TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Thorn]

It's a little hard to follow the rhythm at first, but by :25 this is turning into a really neat, if a tad minimal, groove. I love the distorted second layer of drums that sounds so bottled up in the mix (comes in at :52). The prominent guitar riff at 1:20 really provides a nice, soothing melodic contrast to the gritty beats characterizing the rest of the piece. The heavy bass at 2:35 was a great touch, too - really felt like the pendulum swung the other way back towards the gritty and down-to-earth. The synth melody at the very end is nice too, although the fade-out ending was a bit of an underwhelming way to end the piece. Still, this is another great example of a slow-burning composition that really takes the listener on a journey by the end. Keep at it, LAPSE! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

All the strings are done on bass. No geetar. :D

Yeah, sorry about the ending. I think I had more material. Sometimes I think of it as like the "yadda yadda" of a conversation or something, I guess. I can't quite tell what compels the fade outro. Some laziness? I think I want the listener to think "...and it went on like this for eternity" or something, haha.

<3

[Cotard Has Me Pegged]

I think your piano-heavy songs are my favorites in general. From a relatively tame beginning, you concoct a storytelling masterpiece here. With those characteristic spacey pads and quirky drums as a base, over time you weave a thick atmosphere full of echo-y guitars, dreamy synths, and eventually a frantic, jazzy piano riff and glitchy compositional details. The piece is simultaneously full of variety and intimately cohesive, cycling through a variety of moods and textures while remaining squarely in the same narrative universe. The last minute or so of the track felt a tad mellow, but also has a great slow-burning energy about it, like the tension from the piece has not been resolved and there is going to be a sequel (maybe wishful thinking on my part?). Either way, this is a top-notch track, LAPSE! Keep up the great work. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

I think piano was my first instrument love? Piano, drums, bass. Simple as.

This particular track comes from a bit of a heavy place. The mind is a powerful governing force.
I've always thought the outro-y bits are a bit more hopeful feeling compared to the start.

I'm just banging stuff together and hoping it turns out alright.

You know I like my sequels. :P

Thanks so much for the many reviews.

[...and Yet, It Goes Nowhere]

I think I recognize the synth at the beginning from another piece of yours. :D It's a very relaxing atmosphere and somewhat minimal texture, but your creative drum riffs and rich use of mixing effects help keep me engaged. I love how furtive the melody sounds at 1:18, and the filtering work at 2:05 is neat too. I also appreciate the nice, slow wind-down this piece has, along with the ominous, staticky crescendo at the very end. Really evocative stuff, LAPSE! Keep at it. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

The synth melody or sound? I use that particular sound a wee bit, haha. I really love it.
Sometimes I like to make little tracks that are reminiscent of hip-hop beat tapes or something. Thus the looping. Finding that sorta sound/melody/etc that feels good, you wanna listen to it for an extended time and just live within it. See how much mileage it has.

Thanks as always. <3

[Headful of Static]

I like the moody piano riff at the beginning. Good combination of airy reverb and a sharp attack. The quirky beats at :45 or so really hit the spot too, and the climax at around 1:05 gives the piece a strong sense of direction. The strangely cutesy lead at 1:51 offers some nice contrast from the mellow, introspective vive of the previous two minutes, and I really like how you take the sound design in a different direction towards the end of the piece. If I haven't said it before, I also really like how you often introduce the vocals into a piece 2/3 of the way through. Reminds me of my timeline for speaking to people on Sundays (very few words are spoken until I call my parents in the middle of the afternoon). The bright mood towards the end of the piece is also a nice touch, although the fade-out at 3:58 is a bit sudden. Overall, this is a really enjoyable track, dude! Keep it up. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

You grace me with yer reviews and ears once again. Lemme catch up. Haha.

Dem beats where done on keyboard. Haa. I love me some keyboard drums! Lots of times these tracks take a while to produce, so various mood shifting and such might play a role in what I decide to do / sound choices -- in response to the more cutesy/uplifting lead @1:51. Then again, I just love chip synth. Simple waves are so lovely. If It works it works.

Interesting Sunday ritual you have, haha. Any reason for it? Just something you like to do? Your little nugget of time to yourself?

