TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Crown of Grace]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. The instruments don’t sound entirely authentic, but the phrasing and tasteful use of dissonance (like at :57) are appealing here. The emotional appeal of the piano at 1:32 is really nice, although the beat that starts fading in at 1:43 or so seems a little too regular and energetic for a piece like this. The build-up into 2:41 was well-done, but the section at 2:41 itself felt a little bland and chordal. Some stronger melodic content at some point would’ve really helped tie this piece together. The meandering mallet riff at 3:24 seems a bit square and aimless to quite serve the “strong melodic content” purpose here. That said, I really like the rich, well-balanced texture and progression here. Some of the compositional details could use a bit more fleshing out imo, but the production, arrangement, and atmosphere are all very well-crafted here. Keep at it, Undervania, and thanks for coming out to this year’s NGUAC! ^_^ It’s been a blast.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
7.75/10

uvimusic responds:

Glad you liked it! Thanks a lot for the criticism:)

[Under Frost]

I like the heavy guitars at the beginning and the energy. The throaty vocals are great, but sometimes their delivery is a tad awkward - “behind...your eyes” at :34, for example. The lyrics themselves are good, though. The mix holds up incredibly well here despite the busy texture, and I’m enjoying the more melodic flair to the guitar riffs at 1:12. After a time, the structure of the piece feels a tad cyclical and formulaic, and I was waiting for a bit more variety in the energy level and tone of the piece to help keep me engaged. The section at 2:38 helps scratch that itch a bit, but the section itself is pretty bland and short-lived. The extra low-register vocal layers at 3:25 really give an extra edge to the end of the piece, and the guitar solo at 3:48 seems to have an added sense of urgency to it that adds a sense of arrival towards the end. Still, the end felt a tad abrupt somehow. I think it’s hard to convey much in the way of phrasing when the intensity and instrumentation of the piece is so uniform throughout. That said, the ominous, foreboding tone and dense rhythmic content of the piece are really engrossing here, and I continue to be impressed with the production quality throughout. Strong work, TSRBand! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. ^_^

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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

TSRBand responds:

Thanks so much for hosting the comp and the detailed review! I'm glad you liked it :)

[after the world ended - NGUAC 2021]

Very creative and experimental approach here. The vocals at the beginning have a few mic pops and crackles, but that may be on purpose. The dense rhythmic content at :14 reminds me of György Ligeti, and I do like the jazzy e-piano pads that pop in occasionally - they help ground the listener in some moving notes amidst the chaos of the rhythmic and vocal sections. The section at 1:15 was probably my favorite part - the light, airy tone and rich atmospheric texture at 1:30 are really nice, and I like how the vocals continue throughout that section. The dramatic pause right after the curse at 2:00 is a clever way of transitioning back into the frantic percussion riffs. The heavy and somewhat exotic-sounding texture at 3:05 is probably my second-favorite part of the piece. I feel like you could’ve used a conclusion that wrapped up the “narrative” element of the track. The vocals are the main thing giving this piece a sense of “story line,” so I would’ve liked to see them tie the piece together a bit more at the end. I also think the piece could’ve used some smoother transitions in places, at least between the vocals and rhythmic/staticky noise. As an experimental piece, I really enjoyed it for the variety and creative thematic elements. As a stand-alone track, I might’ve liked to see you integrate the various motifs better and also find some way of resolving the tension in the piece. Still, this is a stand-out track for me in a lot of ways. The sound design is superb, and the production and balance on the rhythmic sections is really well-done. Really creative and evocative work, SnaresWorks! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. It’s been a blast. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

SnaresWorks responds:

thank you for your review! a lot of people have been saying that this track stood out to them, which makes me really happy! i tried doing something different than what everyone was going for, and i agree with most of the points that you made, i definitely could've sat a little more and changed up some things to make it have a better overall narrative :)

im definitely joining the nguac again next year, thank you for the review!

[Warzone (Trap)]

I like the gritty, distorted synths at the beginning and the ominous mood. The piano chords at :25 feel a bit clunky - it might be because all the notes are super close together pitch-wise. I’m also not a huge fan of the high-pitched snare/percussion at :37 - sounds a bit grating to me. The progression is enjoyable here, but the texture remains pretty minimal for most of the piece. The rhythmic content and sound design at the drop at 1:40 are enjoyable, although some of the synths in the piece sound a bit cheesy and unpolished, especially the lead at 3:30 or so. You also start to overuse some of the gun sound effects after a while. The mix could also use some help at times - the claps don’t come through the rest of the texture very cleanly at 2:53, and often the reverb is a bit excessive. I like the build-ups and catchy synth riffs, but at some point more melodic content or some harmonic depth would’ve helped round out the composition here. Overall, it’s a fun piece with an engrossing atmosphere and effective arrangement. Teasing out the compositional details and tightening up the mix would really help take it to the next level. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Reddyfu! Been a blast. ^_^

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

reddyxu responds:

Thanks for continuing to give feedback to everyone! I find that more valuable than winning a contest c:

[Move [Rap/Metal] (NGUAC 2021 Version)]

