TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Resolve]

Simple and short, yet the emotional quality of it is still very meaningful. The title is fitting: the piece itself is a transitory moment marking the arrival at a conclusion...a revelation! It also loops fairly well. Well done again, Step. Well done.

Step responds:

Aw thanks! That means a lot. Even though it's a small little thing, the fact that it fits its intended role fills me with relief since I'm still a relatively inexperienced composer.

Also WOW you reviewed my latest five tracks! You da bomb.

[Imminence]

I love the ominous beginning, aided especially by those lounge vibes and how they combine with those synths and pianos. Is there nothing you can't do? I love those synths that fade in and out and oscillate between two notes...they really add to the mood. Lai's Theme was excellent, and this was a slam dunk as well! The sense of climax into 2:27 is excellent. Almost makes me think of a murder mystery or something...it's fast-paced, yet contemplative and intelligent, like Sherlock Holmes is quickly uncovering the evil schemes of the antagonist! I didn't even notice that it looped the first time it did, it was so clean! Excellent work, my friend. Structure, transitions, mood/atmosphere, instruments, production quality, etc. are all superb! Keep it up, for the love of God! ;D

Step responds:

That oscillating synth thingamabob was just me trying to find a way to add tension to the track haha. I do quite enjoy it as well myself. 2:27's climax... I just had to put it there. I know this is background music and all but I am really really bad at making ambient, soft tracks. I tried to restrain myself as much as possible in that climax. I don't think it'll sound too out of place in a visual novel though.

You're right, it DOES sound like a mystery theme. Totally unintentional haha.

Thanks a million, this review is so encouraging.

[Glass Sky]

Yay, I love the instruments and melodies. The bass at :40 is also quite catchy. It somehow combos well with that quirky, bright piano. Nice use of synths. Structurally, there isn't much variety, but it is very short. I also liked the instrument you used for the snare. Anyway, I think you could do more with this. It has a lot of potential, even though you wrote it above the ocean. ;) As for the chord changes, I think the bass indicates those more than any other instrument. Especially pay attention to the notes the bass plays at the beginning of every measure, and you could use those to make some pads or something in order to expand upon the ideas you have in this piece. Still, you did a nice job with this one! :D Keep it up. ;) Also, have you been getting my PMs?

LunacyEcho responds:

=> bass at :40 =>

I think this is one of my best basslines. It's got a great melody and I think it's a pretty cool instrument I've never used before. The melody was actually based on a simplified version of the main melody, since (in my earphones) it somehow takes precedence as an instrument even though there's also a piano playing as well. Weird.

=> snare =>

That was a drum machine's snare. Again, experimental. I'm glad you liked it! I actually think this drum machine has the most potential out of all the elements I used here. You'll probably be hearing more of it later!

=> chord changes =>

The bass is pretty dissonant, especially in that part where the second synth lead plays. I sort of spammed notes while playing that without particular regard to what the chords were, which makes it sound pretty horrible. :P Pads are also pretty important, and I worked a while on those (the outro strings) because I felt it would sound a lot worse if those were wrong than if the bass was (and is) wrong.

Thanks a lot for the review! Don't worry, I've been getting your PMs. :D

[To Zanarkand (Piano Cover)]

This is another piece I deeply regret neglecting to review when it was first released. I love the emotion and mood. It has a great sense of direction, too. Nice job with the dynamics and phrasing. I can't exactly give you points for originality (compositionally), but I still applaud you on a well-performed piece. The ups and downs of the piece really tug at my emotions. Nice job keeping up the mood! I'm not very familiar with Final Fantasy X, but this piece really puts an image in my head, which I love. Nice job, LSD! Keep up the inspiring work, and good luck in your final days in the army! ;D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Whoah, 4 new reviews from you while I was gone o.O
Thank you!
The only originality of mine in this piece is indeed the arrangement, so I forgive you for not giving me points for that XD
Final Fantasy X is a great game in my opinion, and I think in order to really understand the piece one needs to play it. Even better if one has played it during early youth, as nostalgia is (at least to me) what the piece delivers.
It's a beautiful piece to most any listener though, as far as I'm concerned :)

P.S. ONLY 10 DAYS LEFT!

