TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[.: Eternal Darkness :.]

I liked the ominous vibe at the beginning. The synths are really cool in this piece. I'm not sure I got the hang of that hi-hat at the beginning right away, though. It was kind of too quiet and strangely clashed with the slow-paced synths at the beginning. It was made clearer what you were trying to do once the drums came in at :12, though. I thought the synth at :23, while contributing considerably to the spooky vibe of the piece, has a little high-pitched and harsh-sounding, which could've been fixed with some more careful Equalizing. The transition at 1:05 seemed a little inappropriately comical to me. Perhaps you could've pulled it off, however, with some more reverb AND if that last note of that descending scale was the tonic. Compositionally, the breakdown that followed that transition was appealing, but I think you needed to mix and master the basses more carefully so that they sounded less muddy and distorted. Overall, I like it. It's very appropriate for a videogame, as I believe was your intention. It loops pretty well (the role of the hi-hats is less confusing when it loops), and it definitely has a lot of character and whatnot. Keep up the good work, Larrynachos! ;D

larrynachos responds:

I think you might be listening too loud, because it all sounds good to me. The bass is supposed to be distorted like that. It gently massages my ears, and also helps compensate for the high frequencies.

I'm glad it loops well. Thanks for the review!

[Lucid (Original Mix)]

I love the catchy, pizzicato-esque synths at the beginning. This does sound quite a bit different from your usual stuff! Those vocal samples at :36 added considerably to the texture of the piece, and I enjoyed the VGM-ish vibe that the build-up into 1:10 gave me. The drop at 1:11 was chill, and nice work with the snares at around 1:35. I love seeing you do a lot more with the drums and subbass than you have in the past. While it is a bit more minimalistic than some of your full-sounding electro bangers (Gradient comes to mind), the level of creativity is still extremely high, and it keeps me engaged throughout. I also applaud you for watching the length of the track more than you sometimes do. The title is fitting, it's a catchy and smooth-flowing piece, and I think the mixing is top-notch as well. :) Overall, excellent work! I love seeing you trying different genres and moods, as it's clear to see you've already aced it. ^^ The ending was, as it sometimes is with your tracks, a bit underwhelming, but that won't stop me from instantly fav'ing and DL'ing it. Keep up the great work, Lockyn! ^^

Lockyn responds:

I'm glad you enjoyed the build up, I think that was my most frustrating part to get right x) I'm still not completely satisfied with it but it was getting worse as I worked on it so I was like "okay enough". I'm very happy you feel this piece is still creative, I really did try to keep my own style in with this genre. Glad you enjoyed the little things throughout - and again with the ending LOL I suck with endings man ;__; Thank you as always for the support, TL, you're the best. <3

[Shock]

Ooo, I love the guitar samples, and it sounds really funky and cool when you add that synth melody line at :12. Nice use of harmonies and structuring, and despite the heavy guitar sound, the mixing seemed a bit better this time. However, the drums really got drowned out here, which was a little disappointing. Also, you may have needed more of a breakdown/bridge section just to add some structural relief, but otherwise it's a catchy and smooth-flowing piece. I usually don't think that fade-out endings are very creative or interesting, and this is no exception. Still, this is a unique piece with quite a great deal of potential. Keep up the good work, Larrynachos. ;)

larrynachos responds:

Yeah, I've learned that it's better to keep the drums louder in the mix, but then it sometimes clashes with other instruments.

Oh, and one more thing. I had to fade it out because this was an old song and I had lost the projects file.

[Frisky Hornet]

It's great hearing from you after all this time, Garlagan! :D I love the whirling synth patterns at :08 (and other places), as well as the drums and more up-front synths that start fading in at around :22. Cool and engaging title you got there, btw. ;) Nice use of modulation at 1:07. That was a really cool use of (reverb? Flangers?) at 1:20, and I loved how you used it to lead into the breakdown at 1:29. The breakdown itself had a much more reserved and intelligent vibe to it, which offered some much-needed structural relief IMO. I then enjoyed the build-up back into 2:08. Your tracks always have the perfect balance of being easy to listen to and not too overwhelming, yet also very full-sounding and thickly and spaciously textured. The outro brought back that intelligent vibe, too, which I loved. Excellent work, Garlagan! Instant favorite and download! Please make more. :D

garlagan responds:

thank you Andrew!

