TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Paris 2049]

I like the mysterious-sounding fade-in at the beginning and the atmosphere. The piano and choir help set the mood nicely. Very unexpected chord at :45, though - feels like the mood shifts very suddenly, which is then made more confusing by the dissonant pads at :55. Quite an eclectic sound design here. I’m a little unclear about the directionality of the piece after a while. Much of the piece is pretty minimalistic, and uses an excess of reverb to fill in the texture. I wanted to see you tie together some of these loose thematic ends with some melodic content, an emotional height, or at least some more stable harmonies later in the piece. The mix could use a bit of cleaning up, especially with those high-pitched bells at 1:45 and the reverb. It’s hard to pull off such an experimental piece like this, and I think you needed a bit more of a strong directionality to hit it home. I did really enjoy the sound design, eerie riffs, and creative progressions, though. Keep at it, Dangalletti!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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?)
.25/1
Satisfies bingo requirement?
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

dangalletti responds:

In my mind, this is gameplay music for a sci-fi/cyberpunk title. I imagine the intro to be a cinematic preview of sorts which sets up the level/area. Then, at 0:45 the gameplay begins and 0:55 marks the starting point of the loop.

Not trying to be defensive, just offering some insight into what I had in mind while writing it.

I agree the mix could be cleaner. I'm still learning my way around production so any tips (in here or for future tracks) will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for your feedback and kind words, glad you enjoyed it.

P.S. Kinda curious why the bingo requirement wasn't completely fulfilled though.

[-Daybreaker-]

Great! There's a really bubbly sense of anticipation from the beginning, and I love the frantic synths at :22 that kinda serve as a build-up into the next section. That organ synth that forms the foregrounded riff is really fun, especially when it gets the slightly distorted texture like at :40. This is a really rhythmically dense piece, but the pacing isn't so fast that it's disorienting. The vocal samples interact really well here, and I really like it when the bass becomes more exposed at around 2:40. I also thought the spacey outro at 3:38 was a great touch - almost gives the piece a house vibe, and the filtering at the very end is scrumptious. You've really outdone yourself here, Waterflame! Fitting conclusion to 2018. Happy new year!

Waterflame responds:

Always a pleasure when you review one of my tracks! Thank you for the detailed kind words. This really goes to show for me that taking that extra workday of polish is really worth it! Excited to make more tracks in 2019! :)

[-Atom Sampler-]

Ooo...I love the eerie vibes at the beginning and the old-timey piano that comes in shortly thereafter. The vocal samples add a bit of a cinematic flair, but I think you overdid them after a while. I was a little uncertain as to the directionality of the piece during the second minute, and pretty soon it's evolved into a more danceable, rhythmic piece. Kinda reminds me of a more rushed "Sinking Feeling." I like when you bring back the atmospheric elements towards the end. Really creative work overall. Not sure it's come together for me quite yet as a coherent whole, but I'll listen to it a couple more times and see what happens. :D Keep up the good work, WF!

Waterflame responds:

Thanks! I will agree that the middle of the track could use more direction. But I wanted it to be a bit..floating. the hook was supposed to be the vocals themselves and the choppy guitar. I guess I never had a clear direction with this to begin with so thats why it came off a bit like a stitched together thing. Appreciate the pointers!

[-Grain-]

Cool! Must've missed this one. Love the nature FX mixed with the industrial flair. Rest of the track is really relaxing and more organic, if not quite as pastoral as the title implies. Chord progression is nice, and the more melodic elements that bleed in at around 1:05 really help shape the mood of the piece. The mini-breakdown at 1:47 was a nice touch. I've been enjoying the more downtempo tracks you've been posting recently. Keep up the good work, WF!

Waterflame responds:

Glad to hear it! Happy the slow styles are well received too. Its nice to know I can do both without scaring away people, hehe.