[Jungle Swing]

Hmm...I love the tribal theme. I can see why both "donkey" and "kong" are tagged. ;) The monkey FX helps establish the mood. This is an excellent arrangement, friends. Obviously, the original is a classic, but the amount of creativity and originality you bring to the table is superb. I especially love the guitar solo around 2:15. The heavy use of drums really adds a lot to the theme of the piece, and the structural relief provided by 3:10 helps create some much-needed contrast. I like this style of music...somehow it fits Donkey Kong. :) I definitely think it was appropriate to bring back the main theme as you did at 4:35. That said, I didn't think the bit at 5:00 was quite necessary. It's a little misleading to have a soft ending after an apparently grand conclusion at 4:59. I know a lot of your pieces have quiet endings, Step, but it doesn't quite seem appropriate here to me...Anyway, marvelous work overall! I greatly admire people who can play real instruments this well! :D Nice job, everyone!

Step responds:

There are two things I strive for when making an arrangement. I want it to be enjoyable (surprise surprise), and I want it to provide an experience that's WORTH listening to, even with the original in place. I mean, what's the point of an arrangement if it sounds similar to the original? So I always try and add new things that weren't in the original, and basically create a listening experience that differs from the source material. Therefore, it's great to hear that you think it's creative :3.

You know, regarding that fluff at the very end... I initially didn't have anything there. I added it afterwards to add more references to the Stickerbrush Symphony theme, and because I intended it to transition into Rush of the Rainforest by Buoy (in the official track order of the album). With an ending like that it would transition beautifully into that track. It ended up not being before Rush of the Rainforest in the final album order though, and by then it was too late to remove it haha.

But yeah, I agree it isn't entirely fitting. Thanks for the review!

[Tune of Tempests]

Ah, I love the emotion right off the bat. The combination of the bells and the piano really pulls at my emotions. The strings add to that effect. Great sense of direction this song has once the horns come in. I love how the piano arps/sweep combo at :48 gives the effect of wind. I imagine a lone man with an overcoat and briefcase wandering the Great Plains during the Great Depression, looking for work. You combine an incredible amount of instruments, and the flute and vocals around 2:00 really demonstrated a height of the haunting beauty which always pervades your pieces, Step. Excellent job with dynamic contrast, instrumentation, mixing/mastering, and pretty much everything else. Your sense of melodic development is top-notch, and I absolutely love your use of the running water FX around 3:55 to transition back to the bells/strings/piano combo. I absolutely adore when pieces like this come full-circle. It really makes for an excellent perspective on the world behind the music. I'm running out of adjectives to describe your music, Step. Marvelous, fantastic, outstanding, superb, bone-chillingly beautiful, and amazing are a few, though. ;D Keep it up, my friend!

Step responds:

I am definitely quite proud of the intro, and the way it come a full circle. I had that idea in mind ever since I began working on the track. I have little ideas like these at the start of a track's production, and I always get excited to implement them :p.

This is a huuugely encouraging review, man. I feel like Beethoven right now seriously. STAHP.

Thanks a lot!

[Crushed]

Ay, it's Larry! :D I like the mysterious intro. There are some pretty cool synths in here, like the one at 1:01. Overall, though, it felt sort of dry and bare - not a lot going on, especially during the first minute or so. I love the breaks at 1:30, and you did a nice job with the structuring and transitioning, but it progresses very slowly. I like those arpeggios at 1:56. At some points, some of the instruments were a little loud, like the piano that comes in at 2:11. The mixing also isn't your best, but I understand that you made this project a long time ago. You have a great sense of harmony. Those breaks at 2:53 were a little disorienting, but I think they could've worked if you had a beat going on in the background to keep them grounded in the rhythmic development of the song as a whole. The coda was pretty effective in concluding the song, though. Overall, not your best work, but I'm still looking forward to seeing what else you'll produce this year and beyond! I'm TheDoor6, btw. I changed my name in September. Good luck with school and your future projects, man. ;D

larrynachos responds:

Hey TL! I'm glad you enjoyed the song. I agree with most of your points. I'm terrible at mixing, so the instruments are always conflicting.

