TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Ravenholt]

I like the storm FX at the beginning and the thin sound of the synths that then widens into the texture at :12. I think the hi-hats get a little distorted in the mix at :28. You may need to take a little treble off the chords or lead in order to make them more distinct. I really like the climax into 1:02, and the kick and snare are nice and crisp, which is a big plus mixing-wise. The hats get even more lost during the refrain at 1:02, though. The melodic content here is enjoyable, and I like how you offer some melodic development during the second refrain at 2:18. Tiny complaint: I think it would help the part at 2:18 sound more cathartic if you had lengthened the notes a bit. It may sound ridiculous, but details like that go a long way towards triggering the part of the human psyche that understands “oh, this is a point of arrival and conclusion.” Overall, though, really strong work here. Keep at it, Lethalix. ;)

8.5/10

KamillasRainbow responds:

Thanks for the review man. Really appreciate it!

[Quirky Quest]

I like the melodic content at :05 and the cute synths. The section at :39 with the hip-hop influences also sounded really cool, and that post-chorus at 1:35 is also enjoyable. Sometimes, your transitions and chord progressions are a little cliche, although I really like the sound design of the piece. It’s really catchy and refreshing. I think you could use a tad more variation within the phrases of the piece - for example, the sweep/riser combo at :25 is the only thing giving the piece a sense of direction, and you use that combo as a transition a lot in this piece. Still, solid work. Enjoyable melodic content and production quality. Keep it up, MrKoolTrix! ;D

9/10

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the constructive review! :)

[Peachymaiden & Javier Anibarro Z - Hidden Lines (Original)]

I like the emotional piano at the beginning, and how you experiment with pacing all throughout the intro. I love the light, airy vocals and progression. I think the vocals could be a little more up-front in the mix, though - the piano seemed to be edging out in front of them sometimes. This is a really well-structured and flowing piece, and the mix is clear overall. I think the instrumentation is a little simplistic, and some drums could really help give this piece more of a sense of drive, especially since the pacing of the lyrics is often rather quick. Overall, this is a beautiful piece, though. Keep up the good work, you two! :)

9/10

Jabicho responds:

Hi TL!
Thanks for checking it out, your words are really helpful! :D

[Desistance (Original Mix)]

The fade-in at the beginning was cool, although the drums are a little generic. You just could’ve done many more creative things with them, and the clap sample itself is pretty cliche. I like the sense of climax into 1:04, although the drop was pretty minimalistic. The melodic content at 1:35 is pretty good, and the mixing and mastering is super strong here. I think you really started overusing the vocal samples by around the 2-minute mark, though. I also would’ve liked to see you add a bit more variety and direction to the piece during the second half. I think the composition needs a bit more work, and this piece largely lacks originality I’m afraid. Clearly, the production quality is high, and it’s very catchy and spacious in the mix with the reverb. Still, it sounds like a very formulaic, “stereotypical” EDM track, and that’s a problem. Keep at it, KaixoMusic! :)

7.75/10  

KaixoMusic responds:

I'm planning on doing some original Future Bass stuff next, so hopefully I'll be able to make it more varied and creative.

[Neurobop]

The piano and atmospheric synth mesh well together, but I really would’ve liked to see you craft a sense of direction into the first 30 seconds of this piece before the minimalistic drop strikes at :28. You have a good sense of harmony and structure, although I think you needed some more phrasing here. The breakdown at 1:09 with the echo-y piano was enjoyable. The mix is clean as well. My main problem here is that I think you should flesh out the structure more and give this piece some shape. Right now, there are a lot of transitions that rely on drum fills or stop-start changes in energy. Especially for the intro, I think you could do a better job of warming the listener up to the drop and, subsequently, foreshadowing the piano part at 1:09 a bit more. The structure feels a bit overly calculated in that way. That said, the mixing is strong, and I loved the atmosphere and mood of the piece. Keep it up, 5TanLey! :)

8.75/10

5TanLey responds:

song structure and transitions are my long time problems really, gotta work on that

thanks for the review :)

[Gravity Slam]

I love the energy and frantic guitar riffs at the beginning. The snare sounds a bit thin and quiet in the mix. I also thought you could’ve used a smoother transition at 2:19. My main problem with the piece is that it sounds uniformly energetic, which made it hard to keep my attention after a while. I think you should add more distinction to different parts of the structure by doing more creative things with the instrumentation and by trying to play with dynamics and phrasing a bit more. I also don’t think the piece felt very conclusive by the end. You’re clearly a talented guitarist, but at this point the composition really needs to be more than just a compilation of intense riffs. That’s a bit harsh, of course - obviously, there’s a well-thought out arrangement to the piece, but you could really keep the listener grounded in that arrangement more with some variation in the energy and dynamics. Keep at it, TSRBand! :)

