TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Mystery (Original Mix)]

I like the airy and slightly eerie vibe at the beginning. The echo-y operatic vocals and crisp beats help give the piece a sense of interest despite the pretty minimal harmonic content in the piece. The mixing and mastering are really strong, though, and the sound design is really evocative and neat. The breakdown in the middle with the brighter tone was a nice touch, and I like the dreamy guitar at 2:43 too. The rest of the piece felt a tad repetitive, but you certainly have me sold on the atmosphere here. I could envision this being used in a video game or movie soundtrack with a post-apocalyptic theme as our protagonist gradually descends into a hallucinatory daze. Keep at it, man! ^_^

GalaxyTones responds:

Awesome! thanks for the review and kind words :)

[wakey wakey lil flowers]

I like the bright, cutesy tone at the beginning and the quirky lead synth at :15. The beat is really refreshing too with the heavy hi-hats. The clap sample is a bit generic, but the piece flows so nicely and the rest of the sound design is rather enjoyable. The melodies are upbeat and smooth, and I like the climax at 1:25 too - it comes on both gradually and suddenly, in a way. The final refrain at 2:36 helps hit the piece home too and makes the entire track feel conclusive. The outro with the distinctive pitter-pattery synth is nice as well. Strong work overall, guys! Sounds like spring indeed. ^_^

GrizzlyCogs responds:

wow thank you!

[AIM - Lowlands Scrapyard]

I love the cutesy vibe at the beginning and the instrumentation. The clarinet and violin solos toward the middle of the piece fit nicely, and this piece has a number of really well-crafted transitions, like at 1:43. The more subdued tone at 2:25 is also beautiful - that's the part that sounded most like the art to me. :) The bright tone at the beginning was a nice way to close out the piece too. Feels like, while earlier in the piece the protagonist was wandering around amidst a number of eerie, shadowy figures, at the end the sun has risen on this new world and it turns out the figures were just large dandelions. ^_^ Strong work, Everratic!

Everratic responds:

Thanks so much for the detailed review! I’m glad you like the transitions and story :) my favorite transition is at :28 because it uses f# as a connecting tone to return to c major, and while that note isn’t in c major, it’s still played in the background by the wrenchenspiel (it’s a unique 8dio instrument that sounds like a mallet).

[~SW~ The Yearning]

I like the atmospheric effects at the beginning and the warm pads at :10. The bright piano and click-heavy beat have really cutesy vibes. Naturally with you, the production is top-notch, and the piece has a good balance of energy from the rhythm section and warmth/languidness from the atmosphere. The middle section felt well-balanced between the prominent bass and melodic synth on top. I've always admired how you shape your transitions - they're conspicuous, but smooth and forgiving, like an overripe avocado thrown at a wall of sound. Great stuff, Skye! This piece is dreamy, upbeat, and warm, but also really catchy and engaging. Cheers! ^_^

SkyeWint responds:

Suuuuuuper proud of this track. I really want to make more DnB like it, especially if I can start messing around more with bass modulation. Especially feel proud because I synthesized everything from scratch (aside from the drums and *one* instrument, but eh) and feel like I'm finally getting a handle on making solid melodies, haha. It's only been, what. 11 years?

[RiLo-Fi]

I think the excited children in the background makes for a really evocative background for the piece. I'm envisioning someone who brought a guitar to the beach, and someone taps along to the beat using a stick and some nearby rocks. The piece has a really nice flow to it by the time the melody comes in at 1:03. I really like the airy outro too. Strong work, Skye! You set the scene really nicely here. ^_^

SkyeWint responds:

Yo, TL! Thanks!
God, I need to do more. Thought I'd be getting back into working on music, and then the final chunk of the uni term hit... On the plus side, still gathering plenty of academic resources for other purposes, at least. And no shortage of ideas or even motivation! Just shortage of time. :)

[Beware - AIM]

I like the cutesy and mischievous-sounding melodies at the beginning. The crisp beats and atmospheric flair to this mesh very well together. The vocals are full of whimsy and personality, and the lyrics themselves are also really neat, and have a nice comedic element too. The creepy backing vocals remind me of some early Connor Grail tracks ("Not You Again" from 2017 AIM, for example). The structure of this piece is so effective - it tells a story for sure, but the harmonic framework remains very internally consistent. The mixing and mastering is top-notch here, Spadez, and honestly I had no idea you were such a talented vocalist. You've totally got me in the mood for Halloween in June. Best of luck in AIM! ^_^

Spadezer responds:

Pulled a fast on on you guys with the vocals. I've wanted to use lyrics for quite a while but never found a good way to use them until this.

[Anima Sentia]

I like the crisp strings at the beginning and the buzzy atmospheric effects. The mastering quality is particularly impressive here, and the airy synths at :33 serve well to push the reset button before the orchestral elements come back in. The guitar solos at 1:06 also fit into the flow well. The minimalist beat in the background throughout most of the piece really helps tie things together, despite the large amount of variation in the texture. I like how you brought back the crisp strings for the end to make the piece come full-circle. The little swell of voices at the end also tells me there's more of the album to come. :) Energetic yet pensive, catchy yet atmospheric, you nailed it again, Syamori! Congrats on the new album. ^_^

Baumarius responds:

Thanks TL! I appreciate the review. This is one of my latest tracks, so it makes sense that much of what I've learned would shine through. I definitely had fun with this one - it reflects how I've been feeling lately.