Vox are always a slightly strange thing for me. I'm not totally comfortable with them, but I still go for it. I think it's kinda exciting to have a random vocal take come in seemingly out of the blue. It's like a prize at the bottom of a cereal box or something. It's something for the "I can't listen to music without lyrics" crowd? haha. Sometimes you're just feeling it.
I find myself sorta vocalising while producing a lot so sometimes I try and include that idea. I'm pretty picky about vocals in music. I think it's just kinda a necessary thing to try at some point in the musical experimentation. A lot of music is made with my mouth outside of the DAW as a sort of "compulsion". A filler thing while I'm going about my day. Sometimes it's good to weave the beat-boxing and the vox or whistling, or whatever in the process. It also helps ground it a bit as something that is properly "me", I guess. I've heard a handful of tracks over the years that have done this kinda thing and I've always loved it. It's not overindulgent vocals expression...just another tool in the box.

Ah fade outs. I hate them and love them. I also kinda dislike and admire when a song I like has this wonderful build up and it's in the moment and it just kinda ends abruptly. Been a many song I've loved that have done this to me. Ending on a crescendo or an idea that I could see being pulled further. I click that replay button fast. Haha.
So I guess sometimes I try to do that too. Why? I don't know. Just to see if it works, I can get away with it...or if I can feel ok with that sorta lingering..."what-if" and "why?" Haha. I've always been pretty conscious of how a song ends, for whatever reason. Other times, I just can't figure out how to end.

Oddly enough. I see you reviewed "Cotard Has Me Pegged" and I exclusively had this kinda feeling in mind when I ended that track. When I relisten to it, I still have this urge to go back and loop the ending for like an extra 45 seconds or something.

[FFFFFF]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the ghostly lead synth at :04. I like the little swell at :31 and the creative beats at :34. The texture is pretty minimal, but the sound design and rhythmic content are cool as always. The key change at 1:51 really adds some pizzazz towards the end too. The composition of this one still could be a bit bolder in places - more dynamic melodies, thicker and more energetic synths, etc. But as it is it's got a good mix of danceability and tranquility to it. Keep at it, Crysstal! ^_^

Crysstal712 responds:

this is possibly one of the biggest turning points in ANY of my music because this teached me so many new things i never do like resampling and stuff so im probably doing this stuff from now on

[PHNX DWN]

Yeah, I have some catching up to do with your tracks from last year. I like the gritty, robotic synth pattern at the beginning and how it gradually smooths out over the course of the first minute to become more dreamy and atmospheric. The dissonant high-pitched chords at the 1-minute mark or so sound rather grating, but that section in turn flows nicely into the glitchy breaks at 1:45 or so. The transition at 2:26 felt a tad more abrupt, but the beat is great, and contrasts nicely with the chill piano and string patterns. The eerie drone at 3:23 instills a sense of urgency into the texture somehow, like hearing your phone ring while you're trying to sleep in on a Sunday morning. By the 5-minute mark, I'm acutely aware that you've covered a lot of ground since the piece started, only for the beat to shift into a more pulsing, minimal direction by 5:10. Really evocative work here, LAPSE! A ton of variety and flavor to this one. Keep it up! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

Thank you!


This song was one of those nightmare tracks to produce. Lost a portion of it, had to redo it, stitched some other things up, changed the ending a few times. Nearly lost the entire track to time, but recovered it in an old email. The intro is sorta melancholic and spooky -- like someone has just died and is waiting to be reanimated with some video game potion. Smooths out as the person is revived from death. Still something not quite right by the end. Was the head lore while producing, haha.

[Hey Pard!]

Love the spacey vibe at the beginning and the quirky meter throughout. The pads sound nice and bright, and the addition of the guitar at around :55 is a nice touch. The piece can be pretty slow to progress at times, but when the melodic content breaks through at 1:28 it sounds absolutely euphoric. The distortion effects and the killer sound design help keep this piece interesting. I especially love the cello at 2:30. The somewhat melancholy conclusion to the piece (besides the last chord) is a nice contrast from earlier on. Overall, a great start to 2024, LAPSE! Keep it up. ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

Yeah, it does feel a tad slow on progression. I think it's partially due to me pitching the song down from it's original speed. All that string section is beauty OST in the game. I maxed them up for the mix. Fell in love with the melody so hard. When I hear it now, I'm filled with this wonderful dopaminergic nostalgia. Thanks for the reviews and ears as always, TL.

