TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[jazzy sunday]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the lo-fi production. The minimal snaps at :13 make for a good, mellow way of keeping the beat, and I really like the strong rhythmic content and bass at :24. I would’ve liked to hear the leads be a bit more prominent in the mix at :47 - the melody synths there seem to take a back seat to the bass and E-piano until 1:33 or so. The texture is also fairly minimal and bottom-heavy for much of the piece, and could use some more upper-mid-range frequencies to balance it out. Felt like the piece was just getting started when it ended, though (which is both a compliment and a criticism, I guess). Overall, a bolder composition where the melodies don’t just blend in with the backing harmonies would really help take this piece to the next level. But I still really enjoyed the atmosphere, sound design, and beats. Keep at it, Crysstal! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Crysstal712 responds:

thank you! c:

[Cobblestone Cliffs & Errant Appetites]

I love the crisp string riffs and rhythmic content at the beginning. The tremolo effect at :07 sounds really neat, and the airy piano at :16 helps smooth out the texture nicely. The transition at :46 was a bit abrupt, but the rich chords there are great, and I also like the piano bridge at 1:25. The middle section of the piece sounds a bit minimal, but I like when the dark, murkier string lines come in at 2:05 and add more of an air of mystery to the piece. The track also comes full-circle well with the waltzy riff at 2:34. At times, the composition of this piece could’ve been a bit bolder, but the sound design, progression, and production quality are all strong regardless. Very relaxing and evocative piece, Cresince. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
8.5/10

Cresince responds:

I am glad you enjoyed it! I'll be trying my best for the final round

[New Prey]

I like the foreboding mood at the beginning. The synths are a bit cheesy, though - that main pad at the beginning sounds like a preset from Nexus or Autogun. The vocals at :32 sound pretty good, but they also could’ve been more compelling if you had put more intensity behind them, as opposed to the furtive, whispered tone you have now. The mix is also pretty good, but the reverb is clogging up the texture throughout, and the drums could use a bit of a boost at times. I’d also suggest finding ways of creating variety within the vocal verses, which otherwise seem rather long and repetitive. Singing the first section of each of them down the octave could help, or adding additional layering later on. Otherwise, I like the eerie atmosphere and progression of this one, as well as the spoken word vocals during the bridge at 2:50. Finding ways of playing up the industrial aspect of the piece would really help take it to the next level IMO - more powerful vocals, more distortion and less reverb, pushing that synth guitar at 3:21 to the front of the mix, etc. I really like the dark themes in the lyrics and the creepy synth harmonies - you just need to bring out that apprehensive quality more in the rest of the sound design. Keep at it, Cotnp! ^_^

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

cotnp responds:

Thanks for the feedback! We'll see if I can do any better next year :)

[the dark reign]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning. The percussion at :15 could use a bit of a boost in the mix, but otherwise I’m enjoying the build-up into :30. The drop there is pretty cool, but I would’ve liked the choir to come through more clearly when the bass is playing. The mix is also a bit over-compressed, and the composition could use more variety in the harmonic content. I really like the sound design and progression of this, though. I hope you’ll keep working on it. With some more dynamic drops and a more well-balanced mix, this could be a top-notch track. Keep at it, blankfacedj! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.25/10

camelymusic responds:

Thank you so much! Even if I didn't make it into the final round, I'm still really happy that I got to this point. I'll try to keep working on my mix, as that's my weakness in terms of music production (I don't own expensive headphones, I got audition problems, I don't own a personal studio etc). Anyways, thanks for everything! Until next year :>

[Something's Wrong]

Dark indeed. I love the foreboding atmosphere at the beginning and the gritty bass drone. Very evocative sound design here - :26 sounds like I’m listening to the wind chimes on grandma’s front porch while on LSD (the drug, not the musician). The dark brass and thunder clap at 1:03 felt like a good way of progressing the piece beyond the abstract, bell-like textures of the first minute. The mood and progression of this track remind me of “Vos Postergum,” an old piece of yours that I still listen to sometimes. The skin-crawling descending phaser at 1:30 is great, and the spidery, pulsating synth at 1:44 and the eerie E-piano blend really well together. Rather incredible sense of pacing here, Alex. Sometimes I wish you had threaded the brass throughout the structure of the piece a little more - as it is now, the triumphant riff at 2:44 feels a bit out-of-place. Still, I like how you brought the piece full-circle with the bass drone and ambiance. Overall, this is an ambient beauty with some stellar sound design and a ton of variety! Keep it up, Lucid. ^_^ Also, for what it’s worth, I just want to point out that I’ve heard you make the “the dream is a Lucid Shadow Dream” joke both in real life and on the internet now. I laughed both times. :)

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Haha, I'm very positively surprised that you still remember Vos Postergum!!! This is definitely a similar genre. One that doesn't always do so well in competitions, but it's what I was inspired to make, because of my dream. Honestly, I wish I had time/reason to write more ambient music.

