TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Conspiracy]

I like the frantic percussion and quirky synths at the beginning. The piece is a tad slow to progress at first, but the bass at :30 and subsequent call-and-response action with the quirky percussion at :45 helps keep me engaged in the meantime. The rhythmic content at :56 is just awesome, and the squeaky effect that comes in every 2 bars made me laugh out loud. The sound design here is so unique and fun, and there’s a constant sense of evolution and variety. Towards the end, the arrangement seems to get a tad formulaic/repetitive, but within the part that repeats (up until 1:42), there’s so much variety that it’s hard to be mad at the later repetition. My only complaint with the mixing is that the percussion is distorting some of the background elements of the piece at 2:07 or so. Usually, my judging standards include things like “melodic content” and “structural contrast,” but honestly fuck my judging standards. This piece is delightful. Keep up the good work, DDI! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

DEATH-DANGER-INCOME responds:

Thank you very much! Appreciate it. <3
Had to use the heart one time, sorry.

[rain.]

I like the piano riff at the beginning and the quirky textures in the background. The distorted saxophone riff at :16 is a nice touch, and the ocean sound effects complement the instrumental palette well. The production quality is strong here, with a booming sub-bass that sits perfectly in the mix to boot. I kinda wish the melodies at 1:07 were a bit more prominent in the texture, and in general I think some more prominent melodic content would’ve given this piece a more well-rounded character, but the rich piano at the end helped scratch a bit of that itch for me. I think the piece would make a great loop, too given the abrupt ending. Overall, this is strong work! The composition could’ve used a tad more fleshing out in my opinion, but other than that my complaints are all nitpicks. Keep at it, Crysstal712! :)

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Crysstal712 responds:

Thanks for the feedback :)

[Thistle]

I like the moody, pensive vibe at the beginning and the melancholy and dissonant harmonies. The rhythm is also rather compelling, although sometimes the progression here is a bit disorienting. Once the texture starts filling out at :48, you immediately start scaling it back and take the piece in an entirely different direction by 1:00. Your oscillation between moody and jazzy on the one hand, and blissful and orchestral on the other make it feel like part of a rich and complex narrative. The production quality is also fantastic, btw. And the more full-textured section at 3:00 helps hit the piece home. I think it’s rather ironic that you uploaded this in July, as there’s something distinctly wintery about the jazzy and ominous harmonies. The entire piece sounds like I’m watching an old man struggle to shovel his driveway on a snowy Sunday afternoon. Overall, this is a really unique piece - in terms of sound design, rhythm, and otherwise. Honestly, let me know if there’s somewhere I can download this. Keep up the good work, Cresince! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

Cresince responds:

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response! I love your wintery viewpoint on the song, it definitely has that vibe now that you point it out.

I made a private link so you or anyone can download the wav file here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-132925677/thistle/s-fgVV76fM00G?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I'll be trying my best for this contest! Thanks again for hosting a great event. <3

[Gorgeous Fantasy]

I like the upbeat mood and airy piano riffs at the beginning. When the beat comes in at :23, it seems to really distort the melodies, though. The mix seems a bit more well-balanced during the climactic section at :45, and I appreciate the variations in the beat and the instrumental palette at 1:30. That said, the harmonic content feels pretty stagnant after a while. I think the breakdown at 1:51 was a missed opportunity to do something different in that regard, although I do like the addition of the strings at 2:15. In that same vein, some more variation on the main melody later on in the piece would’ve been welcome. Even a modulation of transposition up the octave would’ve helped keep things sounding fresh towards the end. That said, I think you nailed the atmosphere, sound design, and progression of this one, and my complaints with the mixing are minor. Adding some more memorable and dynamic melodic content, as well as variety in the composition later on, are important steps for turning this into a top-tier piece. Keep at it, CrazyKryz13! :)

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

CrazyKryz13 responds:

Thank you for your review! I'll try and learn more to make my music better! Next year of NGUAC I'll try to remember to come back to show off ;)
Thank you.

[new day]

I like the dreamy texture at the beginning. The vocals were a pleasant surprise - well-mixed and appropriate for the tone of the piece. I like the hip-hop-inspired drums at :40 and the groovy rhythmic elements at :56. At times, the lyrics and synths alike sounded a bit cheesy, but the execution on the vocals is impressive. I’m also impressed with the mastering quality here - all the instruments are well-balanced, clear, and loud in the mix. I like how you process the backing vocals at 2:11 to function as pads. The mellow breakdown at 2:50 was good for some structural variety, and the solo at 3:25 really helps hit the piece home. The transition into 3:25 was fun in and of itself, and you’ve really showed off your melody-writing skills here. Honestly, it’s rare to find a newer musician on Newgrounds who’s a great vocalist, talented producer, and compositional guru all in one. I think you’re going to go far in this competition, Cade. Keep up the good work! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

cad-mium responds:

thank you so much for the kind words! I appreciate it

[Wind Call]

