TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Khadr]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning and the hard-hitting texture. There were a couple of interesting choices with the balance, like the especially loud hat at :06. Also, I commend you for addressing a controversial subject in the lyrics. The guitar solos are cool - nice job with maintaining a full texture throughout. Some of the lyric phrases were a little clunky and unclear, like “enhanced interrogation is a word so torture can wear a PC mask” - it’s just a few too many words crammed into that phrase. Also, I’m not sure if you did this intentionally or not, but I had trouble making out what you were saying during the instrumental bridges until the very end: the “he’s a terrorist” line hits a little harder when you only recognize what it’s saying at the very end. Still, this piece is thematically bold and topical, and regardless of anyone’s opinions, that deserves a lot of respect. Perhaps I would’ve liked to see you vary the melodic content and texture a little more, but overall I’m really impressed. Keep it up, Ceevro! :)

9.25/10  

Ceevro responds:

Dunno...I just had something I had to say on the subject. Yeah, sometimes the flow was a little non-standard, but I regret nothing!

I know this wasn't at all what I normally compose/perform, which is why it had to be relatively simple in execution.

Thanks for taking the time to leave me a review! I always love it when TL pops up! Shows me you care!

[Freedom [Melodic Dubstep]]

I like the atmosphere and the melodies at the beginning. There’s a bit too much treble on the synth at :03 IMO, but the chopped vocals at :15 are awesome. The mixing and mastering are really clean, and the drop at :52 has a nice, refreshing vibe. Stylistically, this piece reminds me a lot of Lockyn. I liked the structural relief you offered at 1:50. The texture is really rich throughout, which is a huge plus. I suppose I would’ve liked to hear you vary the second drop (2:48) a little more compared with the first one. Overall, the piece has a great victorious and conclusive vibe at the end. Nice use of reverb and atmosphere throughout, too. The final melody at 3:55 was a nice touch, too. Fantastic work, guys. Keep it up!

9.75/10

Zelgeon responds:

Wow, such a detailed review! I completely agree with you, the second drop needs variation, the problem is, that we were having a lot of problems getting ideas for the second drop, we tried different melodies, but they didn't fit, so we just changed the chords and added a trappy hi hat to give to it a future bass twist, in the track for the final round we will make sure to add more variation

[(OLD) Apoapsis]

I like the quirky mood and instruments at the beginning. It has a blissful vibe, yet is also very quaint and pensive. The progression is a little slow, but the sound design and melodic content are both really refreshing. The pad that fades in at 1:03 sounds a bit cheesy and generic, and then that section dragged on for way too long (until 2:26 as I see it). The transition into 2:26 was pretty rough, and the piece sounds pretty minimalistic for significant lengths of this piece. The production is really clean and clear, though. Overall, I think you really need to consolidate your ideas and give this piece more structural cohesion. The track definitely didn’t need to be 8 minutes long, as it simply doesn’t have enough fill most of the time to keep me engaged. All the same, I did thoroughly enjoy the impressive mastering and quirky mood of the piece. Keep at it, TheSpacePunk! ;)

7.5/10

TheSpacePunk responds:

yeah I know it's way too long just for a song, but I made it this long because I made a clip on youtube for it, with some ISS footages, that's why ;)
Thank you for the detailed review :)

[Jade Palace]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning as well as the sound design. The mix is really spacious and well-reverberated. I also thoroughly enjoyed the melodic content at 1:17. Admittedly, I was a little disappointed when the build-up at 1:48 was exactly the same as the first one. I also think the second drop needed some more distinct elements from the first one. Overall, the composition here is a little formulaic, although that’s my main problem with the piece. Strong work with the instrumentation, flow, and atmosphere. Keep it up, PianoreGD! :)

8.5/10

Tennon responds:

Thanks 4 the review m8

[Pragulka]

I like the blissful mood at the beginning. Some of the instruments are a little cheesy, and the chord progression is cliche. I also think you could’ve done some more interesting things with the drums throughout the piece. The melody at :52 is enjoyable - I like the crips, marcato articulation on that synth. Overall, the mix is pretty clean here. I can hear all of the instruments clearly throughout. Nice use of modulation at 2:37. Overall, this is a well-structured and smooth-flowing piece too. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt (when the synth cuts out suddenly at 3:29). Good job with the melodies and atmosphere, though. Keep at it, Octapus58! ;)

8.5/10

octopus58 responds:

Thanks!