[Rather Have Pizza Then Hentai]

Very amusing title. The fade-in at the beginning could've been more creative, but I like the quirky instrumentation and rhythmic aspects. The drums were a little loud, and seemed to strike just slightly before the beat. The bridge section at :47 was nice for some variety in a piece that otherwise certainly lacked it. Needs some vocals over it and maybe some more melodic content, but it's got a fun, jazzy feel. Keep at it, man!

KingSandy responds:

i dont put that much effort into my beats on Newgrounds cause this site has weird taste in music anyways

[Krowe - GHOSTS]

I like the quirky sound design and atmosphere at the beginning. The vocals are cool, if a bit overly-processed imo. I like the crisp drums and the build-up into :40. Nice subtle hip hop influence between the sub-bass and beat. The piece has a nice flow and underlying energy. I guess I would've liked to hear some stronger melodic content, even if this is an ambient track. It got a little repetitive by the end, and I think you could've hit it home with some more variety towards the end. Overall, though, I really like the atmosphere and instrumentation. Keep at it, man!

KroweMusic responds:

Definitely agree about the repetitiveness. I actually lost the project file to this and couldn't find any substantial backups for it, so I was unable to make any changes past this version.

Thanks for listening!

[Onward Refresh]

Ooo...very different from a lot of your other tracks. Glad to see you're branching out a bit. I like the ambiance and the sense of climax into :40. Pretty melodies, although I think some of the melody instruments didn't sound quite as soulful as the rest of the texture. If you were going for maximum impact here emotion-wise, maybe that would involve some different sound design choices. Also feels like you overused the build-ups after a while. Still, the melodies themselves are really nice, and I like the arpeggiated synths that come in in the background at 2:45 (and other places). I think 3:15 was probably my favorite part - now THAT'S a maximum-impact synth right there. Fitting that you saved the best for last. ;) Keep it up, MKT!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the constructive review, TL! :)

[Toony Joys]

I like the cheesy orchestral theme and the "oom-pah" bass. The progression is nice - especially the build-up to :41 - and the refrain thereafter has some refreshing rhythmic aspects. I like the subtle vocal samples earlier in the piece and the cute melody at 1:15. Nice job of adding some variety with the cool breaks at 2:36. Mastering is strong as usual. The vocals at the end (4:00 or so) were also a nice touch as a relaxing coda. Fun piece overall! It gets a tad repetitive and predictable, but in a way that fits the character of it. Keep up the good work, MrKoolTrix!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the review. :D

[Psybot - the dome]

Ah, must've missed this one! Catchy breaks at the beginning. The texture is really spacious, and I like the ominous mood. Has a vaguely industrial vibe, with a subtle hip-hop influence. Amazing how your style has evolved so much over the years. I understand this isn't really a full-length track, but I would've liked to hear some more melody content. I really hope you finish this someday! Keep at it, Psybot. ^_^

Psybot responds:

Yeah this was a period where i was trying to finance my music WITH my music. But it really is a hardworking business and I don't have the knowledge, experience or time to focus on promoting myself.
So I'm just keeping it simple by making as many songs as I can :)
This might never become a fullenght track, we'll see :)
Thanks for taking your time:D

/Psybot\

[Psybot - Heaven cries 2018 (vocals mix)]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. Vocals sound really nice - charged with emotion, if a little overdone at times. The progression is pretty slow-paced, and the mood change at 1:07 was pretty out-of-the-blue. I like the build-up into 1:24 and the subsequent instrumental section. I think the strongest aspect of the piece is probably the mix. Sounds really clear and strong throughout. I also like how the vocals come back during the breakdown. You should make vocal tracks more often! Keep up the good work, Psybot. ^^

Psybot responds:

Thanks alot man! I appreciate that you compliment my singing. I feel like I should have given it some more time and attempts to make it as perfect as I could. I just get so eager to release the song. XD
I will make more vocal tracks and I feel more confident about it now.
Thanks for the review! :D

/Psybot\