TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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!

[Direction]

Been a while, Garlagan! I love the haunting vocal ambient stuff at the beginning and the melody once it finally "lands" at :31. Part of me wanted it to be a bit more legato, but the rich chords underneath it really help fill out the texture regardless. Nice rhythmic work in the drums, too. By around the 2-minute mark, the main theme of the piece is getting really repetitive, despite some intense creativity in the non-harmonic elements of the piece. I think my favorite thing about the progression was the subtle transition to 6/8 time at 3:08. That part also had a really cute, waltzy vibe to it. The final refrain ties the piece together well, although I was still itching for a bit of a different direction to the piece by the end (no pun intended). The distorted, ambient content at the very end was really well done, though. Overall, I'd say my favorite elements of the piece were the sound design and production. Keep up the good work, Garlagan!

garlagan responds:

thank you TL!!

[Yötön Yö]

I like the organ at the beginning. The progression gets brighter as the intro moves along, and the percussion at 1:03 was a great touch. The mix is a bit quiet, but otherwise quite clear and crisp. Your lyrics are always so spiritual, Jordi. I commend you for taking on an immense challenge with the linguistic requirements here. ;) One instrumental choice that caught me off guard was the plinkish sound at 2:35 - is that from the organ too? Somehow it didn't quite fit the rich chordal atmosphere of the song in my mind. Excellent work with the sense of emotional height by around 3:35, though. This piece comes together very well, and I thought your choice of a rather melancholy final chord was strangely refreshing.

Sorry for not reviewing this sooner, and congratulations again on all your hard work over the course of the ADM! ^_^

etherealwinds responds:

Sorry I'm replying so late TL! Thanks so much for the review :) some really kind words!

[Mourning My Memories]

Okay. 'Bout damn time I got around to this. I like the fun, lively riffs at the beginning. Somehow, the chords seem a bit too rich and introspective to be danceable, though. I'm really enjoying the smooth flow and occasional dramatic pauses. The more reserved section at 1:10 was a really nice touch, too, and the spaciousness of the ominous part at 1:24 was great for some structural contrast. One thing I didn't quite enjoy about the middle section of the piece was that the rhythm felt rather square. It gets more interesting by around 2:10, but even then the piece lacks the flourish and energy of the beginning. I really like the compound melodies going on at 3:10, as well as the ritardando at 3:25. The droning vibe at 3:40, followed by the strong bass line at 3:50, really sold the drama of the piece. It's a huge compositional risk to have a track decline in energy overall over time, but I think you've done a great job of portraying a descent into melancholy here. The brighter sound of 4:38 caught me off guard a bit, and it sounds like you're taking the piece in quite a different direction by the end. Structurally, it reminds me of one of your (quite long) improvisations, where you explore a theme for a few minutes before moving on. It seems like that's what's going on here, except at a smaller scale. Overall, lovely work. This was an especially vivid listen. ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the review!

Haha, I have a hard time imagining someone dancing to this :'D
Maybe if it was a very interpretive dance though?

I'm aware the energy decreases after the first section, and that's ofc quite intentional. I see the first part as someone trying to solve a suddenly arising problem, while still in decent spirits. After that attempt failing, the mood gets more melancholy (I imagine a character mourning whatever they've lost, while remembering the past). There's a bit of redemption at the end, at the sudden shift back to the earlier theme, but I wouldn't quite say things end well :p

As for the arrangement, I played around with a few different styles, somewhat differing from my general pieces, which might explain why it sounds a bit like my improvs!
Thanks again for the review :D