TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[A Silence / A Brilliance]

Woah! Haven't been here in a while...How's in goin', Adieuwinter? :D I love the atmospheric intro and the dreamy synths and pads. I love the progression. The little descent into minor keys at :53 seemed a little out-of-place at first, but overall it helps add some direction to the piece. I thought the drums at 1:02 were a little busy and arbitrary. I think the mixing isn't great...maybe EQ'ing those drums a little more would help create some space, but I think you still need to simplify it a bit. I loved that open hat on beat 4 of every measure between 1:02 and ~1:30. :) By 1:40 it got really dark and minimalistic. It didn't really seem to compliment the first 1.5 minutes of the piece very well. I think you need to connect those parts better, and a smoother transition into 2:38 would be nice, too. I must admit, that beat works a lot better at 2:38 IMO. I think by 3:20 there were some melodies that were, again, a bit too busy given the chill atmosphere. Step-wise melodies with ONLY A FEW jumps are usually ideal, as I think you need to simplify them there. That said, I liked the mood a lot by around 4:10, and that white noise that gradually crept up-front in the mix was cool. I liked the way you ended it, too, even if I was somewhat fooled by the pads at 4:42 after a seemingly conclusive fade-out. Overall, well done! I think you're good at these ambient tracks, Adieuwinter. I was tough on you in this review, but the instruments, melodies, mood and atmosphere are all really well done. I'd work a bit on the transitions and structuring, but otherwise great job. I'm TheDoor6 btw...I changed my name in September. ;D

adieuwinter responds:

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! Haven't gotten such a thorough review for a while. Lately I've been finding some trouble as to working with mixing drums effectively in the busier sections of these ambient pieces - I'll keep going at it! So I've tried making a few adjustments with this one based on your comments; I've covered the dark, minimalistic portion with a layer of ambient synths that sound more in tune. At the moment I'm still working on simplifying the drumbeats and melodies, but maybe when I'm done with it I'll upload and you can have a listen? I dunno.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words and being critical too!
(and I caught the name change when you did it back then :D)

[Tribute to Detektivbyrån]

NO REVIEWERS?! Let's fix that! I like the energy in this piece. It sounds like spring. <3 A lot of your pieces could function as background music for montages, I've noticed. ;D It seems a little too fast for a waltz, though, like the footage of the montage was sped up for comic effect. Interesting work with the tempo changes at :40, but this needed a full-length breakdown in order to function as a structurally complete piece IMO. The ending made it feel pretty conclusive, however. Interesting work. I'm sorry Detektivbyran broke up (I don't know how to make the accent on the a. Sorry). I appreciated hearing something that wasn't in 4/4 for once, though, haha. ;D Keep up the good work, my friend!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Problum faund - faund fix- fixd it.

I can see how this reminds you of spring :)
I think it was made during late winter though :/

There is no such thing as too fast for a waltz! (only really fast dancers!!!)

About the tempo changes... Just a weird thing I added there for no reason. I always play it like that though!

I think this is a pretty short piece. That said, there is no proper length that a piece should be (only the length most people are used to, partly because of the attention spans, and because of the laziness of artists) :p

You don't know how to write an "å"? Blasphemy!!!

"I appreciated hearing something that wasn't in 4/4 for once"

=> Busted...

Thank you once again, dear friend ;)

[These Days]

Very emotional and atmospheric. Sounds like some sort of trance to me. The synths at :25 got a little high-pitched and harsh-sounding, but I like the melody itself a lot. I think you could do a lot more with this, Ale. In fact, this part might function as a sort of breakdown or bridge for a full-length piece. As it is now, it doesn't make that bad of a loop though. Interesting stuff. Have you ever made a full-length electronic piece, though? XD Keep up the good work!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

It does kind of sound like some kind of trance, now that you mention it o.O

I understand your point about the synths at 0:25. I just used the first best presets I could find to make a quick experiment, so there's a lot to criticise here XD
The melody was really what I was practicing, as you can easily make a good melody in electronic pieces (which I wanted to prove to myself).

I haven't made a full-lenght electronic piece! That is one of the things I intend to do once I get home again :3

Thanks!

