TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Believe Redux]

I like the frantic strings at the beginning. I think the bass is a bit too loud, and also sounds a bit distorted in the mix. I like how you revert to minimalism at the 1-minute mark. Good use of structuring there. I think the string pads at 1:29 are also a little too loud, not allowing the melodic content enough space in the mix. A lot of the instruments here are a bit generic, especially the synths. The woodwind solo at 2:14 was a nice surprise, although all the ornaments take away from the easy, flowing vibe it had early in its solo. I think this piece has a lot of variety and character, which is good. The piece could use a little more experimentation with dynamics and phrasing, though, and the fade-out ending came across as a bit lazy. The composition is pretty strong overall. The mixing and instrumentation are my main concerns. Keep at it, my friend. :)

7.25/10

NGKFlower responds:

Thanks, I'm always making room for improvement. :)

[Felix Zophar - Wisdom]

I like the spacey atmosphere at the beginning. The synths are a little generic, as are the drum samples, particularly the clap. I like the sense of climax into 1:15 and the subsequent rhythmic breaks, although I think that section drags on for a bit too long. The piece is pretty repetitive, and also doesn’t have a ton of structural variety. I’d suggest experimenting a lot more with dynamics and phrasing in the future. The piece ends a little abruptly, and might’ve functioned better as a loop. It is rather catchy, though, and I like the mood and atmosphere. I didn’t notice any particular problems with the mixing, either. I think you could’ve done a lot more with the composition here, though, and that’s the major downfall of this piece. Otherwise, keep at it, man. :)

6.5/10

FelixZophar responds:

I tried to make a good drop

[BrainDead]

I like the melodic content at :04. The synth at the beginning is a bit generic, but fits the mood of the piece well. I wasn’t a huge fan of your drum samples either - the clap is pretty cliche, and the kick had a bit too much treble IMO. At 1:06, the bass is a little indistinct. I think it could be crisper if you tone down the reverb and be a little stricter with the equalization. I appreciated your use of panning with the synths, although I think drums should really be kept front and center except during transitional moments. The drops at around 2:00 - 2:45 were cool. The melody is getting pretty repetitive by around the 3-minute mark, though - I think it needs some more variation, and I also think this piece didn’t need to be 5.5 minutes long. I also thought the transition at 5:02 could’ve been smoother. Still, this is a pretty well-structured piece. My main issues are with the sound design and the repetition. Keep at it, man. ;)

7/10

Spadezer responds:

Alright, a TaintedLogic review. Much appreciated, and thanks for the feedback

[Bazar]

I like the percussion at :12 and the spacey synths. There’s a lot of simplicity in the texture here with the synths, and I think you need to take some much bigger risks compositionally. The piece is very short and simple, and doesn’t properly display your mixing and mastering skills. It’s not bad, but it is underwhelming. You could do so much more with phrasing, dynamics, variety, and structure. Some pads or bass riffs could add a lot to the texture, and developing your melodies - at least later in the piece - would help give this piece a lot more shape. I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece, though - it has a lot of potential. Keep at it, man!

6.25/10

Madze responds:

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your effort you took in all the reviews for this contest. I'm taking all the things in consideration, although I usually don't work on a piece once I published them. But I will definitely use your advice for my next stuff.

[IYD - The Void]

I like the gritty synth bass and atmospheric synths at the beginning. The panning with the guitars was cool, and by around :30 the texture comes together nicely. The melodic content at 1:39 was quite enjoyable, and the following guitar solo was great as well. The mixing is really tight here. The coda seemed a little rushed, especially for a piece with a pretty slow pace (one emotional height in 2.5 minutes). Still, it’s hard to find things to complain about here. The structure could’ve used a bit more fleshing out, I guess - usually I’m skeptical of the one-climax model - but the rushed ending is the only thing that actively bothers me. Keep up the good work, IYD! ;)

9.25/10

InYourDreams responds:

Thanks! :D... oh man, you've made such an awesome job reviewing each song. You have my respect foreverandevereverever :D.