This piece has a really creative meter. At times, I was struggling to follow the rhythm, but as more instruments come into the texture, the rhythmic patterns complement each other really well. The sound design is really interesting, too. A couple of the synths sound a bit cheesy and unpolished, notably the synth at the very beginning and the one that comes in at :39. That said, the atmosphere is pretty nice, and you have a good sense of harmony and progression. I would’ve liked to see you find more advanced methods of creating variety in the piece, like changes in volume levels, filtering, automation, etc., rather than just adding and subtracting instruments over time. The instruments blend well together, and the energy level changes fairly regularly, but overall the piece is lacking the kind of “point of arrival” or climax that I expect of a full-length stand-alone track. Overall, there are some really cool ideas here, with a solid production quality and some fun, quirky rhythmic elements, but the composition could’ve been a bit more fleshed out. Keep at it, C-Lehman! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

Caustic responds:

Thank you for this awesome feedback!

[The Deamon]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the cutesy synths. The drop at :19 is really catchy, with some flashy synths and a smooth slap bass to boot. The vocals work pretty well, and contribute a lot to the rhythmic elements of the piece. The mixing is also rather strong here, with some clear, crisp instruments and well-balanced frequencies. The harmonic framework of the piece seems a bit repetitive, but the filler riffs you craft around it help keep the piece feeling fresh. I also really like the breakdown at 1:55 with the isolated synth riff. The build-up back into 2:27 was also enjoyable, and the final refrain thereafter really helped hit the piece home. This piece is thoroughly impressive, BAOWZ! Catchy, well-produced, upbeat, and full of variety. Keep up the good work. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
9.5/10

BAOWZ-Tobass responds:

Sooo glad you like it! you made my day !!! My ego is taking off now XD

[Insert title here. Song made with computer]

I like the quirky, eastern-sounding instrument at the beginning. I think the ping-pong echo effects on it are a little too heavy, though. They sound a bit harsh in my earphones. The texture is pretty minimal, but the rhythmic elements of the pads and percussion help keep me engaged. The piece has a pretty straightforward ABACA sort of structure, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like the “B” (at :31) and “C” (at 1:00) don’t add much to the piece. You’re dropping some new chords, with a slightly different rhythm, but it’s unclear how those sections are supposed to fit in with the wonky, blissful vibe of the “A” (at :12 and other places). There’s not much of a transition between A and its counterparts either time. As a result, the piece doesn’t really feel complete. It feels like the seed of a cool idea that’s a little half-baked. The ping-pong effects grow on me as I listen to the piece for a second and third time, but if you’re going for the “minimal EDM that stays engaging because of its cool sound design” vibe, I’d suggest at least having some more filtering/reverb automations to keep the piece sounding dynamic and fresh. I do really like the sound design, though. The percussion is very out-of-the-way, which makes that echo-y synth feel even more wonky and flamboyant. It’s a cool idea for a piece. I just wanted to see you do more with it. Keep at it, Aalasteir! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

Aalasteir responds:

Thank you for your message, I find your input and insight valuable.

[Goam]

Really creative sound design and rhythmic elements here. I think the texture gets a tad too busy at around :16, though. There are a lot of heavy, distorted, bass-range synths in here, and they’re stepping over each other a bit too much. It might help to transpose one or two of these instruments up the octave so that you have more of a balance of higher and lower pitches. Part of the problem is that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of mixing and mastering work here. The synths don’t blend particularly well together, and the entire texture sounds pretty indistinct and bottom-heavy, especially at the busier parts. There’s also very little melodic content or creative transitions to give the piece a sense of narrative. I like a lot of the isolated riffs, especially the quirky eastern-sounding one at :56, and I think the structure of the piece makes for a good loop. I just wanted to see you do a bit more with the composition of this one. It’s a catchy beat, but it doesn’t progress much beyond a gritty rhythm section and abrupt, 10-second bridge. Sorry if this review comes off as too negative. I think if you took a few more compositional risks in this track, they would be rewarded - more variety in the harmonies, a fuller palette of instruments beyond bass synths, etc. Let me know if you have any questions about my feedback, and thanks for coming out for the NGUAC! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
3.5/10

AVKid4 responds:

Definitely appreciate the feedback, I'm pretty new at this stuff/kinda pick it up as I go. so any advice is constructive

[Trenches]

I'm not judging your group, Kurtiskong, but I'm thoroughly impressed with this one. The atmosphere pulls me in right away, and the powerful vocals and ominous guitars are really compelling. If one word needs to be re-recorded, it might be "needed" at 1:18, and I also think the autotune briefly poops out at 1:08, but otherwise the vocal performance was really strong. The ending cuts off a tad suddenly, and I might've asked for some additional variety/layering during the second chorus, just to up the emotion to hit the piece home. But I really like how you stuck with your hip-hop roots for the beat while taking on a new genre with such gusto. Overall, fantastic work here, dude. Well-deserved frontpage! ^_^

Kurtiskong responds:

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback and kind words! :)