TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[SOL]

Really different from some of your other stuff! I like the dramatic swells at the beginning and the passionate guitar riffs at :14. Nice job with the vocals, too. I also like the lyrics themselves. Nice job with the glitchy ornaments too. Production quality is super high. My only complaint with the mix is that the drums are way too quiet. I just wanted that snare to have so much more bite than it did. The riffs at 3:05 (the guitar and then the dark synths) are really cool. I think you wrap up the piece well with that final refrain. It would've been nice if you had a refrain that was a little more distinct from the verses, though. Right now, the short vocal phrases and instrumentation are both very similar between the verses and chorus. I think it would help to have some more powerful vocals that are held out longer. Overall, though, I'm quite impressed with this piece. Dark electronica and synth guitars are a good combo. :) Keep up the good work, ConnorGrail!

ConnorGrail responds:

Thanks so much as usual for the great detailed review. I am experimenting a LOT with this aggressive style so I will be taking your feedback with me going forward ☺

[endK - Arena 51]

Woah...this is really different from some of your other stuff. I think the tranquil pads at the very beginning were a bit misleading given the raw, ominous vibe of the rest of this piece. I like the dark mood and the instrumentation, though. The lead is the most recognizable element of your style here. Also, there was a lot of minimalism in this piece. Perhaps the harmonies could be a bit fuller and more fleshed-out. The riff at 2:00 was one of my favorites of the piece. Really catchy piece overall. Lots of twists and turns, too - I didn't see the breakdown at 2:27 coming at all! Nice work, EndK. Keep it up. ;)

endKmusic responds:

Yeah, I can't stand in one area too long, I guess...
You mean the effect at the beggining?
I saw it as a 'turn on the console' kinda effect, just so people know it's video game themed straight at the start.
Thanks for the lead compliments!
About harmony - yeah, you're right, I wanted to keep it simple overall, did some harmony thingies mainly at 0:40-0:53, but nothing much after that.
Sounded good in the first place and I chose not to overcomplicate and go with it (eventhough I'm sure if there were some well-written harmonies in each part, it would clearly sound better).
Thanks for the comments and the review TL!
Means a lot.
Cheers!

[Magnificent]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the gradual fade-in. The instrument you used for the arpeggios at :18 wasn't my favorite, but the piece has a great sense of climax into :33. The vocal samples add to the texture considerably, and the drop at 1:16 was really fun. I like the subtle glass clink FX at 1:40, too. After a while, it gets pretty repetitive, though, and I think the drop and post-chorus drag on for a bit too long. The breakdown at 2:17 was a good idea. I like the filtering work there. The underlying harmony changes pretty suddenly at 2:33, but I like the melody at 2:47 and the build-up to the second drop. Ending came on a tad suddenly; it could use more of a proper outro. Overall, really strong work here, Sylux. The production and sound design are great, and the mood of the track is really fun and upbeat throughout. Keep it up, and gl in the ADM! ^_^

Sylux03 responds:

Thank you so much!

[-Pink Spring- (2014)]

I like the cute synths at the beginning. Melodic content is nice here, too, and I especially like your use of percussion in this track. I also really like the more legato melody instrument in the post-chorus at :53. Mastering quality is really strong here. I guess my main complaints are that it's a tad repetitive, and maybe a bit generic arrangement-wise. I also think there are a lot of parts of the piece that don't quite have the same full texture that's characterized your pieces of late. Otherwise, the blissful mood, sound design, and cohesiveness of this piece sells it really well. Keep up the good work, WF! ^_^

Waterflame responds:

Thank you! :)

[Until Then]

Ambiance at the beginning was cool, but I don't see how it logically leads into the jazzy bit at :06 very well. That said, the smooth texture of the organ, E-piano, and bass are really nice. I think I'd prefer it if the drums were a tad stronger, but you did a nice job with foregrounding that trumpet. Melodic content in this piece is great, and the entire mood is so lackadaisical and carefree. Production is loud, clear, and well-balanced. The piece could also use some more structuring, especially since it's so short. The coda felt more like a bridge/breakdown than an outro. Still, strong work here. Moody and fun piece. Good luck in the ADM!

acxle responds:

thank you so much!

[Palace of Tales and Memories]

I like the atmospheric vibe at the beginning. Sounds really pensive at the beginning. The melodies at :27 are beautiful. Very clear and full mix, too. I really like what you've done with the progression in the drums. The pacing here is really slow, but I do enjoy the sense of directionality this has. It also sounds a tad repetitive, though, even for a relatively short piece. The section at 2:14 wasn't a change I was quite prepared for, but maybe that's just me. There's a clear lead-in there with a strong transition; perhaps it was more of the change in texture that caught me off guard. All the same, I have no real complaints, perhaps with the exception that you could've done a tad more with the composition. Really high quality of sound, but nothing particularly bold in the progression or harmonic content. Still, nice work with the production, sound design, and atmosphere! Keep up the good work, 350teric. ^_^

350teric responds:

Thank you for the in depth review, I love the concrete points and the articulate suggestions. To be frank most of my compositions are way more complex and lavish than "Palace of Tales and Memories", rhythmically and harmonically I am coming from a progressive metal background (check out "Numen" for instance), I do compose electronic music as well. But, for this song I decided for a bit more simplistic approach, just for a change and fresh perspective. So for the final round I will shake things up definitely with something "bombastic" and "over top". :D

