TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Fairytale Continues]

I like the warm pads at the beginning. The rhythms are a bit square in the piano melodies - a lot of sixteenth notes in a row, and the contour is a bit hard-to-follow at times too, especially when you start introducing the chromatic notes at around :57. I like the mellow beats at around 1:10, but I think the strings and other harmonies could’ve been a bit more distinct in the mix there. The entire middle section of the piece feels a bit stale after a while, with very little changing in the texture for a full minute or so. You’re really aiming for a contrapuntal sort of melodic style where there are multiple attention-grabbing lines at the same time, especially at around 2:20. It’s a bit too ambitious at times, tbh. I think you need to consolidate some of your melodic ideas here and focus and keeping the listener grounded. Right now, all of the rapid chord changes and meandering melodic contour are very disorienting. It’s really hard to describe how to write strong, memorable, and dynamic melodies, but I think the ones you have in here are a bit too heavy on the “dynamic” part and not heavy enough on the “memorable” part. Otherwise, I like the cute sound design, upbeat mood, and crisp beats here. Keep at it, GeminiGemini! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
5.75/10

GeminiGemini responds:

Thank you. In fact, this composition was not quite round. :D

[Heuristic]

I like the quirky effects and percussion at the beginning. The atmosphere at :17 is nice and rich, and the heavy bass and brass help balance it out really well. I’m usually not a big fan of sudden shifts in the sound palette or energy level, but the abrupt transitions here fit the character of the piece rather well IMO. Ditto for the slow pacing. That said, I think the much more downtempo section at 2:08 could’ve been more well-integrated with the busier beat from earlier. The jazzy harmonies there help keep me engaged, and I like how you bring back a more mellow version of the quirky percussion and effects from the first half. The melancholy brass line was a great way of giving closure to a piece that, in retrospect, does seem rather reminiscent of a dying computer, both with the sound design and the mood. Evocative work here, Crescince! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

Cresince responds:

Thank you as always for the detailed review, I am very glad you liked it!

[Dream, Run, Fly]

I like the quirky synth pads at the beginning and the cutesy arpeggios that fade in at around :12. The blissful melodies at :20 are really great, and the mixing is solid as well. Later on, the piece gets a tad repetitive, and also didn’t really feel structurally complete. That said, the guitar outro was a great idea, and the upbeat mood and rich atmosphere really won me over on this one. I’d encourage you to keep working on this one. It doesn’t quite scratch all of the itches (i.e., for melodic development, structural contrast, variety in the instrumental palette, etc.) that a full-length track probably would, but you already have me tapping my foot and bopping my head. Keep at it, BAOWZ-Tobass! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10

BAOWZ-Tobass responds:

Thanks. I'm agreeing with you. This is repetitive but quite addictive imo. I'll finish it if ever i find some new ideas for it

[Walkabout]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. I definitely can hear the jazz influence here. The bass line is great, the mid-range syncopations mesh so well together, and the drums are crisp and refreshing. That string line at :58 has a nice sighing tone to it, and the dissonance at 1:13 is good for some contrast. At times, the track seems surprisingly minimal, and I wished the bass was a bit more prominent in the mix during some of the downtempo sections. This piece might also benefit from some more distinct structuring, as right now the energy level is pretty constant, despite the variety in the sound design and rhythmic elements. I especially like the scratchy zipper-sounding effect at 2:45 or so. The glitchy breaks at 3:13 fill a nice contrasting role with the more melodious texture earlier, and once you started overlaying the melodies at 3:31 I was seriously jamming out. The strings helped drag me back down to earth at 3:51, and overall you hit the piece home really well. I haven’t heard many tracks in this competition that take a more contrapuntal approach to layering melodies over each other and try to maintain your interest with so many different instruments at once, so that’s good enough for full-credit in the “originality” category in my book. Also, I’m really digging the production quality, rhythmic content, sound design, and atmosphere of this one. Keep up the good work, xkatttt! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

xkatttt responds:

Wow thanks so much for the positive review! I’ll try to incorporate your advice heading forward. It was fun being part of the competition! <3

[PRGX - Potato]

I like the injection of energy at the beginning and the rushed build-up at :10. The flashy synths, loud and crisp mix, and catchy beats make this piece really fun and danceable. The vocal samples may have been overused after a while, but you do a good job of adding some structural contrast between frantic drops and more mellow sections into the texture. The production quality is also really good - heavy on the compression, but still has the volume levels under control in the output. Some more variety on the main melodies later on would’ve been welcome, and you also use a lot of stop-start transitions for my tastes in this piece, but overall this piece is super catchy, upbeat, and snazzy. The melodies during the outro at 3:05 were a nice touch too. Keep at it, PRGX! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

