TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Weather the Storm]

I like the FX that sets the scene, and the fade-in of the soothing melody at :08. The thematic elements of the piece are fantastic, and I really like the lyrics. The vocals themselves are also quite impressive, and sit really nicely in the mix. I appreciate the increase in the energy as the piece goes on, but I think it didn't quite soon enough for my tastes. The directionality of the piece is pretty predictable and uniform, without much shape within the main framework (besides the intro and outro). That said, I really liked the transition at 3:01 and the more furtive vocals at the very end. Made the piece feel really complete to tie together the relative tranquility of the beginning and the energy of the main section. Overall, great work! ;)

Step responds:

Heyyy Andrew!

I can't take credit for the lyrics - they're taken out of a book written by Ree Soesbee, so all the credit goes to her! And the vocals are from Alwiren, a very talented singer!

Agreed, the piece is quite predictable and uniform. I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing for a sea shanty though. A lot of the sea shanties that I heard before starting work on this track have a very predictable structure/flow that cycles through like two melodies max, no doubt due to the original function of sea shanties - to be sung by sailors while they're working on the ship, to keep people's interest and rhythm going. Since we wanted this to work as a standalone track, we tried to change things up a little with that intro/outro, some mood changes, and a surprise new melody at the end, but we still wanted to keep it conservative to remain true to the genre!

Thanks a lot for your awesome review as always!

[Project: Reflex]

Groovy instrumentation and nice sense of suspense in the first minute. The frantic melodies at 1:02 are a good fit, and I love the grouchy bass. If I had to complain about one thing, it might be that the underlying rhythm of the piece is pretty square for most of the piece. That said, you did a good job of keeping it interesting with all of the automations and secondary melodies. I would've liked to hear another climactic moment towards the end of the piece, but I'm sure it fit the premise of the project well. Kinda reminds me of "Imminence" in that it doesn't quite max out on emotional highs. Anyway, glad to see you post on the Grounds again, Step! ^^

Step responds:

Thanks for another review! Nice to see you still around :).

You're right about the rhythm being pretty monotonous. In general I kinda toned things down in this track compared to my usual more bombastic tracks. Using subtlety as a way of maintaining interest instead of resorting to climactic, in-your-face stuff is something I continue to struggle with!

Thanks again.

[endK - Wicked Lab]

You're the master of VGM, aren't you? Rhythmic elements in this one are super cool. Mix is loud and clear. Melodic content is fantastic as usual. The shift in the harmonic framework at 1:04 was great. You have a great sense of harmony and progression, and the police siren at 1:35 added some flavor. Ending was a tad sudden with this one, but overall I've been extremely impressed with the work I've reviewed this afternoon. Best of luck in the Cacophony, man!

endKmusic responds:

Thanks thanks thanks! :D
You're far too kind.
Although this was my least favorite one during those 3 rounds, I guess it served it's purpose.
I'm really glad you dig it.

[endK - Neon Graveyard]

Ah...I recall seeing this on CHIPS. Still one of my favorite tracks of that round. Has an apprehensive mood that's really sold by the frantic synths and drum samples. The melodic part at 1:48 was a nice touch, too. The synth arps and punchy lead at :12 were probably my favorite elements of the moving notes, but the main melody really enhances the texture too. Really well done, my friend.

endKmusic responds:

Thanks for the review Tainted. :]
I had a good feeling 'bout this one, but there were too many amazing songs that round, I guess.

[endK - BattleChipZ]

I like the cute synths at the beginning and the dreamy pads. The melodic content is great, and the sound design is a lot of fun overall. The drums give the piece a lot of drive and energy. While this is a really fast-paced piece, there's a lot of structural variety and changes in the mood and texture, which I appreciated. This is a piece with a lot of character. The transition into 2:54 was really fun, too. Congrats on your success in the Cacophony! It's well-deserved. ;)

endKmusic responds:

I guess this one had the best result, cause I didn't want to overcomplicate with everything (which is one of my main problems, I guess).
Glad you like the melodies and sounds overall. :)
... and once more, thanks for the reviews this afternoon, u made my day. <3

[The Scent of Dew]

I like the emotion and slow pace at the beginning. You've implemented a lot of different characters into this one. There's a distinct sense of longing around 1:10, yet also some uplifting melodies around 1:35. The expressive part at 3:08 was great. I love how you then immediately launch into a dramatic tremolo at a low register, too. :) I think this piece also does a great job of introducing, developing, and then resolving its motivic ideas more so than many of your other pieces. Nice job coming full-circle with the contemplative emotional bit at the end, too. Probably my favorite piano compo from you in a long while, actually. Keep up the great work, Ale! ^^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I'm glad you liked this one! It's a very inspired piece. I still feel it could be a bit better on the production end, but I have no qualms about how the composition turned out. I agree that there are a lot of different emotions and expression in this piece, and it's nice to hear you enjoyed that :D

Even though I use the whole piano, I think the lower register is the one I use the least creatively. I think you just gave me an idea based on making a piece for the lower register xD
Thank you!!! :D

[-Pain Engine-]

I like the dark mood and distorted drums at :10. All the dissonant chords at :43 set the scene really well. After a while, I think you overuse the chords a bit so that it loses its "shock value." I can't help but feel that you didn't do a lot with the treble range in this track, and it seems to be lacking some melodic content. Also, the ending was pretty sudden. While I like the energy and sense of direction in the piece as it is, I think it would be worth it to slow down the pacing sometime and give it a bit more overarching shape and structuring. Still, nice job with the mood and instruments. I can totally picture this in a video game, probably haunted house-themed. :)

Waterflame responds:

Thanks! I kinda felt that way myself, that more could be done near the high-end. maybe I'll revisit it at some point :)

[-Race Around the Desert-]

I like the groovy guitars at the beginning and the thematic elements. Sound design reminds me a bit of "The Wanderer". Melodic elements are nice. I really like the subtle vocals in the background at around 1:20. Good job making the piece come full-circle by the end too. The ritardando into that last note at 3:57 was a great touch. Really fun and upbeat track overall. :)

Waterflame responds:

Thanks :D

[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! :)