TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sinister Joy (Contest Entry)]

---Official AIM review---

I like the quirky riff at the beginning, even if it is a bit distorted. The bit at :15 is catchy, but I think the kick could’ve come through a bit clearer in the mix. The piece is also harmonically quite repetitive until the sudden change at 1:01. You have a lot of cool riffs here, though. I also liked the re-intro section at 1:32, but I think it dragged on for a bit too long. Overall, you’ve also done a good job of channeling the energy here through the filtering, build-ups, and changes in dynamics. The main problem in this piece, as I’ve already alluded to, is the lack of harmonic depth. There are only a couple of main riffs that form the harmonic framework of this piece and, despite some notable variations (~3:00), it’s not enough to keep the content engaging for 4.5 minutes imo. You clearly have a great sense of harmony and progression, but I’d like to see you try to fill out the texture with a bit more than gritty bass riffs, drums, and flashy pads. Let me cut to the chase: melodic content will serve you well, my friend. There are a lot of top-end frequencies that are missing for a lot of the piece, and structuring your piece around melodies might help give the piece an overarching sense of climax and resolve too. Also, it seems that you have some reverb on your bass instruments at some points in the piece. You should be careful about that - it has the potential to tax the production quality a bit when you put reverb on basses. One element of the piece I actually liked a lot was the instrumentation. The distorted mid-range basses and whatnot blend together pretty well, and have a pretty unique sound overall. Clean up the mix a tad and add some top end (preferably melodic) content, and this piece would really come together well. Keep at it, man!

7.25/10

J-XVII responds:

Thank you for the feedback, I ain’t done with this contest though fam, so keep watch for numero dos, and it’s a special one indeed, as always, thanks for the feedback.
-J17 ;)

[Ji4H3 - Some Lights (Original Mix)[Free Download]]

I like the hushed, cutesy vibe of the beginning. That kick has a LOT of treble, though. Might need a little more filtering work there. The emotional appeal of the piano at :30 is great, and there's a good sense of climax into 1:15. The mix is loud and clear here. The refrain has a really victorious and upbeat feel, and you contrast it well with the re-intro at 2:01. One of my main complaints here is that the second half of the piece doesn't add a ton of content that wasn't in the first half. I wanted to see you vary the main melody a bit to give the piece a stronger sense of direction. That said, I like how the bass is really exposed at 3:45. Overall really solid work here. All of my complaints are minor. Keep up the good work! ^_^

bow1255 responds:

Thanks for the review. That's helpful ^^

[Fopcin1]

I like the smooth, dreamy guitar at the beginning. Progression is pretty nice, too. I like it when the hi-hats roll in at :39, but be careful not to overuse that effect - it feels really transitory (as opposed to being a once-every-4-beats kind of thing). The solo at 1:28 helped give the texture some variety, yet wasn't a very dynamic solo in and of itself. My one main concern with the piece is that it doesn't have a lot of shape or phrasing to it. Kinda sounds like a demo track in that way. The sound design, mixing, and atmosphere are all great. It just needs a little more ebb and flow in the composition. Still, solid work. Really relaxing vibe here.

1zin1 responds:

Thanks for the detailed input. Much appreciated.. as i didn't spend to much time on this but from an outside look at it i do agree with what you've said and will build upon the track when i have time. Thanks again. :)

[Cell of Tut]

The stop-start rhythm of the piano at the beginning is really quirky, and the rest of the sound design really enhances an ominous kind of vibe. Has a bit of an experimental texture. The pause at 1:01 works okay as a transition, but it might've been smoother if you had added some more reverb or something. I wasn't a fan of how you started spamming the hi-hats at around 1:04. The harmonies get a little dissonant at around 1:40, and the piece starts to lack a clear sense of direction towards the end. I'd suggest finding other ways of creating variety and shape to the piece besides adding and subtracting instruments. Some automation, filtering, phrasing, and dynamic contrast would help give this piece a little more ebb and flow, instead of the drone-like quality it has right now. I also would've liked to see you add some more melodic content here. The rhythm of the piece can be hard to follow at times, and some more moving notes might help keep the listener grounded. Overall, I appreciate the compositional risks you took with this one, even if I think you could've done more with it harmonically. Keep at it, man! Definitely a piece worth revisiting imo.

Celudoc responds:

Thanks for the listen! I definitely see what your saying. I was going for a more despondent 'losing your sanity' kinda droney vibe, since I was trying to think of the mindset of wasting away in a cell, but i will definitely consider trying out a form of harmonic dissonance when i revisit this and try out more reverb. Maybe I can try humanizing the percussion a little more when i revisit it. I was also playing with the idea of adding dripping water, but I haven't gotten sampling down yet, so that'll be later. I sincerely appreciate the constructive criticism!

