TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[continuity error Jazz/IDM/Future [MUSIC VIDEO]]

I like the jazzy vibe at the beginning and the crisp, punchy drums at :16. I think you start overusing that pad and crash with the strong attack at :22, and otherwise the texture is pretty minimal. The sound design is really cool, though, and I like the tempo automations at 1:02 or so. The harmonic content here could use a lot more depth and variety after a while, and I also think the structure of the piece needed a stronger sense of ebb and flow. Right now, the piece just gets a bit repetitive and predictable after a while, despite the neat sound design and strong production quality. I also like when the beat slows down at 2:48 and the off beats get a stronger emphasis than they had before. Clearly, your killer sense of rhythm is on full display here, but I would’ve liked to see you round out the composition a bit more with an overarching sense of narrative and more variety in the harmonies. Still, the instrumentation and mixing are top-notch here. Keep at it, Quarl! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

Quarl responds:

Thanks for taking the time TL, and salud!

[Qshunt - The Wyvern Protocol]

I like the gritty atmosphere at the beginning and the ominous vocal samples. I’m also digging the crisp drums at :22 and the build-up into :33. The drop there is a bit minimal, but also catchy and well-balanced in the mix. The production quality is really strong here, even if there are a lot of mixing effects in the texture during the busy parts. The parrots sound really cool, too (I assume it’s the distant screeching sound at 1:50?). The breakdown at 2:01 was good for some structural variety, although the arrangement of the piece is a little generic and the drop/post-chorus sections drag on for a bit too long IMO. By 2:46, I’m loving the rhythmic syncopations in the bass, and the chopped-up vocal samples at 3:05 are also pretty neat. I would’ve liked to hear a stronger “point of arrival” and/or sense of development during the second half of the piece here, and I also think the ending comes on a bid suddenly. That said, you absolutely nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and mixing of this piece. Keep it up, Qshunt! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Qshunt responds:

Thanks for listening and your detailed review!
That's the parrots @ ~1:50 :D

I've actually replaced the file with a better sounding remaster last night that I was hoping to submit before the comp, but regardless, I'm pleased I got through the auditions!

Now for the next round!
I'm up against some pretty stiff competition.
I've checked them out and they make some excellent music.

[Dreaming in Reverse - ft. SOLARIA Lite]

I like the guitar chords and the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The lead instrument at :12 also sounds really soothing and light. The vocals here sound incredibly realistic - maybe it’s just me, but the vibrato on them occasionally makes them sound slightly off-pitch, at least at the beginning.

I like the string melody at 2:13, but the density of the notes makes them sound a bit inauthentic (as a classically trained cellist, it always annoys me when string samples from plugins have a really weak attack, so that every single note sounds like you’re placing the bow on the string for the first time. In real life, the notes would be slurred together in one bow, or otherwise the musician would time it so that the main body of the sound is playing right as the note hits. It’s not your fault. I need to send an angry message to ImageLine or something. But I digress.)

The minimal breakdown at 2:32 was nice for some variety, and I like the re-entry of the vocals with the more mellow (“fantasy”) line at 2:55. The return of that first guitar melody at 3:12 was really nice, and I also really like the additional layers of harmony during the final refrain at 4:12. The production quality is also solid overall, but the drums do seem a bit weak between 4:12 and 5:00, as do the guitars during both refrain sections, actually. Still, I really enjoyed the pensive and mysterious outro.

Overall, the composition is quite impressive here. Despite my nitpicks regarding the sound design and mixing, you totally have me won over with the melodic content, progression, and amount of variety in the texture. Keep it up, Pixxlman! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

PixxlMan responds:

Thanks for the awesome, in depth review! Really glad you liked the song! :)

[Instability]

I like the creepy atmosphere at the beginning and the airy piano lines. The riff at :14 has a couple of nice, dissonant chords, too. The transition at :23 is a bit sudden, but the glitches at :30 are pretty cool, and the mix holds up well despite the busy texture. The frantic synth pattern at :48 was nice, and later the breakdown at 1:20 provided a bit of respite from the high-octane breaks on either side of it. There was a good sense of build into 1:54, although I wished you had varied the melody there a bit compared to the first time it appears. While the mix is impressively clear considering how much is going on, I would’ve liked the drums to “pop” a tad more during some parts, and 1:54 is one of them. Overall, though, this is a really catchy and intense piece with some neat sound design, strong mixing, and a good sense of atmosphere to boot. Keep at it, Nixonic! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Nixonic responds:

*Skull*

[Mind Breakout]

I like the cute synth at the beginning. The frantic opening line is a little corny, and I think the airy pad at :11 is a bit too loud in the mix relative to the rest of the harmonies. I like the crisp beats at :22, and the variation in the harmonies at :57 offered a nice break in the repetition. Throughout the piece, the beat is a bit too loud relative to the harmonies, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content. The stop-start beat at 1:44 is a bit bizarre, although I like the glitchy breaks at 1:01. Most of the synths here are pretty cheesy and generic, but the drums sound good. In terms of production, I think the mix could’ve left a lot more space for the harmonic instruments, especially while the beat was playing. The composition is a bit bland after a while, and could use some more depth and variety in the harmonic framework. The piece also ends pretty suddenly. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and progression, but aspects of the sound design, mixing, and compositional details could use some polishing up and fleshing out. Keep at it, NikoN1nja! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.5/10