[hyperParadox]

I like the ominous tone at the beginning and the fluttery synth that comes in at :12. The drums are a tad over-compressed, but the lead riff at :39 is catchy, and the airy harmonies fill out the atmosphere nicely. The bridge at 1:25 sounds a bit minimal, but in a way it fits the eerie vibe of the piece nicely. I like the louder, punchier second refrain at 1:40. The lead synth keeps ducking under the mix, which is something to watch out for - again, the sidechaining is a little too heavy for my tastes. That said, the composition here is really good. I'd say you have a knack for EDM! Keep it up, Crysstal. ^_^

Crysstal712 responds:

i found out for level automations which is what i do my sidechaining with, if i try to move it to the left so its shorter, it just doesn't let me do it for some reason. still trying to find out how to fix that though!

[aurora/aether]

I appreciate the dedication to the craft, man! The beginning sounds a bit minimalistic and murky. The floaty synth that starts fading in at around :30 is nice, but I wish it took up a bit more of the mix compared to the harmonies and bass. The blissful vibe at around 1:00 on is great. I also think you could've been a lot more creative with the drums here. The melodic content is a highlight, though, and the stop-start bridge at 1:45 was a good idea as well. Overall, I don't think this is your best work, but it certainly has potential, and I hope you keep working on it. Giving the lead a boost in the mix and filling in some of the mid-range tones in the texture would give this piece a bit more intensity and richness. I think that's what it needs. Still, props for the sound design, progression, and compositional details here. :)

Crysstal712 responds:

yeah ive been definitely working on those. im getting it

[At The Seams ("Deathslab!" 's BOTB ENTRY)]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning. The lead at :18 is nice and quirky, and the sweeps in the background give the texture a distinct extraterrestrial feel. I like how the piece “resets” itself at around :54, and the furtive vocals at 1:10 are haunting. The mix is a bit over-saturated with reverb by the 2-minute mark, and sometimes the vocal harmonies at 2:03 don’t blend very well together, and might benefit from being re-recorded. I also would’ve liked to hear the vocals be more up-front in the mix, especially between 2:03 and 2:43, when they make up most of the moving notes in the texture. The transitions in this piece are simultaneously bold and very smooth - I especially like the one between 3:03 and 3:18. Somehow the guitar solo at 3:20 is both a big surprise and something that really fits with the flow of the piece. With the repeat of the quirky transitory material at 3:30 or so, I feel like the piece lost a bit of momentum. Perhaps it would’ve helped keep the energy level up if the drums were a bit punchier in the mix.

The transition into 4:18 was another really good one. The vocal phrase at 4:28 is probably my favorite of the piece - very expressive and dynamic. Reminds me of @Garlagan’s vocal style, actually. Also, the thin percussion at 4:47 adds a great, whimsical vibe to an otherwise pretty dark-sounding part of the piece. The dissonant “oom-pah” chords at 5:07 continue the comical, almost circus-like theme of the previous section. The stop-start transition at 5:57 is another one of my favorites. Up to that point, almost all of the transitions in the piece have been smooth and gradual, but in a longer piece with a lot of moving parts, a moment like 5:57 really forces the listener to keep paying attention, right before the outro. The chaotic guitar riff there feels like a dream sequence - I might even suggest scaling back some of the reverb on the harmony parts there for clarity in the mix. The drone-like bass at 6:20 helps the piece come full-circle in a way - it’s just as ominous as the quirky atmosphere at the very beginning. The crash rolls and phasing effects on the final chord are just icing on the cake.

Overall, I’m really impressed with the arrangement and composition here. The sound design is another highlight - a TON of variety and, other than the vocals early on, great blending and a rich texture throughout. The mixing and mastering could be a lot tighter, but other than that my complaints are very minor here. Massive props to you guys for going with such a bold and variational composition for this contest. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

bottledf0x responds:

Thanks for being a judge!

The sweeping, ominous pad in the first minute was one of my contributions to this track. I was aiming to give that section more of a krautrock vibe, since I've been listening to more of it lately. The track as a whole is like a journey through time and space, and I'm glad to have taken part in its creation. Full credit to Carb for the brilliant arrangement!