[A Summer's Dream]

I like the majestic piano at the beginning. Extended pause at :32 was a bit of a bold choice, but it sets up the pacing of the rest of the piece pretty well. Lyrics get better as the piece goes on. Very raw, simplistic, and descriptive at first, but the broader meaning behind your natural surroundings becomes more conspicuous the more you describe. Sometimes your voice sounds a bit strained, like at 1:07. Minimal though the instrumentation is, the I love the Low Whistle solos and the unfettered emotive quality of the vocals. The harmonies are great - both the vocals and the spacing of the chords. The instruments blend really well together, yet still feel like distinct melody lines. Admittedly, the piece does drag on for quite some time, though. It's beautiful music throughout, but it also doesn't have a strong sense of dynamism or directionality all the time. The slightly more energetic vibe in the texture starting at around the 5-minute mark actually helps this piece out a lot in that regard, though. Overall fantastic piece. Very majestic and heartfelt work, Jordi!

etherealwinds responds:

Hey TL! Thank you so much for the review and apologies for leaving my response so late. Often-times when I get a longer review, I read them whilst I'm not quite in the place to respond to them and then I forget :D

Another person mentioned the straining at 1:07 but I still don't hear it myself! I guess I'm so used to hearing my own voice haha! Yeah, I think I mentioned previously but the piano was actually just a 7 and a half minute improvisation so I cut out a few parts but it's still quite long. I noticed generally that longer songs seem to be in the process of becoming less popular - I think any song past 5 minutes has the tendency to bore people so I try to inject at least a lot of emotion and something different in the structure to not lose a listener. That's something I can of course improve on and I'll keep practising that too!

Once again, thanks for taking the time out of your day to review the track! <3

[Paralysis]

I love the emotional appeal of the beginning and the melodic content at :16. I also really like how it's hard to tell if this piece is supposed to be uplifting or creepy for quite some time. At the end, I'm still not sure, in fact. Perhaps the piece is a tad minimalistic, and definitely foregrounds the melodic content quite heavily, but I think those elements actually serve the emotive qualities of the piece in this case. Compliments again on your very-good string samples, btw. The last note, high-pitched though it was, still sounded pretty authentic. Very enjoyable piece, BO! Raw, beautiful melodies win the day. ^_^

Everratic responds:

". I also really like how it's hard to tell if this piece is supposed to be uplifting or creepy for quite some time."
I'm glad you appreciated this feature! This represents the shattering of a reoccurring fantasy. The note at the very end is articulated in a way that's intended to shock the listener a bit, which represents waking up to reality.

Thank you for the review!

[blue, like the sky]

Curious little percussion riffs at the beginning. The fade-in at :10 and the cute, jazzy pads at :12 are really nice. I love how the tonic chord doesn't quite strike on the downbeat at :24. The progression is a bit slow here, but the melodies at :45 and beyond were really nice. Piece has a vaguely wistful vibe about it. The minimalistic break at 1:09 with the videogame sound effects was a bit cheesy, but definitely showed off your good sense of rhythm. Occasionally, the piece can sound a bit harsh in the upper register, like with that synth at 2:01. Part of it may also be the panning - wideness can make an instrument sound harsher than it otherwise would be. That said, the production is quite enjoyable in almost every other regard. Spacious mix with well-balanced frequencies and a good amount of loudness. My main problem with the piece, however, is that it's a bit repetitive harmonically. You clearly spent a long time on the details here, which I appreciate, but I'm not quite getting an overarching sense of direction like I want to, and I think the sudden ending attests to that. Overall, really fun piece, though. Sound design and mood are fantastic here. Keep it up!

icantpronouncethis responds:

Thank you for your critique. This has been something different than I'm used to, but the direction I would love to get in to. When you meant by harsh, I'm guessing you mean that it cuts to through the mix too strong. I was trying to put that part more far behind like a after thought feel. But I had difficulty executing that. Tried adding wet only reverb, and just turning down the mix, but couldnt get the sound I needed. What would you suggest to push it back more?

[Mastin - Hinterland (Original Mix)]

Lovely piano line at the beginning. The nature sFX is a nice touch too. The grouchy bass and busy (if somewhat contained) beat at :24 fit into the texture quite nicely. The progression is a bit slow, and I think the piece could use a bit more shape in general. The transition at 1:08 works pretty well, although I think the snare there sounds a bit thin and dry. I also wanted to see a little more harmonic variety in the piece. Seems like there are some pops and crackles from the nature FX or something at around 2:07 - it would be great if you could find a way of eliminating those. The mixing here is pretty good, although some more mastering effects could come in handy for you here. Luscious pads at 3:05 are gorgeous, but otherwise I feel as though this track could use a wetter atmosphere. You also might want to watch out for some of your volume levels; the major climactic parts of this track are approaching brick wall status. That said, I really like what you’ve done with some of the more downtempo parts of this track. Sound design and progression are good too, despite the slow pace. Keep at it, TimerClock14!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

TimerClock14 responds:

Big love for the feedback sir! I'll keep these things in mind in my future works! Huge props by the way for organizing the entire NGAUC and judging not only 1 but 2 sections of the KO round. You're an absolute madman, tons of love my dude.