TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Majician - I am ready]

The busy beat and atmosphere feel like a bit of a strange combo at the beginning, and I think there’s some dissonance between the ambient pads and the synths that fade in at around :18. The drums sound nice and crisp, but the mood conveyed by the texture is a bit confusing. I like the climax into :52, but the string part there felt a little indistinct, further contributing to the bizarre mood of the piece. The mood then changes once again at 1:23, and immediately leaps back to the surreal ambience at 1:52. If you’re going to try to include various moods in your piece, I think you need to combine them in a more nuanced way. It can be really jarring to the listener to hear soothing and ominous sounds (for example) playing at the same time. I think part of the problem is that some of the riffs that are playing at the same time are in different keys. It can be hard to navigate complex harmonic themes without an extensive knowledge of music theory, but until you get more comfortable with layered harmonies I’d suggest making sure that all of the notes playing at once in your texture are in the chords you’re using. Pentatonic scales are usually a great place to start. Sorry if this review is really negative. The sound design of this piece is pretty cool, and it flows well too. Keep at it, TheMajician. :)

6/10

TheMajician responds:

Hey thanks for reviewing! This is my first year making music so I don't know much music theory, i have progressed since this song but I still don't know much. Thanks again!
Austin

[Super Space]

The bass line is catchy, but the instrument at the beginning is really generic. I also wasn’t sure what the place of the static in the texture at :16 was. You have a good sense of harmony, although your synths sound pretty unpolished and dry. I think you need to do some more careful equalizing and also add some reverb. I liked the sense of climax into 1:20, and the drop at 1:24 was pretty enjoyable. However, I think the hi-hat is a little overpowering there - that’s a small detail, though. You could really use some reverb to fill out the texture more, although everything does sit pretty nicely in the mix at 1:24. The re-intro at 2:35 was a good idea, the subsequent climax was pretty dragged-out, lasting nearly 2 minutes. This piece is pretty well-structured and smooth-flowing, although in the future I want you to explore methods of creating variety besides just adding and subtracting instruments. Dynamic contrast, phrasing, and the like will help give your piece more emotional drive and shape. I was also a little thrown off by the climax at the end. I was at least expecting it to loop after that. Including some reverb might also help make that ending work better. Overall, it’s a pretty strong piece. I think the minimalism and sound design are the two most pressing issues I have with it. Otherwise, cool piece. Keep at it, TheFantasticZ. :)

7/10

TheFantasticZ responds:

Thanks :D

And I'll work on that stuff :P

Currently I'm using lmms.

[TPM - Away (Original Mix)]

I like the pulsing synths and drums at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the mix is pretty clean. There are quite a few moments of minimalism, and I would’ve liked to hear some melodic content in the piece. The drum part could also have been more creative. By around the 3-minute mark, the piece is really repetitive. I appreciated the part at 2:48 for its structural relief, but I was a little thrown off by the filtering at 2:55. Overall, I really didn’t think the piece needed to be this long, either. The drop at 3:35 came on a bit suddenly, even though the pacing of the piece otherwise is very slow. A lot of your instruments also sound pretty generic. In the future, I’d strongly suggest structuring your piece around melodic content or at least a clearer emotional height. The near-uniform energy and repetition of the piece is a serious problem IMO. Don’t be discouraged, though. You have a good sense of harmony and flow. You just need to put a little more effort into the composition. Keep at it, TardisPeanutMusic. :)

5.5/10

Astedroid responds:

Okay. I have to learn more things on the music. But thanks.

[Joy Ride]

The instruments are a little cheesy, but I like the cute mood and sense of climax into :22 or so. The piece is really short - not really structurally complete. You have a good sense of harmony. The transition at :48 was a little sudden, and the mix also sounds somewhat strained at that point. I think the main problem here is that the composition and arrangement are pretty underwhelming. You need to do more to give this piece some shape and variety. Fleshing out the structure with more emotional heights and valleys is a good place to start. When you feel like you’ve done this, PM me and I’ll send you another review. Keep at it, Spikrin. :)

4.75/10

Spikrin responds:

Thank you! I made a new song, called nebula, and i think its my best in my opinion! i recommend you check it out! and am i allowed t change the song i use for the contest? if so change it to that song please.