I like the gritty guitars and vocals at the beginning, but I would’ve liked to hear more of a proper intro. Instead, the piece throws the listener into the middle of the action a bit. The vocals could also be a bit more up-front in the mix - some more compression might be advisable. The same thing is probably true of the drums, actually - they need a bit of a boost in the mix at times. The frantic guitar solo at :36 was awesome, and your flow in the rap part at 1:00 is great. Throughout, I’m really enjoying the rhythmic content, although the instrumental track probably could’ve used more variety later on, and I would’ve liked to see a more creative ending than a fade-out. Overall, it’s the mixing that really keeps a ceiling on your score for me here. The composition is strong, and it’s really refreshing to hear a rap-metal hybrid in the NGUAC. Keep at it, ProjectSoary, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

ProjectSoary responds:

I agree 100%. I had submission dates mixed up, and assumed it was due on Sunday. Had it not been for your "8 hours left!" message Friday, I would have missed the deadline completely. Fortunately my spidey-senses started tingling on Friday, and I started making this track 1 hour before receiving the message. 9 hour crunch from scratch. Had to render at 11:54PM, uploaded to NG at 11:56PM to make the 11:59PM deadline. No time to listen to the render, no intro, barely mixing, just straight up raw. I'm just happy I was able submit on time, and really test myself with time constraints. Now that NGUAC is over, I highly suggest listening to the extended version of this song. Thanks for the review, and for hosting this awesome contest! NGUAC 2021 has been super fun!

[Moon City]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the cutesy sound design, especially the mallets and plucked strings. The saxophone solo at :17 is great, and the relaxed mood of the piece is awesome. The victorious mood at 1:03 is awesome, and I like how you cycle through the mallets/piano bit and the saxophone solos. The injection of energy at 2:16 was also a welcome change, and I appreciate how you varied the main melody the second time at 2:30 and layered on some additional vocals. You absolutely nailed the blissful mood, instrumentation, production quality, and melodies here. If I had to complain about one thing, it might be the sudden ending, or maybe the occasional slow pacing or thin texture. That said, this is easily one of my favorite pieces of the entire competition - of any round. You painted a clear picture in my head of what Moon City is like, all while showing off some killer melody-writing and orchestration skills. Congratulations, Michael, and best of luck with your future projects! ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

Michael-Flaherty responds:

I really appreciate this review. Thanks for including me in the contest!

[Lordant - Arkhangelsk]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning. The sub-bass drone is a bit heavy and harsh in my headphones, but I like the dramatic rasp at :32 and the atmospheric details. The melodic flair at :55 is a great touch, although the sudden change in volume level at 1:09 caught me off guard a bit. The cello riff at 1:27 is beautiful, although the piece has some pretty slow pacing combined with some abrupt transitions, like at 2:03. Maybe part of the problem at 2:03 is that the main string pluck riff is much louder than the content that comes before it. The climax at 2:33 is great, though, and I’m really enjoying the echo-y percussion and full, well-rounded texture. Given the somewhat eerie first couple of minutes, this piece has a surprisingly upbeat conclusion. That said, you’ve crafted an effective narrative here. The sound design and atmosphere are probably my favorite elements of this piece, and I have no complaints with the production quality either. Most of my complaints are minor compositional and arrangement details. Keep up the good work, Lordant, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

Lordant responds:

Thanks a lot for the review!

[(NGUAC final round) Matured State]

I like the relaxed mood at the beginning. The synths at :11 sound a bit sharp compared to the smooth pads, and the drum beat at :20 is pretty generic. The melodies at :43 are nice, although at times the mix feels like it’s missing some mid-tones. I also think the harmonic framework gets pretty repetitive after a while, although you did a good job of switching up the energy/volume levels with the piano breakdown at 2:10. The frantic percussion at 2:32 was a good idea, but also dominates the mix a tad too much towards the end imo. The vocal samples towards the end are a nice touch, and overall the piece comes together well. There are a couple of sudden transitions here, like at 1:09 and 2:01, but otherwise the progression is pretty good, just a tad drawn-out. I think my favorite part of the piece is the dreamy atmosphere and emotional appeal of the breakdown at 2:10, but the rhythmic content, melodies, and mood are also strong. Overall, solid work, LordAndiso, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year! It’s been a blast. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

LordAndiso responds:

Hell yeah! Thank you for your detailed critique.. I'll keep in mind on what things to improve on,
thank you soo much :)

I see why your favourite part is the dreamy part. It's because I think the dreamy parts are my stronger side. I only recently started to really focus on making more energetic sections in songs. I am very glad that my Mixing, mastering, and balance was rated considerably high, because it sucks to learn how to mix properly :D

[GO]

I like the synth bass and vocal samples towards the beginning. The rhythmic content is nice, although the texture is pretty minimal and some of the transitions are a little abrupt - notably at :29 and 1:00. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content or otherwise harmonic depth. The mix seems a bit bottom-heavy for much of the piece, and also over-compressed, although I can hear everything clearly throughout. I also think the drums could’ve been more creative at times. The minimalism and lack of originality in the composition are probably my biggest complaints here, but it’s still a catchy piece with some fun sound design and cool build-ups. Keep at it, Lagiarathalos, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

PsiStarOfficial responds:

Thanks for the review mate, and for everything you did to make this contest possible.

Now I understand why this track isn't frontpaged haha