TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[[Dubstep] Doe Paoro - Hypotheticals (TruNotFals Remix)]

I like the beat at the beginning. The chopped up vocals came out sounding just a little bit...too choppy, though. The excessive rolls and panning was a little jarring and overwhelming IMO. Sorry. I liked the build-up you had into 1:03, but the harmonies you had with the vocals and synth melodies playing at the same time didn't really work for me. It was just a little too much to listen to at once, especially since both the synths and vocals at 1:45 (for example) probably deserve a little more...independence, so-to-speak. The piece is well-structured, smooth-flowing, and well-mastered, though. I'm not sure the transition into 3:10 quite worked for me, and the section at 3:10 itself also seemed just a bit too busy. The texture there was just overflowing, and the balance might've been a little off too. You had these roaring arpeggios playing over a luscious synth melody, while I thought it probably should've been the other way around. I also wasn't a huge fan of your rather abrupt transition back into the vocal part around the 4-minute mark, and after that there wasn't much of a coda to tie the piece together. It's pretty rough around the edges, I think, but overall there were a lot of individual riffs that I thoroughly enjoyed. In a way the main issue might boil down to just the opposite problem as that trance track I reviewed just a couple days ago: I think you tried to do too much in just a 4.5-minute long track as opposed to not creating enough variety in a 7-minute long one. As it is now, it comes across as a little hard-to-follow structurally and perhaps even incoherent at worst. Still, I like your style and the instrumentation. Still has a lot of potential in case you have a weekend afternoon to yourself. ;) Keep at it, man!

trunotfals responds:

Yea I've been meaning to revisit this, I tried something experimental with the part at 3:10, going into the triplet quarter note as the quarter note, a little tempo modulation, and I may have been too excited about those arps when mixing, and mixed them too loud, it was an experiment that I loved, but didnt translate well, but I do plan to revisit this, thank for the awesome review, I love when I don't uphold to my potential, you hold me accountable (: Don't ever be sorry for constructive criticism.

[An Autumn Dream]

YES! I love Emily Dickinson. :D I like the sort of gritty, droning and jarring synth (oh wait, no - viola) and how that contrasts with the light piano music in the background. The pacing is very good too. It got pretty apprehensive and dissonant at about the 1-minute mark, and then you just created some more space for yourself by 1:35 with another "droning" session. Then the piece resolves to complete tranquility by about 2:45. The progression is just seamless, and the brighter, hopeful mood at about 3:30 and beyond is amazing. By around 4:15, it gives off a floaty sort of vibe, and then 4:30 is an explosion of emotion, a revelation of the most divine kind. I also love how you really fleshed out the coda from around 5:15 on. It made the piece feel very conclusive. Overall, great work and happy new year, Phonometrologist. ;D

Phonometrologist responds:

Happy New Year Logic! This review of yours is fun to read. Merely because I get a chance to hear this piece with a set of new eyes and ears. When constructing such a thing, as I'm sure you know, we kind of miss out on what others would take from it as they are unaware of the inner workings of the mind to construct it. There's something fresh about your writing here.
In regards to the "divine kind," that's what I would hope to reach in any of my writings and for it to be known to others who listen. What a difficult thing to do.

[[Future Bass] _Transcend (Original_Mix)]

I've gotten really into future bass recently, so I'd thought I'd give this a listen. I love the tranquil mood at the beginning and the engaging, bouncy synths that come in soon after. The drop was pretty cool. I think my favorite section is 2:28, though. It just sounded so bright and floaty. You did a good job with the structure, transitions, and mixing and mastering, although I thought the "ay" samples during the drops could've been a little more present. I'm not a fan of fade-out endings, though. I simply find them lazy and not-so-creative. Otherwise, this is another solid track. I sincerely hope one of your tracks finds its way onto the front page again. You've earned it by continuing to work hard since the competition! :)

trunotfals responds:

Man I love this review. And I agree, I HATE fade out endings, but i went into a drop where i took out all my drop layers and it went into a disco feel, and I felt that was appropriate for the feel. I dont think I've ever done a fade out transition in my life, i just don't know what it worked for me. As I fade out, i keep adding in elements, taking them away, adding in again even as it gets quiet. I feel you, I agree, however, I just CANT get over that it just felt like for once in my life i needed to do this transition, even on a song i loved. :D

I need to make some darn music again.......

