TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Classic Square Loop]

It's "Yankee Doodle Dandy!" :D "Yankee doodle went to town, riding on a pony. Stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni!" It was originally published as an insult to American colonists in the 1700s, but now is considered a patriotic song for all Americans, especially in Connecticut. I could actually see you going somewhere with this, though. The cute, simple melody line is fitting for a videogame, and it has a strange energy to it as well. It loops well, too. Not much else to say - it is only 7 seconds long - but maybe you could elaborate on this melody, even if it is almost 250 years old! ;)

TastyTeo responds:

hahaha true, thanks man!

[the song of the sea]

Dude, are you making a sea-themed EP or something? XD Anyway, this is really chill. I love the atmosphere and mood. I thought the clap at :49 had WAY too much reverb for a piece this mellow, though. It's really easy to space out when I listen to this, but that's a good thing! ;) I loved the LFO effect (is that an LFO effect?) at 1:59. Your melodies are hypnotic, and the structure is very well-done. It just perfectly channels my emotions away from cold, dreary New England. I loved how you got glitch-y around 3:00. That said, some of the instruments sounded a little high-pitched and harsh at times, and this is especially noticeable at 3:05. The ending is dreamy and brilliant, though. Overall, this is another fantastic piece of music. You should seriously consider charging people money for this. I would pay! :)

johnfn responds:

LOL I don't know. Last month I was really obsessed with snow and wrote like 5 snow related songs. (Most were improvs that didn't see the light of day.) I just have these weird obsessions sometimes.

Yeah the reverb on that clap doesn't really fit in until later.

"It's really easy to space out when I listen to this" Yeah I've been trying to de-busy my pieces and have more space and less things happening. I think it gives this piece a really chill feel.

I kinda agree that 3:05 is harsh, but argh I also kinda think that it works. Like I dunno how I'd get that emotion out without a similar sounding synth. Time to do more sound design exploration I guess.

> album

I have thoughts about this. SECRET THOUGHTS. (Not really.) But I usually keep my project ideas close until I finish them - or at least start them - because I've found that talking about my ideas makes me less likely to actually finishing them. So it could be a while before I start talking about it. It might end up being something you don't expect though.

[Bound By Fate (Original Mix)]

This is very good. I can really tell the mixing and mastering has improved a lot, and the vocals definitely add a lot to the piece as well. What plug-in did you use for the piano, btw? The piano in the original almost sounded out-of-tune at times, so I'm glad you replaced it. The structure and transitions are very well-done. All the structural twists and turns really make this piece feel cinematic in a way. The mood is the perfect mixture of energetic and atmospheric. The only thing I feel the need to point out in the negative for this piece is that the texture feels a little too thick for me around 5:58 and at other places (although this might just be because I'm not used to hearing it with vocals). Overall, this is one of my favorite pieces of yours, so I'm really glad you remastered it. Also, may I ask what the lyrics are, please? Anyway, I hope I'll hear from you again sooner rather than later. Btw, I can't describe how awesome it made me feel when you linked my channel to the text "You should go listen to this dude." I'm honored. Thanks Matt! ;D Talk to you soon. ^^

Dylnmatrix responds:

Thanks man. Yeah, I'd have to say that it's you getting acclimated to the vocals. It was also hard to mix those in, so I might have messed up somewhere in that regard.

Also, lyrics have been added to the author comments :3

Edit: Oh yeah I forgot to tell you what I used for my piano. It was the Nexus Grandpiano, from none other than Nexus.

[Solitude Salvation]

I like the instruments and the mood. In the beginning it sounds like you're creating some space for climax, like something's about to happen, but it progressed a little slowly in general. I thought the chords cut off a little suddenly at :34. I think either the sidechain or the limiter affects the strings too much between 1:06 and 1:33. I'm not sure what level you're at with the mixing yet, but please never use limiters on the master channel. Instead, adjust the volume levels in the mixer until the peak meter (top-center of screen) never turns red throughout the piece. Also, that instrument you used for the bass drum sounded a little inauthentic, and I think it had too much reverb. Lastly, I'm afraid the fade-out ending sounded a bit boring. Sorry this isn't really a very positive review, TeraVex. I do like the structure and reflective moods, and it would be good for a videogame, but I can't help going all out to make sure this track reaches its full potential. :) Happy new year! ;D

TeraVex responds:

I understand what you mean.
This was rushed out because I was working on something. (A prelude to Dawn Of Destruction) and it's not going to be done for a while so my apologies, I'll be sure to fix this up a little because honestly I agree with everything you've said up to this point.

[Just some doodles]

This certainly is a deviation from some of your other stuff, Matt. It's a little distorted for my tastes, and it gets very repetitive after a while, but it does feel very climactic and energetic. I like the transition at 2:05 a lot, but I think it could've led more of somewhere. The track does loop well, however. I think you need to use some other synths besides Z3TA+ and Sylenth because your music almost has TOO MUCH integrity across tracks. Also, the balance seems a little off at times: the bass completely overpowers the pads and melodies. Furthermore, I think the kick should be a bit louder - dubstep really relies on the contrast between the kick and the snare for the intense mood it communicates. Sorry if this review seems a bit nit-picky and negative, but I feel like I've learned a lot in the four months since I've reviewed one of your tracks and I'm trying to use that info to help you! ;) Talk to you soon, Matt! ;D

Dylnmatrix responds:

Thanks man. Appreciate all the reviews!

Honestly, I have a hard time seperating myself from Z3TA. I've become so emotionally glued to the damn thing and it's amazing library of synths and such that it's hard for me to put down. Also, Dr. Fresh and Sandstorm...I can't let them go. Espec. Sandstorm. I loooooove that gritty son of a bitch. But I've always been into distorted, gritty leads.

Anyways, I'll be sure to send you the improvements to the track when we finish it. I'll even write myself a note to remember.