TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Illusions (Step 1)]

TeraVex, my man! :D I haven't heard from you in a while...Anyway, I really like the atmosphere and progression. The oscillating synths and sweeps really create this tranquil and pensive mood. I envision this as a prog house track in its final form, maybe with a bit more detail added to the intro (:00 - 1:02). 1:02 is a solid transitory moment into 1:08...I can just picture the sunrise, the strings coming in and the birds singing in contrast to the gray pre-dawn light in the part that ends at 1:02 (sorry, I'm in a weird mood today). Nice work, though. I think it lacks fill right now (but you already knew that). I'd love to hear some strings/pads moving and some uplifting melody coming in after 1:08 - a glorious morning in full form. I'm kind of getting a similar vibe to that of, say...Deadmau5's "There Might be Coffee." ;) Good to have you back, man! ^^

TeraVex responds:

Thanks for your thoughts! I was actually shooting for a deadmau5y feel to this song, so I'm glad you got that vibe!

[Vappu]

Don't worry - weird is good! :D It's very bouncy and busy and fun...I like it a lot! The bells and weird pads really add a lot to the piece! Why don't you make some of these pieces into full-length tracks, man?! The instruments and moods are my favorite part. Makes me think of getting lost in a giant obstacle course with tons of over-sized clowns, and basically being the pawn in a giant game of circus-themed pinball! XD Nice work as always, LSD! ;)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Weird, bouncy and full of crazy stuff; that's what I was aiming for :3
I personally love bells! I would use them in every song if they'd fit XD

"Why don't you make some of these pieces into full-length tracks, man?!"

=> The laziness!! D:
I'm actually working on a full length track at the moment (two if you count the collab. Possibly up
to 3, but last one will take quite a while...)

I like using a large variety of instruments and combining them in new ways. If nothing else, it can help with keeping tracks interesting. I'm not really that traditional with instrumentation, I guess :/
(Whatever sounds good = good :p)

Thanks for the review! I should really go respond to that message of yours, now that I have time XD

[riding the harmonics]

Ah, I always enjoy your quirky beats, Johnfn! :D Interesting how you started this one with the drums instead of a fade-in with the synths or something. ;) Awesome melodies as usual. Cool synths and structure and smooth transitions...It would be great if you found a different library of synths/different plug-in to work with in the future though...just for some variety. That includes the bass too. Still, I liked it a lot: very blissful and catchy, and the ending was one of your better ones, too! :D Keep up the great work, Johnfn! ^^

johnfn responds:

Yay drums! Yes I do need new instruments. Perhaps that will be next month's theme!!! :O

Thanks for the review!

[Desert Sandstorm]

I love the tribal/ethnic theme and the dark mood. That creepy percussion at the beginning really introduced that vibe well, and you really did a great job of making it climactic/structuring it well. The percussion doesn't necessarily sound 100% authentic all the time, especially the melody instruments at 1:25, for some reason. I like how it got all energetic toward the end, though, and the ending in general was well-done. The mixing might need some work, however - the drums get masked by the pads and strings on the climactic parts. Overall, I like it a lot! You're definitely not just one to stick with techno and dubstep, LunacyEcho, and it's much appreciated! ;D

LunacyEcho responds:

=> intro =>

Yay! You're like the first one who likes the intro. :D

=> melody instruments =>

That's actually an African marimba. I get that it probably doesn't sound really authentic, but you can probably chalk that up to low-ish quality instruments. :P

=> ending was well-done =>

I actually think I have a problem with all of my endings being structured as chorus->final note. At least it works (apparently)!

=> mixing of drums =>

See, the way things work in Garageband is that I put all of my percussion sounds into two tracks for the sake of not slowing my computer down. Any more and it gets really laggy. So, the only way to raise the volume of some drum noises while keeping the others at the same level is basically to stack notes in the piano roll (I think you've used Garageband before, so you should probably have a basic idea of what I mean). I do agree that I could've made the heavy percussive beats louder during the climactic parts, but I guess I got too lazy about having to keep copying and pasting stuff back onto a single track.

Thanks for the review, TheDoor!

[the seas will forget your name]

Fantastic! :D I love the pizzicato-esque beginning - combined with the reverb, it really conveys a dark yet also strangely calming mood effectively. The harmonies and melodies were, as always, excellent, although I think you did an especially good job this time of creating a sufficient amount of fill throughout the piece. I love the title by the way - it really speaks to the mood of the piece. Of course, the glitches always help - a piece of yours can never be completely pure again, can it, Johnfn? XD I think the drums at 2:25 are a little too loud. I understand that you were trying to add energy/drama, but I think you over-did it a bit. You did a good job of creating contrast and variety throughout, though, especially with that "high point"/climax between around 3:00 and 3:30. The chill yet ominous mood it takes on around 4:00 is really interesting. I love all the reverb on the drums there, too - they really add to the sense of mystery. I love those pads that keep fading in and out of the mix for the last 1.5 minutes or so - they appear most prominently at 4:20, I believe. I thought ending with the piano was very fitting as well. Amazing work as always, Johnfn! :D

johnfn responds:

Thanks! Haha I spent a lot of time thinking about the name for the piece. So I guess it worked :)

Glitches are the one constant in music. They will ALWAYS make a song better. (Even if it already has glitches.)

God darn it I actually completely agree with how loud that one snare is at 2:25... I didn't even notice until I uploaded and then I was like "argh" :p

Glad you liked it though :D