[Deep sea and Young fish]

I like the relaxed mood at the beginning. The reverb might’ve been a bit excessive, but the texture is beautiful. The piece develops a little slowly, but the melodic content is really strong. I wasn’t a huge fan of how the piano suddenly cuts out at 2:00 - I would’ve just let the reverb do the work there. Sounds a lot smoother that way. There’s another bit of a rough transition at 3:36. It can be hard to predict changes in the texture without drums, but it might help if you have at least some of the harmonic elements and instruments continue into the new sections. Usually I’m not a fan of instruments that are introduced for the first time very late in the piece, but I liked the cello part at 4:52 a lot. I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again - this piece is beautiful. One thing it doesn’t have a lot of is changes in energy level or dynamics, but I was nonetheless engaged throughout. Great work overall! NG needs more classical composers. :)

9.25/10

Veronina responds:

Thank you for these suggestion and listening! It means a lot , I really appreciate that, thank you , I'll think your comment carefully , thanks again!

[Rez]

I like the smooth, atmospheric synths at the beginning. I think it was a bit jarring when you introduced the frantic arpeggiated pattern at :16. That might be a good thing to fade in. The texture and mood also take another 180-degree turn at :50, and all of a sudden the synth bass is the main feature. I’m a little confused about the progression of this piece, but I like the more melodic direction it’s taking by around 1:40. Structurally, this piece seems to be a bit experimental, with not much cohesion and several bizarre mood shifts. I also would’ve liked the pads to be a little more upfront in the mix at 2:40. The texture is full throughout, and the instruments blend well, but I think this piece needs some predominant melody or other riff to tie it together a little more. The ending is also a little abrupt. That said, this is a cool piece with a lot of quirky moods and atmospheres. Keep it up!

7.75/10

BiPolarBeat responds:

This whole track is one experiment :D

[Pyrolysis (Original Mix)]

I like the dark mood at the beginning. The synths are pretty cool and have a good amount of reverb. The melody at :23 is super catchy too. I like the injection of energy at :53. Has a good sense of climax into 1:08. I like the drop. It was a little minimalistic, but the reverb helped fill in the texture. The melody at 1:38 is really enjoyable too. Very smooth-flowing piece here. I think I would’ve liked some sort of structural relief by around the 2-minute mark instead of hearing another drop. The laughing vocal samples also got a little repetitive at about that point. Good use of atmosphere at 2:38. Once again, engaging and catchy melody at 3:08. You have several different melodies in this piece, which would usually be problematic coherence-wise, but seem to function well in their respective niches here. The piece is a tad long, but keeps me engaged throughout. The ending was also pretty creative. Overall solid work! Keep it up, dude. ;)

9/10

KaixoMusic responds:

Thanks!! I really enjoy making several melodies in one song, so you can expect to hear more of that in the future. As for the longness of the song, I really enjoy working on a song very long because starting a new one usually takes a long time, that's why there are a lot of elements and different parts. And about the second drop, yeah I think that's a little to much too. Thanks for the 9 :D

[Hidden Tension]

I like the smooth, atmospheric sound at the beginning. The phasing synths are a little generic, though. It has a good sense of climax into :33. I like the melodic content at :58 too. The bass is really groovy, though, and the mix is pretty clean. The transition at 1:39 was creative, and I appreciate the use of structural relief at 2:01. The section at 2:01 sets up your climax into 2:11 well. The atmospheric bit at 2:56 is also really enjoyable. It’s a bit of a quirky piece mood-wise, alternately cheerful and ominous. I think you could’ve done a bit more to offer some melodic development, too. Otherwise, the latter half of the seems seems comparatively underwhelming to the first half. Overall, I like the piece a lot. The instruments blend well together, the texture is full throughout, and the mixing and mastering are solid. Keep up the good work!

8.75/10

McGorilla42 responds:

Hey. Thanks so much for such a hugely detailed response and criticism. This is the kind of review that I appreciate more than any other since it gives me pointers on what to focus on in future and how to improve :) It means a lot that you took the time to write that and offer your opinion and advice and I'm incredibly grateful for that. Keep well!

[Denial]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. Good use of atmosphere and reverb too. It is a little slow to progress, but the drop at :56 is worth the wait. Interesting sound design too - a lot of those samples sound like they’re more typical of VGM tracks. The mix is tight. I love how much pop the drums have. Good use of structural relief at 1:54. The piano melody there has a cool somber tone to it. The chord progression from 2:43 to 2:44 sounded a little wonky, but that’s a relatively small detail. The latter half of the piece didn’t have as much of an emotional height as the first half, and I also didn’t hear much melodic development in the piece. That said, overall this is a very enjoyable track with a rich texture throughout. Keep up the great work! :)

9.25/10

KamillasRainbow responds:

Thanks for the review! Chord progression is definitely something i'll pay more attention to from now on.