This song and the album as a whole is a statement that I'm finally awakening musically and personally - as if I'm finally showing up. I think I've finally figured out mastering too! After picking apart my music with my new headphones, I've realized that there's so much misinformation out there about how to actually master your music...

The next track (On Crystal Wings) is up on my NG if you'd like to listen as well! I'm gonna save the rest for release day :D

[~8,760 Hours]

The upbeat mood at the beginning is really nice. The E-piano at :12 adds a fun, jazzy flair to the piece, and also keeps some of the brighter-sounding synths grounded in a tranquil and languid mood. The melodies at :42 are neat rhythmically, if not quite as dynamic in pitch as I'm used to hearing from you. The scaled-back breakdown at 1:35 was a good segue into the section at 1:47 with the prominent percussion and additional injection of energy from the glitches and melody instruments. The solos at the end with the little rolled glitches (like at 2:49) are beautiful, and really add a sense of closure to a piece that was somehow both calming and chaotic. I like how the atmosphere gets richer as the volume decreases towards the end, too. Keep up the good work, LLAPPPSSEE! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

<3<3<3<3<3
best reviews.

[Sentience Bazaar]

I like the jazzy tone at the beginning. Like many of your pieces, it seems like the backing track for a moment of decision-making or personal reflection that's very character-driven. Not about which flavor of ice cream to choose, but whether a person's essence is embodied in ice cream or meat and potatoes. One is carefree and optimistic, and the other is more solid and real (though not particularly healthy either). Anyway, the flute-like melody instrument adds a great sense of buoyancy to the piece later on, and the dreamy atmosphere and solid mixing give it a sense of balance and blending. This is relaxing and pensive, but also catchy and engaging. The texture of the flutes - staccato-y and crisp, despite the reverb - is the thing that sticks with me the most. Keep at it, LLAAPPSSEE! ^_^

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

You are what you eat, eh? *laugh track*

This pesky existence stuff is always poking and prodding. I suppose it's nice we have this ability to influence our reality though. Sometimes it feels like your hard-stuck no matter what you do. Choice fatigue got me down.

The flute-like sound you're hearing is actually piano. ;)
It has a very sharp volume envelope cut on it that creates the staccato feeling + some heavy and quick-acting tremolo effect for that warbling + delay/reverb, If I recall correctly. Outside of the use here, it kinda has a 60/70's funky feel to it when you play it dry and harder. When played softly it has a pleasant lilting feeling. Was sorta an accident. :D

[This Song Means Nothing]

It means nothing until someone gives it a meaning, so let me try to do just that. I like the synth at :05 a lot - sounds like a guitar in a way. The characteristic glitchiness seeps in just in time for the energy of the beat to join it. The snare seems a bit high-pitched and almost tinny for my tastes, and the volume balance on some of the other elements (the loud, mid-range synth at 1:15, for example) seems a little off. The melodies at around 1:30 are super nice, though, and the wet ambient effects at 2:05 make for a great transition into the next section. The variability in this piece is truly impressive, but at the same time the flow is very smooth throughout. The effects at 2:55 are a bit harsh-sounding, but I like how they vacillate in a wave-like structural form - is there an echo/delay effect on them? The tame (though eerie) ending to the piece seems fitting, too. The entire track sounds like a search for getting the most out of life - for stability even at a high level of performance. The protagonist says he'll die for glory, but in reality his plans end with a whimper, not a bang. The aspiring actor moves back to Ohio from Los Angeles, and maybe she goes back to school. The independent business owner, faced with setbacks, ends up finding more fulfillment with 2 kids and a dog instead of in his career. That's what this song means to me. It's about the internal dissonance between what we dare to dream vs. how we ultimately live our lives. And any song that can put such a strong (though abstract) image in my mind is a good one, LLAAPPSSEE! Keep it up.

LLAAPPSSEE responds:

Been a while since I've made this. Can't totally say for sure what the effect is @2:55. I think it's some time-stretching+panning/granular synthesis inspired thing.

Title is basically a long way to say it's "untitled" -- It /might/ even be a bit deflective/reflective. Maybe the brain can find meaning in anything when there isn't inherently anything? Ideally, I think I'd like to leave everything untitled and let people feel the way they want. Is it meaningful or is it simply what I like to hear and make? Solving self-created audio puzzles. Why do these arrangement of frequencies feel expressive? I chose them for a reason, right? Easier to face myself sonically? Need to get an audio-psychoanalyst in here.

I've always wanted to a do a small project where I title things in a joyous way, but the music is dour as heck. Just to mess with people -- an extension of how my failing persona is or something.

What you get out of it is quite interesting. It's definitely a relatable feeling. I think if you love doing something you should always try and make some time for it. That said, these priorities can change. What if you're stuck in the dream because no other life is for you? You toil away. Existence seems easy, but happiness is hard. These paths find you sometimes though. Sometimes you don't know you wanted something till you're in it. The future is a wild place. I think a lot of people struggle with this sorta dissonance in their lives. Sometimes it's ok to not settle on the answer. Be the devil and the advocate. :\

but, enough of my psuedo-psudeo'ing. Sussudio.