rhythm at first, but by :25 this is turning into a really neat, if a tad minimal, groove. I love the distorted second layer of drums that sounds so bottled up in the mix (comes in at :52). The prominent guitar riff at 1:20 really provides a nice, soothing melodic contrast to the gritty beats characterizing the rest of the piece. The heavy bass at 2:35 was a great touch, too - really felt like the pendulum swung the other way back towards the gritty and down-to-earth. The synth melody at the very end is nice too, although the fade-out ending was a bit of an underwhelming way to end the piece. Still, this is another great example of a slow-burning composition that really takes the listener on a journey by the end. Keep at it, LAPSE! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

All the strings are done on bass. No geetar. :D

Yeah, sorry about the ending. I think I had more material. Sometimes I think of it as like the "yadda yadda" of a conversation or something, I guess. I can't quite tell what compels the fade outro. Some laziness? I think I want the listener to think "...and it went on like this for eternity" or something, haha.

<3

[Cotard Has Me Pegged]

I think your piano-heavy songs are my favorites in general. From a relatively tame beginning, you concoct a storytelling masterpiece here. With those characteristic spacey pads and quirky drums as a base, over time you weave a thick atmosphere full of echo-y guitars, dreamy synths, and eventually a frantic, jazzy piano riff and glitchy compositional details. The piece is simultaneously full of variety and intimately cohesive, cycling through a variety of moods and textures while remaining squarely in the same narrative universe. The last minute or so of the track felt a tad mellow, but also has a great slow-burning energy about it, like the tension from the piece has not been resolved and there is going to be a sequel (maybe wishful thinking on my part?). Either way, this is a top-notch track, LAPSE! Keep up the great work. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

I think piano was my first instrument love? Piano, drums, bass. Simple as.

This particular track comes from a bit of a heavy place. The mind is a powerful governing force.
I've always thought the outro-y bits are a bit more hopeful feeling compared to the start.

I'm just banging stuff together and hoping it turns out alright.

You know I like my sequels. :P

Thanks so much for the many reviews.

[...and Yet, It Goes Nowhere]

I think I recognize the synth at the beginning from another piece of yours. :D It's a very relaxing atmosphere and somewhat minimal texture, but your creative drum riffs and rich use of mixing effects help keep me engaged. I love how furtive the melody sounds at 1:18, and the filtering work at 2:05 is neat too. I also appreciate the nice, slow wind-down this piece has, along with the ominous, staticky crescendo at the very end. Really evocative stuff, LAPSE! Keep at it. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

The synth melody or sound? I use that particular sound a wee bit, haha. I really love it.
Sometimes I like to make little tracks that are reminiscent of hip-hop beat tapes or something. Thus the looping. Finding that sorta sound/melody/etc that feels good, you wanna listen to it for an extended time and just live within it. See how much mileage it has.

Thanks as always. <3