[Stand By]

I like the emotion and progression. Honestly, I didn't notice any clicks at the loop. It's a bit flat dynamically, but I couldn't expect much more from a 1-minute-long loop. Nice job with making the time signature changes so natural-sounding, btw. Not much more to add. You should start keeping track of what percentage of your NG uploads are piano solos. ;P

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hey, and thanks!
The click at the loop was worse, during the time that there was something wrong with the NG Audio Player. But there still is a minor one, but you might need really good headphones or speakers to be able to hear it :)

Aww, and I though the volume dynamics in my performance was okay D:
But I guess you mean rhythmically? It's not really meant to be more dynamic there, as it's based off of Eric Satie's Gymnopedies after all :3

You know, I actually didn't realize I changed the time signature until after I made the piece, which probably explains why they ended up sounding natural... Me and theory don't go too well together XD

Uhh... A large percentage? They tend to be among my best tracks too :)

More importantly, if you haven't, check this out!

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/659992

Phonometrologist just made a cover on this piece, and it's waaay better than this piano track. It might have all the dynamic you're looking for :3

Thank you for yet another review! Now, I'm back to work... I need to upload 4 more tracks this year...

[[Dubstep] F**cking Loose My Mind (Charlie Puth Remix)]

I like the synths and beat. Clearly, the vocals are powerful and also have an emotional quality that you brought out well with the instrumentals. I like how the drops corresponded to the chorus of the original too. I also thought the balance between the vocals and instrumentals were better than in the last piece I reviewed, "Things that I would Change." However, you might've overdone the reverb on the vocals a bit, which is especially noticeable after 3:13. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the pacing of the vocals in that first verse, but listening to the original now, I believe that was Mr. Puth's choice and not yours. :) Overall, nice work! Keep it up, Trunotfals. ;D

trunotfals responds:

Thank you so much Tainted! I thought i sidechained the reverb so i could have a strong reverb without over powering the vocals when they were active, but idk i liked it. And yea I kind of agree about the pacing on the vocals, I listen to this and realize that the drop needed some high high hats to add some drive and excitement, i may go back. Man I LOVE your reviews and the fact that youre somehow keeping tabs on me! I would love to hear what you think about the rest of the songs I've made man!

[Dylnmatrix - Hyperresonance]

Hey DM! I like the cool echo effects at the beginning. Like a lot of your songs, it's catchy and climactic but progresses pretty slowly, especially during the first minute or so. The kick at :59 was a little high-pitched, loud, and distracting IMO. I like the bass at 1:27 a lot, and the arpeggios you have playing over it work really well harmonically. I also liked the start-stop method of winding down from an emotional height you used starting at around 2:25. The build-up at 3:36 is really powerful. I think this piece is very well-structured and smooth-flowing overall. The mixing and mastering is solid, and despite its being a little hard-hitting at times, the emotional quality comes through well. I like the filtering at around 5:20 onwards, and the very end would make a great loop. I think this is one of your better tracks overall. Keep up the good work, DM! ^_^

Dylnmatrix responds:

Hey man, thanks for the review. As of me writing this reply, the high passed kick is now fixed in the intro and the track is updated. Hopefully that makes it better.

The hard hitting mix and hot master was purposeful. I wanted to make something that had punch to it but kept my emotional quality coming through and used many, many, many references to get things right. This track was the most intensive in that area for me, so I'm glad to know my intentions were realized.

The track hasn't changed much since that preview I uploaded. I only added to it, adding additional FX, drums and obviously fixing the mixing. The only big change was the second build I added in the middle of the last drop to build that final bit of tension that was extremely necessary. I'm very proud of the second build as the fill that transitions the drop melody is actually out of tempo. I used a 140 bpm fill as my base and lined the snares up with it to give it more power.