[Tempest Distortion]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. Texture is very distorted. I like the swells a lot. I thought the bell-like synth at :32 could use some more reverb, and that the synth at :48 was a little cliché. Overall, the piece doesn't progress much harmonically. You're using the same couple of riffs with different instruments. The wind FX and vocal-sounding samples at 2:10 and 2:03, respectively, are really cool. Overall, I applaud the sound design and atmosphere here, but I think you could've done a lot more with the composition in terms of moving notes. The modulations later in the piece were a good idea, but I think you need to do more than that to keep this piece interesting harmonically. Keep at it, man!

Andethy responds:

Thanks for the quality feedback! It is hard to mix well in Garageband, and hopefully get an upgrade soon. I agree that my melodies could be improved on but I'm pretty new to music making. However, I'm learning more about the functionality and hope to make better tracks in the future...

[Geoplex - Singularity]

I like the pensive piano at the beginning and the atmosphere. Has a really bright and dreamy sound to it. Excellent sense of climax starting at around :45. The more synthetic elements that come in at :58 suit the progression well. The drop at 1:25 is good, and I like the melodic elements going on in the background. That said, I think the instrumentation during the drop is very similar to a lot of your other work, notably "Chimera". One thing that's particularly impressive about this is the production quality. Everything is crystal clear in the mix, yet still feels really full, atmospheric, and well-balanced. Great job with making this piece both upbeat and energetic, too. Overall I like it a lot. Keep up the good work!

Geoplex responds:

Hey man! Really appreciate the detailed review :)
Regarding the instrumentation, you may be more correct in your observation there than you know, because I think I've had a problem with overusing similar kinds of leads for 4 or 5 years tbh :p I need people to point it out or I may never stop lmao

I spent an ungodly amount of time on the mix of this one, so glad to hear it shows.

Thanks for the feedback!

[-Boundless-]

Some really quirky instruments. The wavering one that kinda sounds like an old western guitar especially stands out. I really like the strong snare, but I think it ducks under the mix a bit once the texture gets busier around the 1-minute mark. I like the melodic content at 1:15. Your great sense of harmony is clearly on display here, as always. The sudden change in the texture at 2:02 was made somewhat smoother by the reverb, but in general I think you overused the reverb a bit, to the point that it negatively affected the mix. Still, the texture is still very busy and full for most of the piece, which makes for quite an engaging track. I also really enjoyed the breakdown at 2:47 with the additions to the beat and the subtle, dreamy pads in the background. Compositionally, this is a really fun and adventurous-sounding piece, but production-wise I don't think it's your best work. Still thoroughly enjoyable, though. Keep up the good work, Waterflame! :^)

Waterflame responds:

Thank you for the great review! I agree with, well, all of it. In retrospect. I think the key to bringing this mix out a bit would have been less reverb on certain instruments.

[[Chillstep Remix] Astral Observatory - Majora's Mask]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. The percussion is interesting. There's a lot of top-end frequencies on that snap that plays on the off beats. The marcato pads at :34 are really nice, and add a lot to the progression. Really smooth and atmospheric piece. A bit repetitive, though, and the ending was a little underwhelming. Could also use some more melodic content, but it's still great for some ambient vibes. You earned yourself a scout. Congratulations! :)

emilyomily responds:

Thanks for the feedback man, and the scout! :D

[endK - Automaton Squad]

---Official AIM review---

The rhythm is a little hard-to-follow at the beginning, but the texture really falls together nicely once the beat comes in. The melody with the portamentos at around :35 is a great touch. I love all the oscillations in energy, even if it led to some pretty sudden transitions at times (:55 in particular). My main worry with this piece is that you’ve tried to take it in a bunch of different directions at once. There appear to be a lot of melodic ideas that seem to be competing for the role of “primary melody” as the piece goes on. Oftentimes, these are simply well-fleshed-out variations of a similar theme, but the piece still comes across as bordering on too variational. There is some degree of cohesion, of course, as exemplified by the return of the refrain at 2:28 and the repetition of the motif at 1:06. Still, for a relatively short piece there’s a lot going on, and the pace of the progression is very fast. That’s really my only major complaint, though. The production is very strong. Everything sounds loud, crisp, and full in the mix, and you used a good balance of frequencies throughout. The instrumentation is really enjoyable. I love the little roll of clicks at the very beginning (and other places). The synth in the foreground at 1:17 is one of my favorites of the piece. The upbeat mood, full texture, and strong production quality really won me over with this one. Keep it up, EndK!

9.25/10

endKmusic responds:

Yeah, there's always bunch of stuff going on in my songs.
SOMETIMES I resist the urge to not have that many things included but this is not the one ._.
Thanks for the advice and review TL, will focus more on cohesion in the future.
<3