[-Grind District-]

Okay, I love the gritty synths at the beginning, as well as the hard-hitting bass and beats. It might progress a little slowly at first, but I love the fuller texture you start creating around :40. Structurally, it's a cool piece, and it's great to see such a high quality of mastering from you, Waterflame. I love all the dramatic hits, like at 1:32 (and other places). It has a strangely mechanical vibe at times, despite sounding so experimental and energetic at others. I felt like it was just getting to a point of climax when it ended, though. I enjoyed a lot of the effects you threw in there at the very end, although I'm not sure you needed the part at 2:36 and onward. Still, it's a cool and jumpy piece. Definitely more industrial than anything else as I see it. ;D Keep up the great work, man! ^^

Waterflame responds:

Thank you! I appreciate it. as you mentioned, It is very much experimental, And I see it as more of a "introduction" to more FM based Industrial in the future. Thanks!

[~ Undercover Action ~]

I like the climax at the beginning, but right away I'm seeing some areas mixing-wise where you can improve. I believe the low, muddy bass at the beginning is playing for almost the whole piece, yet I can barely hear it after the first 5 seconds! Please work on your mixing, Larrynachos! It really is what's separating you from the NG greats IMO. Otherwise, this is compositionally a very solid piece. It's engaging, climactic, dramatic, and has a lot of cool instruments. Interesting how you said it was a loop in the description but didn't set it as a loop in NG's project manager. Tbh, it could've looped better, too. ;P I like the frantic synths and beats, and structurally it's a solid piece. The transitions were smooth, and I liked the filters on the drums you used from around 1:10 - 1:30. Again, though, you're an excellent composer, but I want to hear all the awesome harmonies you make AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE! Mixing, man! :O This summer is an amazing opportunity for you to drastically improve your mixing and mastering. In fact, I'd be more than willing to mix one of your compositions for you (assuming you use FL Studio). It could really help you understand how to Equalize and balance your instruments well. I'll PM you my email address and/or Dropbox info upon request. Seriously! ;D

larrynachos responds:

I don't think it's that I don't know how to mix, it's just that I don't have the patience for it lol. My newest song sounds a lot better because I spent a decent amount of time working on just the mixing.

I'm not sure I can even begin to compare to the greats, haha.

Thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind if I ever feel the need to get mixing tips ^^

[Time Slows Down]

It progresses a little slowly, but I like the climax and the way you gradually fade those synths and melodies in amidst the piano. The sweep leading up to 1:05 lacked effects, IMO. It needed some more interesting filters/distortions/phasers and things so that I couldn't recreate it in 90 seconds in FL Studio. That's a pretty picky detail, though. Obviously, you continue your reign as the Awesome Melody King, as evidenced by 1:05. That said, I think the texture of this track isn't as full or engaging as many of your other tracks (and just because it's slow doesn't mean it has to be less engaging). Also, that breakdown from 1:50 to 2:30 dragged on a bit too long IMO. Still, I love the beat and the melodies after 2:30 or so. I will beg you to start ending pieces properly, though. I'm literally on my knees right now, Johnfn. Fade-out endings are just not my cup of tea. Still, solid effort as always. It's a nice, smooth, and relaxing piece. Keep it up! ;)

johnfn responds:

Pffff. I like that one thing that you didn't like. I can't believe we have a difference of opinion on such a thing! You like the thing and I don't like the thing. Can you believe this thing?!?...

