TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[Sunbeam Skies]

I like the bright, cutesy vibe at the beginning. It still has a great pulse and rhythm to it, though, and feels kinda "contained," like you're gearing up for a big explosion of energy. I guess that explosion came at 1:01, but that wasn't a lot of transitory content to bridge the gap there. In fact, I think this whole piece has a severe dearth of smooth transitions. I don't know if that's what you mean by "not quite touched up," but that's definitely my main concern with the piece. Still, great job with the mood, energy, and production. The melodies might've also needed more of a front-seat in the track at some point, but I appreciate the little piano solos that bookend the second half. Keep it up, Lockyn! Happy new year. :)

Lockyn responds:

definitely what i meant, analysis is spot on. happy new year!

[wax//wane]

I like the tranquility at the beginning. The build-up was very drawn out (which I guess is kinda the point, though). The sound design also wasn't my favorite - the synths up until around the 2-minute mark all seem like something out of 3xOsc. The arpeggios at 2:00 added a bit more depth to the texture, and I applaud the chord changes at 1:45. The pacing is still a little slow for my tastes, yet the atmosphere is pretty hypnotizing. The climax of the piece still wasn't particularly melodic or revelatory, and I think the tone of some of the synths is a little too harsh at around 4:37. That said, the instruments all sit well in the mix, and given the amount of time you spent on this (one day, I assume) a lot of progress was made. I also thought the ending was pretty great: mysterious and yet surprisingly conclusive. Not your typical fade-out at all. Overall, it was a relaxing listen with strong production quality and a fitting title. Keep it up, Midi. Happy 2018! ^_^

midimachine responds:

ty for the review! all the sounds in this- pads, arps and bass - are actually made from part of a sample of a woman screaming lmao. tbh i like the little wobble on the pad in the beginning, would be difficult to make that happen in 3xosc at least hehe. as far as time spent on it goes, FL says 49 minutes, which i think is about right! happy 2018 to you too friendo, thanks for all the support this year!

[Form]

I like the dreamy intro and the sense of climax during the first 15 seconds or so. That said, I think the piece starts to lose momentum after a while. The thing that really threw me off was the re-intro thing at :52 or so. The atmospheric flair and excessive reverb makes it a bit difficult to follow the structure. I also think the strings and drums both could've been more prominent in the mix. The pads are great, but they're also a bit of an ambient sound that dominates the texture for most of the piece. That said, I appreciate how you "saved the best for last" in terms of the emotional appeal of the piece, and I really like the sound design and mood here overall. Keep it up, Garlagan! Here's to 2018. ;)

garlagan responds:

thanks for the great feedback TL!!