I've always appreciated your vivid descriptions! Please keep going with those ^___^

In retrospect, I agree that the second time the brass comes in, I could've worked harder on translating that idea and contrast. It's a bit sudden, and not only in a good way!

My Logic, Tainted or not, tells me I should always let Lucid Shadow Dreams in through The Door! :6

[Waiting For You (WIP) NGADM 2023]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning, and the rest of the sound design is really good too, between the vocals, strings, and thunderstorm sound effects. The harmonic framework is a bit cliche, and the structure certainly could’ve been a tad more fleshed out. I also think the drums could’ve used a bit of a boost in the mix, especially the snare. The progression and atmosphere are nice, though - at some point, a soaring string melody or haunting, minimal bridge could absolutely tie this piece together well. I’d encourage you to keep working on it, although I definitely like what I’m hearing so far. Keep at it, Sashik! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

MusicSashik responds:

Hi! (Once again :)) Thank you for your thoughtful reviews. I greatly admire your ability to describe your perceptions of what you're hearing. While I agree with your insights, I still have a clear understanding of my current capabilities and how they influence the sound. Yet, your positive and informative feedback (as well as others') is exactly what will motivate me to keep going and do better. Although the final version of the song may not become significantly better(I'm always unsure if I could do any better), it is about what it is. This song is about losing someone who was once very important in my life – an early and influential friend who initially introduced me to the world of music, but not too long ago, he passed away.

[Quantize My Heartbeat (NGADM 2023)]

I like the edgy guitars and crisp drums at :13, although the transition into that section from the intro could’ve been a bit smoother. I also think the vocals at :24 could’ve used a bit of a boost in the mix - they get pretty buried when they’re competing with the guitar for attention, like at 1:30. The lyrics are really clever, and I also like your singing voice a lot. The solo at 2:12 absolutely slays, and the “robot girl” at 2:40 was produced/processed very well. Overall, you nailed this. I was totally jamming out to the guitar riffs, laughing my ass off the first time I heard 2:40, and generally reminiscing about the good ol’ days when @UlfusNG was uploading a nerdcore banger twice a week. Clean up the mix a tad, and this piece would be borderline unbeatable in my book. Keep it up, CrossCarrasco! ^_^

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
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
9.25/10

CrossCarrasco responds:

Thanks for the feedback 😊

[LIVE THIS WAY (internet addiction)]

I like the edgy synth guitars at the beginning and the crisp beats at :11. The vocals at :22 sound good, although a bit over-processed. The lyrics themselves are also really good - clever, but also relatable. The instrumental tracks could use a tad more variety at times, and the texture seems to be missing some upper-mid-range tones throughout. I like the “this is how it is now” bridge at 1:48, although I would’ve liked to hear another refrain or melodic section or something instead of going right into the outro from there - the way it is now felt a bit anticlimactic. Still, I really like the production quality, rhythmic content, progression, and passionate vocals here. Really glad you went out of your comfort zone with this one! Keep it up, Ackee39. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Ackee39 responds:

Thank you for your (as usual) super in depth feedback!
I def ageee with you that the main thing that needs to be fixed is clearer instrumentation, the song is too reliant on the vocals I think

[Eclipse [NGADM 2023]]

I like the foreboding mood and punchy breaks at the beginning. The production is super sharp and clean here, and the vocal samples at :49 really help accent an otherwise very bottom-heavy mix. The rich pads at 1:33 have a great victorious sort of feel, although the drums could’ve popped through the mix a tad clearer at 1:47. There’s a great sense of build into 2:31, although I would’ve liked to hear more variety on the refrain the second time around. Also, I know it’s a tiny detail, but the double “hey” at :47 and 2:31 kinda throws me off the pattern of emphasis. Still, you’ve absolutely achieved banger status with this one, Benji. Really cool track! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

Benji-G responds:

Thank you for the amazing review TL!

[Lets see that Exhaust! (NGADM)]

I like the scoop-up with the strings and the quirky atmosphere at the beginning. The mix is a tad quiet, and feels pretty off-balance, with the drums being too quiet and the brass stabs being a bit too loud. The melodies at :58 are awesome, and most of the rest of the sound design is really good too, but in the upper frequency range it’s pretty easy to tell the brass stabs are inauthentic. It might help if you had humanized the instruments a bit more - i.e., vary the note lengths, velocity, etc. to mimic the little variations that a real musician would produce by accident. Still, the synth melody at 1:55 is another highlight. The saxophone melody at 2:36 is really sweet too, but also sounds especially loud in the mix relative to the drums and harmonies. There continue to be pleasant surprises in the sound design until the very end, with the guitar solo at 3:31 hitting the piece home nicely. Overall, I really like the composition here. The mix could use a bit more tightening up. It might help if you intentionally lower the volume on the instruments when you first start composing, and then add it back in the form of compression after you’re done. This is likely going to be a particularly effective strategy with the drums here. Either way, you got my foot thoroughly tapping here, Riskster! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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
9/10

TheRiskster responds:

thanks for the feedback!