Yeah, I might have gotten somewhat repetitive with my past few songs and the chord progression (the triads and stuff). For my next song in this album, I will try to vary it up a bit. Thanks for noticing all the stuff I put into it however, I appreciate it :)

[Our Nostalgic Days [The Archer Girl Ep.6]]

I like the emotion at the beginning. The pacing is pretty slow, but it also compliments the theme. That said, :28 had a rather sudden injection of energy and a much brighter mood. The sweep at :54 was a little cheesy, although I did enjoy the melodies at :58. The drums at 1:11 could sound a bit clearer and crisper. I think they need some more compression. It might also help to experiment more with panning. The orchestration here is really good, though. I love the brass solos at 1:39. This piece comes together really nicely - great job with the progression and melodic content. The mixing needs a little tweaking, but overall this piece is really strong. Keep up the great work, Jessieyun0404! ;)

9/10

JessieYun responds:

Hello TaintedLogic,

Thank you so much for such detailed and great review. It means a lot to me. Thank you so much for the advice, and also encouragement. I'll keep your comments in mind and will improve myself to create a better song that can interact with the world.

Thank you,
Jessie

[G035]

I like the energy and thick texture at the beginning. Cool use of frantic rhythmic elements at around :25, and the piano melodies at :33 are nice too. I’d encourage you to bring the piano line a bit further front in the mix, though, as the low chord is clearly a secondary harmony there. The loop is smooth, but this piece still isn’t structurally complete, which is my main problem here. You simply need to do more with the composition before I can properly judge things like structure, variety, and phrasing. I do like what I’ve heard here, though. Keep at it, EverReverb. ;)

7.5/10

AED4 responds:

I don't know how this review slipped from me. Thank you for in-depth review TL, as always ^^

[endK - Sunflowers & Ants]

I like the cute mood at the beginning. The instrumentation is interesting - the instrument you used for the chords was pretty bizarre, yet fit with the texture rather well. I like the melodic content a lot too. The drums are seriously weak, though. I can barely hear the kick, and the snare could be a lot crisper and clearer. I’d definitely invest in some compression at the very least. You could also layer on another kick drum to make it sound more distinct - often a good idea in energetic piece like this IMO. Still, the quirky instruments and cute mood really won me over here. You have a good sense of harmony and structuring, too. Keep at it, EndKashika! ;)

8.5/10

endKmusic responds:

Thanks for one more review TaintedLogic! Really appreciate it.
I didn't want the drums to stand out in this one, eventhough I hear the kick nicely oO (been reuploading the song for a couple of times).
Snare could be crisper, I agree with that one.
Thanks for advices and compliments once more. :)
Cheers!

[These Dreams Are Yours]

I like the percussion at the beginning and the pads in the background. I think there’s a little bit of distortion in the lows after a while - by around :30 the low percussion sounds a bit indistinct. I like the intelligent string riff there, though. The progression and harmonies are solid here. The section at 1:14 was really interesting - nice job creating some structural contrast. And then the melody at 1:27 was gorgeous. I really like the climactic feel at 2:12, too. Very bright and dreamy. That’s another section where the mix sounds quite strained, though. I think you may need to be a bit stricter with the equalization. I also wish you varied the melodies a bit more, as they are pretty simplistic. The ending was a bit lazily done. Still, this is a rather strong piece. You won me over with the mood, atmosphere, and instruments. Keep at it, Densle! ;)

8.75/10  

Densle responds:

Thank you very much for the critique!