I'm glad you think this is one of my better tracks overall, as I do too. I feel like I've mastered a lot of things, but still have a long way to go in the realms of creativity. Hopefully this track I'm working on now can be even better if I can get it going.

[Happy Christmas (Singalong)]

I just love these collabs, guys. The organic, gather-'round-the-campfire vibes are great. The vocals blend surprisingly well given that they were presumably recorded at separate times and locations around the globe (ehhh, who am I kidding? I have no idea how these collabs are organized). Seriously, though, this piece has a great sense of climax throughout. The guitar solos at around the 3-minute mark offered some much-needed structural relief, too. Generally I'm not a huge fan of fade-out endings, especially when the fade-out itself seems a little rushed-into, but I suppose it's fitting in this instance. However, the production quality is Sears Tower-high as always, Step. ;D Obviously, everyone involved with this project really stepped up and delivered some quality content, but I'd especially like to mention Ceevro for putting this together. The audio portal really needs more collaborative efforts like this. The close-knit nature of our community is what truly makes it special, and you've exemplified that here, Ceevro, whether it's with the warm, comforting mood of this song or the fact that you've hoarded talented artists from around the globe to produce it. Bravo, ladies and gents! ^_^

Ceevro responds:

It's nothing I've done, really! All I do is play a song and ask people to join in! I think that that's the most organic musical experience one can have, really. I honestly have no idea how things will turn out when I post the starter tracks...the Singalongs are as good as the people who take the time to pull out their mics and mandolins and add what they can. What makes it so good, in my mind, is that no track goes to waste. Step is amazing at pulling out the best in everyone's performances, and honestly the performances themselves are outstanding to begin with.

If you like these, then pull out your mic! Or maybe volunteer to mix the next one while Step is on haitus! Or start banging some pots in the kitchen! We'd love to have you on board!

[Xmas in the South]

Okay, obviously everyone knows and loves "Sleigh Ride" and "Jingle Bells." Therefore, I generally think that the details of remixes like this make or break the piece. You have (mostly) makes here: the instrument selection and tempo are admirable, and I like the creative little solos towards the middle. However, I think the drums could've been stronger and/or more interesting. Also, similarly to "Wonderful Things," this piece is about 2 minutes' work away from making an awesome loop, except for one problem: it doesn't loop. Still, solid effort overall. For what it is (a short, near-comedic holiday medley), I like it. Best of luck with your studies, and please PM me about Cockatrice times for next week if you're interested. ;D

LunacyEcho responds:

=> creative little solos =>

One of the melodies is of my own creation, but the guitar 'solo' is another carol called 'Ding Dong Merrily On High'! Glad you recognized 'Sleigh Ride', though! In my experience, it hasn't been the most iconic of Christmas carols, but there's just something in the melody of it that I just love so much.

=> awesome loop =>

Wellllllll...... okay fine, I'll write more loops next year XD

=> PM =>

Will do! ....if I haven't done it by New Year's, can you give me a shout? As you know, I'm terribly forgetful. :P

Thanks for the review! Hope you've been having happy holidays!

[Wistful [OLD]]

Can't say I expected a hip-hop song from you anytime soon. It's a little hard to follow the rhythm for the first 20 seconds or so before the beat comes in, and I'm not a huge fan of those string samples. That synth at 1:08 almost sounds like a bagpipe. :D It's also rather structurally flat. In your "contemporary" tracks, I think you generally do a much better job of creating contrast and variety. It makes a pretty chill background beat, but you could've done so much more with this (heck, you still can!). The drums are kinda flat and dry, the piano has a flirty-ness I thought you could've featured more, and the string chords get really repetitive after a while. Also, the ending was pretty lazily done. It has some potential. I'd love to see you remake this. As for now, I think I like your newer tracks better...a lot better. Looking forward to the Undertale remix and other future projects of yours! ^^

Lockyn responds:

Hey TL, nice to see you again. I agree with you completely on your criticism, granted this is a fairly old track (3 years now!) so I hope you can take that into consideration ;P I'm glad you gave it a change regardless, and hope you look forward to my future works, I'm very excited for you to hear my undertale remix! Cheers man, and happy holidays :)