TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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!

[Rushing into Deepness]

I like the instrumentation and atmosphere. The gritty bass at :11 and sharp percussion at :23 are particularly enjoyable. It’s a little slow to develop, although I like the melodic content in the piano at 1:08. That said, you also go a long while (roughly a minute) without changing the texture until the bass comes back in at around 1:58. You did a good job of filling out the texture throughout, though, and the mixing is quite strong. My main problem with it is that the latter half of the piece lacks an emotional height or refrain that adds resolve. I think you channel the energy well here, but the lack of strong melodic development later in the piece makes the last ⅓ or so sound a bit underwhelming. Still, I really enjoyed the attention to detail in the composition and sound design. Keep it up, Adjeye! :)

9.25/10

Adjeye responds:

Thanks for the feedback :), it is much appreciated. I wanted to create a sort of suspense and contrast between a bit more quietness and then the dynamic build of the drums after 1:58, too bad it didn't come out as strong as I would have wanted.

[Battle In The Halls]

I like the smooth, easygoing vibe at the beginning. However, I don’t think that vibe meshed very well with the vocals - there was a lot of vocal layering/chorus effects that gave the vocals a really gruff sound. It just seemed a little overdone in that regard. I don’t think my issue is with the vocals themselves, just the way they were mixed. They probably need to have the high-mids boosted a little, just to give them a bit more distinction and avoid the gruff overtone. The pacing is good, and I like the lyrics a lot. The mix could use some sharpening - the weak snare especially caught my attention. I really like the solos at around 2:28, but I think they drag on for a bit too long. The second half of the piece also doesn’t feel too climactic. I know this is a long piece already, but it felt like you ended it right after a verse - it just wasn’t very conclusive in its instrumental content. I’ve picked at some smaller details here, but overall I admire your organic sound design and sense of flow and harmony. Keep at it, Ceevro! :)

8.5/10

Ceevro responds:

Thanks. I lost by .03, which tells me that those tiny details can make all the difference!

[Mi Pasion]

I like piano at the beginning, although I think it could use some more reverb. The brass at :12 sounds pretty inauthentic, especially in the higher register. You clearly have a good sense of rhythm and harmony, though, and I liked the piano interlude at 1:32. I think the piece could sound a lot more varied in terms of energy and dynamics. At the same time, the structural elements of the texture were pretty variational, with not many repeating sections or themes woven throughout the piece. The composition is strong here overall, but unfortunately the cheap brass samples detracted from my enjoyment of it. Keep at it, AzulJazz! :)

8.5/10

AzulJazz responds:

Thanks a lot

[Ode To a Friend]

I like the reverb and the little ornaments (like at :15). The melodies are beautiful, and I like the sense of progression too. This is what I was talking about with the lack of humanization, though - this piece sounds like you used a DAW to create it, even though the sample is pretty good. Incorporating some subtle variations in the tempo, note lengths, and the volume levels of individual notes will make this piece sound like it was played live, which is what I think you want with a piano solo. Also, don't be afraid to deliberately make some entire sections quieter or slower than others - emotional appeal is really important in pieces like this, and spacing things out a bit will help with that. Good luck! ;)

DJ-DG responds:

I actually did humanise it quite a bit... maybe it just didn't get through well...
Glad you like the melody and overall tune though!
And thanks for the review mate, really appreciate it!
-DJ-DG

[Dark Nights with City Lights]

The synths at the beginning are a little harsh-sounding and repetitive, and many of the other instruments sound generic, dry, and unpolished. The piece seems to be heading in a very different direction at 1:06 with the introduction of that bass riff. This piece has a lot of minimalism and dissonance, and overall not much melodic content at all. The sound design seems a bit arbitrary, and the structure is much too convoluted to keep the listener grounded. In the future, I’d highly recommend structuring your piece around a stronger melody. Your piece also needs a little more shape and structural coherence. Once you feel like you’ve done this, please PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Don’t be discouraged! You have a good sense of harmony, and your piece is fairly catchy. I think you went a little too experimental on this one, though. Keep at it, Vendros! :)

4.25/10

vendros responds:

I remember making this about 2 years ago and it was my best work then. I revisited my old tracks this year and have noticed most weren't mixed properly including this track which is why I stopped posting tracks. I completely agree with your review and will stick to your advice. Hopefully I might remaster these old tracks and expect new ones soon.
Thank you for the review ! :)