PRGX responds:

Thank you very much for the review, didn't expected to be classified :D, I would continue trying to improve (sorry if my english was bad)

[The Great Dictator]

The stereo crackles and moody piano riff at the beginning are really effective with the Charlie Chaplin vocals. I would’ve liked to hear a more gradual/smooth transition into :25, though - I wasn’t really expecting the electric guitar after the old-timey vibe of the first 24 seconds. The guitar solos at :50 are really neat, although I think you overuse the piano flourishes a bit. The mixing is pretty good, although at times I wanted the drums to be crisper, and the bass to be more distinct. After the great emotional appeal of the vocals at the beginning, the rest of the structure of the piece feels a tad formulaic, and the near-constant energy level and instrumental palette had me craving some structural contrast after a while. You also use the vocals well at 3:30, and I can tell you sped them up to add to the drama. That last vocal stretch felt a tad dragged-out, though - I think it lost momentum after a while. I like that the instrumental tracks fall away before the final vocal line “...to all men’s happiness.” But I also think you could’ve done a more effective job of shaping the narrative arc of the piece beyond the vocals. Cutting down on the vocals at the end might be a necessary part of that, but perhaps you could recycle them into a more atmospheric role in the body of the piece. Overall, really strong harmonic content, sound design, atmosphere, and emotional appeal here. The mixing could be a bit sharper, though, and the arrangement could’ve been more compelling. Still, it’s good to see Charlie Chaplin’s work is still admired after nearly a century. Keep at it, PaddyDavis! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

PaddyDavis responds:

🙏 thank you. The feedback is very helpful!

[RetroMania - Main Theme]

I like the bright tone at the beginning and the crisp percussion. Some of the drum patterns seem a bit square and cheesy (with some overused tom rolls and crashes at times), though the classic rock organ and spacey pads give the piece a strong sense of atmosphere. The melodies at :52 are nice too, and the upbeat mood and sound design help me stay engaged. I think the piece could use a bit more structuring, though, as the energy level and most of the instrumental palette stay pretty constant throughout. There are also some abrupt transitions in places, like at 3:20. The ending came on a tad suddenly; I’d suggest either a full-volume flourish or a more gradual fade-out. That said, I really like the instrumentation, production quality, atmosphere, and harmonic content of this piece overall. Keep at it, Manvineo! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

Manvineo responds:

Thank you so much for the review, Tainted <3. I am so honored to be judged by a professional like you. Reading your review gave me the determination to hone my craft in composing so that by the next NGUAC, I might create a piece that you and the other future judges might find satisfactory.

[Bro I'm straight up having a good time]

At first, the fade-in at the beginning sounded somewhat ominous to me, but by :05 or so I’m fully invested in the blissful vibe of this piece. I wish the drums were a bit more prominent in the texture towards the beginning. That said, the sound design (including the quirky chopped vocals and bubbly VGM synths) is great, and the melodies are catchy and upbeat. In the second half of the piece, it would’ve been nice if you had added more variety to the vocal lines and melodies, but I appreciated the compositional details like the drum fill at 2:08 and the layering of the vocals over the melodies at 2:37. Overall, really fun piece, Ko0x! The sound design, mixing, rhythmic content, and melodies are all super enjoyable here. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

ko0x responds:

Thank you very much for this positive and detailed feedback :) <3

[Rise of Hope [NGUAC]]

I like the acoustic sound design and waltzy vibe at the beginning. The whimsical string lines at :32 and reverb-heavy atmosphere really contribute a lot to the texture, and you do a great job of giving the composition a dynamic feel. The mallets at 1:45 are especially nice - I wish they were a bit more prominent in the mix, actually. The upbeat mood and cutesy sound design really win me over here. If I had to criticize one thing, it might be that the progression feels a bit slow-paced at times, but in the context of the piece, that often helps to sell the emotional qualities here. Overall, the composition, sound design, production quality, and atmosphere are all great. Keep it up, Jotrocken! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Jotrocken responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic for sending me feedback after you finished judging phase. Glad you liked the dynamic feel, there is a lot of effort. Mallet could be more in focus at 1:45 right. Gonna start my Final now hope you all like it as much as you liked this one :)

Very happy with this result.