TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[endK - In the Hall of the Pumpkin King]

Congrats on the win, EndK! I like the gritty bass and the twittering string-like instruments laid over the top of the mix at the beginning. The brass synths also help add a lot of character to the piece. I liked the breakdown at the 1-minute mark too. This isn't as energetic or full-textured as some of your other recent tracks, but it still sounds really suspenseful and apprehensive (as Halloween pieces should!). The chord progression was a little cliche, and the refrain at 1:55 (and other places) seemed rooted in the chord progression a bit too heavily. Otherwise, I think the rich atmosphere, cool sound design, and thematic content really helped sell this piece. The subtle vocal samples (evil laughter, I believe) were a nice touch, and helped keep the texture interesting despite a good deal of repetition. The outro sounded a tad incomplete, but I envision it looping in a videogame or something. Keep up the good work, EndK! Fun track. ^_^

endKmusic responds:

Didn't want to mess around that much with rhythm and 'random' fx as I do in other songs - wanted to focus on melody, structure and flow.
Agree with you on chord progression, but at the same time it was intentional. Wanted to keep it simple at the verse and chorus - both have different progressions but the root is emphasized, as you said.
Also that bridge part around 1 min mark provides some rest from that 'safe root feel'.
Thanks for the review, as always! <3
Will keep those things in mind for sure. :)

[Från ett frö]

Cute piece! Sounds like a lullaby. I think you may have overused the grace notes/rolled chords a tad for my tastes close to the beginning, but the progression of the piece is really soothing thereafter. I also like the way the piece is structured. The transition at 1:14 was enjoyable, and there's a nice ebb and flow of energy throughout. The piece has a sufficient amount of variety without being too loose in its arrangement. Overall really strong work, Ale! May I ask what the title means? ^^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

The title means "From a Seed", and it's about having achieved much since one was born, but still having so much more ahead, in life. The title could have alternate connotations in English though, and it's was made for an event at a Swedish university, so it's only apt that the title is in Swedish too :)

Thank you for the review!
I'm glad you liked the listen :3

[Truest Lies feat. Karra (VIP Mix)]

I like the synths at the beginning and the punchy drums. I like the climax into :45, too, and also how it resets itself before the vocals come in. Vocals sound hella clean - where did you get them from? The production sounds especially clear with this one - what DAW do you use? I would've liked to hear the drop at 3:30 varied a bit vis-a-vis the first one, and the arrangement of the piece is a tad cliche. Otherwise, really strong work yet again. Keep it up!

FarOutOfficial responds:

Original vocals from Karra for our song. We use FL studio for everything, all sounds are original as well.

[Above All Chaos]

I like the synth arpeggios at the beginning and the crackly ambient noises. I like the vocal samples (props to Ian and Helena) and the pulsing pads at around :30 on. The bass sounds really groovy and smooth, but I think the drums were a bit too soft for my tastes for much of the piece. Nice job with the melodic content at 1:45, but I think they were a bit too up-front in the mix. I wanted to hear more of the atmosphere to complement the melodies. The breakdown at 2:52 was really relaxing - nice job there. The percussion at 3:55 or so was a good touch, and overall the dreamy atmosphere of the piece is great. I've been enjoying your forays into synthwave. Keep up the good work, Colin!

ColinMuir responds:

Heck yeah, i'm really enjoying the genre.

[Mountain Forecast]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the spacious atmosphere of the piece. Might even need a bit more reverb or something to fill out the texture. There's a great sense of suspense, but overall the pacing was a tad slow for my tastes. Given the thin texture, it's the details that really make this piece what it is. I really like the subtle delay effect at 1:35. It just sounded really haunting. While clearly not a stand-alone piece, you set the mood really well here. The sound design is great, too. Keep up the good work, Possibly!

Possibly responds:

Thanks very much for the review. Yeah, you might be right about the reverb, I'll take another look at it when I get a chance. Thanks again :D

[Snow, Snow, Snow!]

I like the bright pads and cute synths. The bass is really groovy, and the melodies at :30 are super cute. It's not the most involved or energetic piece you've ever made, but that's okay. Certainly seems fitting for a video game. I like the jangly shakers that become pretty exposed at the breakdown, and I can tell that the loop is really smooth (even if it doesn't seem that way on NG). Cool piece! Keep at it, EndK. ^^

endKmusic responds:

Yeah, this was just a fast experiment, unlike my other stuff, but I'm super satisfied.
The 'real songs' in which I put more effort I tend to name " endK - 'songname' "
Other ones (like this) just have a title. ^_^
Think I was playing Stardew Valley at that point and got influenced. :thonk:
Thanks for the review! :)

[endK - Mermaid]

I like the cute synth riffs at the beginning and the dreamy pads. The progression and sound design are both really satisfying, and I can hear the influence of the mermaid theme. It's a smooth-flowing and well-structured piece overall. You say it's part of your "fast-paced rhythmic stuff," but I think a lot of melodic came through rather well here. My main complaints include the lack of more legato-y elements in the texture, and also a missed opportunity for a stronger climax towards the end of the piece. Overall, though, this is a really fun piece with some glittery synths and catchy rhythmic elements. Keep it up, EndK!

endKmusic responds:

Melodies are simple and kinda generic here, didn't do my usual stuff, yeah, I'll get back to that!
About the climax - at one point I just didn't want to mess around with it.
It took a while to produce this one .. I agree nonetheless. :)
Thanks for all the compliments, advices and listening as always TL!

[Recovery]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The heavily filtered arpeggios at :39 were a great touch, and overall the texture sounds really rich and full. The piano melodies at around the 1-minute mark were really cute, yet also took the piece in somewhat of a different direction. Overall, the pacing of the piece is pretty slow, but compared to a lot of ambient pieces it actually sounds pretty dynamic. The emotional height at around 2:50 was especially satisfying. There were some parts of the piece where I wanted the drums to be a bit more creative or present, but otherwise I thought you used the sound design really well here. The soothing mood and airy quality definitely make this piece what it is, though. Keep it up, Colin!

ColinMuir responds:

Thanks for the review TL!