I don't think I'll ever be able to live up to my "best work". My passion for music composition is on a steady decline, and I think I'm nearing the end of my golden age ("The Fall of Larrynachos" or something).

P.s. I must have accidentally unfollowed you. Sorry! I re-followed you :)

[This is Snake]

I love the atmosphere at the beginning, and the spacey drums and pads (with portamentos at :39!) are just awesome. It sounds like my soul is slowly being sucked into the maw of hell by the powers of black magic! The riff at 1:04 gave this piece an ethnic vibe, and the production quality is amazing! I love the emotion and the sense of climax, and moments like 2:03 really help put this dramatic mood in context. The subtle synth arpeggios around 3:10 really got to me too. I love your style, Step - the neo-orchestral cinematic music with electronic influences is just amazing! 5:03 really got me re-oriented with the direction the piece was headed. Amazing sense of variation and originality. This is spectacular! Not only does this piece paint an image in my head, it physically takes me on a journey. At the same time, you maintain an excellent sense of coherence and flow, despite the fast-paced nature of it. Has anyone ever told you that you could make a living out of this? Because I think you can if you really set your mind to it. Hollywood's calling for soundtracks like this, Step! All you have to do is respond...Keep up the awe-inspiring work, my friend! I deeply regret not reviewing this earlier. :O

Step responds:

Whoopsies, just realised I forgot all about this review. I deeply regret not RESPONDING to this earlier. D:

First off, thanks a million for all those reviews you left me man. Huuuge amount of support! I have an ego the size of China right now hahaha. I'm really happy you picked up on all those little things which I gave particular attention to myself.

I don't know if you've played Metal Gear at all, but all the stuff up till 1:47 is an arrangement of the theme that plays in Metal Gear Solid 3 when the enemies go into "caution mode" (when they're patrolling and looking for you). The cool part about you calling it ethnic is that the original (http://goo.gl/WIxCsT) is actually very ethnic in itself, so that was a good observation! It takes place in a jungle, which is probably why.

2:03's voice-over is actually the same thing that the guards say in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops when they've found you and are calling for backup. Of course, I couldn't just use the sample from the game so I got my friend Benjamin to record that and added a bunch of radio effects on it. That synth arpeggio is a nod to a similar arpeggio that appears in the Super Smash Bros arrangement of the Encounter theme. The bit at 5:03 is an arrangement of one of my favourite video game pieces of all time; the Metal Gear Solid 2 main theme... Echo and I put a lot of thought into this haha.

Yes, people have told me I can make a living out of this, and while I'm flattered, I don't think it'll work out. I'm just too worried about the unstable nature of a musician's career, and plus I'm deaf from one ear which places a few limitations on me when it comes to music production.

Anyway, this is some really high praise. I am super thrilled you enjoyed this, since it's one of the recent tracks I am most proud of. THANKS for the review!

[Comodo]

I like the bell at the beginning. Very dark...I love how you left yourself a lot of space for an epic build, although it does progress pretty slowly. I think you did well with all the structural changes, and you definitely keep up the dark mood throughout! It's good for Halloween. :) I think some parts sound a lot like your other pieces, e.x. the transition at 2:10 is very similar to some you've used before. That said, the mixing is top-notch. It does get a little repetitive by the end, even though it's relatively short, but the ending seems fitting. Keep it up! Despite my criticisms, I like your style a lot, BoomKitty. ;)

BoomKitty responds:

<3 .