[Troubled Sands]

Haha, I like the desert theme. I'm not sure I liked a lot of the samples, but compositionally it's a cool piece. Good use of harmonies and whatnot. The loop isn't bad, but I don't think this is a structurally complete piece as it is. Cool melodies and drums, though, and the mixing is pretty good. I think I recognized a number of Garageband presets in there. ;P Hmm...yeah, not much more to add. It has some potential, but I think it needs some more progression. 1:01 could function as a neat sort of breakdown, but as it is now it's more of a coda. I would look for some melodic development and other climaxes in the 2nd half of this piece (if it was there, haha). Otherwise, keep up the good work, you guys! ^_~

LunacyEcho responds:

Yikes, sorry this took so long to respond to! I've been... busy, to say the least. :P

=> mixing is pretty good =>

Yay! I'm getting faster at it, too!

=> some more progression =>

Well, it's just a minute-long loop. :P Is progression really that necessary?

=> melodic development =>

I love the Phrygian scale, and you'll definitely see me explore it in further depth in later music.

Thanks a lot! Sorry for the lateness!

[Equilibria - Blood Moon (Teaser)]

I love the tranquil and somewhat dark intro. You might need a smoother transition into :18. Perhaps a larger pause there would help. Sometimes the progression of the guitar and piano seems a bit frantic and hard-to-follow. Some pads/drums/basslines might help tie everything together nicely. I enjoyed the gritty, hard-hitting drop at 1:10. I thought your drums were a little loud, but I enjoyed the bridge towards the end of the track as it is now (I'm sure it won't be the end to the track upon its completion). ;) There's a lot of potential here - I like the instruments and the themes. Maybe you should think about the structure/progression and transitions a bit more, though. Keep it up, DM! ^^

Dylnmatrix responds:

Thanks man! Since this is only the intro of the track, a lot of the structure is pretty simple in the teaser. It gets really complex as the track moves on. We took a ton of influence from some of our favorite metal/EDM tracks, notably most of Seamless' metal tracks. It's a brand new area for us, so making the track progress well was difficult although fun.

The mixing stuff you brought up has been fixed now (not in the teaser but the track itself). The teaser was made before I began the mastering process.

This track is really something different and unique from us, so I hope you enjoy it when the EP releases!

Thanks for the review man! (And sorry about the suuper late reply haha)

[Stairway to Voice Acting]

Lol, this is actually pretty disturbing. 0_O At first, I had just thought it was just okay, and then after around :30 I had decided that I wasn't going to review this piece because it didn't really appeal to me musically (to put it politely). It was only at around :50 that I realized it was a joke, and by 1:20 I was laughing so hard I was concerned that I would wake my parents up and my Dad would get angry with me. XD It's strange to say, but this actually has more comedic value than musical value for me. I especially love the cough and "yep" at the end. XD You seriously should try voice acting sometime. No one knows what LSD will do next...and that's the most awesome/disturbing part! ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

"Lol, this is actually pretty disturbing"

=> Then my work here is done ;)

Hahha, this is definitely not meant to have great musical value. What I woul've wanted more of is consistency and such things, but I had already ruined my vocal chords enough by this point.

And as I wrote in the TL;DR description, this is not a track to be taken seriously. I am working on a track that I think you'll really enjoy (I hope), but as it's for a contest, it won't be out in a while. I'm aslo working on the track for NIM with Dem0, AND I am doing some other things. I can't wait to upload those things...

I'm impressed by how long it took for you to realize that this is a joke. But I guess I was gradually getting weirder. I'm glad I got a laugh out of you though, as comedic value is what I was aiming for. I will definitely try out some voice acting at some point, as it's soooo much easier than to sing with different voices :p

I'm glad I left the cough and the "yep" in there. I think it leaves I nice touch.

I am also known for being unpredictable. Sometime, I should surprise everyone by trying out animating.

Thanks a lot for the review!

P.S. Sorry for the huge delay, but I've been a bit busy. Luckily, I have time to reply to your PM today!