TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Bossa 07]

Right away, I'm enjoying the dense rhythmic texture and rather good saxophone samples. Melodic content is solid. The organ at 1:42 was a nice touch, too. I guess one criticism I have is that it has a very uniform level of energy and emotion throughout, which makes me think it's more background music than a stand-alone piece. Still, I'm loving the thematic elements, mood and instruments. I'm also glad the saxophones returned by the end. Keep it up, man! ;)

AzulJazz responds:

Thank you very much!

[Adventurous]

Chopped vocals work really well right away. Melodic content is solid as usual. An element of this piece that really stood out to me was the section at 1:08. It almost sounds like a drop, but it has a rather busy melody playing over the top of it, which I thought was a really good idea. Atmospheric outro was also a highlight. That treble-range synth that fades in at around 2:37 is a great touch. Another strong effort. Keep it up, man!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the constructive feedback! :)

[Nice Vibes]

Smooth intro and nice job with the instrumentation. I really like the string pizzicatos at around :15. Mix is really loud and clear, although at times it felt like it could've used more bass. Breakdown at 1:38 is a welcome dose of structural variety. Overall, the track is really smooth-flowing and has a pleasing progression. The melodic content is also enjoyable. The main melody gets a tad repetitive by the end, but the variations/post-chorus at 3:03 really help sell the thematic elements of the piece. Overall great work!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the feedback, TaintedLogic! :)

[A Peculiar Advent]

I like the cute, waltzy vibe and the how the piece evolves as it goes on. You kept the texture pretty simple, but the mood is rather engrossing and the melodic content is really strong. I suppose I wish you had done a bit more with the percussion. You started overusing the crashes a bit by the end, and the rhythm section just needed more variety. That said, the instrumentation and atmosphere of the piece are really well done. Production is strong as usual, although not as loud as some of your electronic pieces. Keep it up, BO! Good luck in the Cacophony. ^^

Everratic responds:

I agree with your criticism. I drastically changed the song after already having worked on it for 20 hours, and my ears were so fatigued at that point, so I stopped working on production prematurely. Thanks for the review! Btw, I got knocked out of cacaophony because I didn't reach 100 points.

[Too Far]

Cool pensive-sounding synths at the beginning. Has a 80s space documentary vibe. Autotune is really heavy, yet fits the overall vibe of the piece pretty well. The guitar riff at 1:07 sounded a bit too busy rhythmically, and therefore distracted from the vocals. It makes a great riff for a post-chorus, but kinda dominates the texture a bit when it's playing along with the vocals. The lyrics are good, if a tad cliche. I also would've liked a stronger transition into the bit at 2:20 where the instruments re-enter the texture. Still, excellent job with the instrumentation, mixing, and atmosphere. Keep up the good work!

McGorilla42 responds:

Hey, Tainted! :)

Thanks for the review and feedback! I really appreciate you taking the time to listen and give some solid criticism. Yeah -- lyrics were definitely hastily written and a bit trite in parts. I'll look at re-working that guitar riff, or thinking of being less rhythmically dominating in future songs, because I overlooked its busyness completely!

[garlagan - There (Valent Remix)]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the original. I like the bright piano and other instrumental elements. One element of the original I wish you had done more with (or at least highlighted more) is the solo that's at 1:01. It didn't quite come through the mix as much as I'd like. I like the structural decisions with the breakdown. The drums at 1:54 are also rather refreshing. Also, the production quality in general is really strong, even if the mix is a tad quiet. Solid work overall. It's hard to top Garlagan, that's for sure, but you've made some good decisions with regards to what to change. Keep at it, man! ;)

UmValent responds:

I very much appreciate your input my good sir. I totally agree with you in terms of the mixing being a little bit too quiet since I later realised the export bitrate was very low and the compression overall is almost absent in the mix, though that is entirely optional in this case. Thanks again for the review, cheers! ;)

[Näcken]

Ale! It's been too long. I like the water samples and instruments. The piano is very soothing, and the violin certainly adds some emotional appeal. I found that, unlike much of your other work, the structure is a lot easier to digest with this one. Main problem is that it's too short, in fact. I'd love to see you take this in something of a new direction. Either way, the vivid imagery comes through. The poem seems to be about a child playing in a mystical land (based on Google Translate), and I think you've communicated the tone of the poem here well. Looking forward to hearing more from you soon! ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Haha, the poem isn't about that at all xD
It's about a human-like creature that's playing an instrument similar to the violin on top of the water, trying to lure children into drowning. However, the creature is unloved by God and because of its own self doubts, it submerges, never again to play the instrument again. That's more or less the short version :p

I won't make it longer; it's timed to fit a reading of the poem. I'm glad you liked it though! Thanks for checking it out, as it's been a while indeed. I hope you're doing well!

[re:カレント]

I like the energetic pulse it has despite the atmospheric flair. Really cool sound design and progression. I agree that it's a little repetitive, but I also wish you brought out the melodic content a little more. The (vocals?) at 1:34 seemed a little out-of-place, but overall the rhythmic elements of the piece are really strong. Well-structured, smooth-flowing track with strong production quality and killer instrumentation. Keep up the great work, Miyolophone! :)

Miyolophone responds:

Thank you for the feedback, TL! Much appreciated :D

[Kanons]

Piece is awesome. Gorgeous atmosphere and instrumentation. I didn't realize the meter was so complicated the first time I listened to it. Melodic content is beautiful. The frantic bit at 1:23 comes on a little suddenly, but still fits the overarching direction of the piece. Nice job adding some structural contrast at 2:07. The rhythmic details really come out well in that section, too. 3:23 was a particularly haunting moment for me. It felt like taking a breath after all of the dense underlying harmonies of twittering synths you have going for most of the track. The frantic part at 4:20 came on less suddenly somehow, perhaps because the second half of the piece fits a similar structural mold as the first half. The coda added some emotional appeal, too. Excellent work all around. I know I spoil you with my praise, man, but I'm really, really impressed with how far you've come in a couple short years. Keep up the great work! ^_^

Onefin responds:

Thanks a ton TL! Yeah the time sig annotations probably look more complicated than they actually are :P

I tried to make 1:23 as smooth as possible, 4:20 was probably better cuz the build created some anticipation of it

Yeah I was sort of surprised the meter f-storm worked at all, especially at 2:24, there I just like slapped sixteenth notes to the end of certain bars for the heck of it and then was like "great let's somehow make these sound natural"

I like codas, Miyo complained about how I always make outros that creatively re-imagine the thematic elements of the track rather than just ending the track

[Calycycle]

I know I've reviewed this before on CHIPS, but I couldn't help myself. Excellent engrossing atmosphere and tranquil mood. I agree that it fits best as a loop. The cutesy synths that are arpeggiating throughout the section from :30-1:00 or so are great. Has a candid, jazzy feel throughout. Simply very intelligent composition, and a strong production to match. Keep it up, 1f1n1ty (or Evan, or what have you). ;)

Onefin responds:

Thanks TL! Yeah sorta glad you came back and gave thoughts on the intended loop rather than y'know talking about the reversed bit :P