NikoN1nja responds:

Thanks for review, I'll definitely try to improve all my weak points in the future :)

[Fall-Up]

I like the catchy synth riffs at the beginning and the minimal drums at :15. The harmonies at :30 also help fill out the texture nicely. I really like the injection of energy at 1:01, although the drums get a bit lost in the mix there. I’d suggest adding a compressor to them. The piece could also use some other mixing effects, just to create a stronger sense of atmosphere and more variety over the course of the piece. I’d suggest doing more with reverb and equalizers in particular. The sound design of the piece is fun, perhaps with the exception of the brass at 2:02, which sounds pretty inauthentic. The arrangement here sounds pretty formulaic - the texture shifts every 8 measures or so, but within those 8 measures, there’s not much of a sense of ebb and flow. You can use tools like filtering and automation to help address that - YouTube should have plenty of tutorials on how to do so in your software program if you don’t already know how. Still, this piece is catchy and cute, and has some neat synths and a good sense of rhythm and progression. Keep at it, NGE! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

NewGameExplorers responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I'll try to use what you suggested.

[The Emperor's Wrath]

I like the energetic piano riff at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit generic, but the instrumentation is really whimsical and fun. The quirky effects at :06 are pretty cool, but also sound a bit harsh in the mix. You might try using an equalizer to filter out some of the stronger frequencies on them. I like the main melodic section at :16, but the melody line could use a boost in the mix, perhaps with some more compression. The frantic beat and thin, eerie pads are both nice, although the piece kinda peters out before it feels structurally complete. The sound design and atmosphere are great here, as are the rhythmic components and energetic texture. I also think this could potentially make a good loop, but first I’d like to see you flesh out the composition a bit more - maybe add a bridge and second refrain, with some slightly varied melodies the second time around? Otherwise, this is still a catchy and fun piece, Nerospace! Keep at it. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

LunarSam22 responds:

Thanks a lot for the criticism! I'll take this to note.

[NDXL - The Jungle]

I like the nature sound effects and heavy percussion at the beginning. The rising synth bass at :08 is a nice touch, and I like the sense of build into 1:01. The drop has some catchy breaks, and the synth riff at 1:32 is really groovy. The drop does drag on for a bit long, and it also seems to go right into another build-up and drop cycle after that. At some point breaking up the texture a bit with a melodic bridge or atmospheric breakdown would’ve been nice. Eventually, that point comes at 3:03, and the melodies there are pretty sweet, but up until then the arrangement of the piece still lacked variety. Sometimes, when the entirety of your piece is this high-energy, it’s hard to keep the listener engaged. I also think you overused the “make way…” vocals towards the end. I also would’ve liked to see you make the drop at 4:13 a bit more distinct compared to the first one, just for some variety. Overall, the sound design, production quality, and rhythmic content here are all really strong, as are the melodic elements and atmosphere. A little more variety and some faster pacing in the composition at times would be welcome, and aspects of the arrangement and instrumentation are a bit generic here, but otherwise you nailed this track. Keep at it, NDXL! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

NDXLOfficial responds:

Insanely flattered man, thank you SO so much <3

[Type Of Way]

I like the cutesy synths at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliche, but the vocals help me keep me engaged. I like the contrast between the provocative lyrics and the tranquil, almost blissful synth lines. The progression reminds me of “Where is the Love?” by The Black Eyed Peas. :D The harmonic content here is very repetitive here, and at some point I would’ve liked to hear a “point of arrival,” like a killer synth solo or vocal bridge that resolves the tension inherent in the lyrics. Despite the somewhat underwhelming composition, the production quality here is top-notch. The instruments are loud, clear, and well-balanced with each other throughout the piece. Overall, you’ve put together a catchy and well-produced track with some fun sound design. Keep at it, Sashik! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

MusicSashik responds:

Such a thorough review, thank you very much! I am still a beginner in many aspects, so I will continue to grow. I appreciate your time for reviewing my track. Cheers!

[Digitallis]

I like the quirky synths towards the beginning, especially the one that first comes in at :07. The attack at :13 is a bit harsh-sounding, though. The build-up into :27 was nice, and I like the harmonies there a lot. That said, the mix is a bit soft here. It’s hard to hear the drums and bass in particular. I’d suggest scaling back some of the reverb here - I think it’s distorting some of the instruments. The breakdown at 1:22 is nice for some variety, and you transition well back into the “verse” at 1:48. During the second half of the piece, I would’ve liked to see you create more variations on the main melodies and give the piece an overarching sense of dynamism. Instead, the arrangement here feels a tad formulaic. That said, I’m enjoying the harmonies, atmosphere, and rhythmic content of this piece a lot. Some of the instruments were really cute and fit in with the “outer space” theme quite well, despite being a tad cheesy. Overall, the composition is solid, and my biggest concern is the muddy mix. Shave off some of the reverb, add some equalizers onto the melodic instruments, and create some melodic variations in the final verse, and this piece would easily be an 8-range track. Keep at it, MusicBySpektral! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

MusicBySpektral responds:

Thanks for the review! This is my first time submitting into any contest on Newgrounds, and I am glad to have gotten a 7/10 on my first try. I definitely see the problems and will work on them on future works and keep on trying to get into the next round someday (maybe)!