[Chompy]

Ahh, I missed this one? No way! I love that jungle-y groove at the beginning, and the climax into :43 is awesome. It's a very fun and jazzy piece. I liked how you faded out the screeching monkey FX at 1:06, even if it sounded a bit unnatural. It definitely seems appropriate for a videogame as well - it's fast-paced and fun, yet the theme is very succinct. Once again, I didn't even notice that it looped the first time it did! :O I swear I can just perfectly picture a bunch of jungle animals doing jazz hands all the way to the river to get a drink of water. XD All the solos in the middle of the piece are awesome as well. All of these talented musicians did an excellent job, and you mastered it into a final product really well, Step. Your music is simultaneously feel-good, relatable and epic! Well, I'm off to go make other people feel good about their music for a while...but you keep producing! I'll be back, haha! ;D

Step responds:

Oh sure write me another review because YOU WEREN'T AWESOME ENOUGH ALREADY.

Really glad you liked this one. The fading monkey FX would've been without the delay, but I thought it was a bit abrupt, and adding a bunch of reverb gave a lot of unfitting space/largeness to the track, so I opted for a minor delay effect.

Yup, I'm very grateful to the musicians who played in this track. Some of them have played in multiple pieces of mine and while I haven't met any of them (everything is done through camoshark) I hope they know that some random guy in Malta is super thankful. c:

Thanks for ANOTHER review, seriously.

[Jazzimprov]

Ooooo...so jazzy! :D This piece really displays your excellent sense of rhythm. I love the variety - sometimes it's emotional and light, at other times it's dark, energetic and heavy. I'm usually a fan of using clashing chords to channel emotion, but I think you almost went a little too far this time. Improvised jazz can seem random if not carefully structured. That said, there was a good sense of direction throughout the piece. I thought it was all pretty smooth-flowing, and I especially love the transition into 4:45. Very groovy around that part. It then quickly evolves into a lighter, emotional piece around 5:10, though - I love all the ups and downs! I also really liked the part at 6:50. There's no doubt that you're incredibly skilled at playing the piano. I would suggest that you try this improv again with some of the same themes/ideas, now that you've had an initial chance to flesh them out. I understand that you used only a few chords throughout, and it's all in the same key, but to the casual listener it comes off as a little arbitrary at times. Oh, and I know the recording got cut off while you were playing, but please at least reverb your way out next time (yes, I just used "reverb" as a verb). Electronic manipulation would do you some good at the end of this piece in order to properly wrap it up. Sorry I'm being so critical. Overall, I was very impressed, of course. Keep up the great work! I love your piano improvs, LSD! :D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hahha, jazzy indeed. I don't know.. My sense of rhythm is actually not that good, considering I'm a musician. It is improving though!
Variety is a pretty common thing in my compositions and improvisations. That said, I personally think this is a quite repetitive improv. The only thing that really changes some is the melody, and it's in the same key all the time :)

"Improvised jazz can seem random if not carefully structured"

=> Oh, I assure you, this is very random and not carefully structured XD

4:45 was really a total accident, and I lost grasp of the jazziness for a while. Mistakes though, don't have to be bad! I always find that the most interesting of results and sounds show up because of them ;)

Ups and downs ey? I pretty much unconsciously play around the whole piano, using softer and harsher tones without even thinking about it. I guess it's just the flow, when you're living through the music (or something else that is as cheesy).

You know, I probably will try working with the same theme again sometime in the future!

Yeah. There's nothing initially wrong with playing everything using the same chords and the same key. As long as it sounds good and keeps the listener listening, everything is fine :)

That ending was quite rushed indeed...

Wait... Critical? I must have missed something XD

Thanks for another long review! I owe you a good one in one of your future songs ;)

[Skyless]

Ah...very bassy and catchy and cool. I love that crisp and snare as well as the structure. The vocals really add a lot to it. I can tell you've grown a lot throughout this competition! You have an amazing voice. I love the breaks at 2:14. I like the dreamy bit at 2:40. It really helps create some dynamic contrast. The ending was a bit sudden. I think you should've at least let the reverb do the work for you there. Overall great work, though! ;D Also, may I ask what the lyrics are?

garlagan responds:

Thanks a lot for all the reviews Andrew! I really appreciate it!
Here's the lyrics: soundcloud.com/garlagan/skyless

[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!