[Sw~ Ecilam]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. It’s a little slow to progress, and I think the kick has a bit too much treble. The drop at :42 had a really minimalistic texture, with somewhat arbitrary sounding changes in instrumentation every few seconds. I also think you went a little overboard on the reverb in the percussion. The minimalism really wore on me after a while. I think it’s a good idea for you to structure your piece around more melodic content. There’s just not a lot of memorable or creative riffs or harmonies in this piece. The structure of the piece isn’t bad, and the piece is pretty catchy overall. The composition just needs a lot more creativity and variety. When you feel like you’ve written a piece that has a strong melody or other engaging harmonic aspects, PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Keep at it, Sidewindergd! :)

4/10

Sidewindergd responds:

Thanks so much! I get a lot of comments about the reverb tbh
And not to worry! I have some brand new tracks coming! Thanks again, TL

[Go Ahead]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning. The synths blend well together, and enhance the mood of the piece well despite being a bit generic. The mix is pretty clean, although I think the snare could use a little more compression - I just wanted it to some more crisp and distinct. The piece is missing some strong melodic content, although you clearly have a good sense of harmony. It also gets a little repetitive after a while, and could use a little more shape and contrast, especially with regards to the main riffs. The loop is smooth, though, and the piece is quite catchy. Solid work!

7.75/10

Shadowaves responds:

Thanks a lot for your analysis ! I'll take notes ;)

[Save me]

I like the cute mood at the beginning. The chord progression is a little cliche, and I think you went a little overboard on the reverb on a couple of the synths here. The melodic content in the piano is enjoyable, and you have a good sense of harmony. The drums come through the mix pretty clearly, but I think the excessive reverb detracts from the distinctness of the synths. The piece has a cool atmosphere and mood, although the piece gets pretty repetitive towards the end. The fade-out ending struck me as a bit lazy, and I think you could do more to offer some shape and variety in the piece (a breakdown or bridge, some more dynamic contrast and phrasing, etc.). Overall, it’s pretty good. A little more effort into the composition, and this would be a really solid piece. Keep at it, Shabbyjazz. :)

7.25/10

CielOuvert responds:

Much appreciated, a very thorough and precise review. I will take this into consideration :)

[Nirimi - At dark times]

The descending line at the beginning had a really somber vibe, and I like how each note bleeds into the next. The progression is really slow, and there’s a bit of dissonance in the harmonies at around :40. I think you could’ve done a lot more to use the entire frequency range to your advantage here. The entire piece is very minimalistic, and I would’ve liked to see you use some more creative transitions besides the crash at some point. The piece is lacking strong melodic content and occasionally even tonality. At best, the composition is really underwhelming. I’d strongly suggest that you structure your piece around some sort of melodic riff or emotional height. When you feel like you’ve done so, PM me and I’ll leave you another review. Don’t be discouraged. The mood and instruments are pretty cool - you just needed to put more effort into the composition. Keep at it, RobinvanDommelen. :)

4.75/10

RobinvanDommelen responds:

Thanks. I will definitely try to improve :)

[Mechanical Breakdown]

The ascending line at the very beginning is pretty interesting, but I really don’t understand the role of that harsh, blaring synth at :02 in the texture. It doesn’t complement the mood of the piece at all, and ends up detracting from my enjoyment of the piece considerably. It completely takes over the mix when it comes in. If you want to keep that harmony line in there, I’d suggest replacing it with a smooth bass or something. At 1:08, the texture is a bit too busy, with a lot of dissonances between the various moving lines going on. I’m just confused which melody to listen to. I also thought a lot of your instruments were pretty generic. The riser that starts at around 2:05 also sounds thin, harsh, and obnoxious. Overall, the composition of this piece just didn’t come together for me at all. I know I’ve been really tough on you in this review, but I think you have a good sense of structure and flow. Also, the mastering is pretty good - I can hear all the instruments clearly throughout. The main thing that bothers me about this piece is the sound design, but I’d also suggest you think a little more about how your harmonies relate musically. Keep at it, man! :)

5.5/10

redflaresountracks responds:

there are trills there for a reason. its about a old machine breaking down. Thanks anyway!