8/10

TSRBand responds:

Thanks for the detailed review! Will be sure to keep experimenting :)

[Seres]

I like the relaxed mood and progression towards the beginning. The instrumentation wasn’t my favorite, though. The instrument at the beginning sounds a little generic, and the synth at :14 is very high-pitched and harsh-sounding. It might need a bit more treble taken off in the equalizer, because I think it could sound a lot more smooth and mellow to fit the easygoing vibe of the piece. That said, I did like the rhythmic variety and dense harmonies by around :35. You craft a gradual decrease in energy really well here, but the glitchy content at around 1:20 threw me off a bit - it didn’t seem to vibe well with the smooth-flowing nature of the piece up to that point. The piece sound pretty dark all of a sudden by 1:30 or so, yet 2:07 once again has a cathartic feel. Don’t get me wrong: all of the details in the phrasing and sound design here are fantastic, but the piece just simply has very little coherence. I also thought there were several moments of minimalism here that could be fleshed out a lot more. At the very least, I do recognize 4:28 as a repeated section, and the piece has a good sense of resolve by the end. The thing that bothers me most about this piece is the somewhat patched-together nature of the structure. The melodic content is amazing, and the mix is very clean. We’re both acutely aware that you’re facing Bassfiddlejones, but you should be immensely proud of this piece. Keep up the good work, 1f1n1ty!

8.75/10  

Onefin responds:

Hey TL. Your review covered pretty much all the things I thought it was going to :P

Like there were three big things on my checklist and you just ticked them all, no more no less

[Endowment]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. It’s a little slow to progress, and the string sample at :45 was a little inauthentic - the uniform vibrato is a dead giveaway that’s not a real instrument. I like the melodic content in the strings, although the texture is very slow to change during the first couple of minutes of this piece. The string arpeggios at 1:45 could also sound a bit more distinct - I’d suggest being a little stricter with the equalization there. The staccato ambient synth that comes in at 1:56 is really cool. The first true emotional height of the piece is at 2:30, and I find it’s quite enjoyable and energetic. The breakdown at 3:20 was a nice structural touch, although (again) the sample isn’t the best. I also thought it sounded pretty unnatural the way it faded out by 3:40. Personally, 4:28 was probably my favorite part of the piece - I like how it exposes those quirky synths and has a lot of tension, even in the minimalism. That section also made the second climax at around the 5-minute mark feel especially cathartic. The part at 5:21 was a bit of an unexpected progression. Given how long this piece is, I’m not sure that it was necessary. There are a lot of twists and turns during the last minute or so of this piece, and I’m not sure all of them paid off for you. You could’ve used 5:49 as a stop-start transition right at 5:20, without the bizarre interlude in between. Still, that’s a little picky. Overall, this piece is strong. The texture is nice and full, and it has a great sense of atmosphere. Keep at it, Ectisity! :)   

8.25/10

EctiBot responds:

Thanks again for the detailed feedback :D.
The part at 5:21 definetley sound forced. I really wanted to have that part in there, but didn't find a natural transition.
Really glad you liked it, and thx for the review :).

[The Afterlust]

I like the bright tone at the beginning and the powerful chords. The vocals are really smooth and rich, and overall the song is just really easy to listen to. The lyrics themselves are also pretty good, although they take a bit of a jarring turn in implication at 1:36. The pacing of the lyrics was also a bit slow, making the piece seem a bit dragged-out (it’s almost 5 minutes, after all). I also like how the second refrain at 3:09 was much more full-textured than the first, giving the piece a nice sense of direction. I really like the solo at 4:00, and the “hey-ey-ey” vocal motif is great throughout. The piece is really well-structured and smooth-flowing overall, and the mixing is top-notch. Perhaps the instrumentation here wasn’t as creative as it’s been in the past with your pieces, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. The lyrics are really relatable, and I can’t help but think they’re almost an extension of your last piece. The protagonist wanted to put his ambitions in front of his emotional connections, but he can’t help but realize how others have contributed to his success. Really powerful work. Keep it up, FinnMK! :)

9.5/10

FinnMK responds:

Thanks for the tips as always!