TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Around The World]

I like the mysterious tone towards the beginning. The way the reverb cuts out suddenly after the big swell at :03 threw me off a bit, but I like the strings at :30 and the flute melodies shortly thereafter. The texture is a bit minimal towards the beginning, but the piece really falls together nicely by :52. The mix is pretty clear, but very quiet. Love the 7/4 time signature too - the pattern of rhythmic emphasis gives the piece a very organic and flowing feel, almost like a river. The tranquil breakdown at 1:39 is lovely, and I enjoyed the gradual swell in energy through about 2:02. I might’ve liked to hear more of the percussion in the mix at times during this middle section, but otherwise the sound design is great. The part at 2:22 is really nice, too. Is that a lute? Or a mandolin? Sounds like an acoustic guitar and a banjo had a baby. Anyway, the final melodic section hits the piece home nicely, and overall I really like the evocative tone and well-varied instrumentation in this piece. Thanks so much for coming out to the NGUAC this year, GDRH1988! Been a pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

GDRyuHayabusa1988 responds:

Thank you for your reviews! Glad to see that I'm still continue becoming better at music :)

[shopping at the mall]

Love the prominent bass and jazzy flair of this one. The drums are a bit flat, and could use some more compression or something to make them “pop” in the mix more. Otherwise, the production quality is fine, and the groovy synth melodies and slidey bass riffs seriously get my foot tapping. Overall, you’re right that the mixing isn’t perfect, but it’s hard to go overboard with synth melodies in my book. :D Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Crysstal712! Been a pleasure having you.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Crysstal712 responds:

thank you for the opportunity, i'll be here next year!

[Superior Magnetic]

I like the rich strings at the beginning and the robotic-sounding atmosphere. The synth bass at :22 is a nice touch, and the rhythmic content of this piece is especially creative. The guitar at :47 was a pleasant surprise. There’s a plethora of reverb in the texture, and the drums get rather lost in the mix for most of the piece. The softer tone of the strings at 1:30 comes on a bit suddenly, but the ensuing 30 seconds or so served as a nice breakdown to contrast with the heavy bass and dense texture beforehand. Love the synth melodies at 2:02 as well. The distortion at 2:12 sounds a bit harsh in the mix, but the atmosphere around it helps soften the blow. Overall, you’ve put together another ambient beauty, Cresince. Congratulations, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC again this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
9.25/10

Cresince responds:

It's always a blast to compose for these competitions. I always learn so much from the wonderful judges, and I hope I can keep improving! Thank you for hosting such wonderful events!

[Une nuit proche des étoiles]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning, between the wind chimes, airy piano, and otherworldly synths. Not sure I liked the suddenly thinner texture at :53 - I think you could’ve filled out the atmosphere a bit more, especially given the rather slow pace of the piece. The emotional appeal of the sound design and composition is still really nice, and I also like the heavier bass at 2:15 and the sense of build-up into 2:40. The vocals at 2:47 were a nice idea, but I’m not sure I like the tone of the samples too much. Is this supposed to be a children’s choir? It just could’ve sounded…richer. Still, the outro is really majestic, and overall you absolutely nailed the cinematic appeal of the piece. Nice job with the production quality and sound design as well. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC again this year, BAOWZ! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

BAOWZ-Tobass responds:

Hey it scored quite well! Thanks! I had the same feeling about the choir and i think the problem comes from the legato : there is none and LABS don't have this option sadly. What i first had in mind was a solo soprano singer, but it wasn't free ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯. But hey i'm 12th! Almost 13th! Luck is on my side for next year!

[Jules O - Who Will Protect (The Mox)]

Sweet track, Jules! Love the edgy guitars and Lizzie Borden lyrical theme. The vocals are powerful and sit really nicely in the mix, but also seem a tad off-key at times, like at :28. I also thought the drums could've been more punchy in some places. I think my favorite part of the piece is the "if you care at all" bridge at 2:06 - much more conversational and defeatist tone. I also enjoyed the spoken-word "PSA" vocals and the eerie compositional details (like the distorted guitar riff at the very end). Really nice work overall! It's getting me in a Halloween mood 6 weeks early. :D

dude2312 responds:

Hey TaintedLogic! Thank you so much for the review, this is pretty cool. I need to get more active on here for sure. Been a while since I posted something.

[Because We Miss You]

Alex, I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I’ve heard from both you and Everratic that she was a rather special person. You’ve indeed done her a great honor by writing this beautiful piece.

—

I really like the heartfelt piano riff at the beginning and how the “body” of the sound gradually gets lower in pitch and stronger in conviction until 1:20. The bridge at 1:20 sounds a bit heavy but also strangely celebratory, a sharp contrast to the graceful and thin-sounding lines of earlier. The subtle ritardando into the shimmering line at 2:27 is haunting, although the very end doesn’t feel quite as conclusive as it could’ve been. You’ve packed a ton of emotion into this piece, though - it’s incredibly well-phrased and well-paced. Not to be cheesy, but your piece has all of the narrative appeal of life itself - the blissful glow of childhood, the difficult but fulfilling work of adulthood, and the dignified contentment of retirement. Fantastic work, Alex. I feel truly inspired to extend more kindness and patience to the older people in my life now.

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

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you. She was very special indeed, so I tried to make this song special, for her. It actually has a sister (husband?) -piece I wrote a couple of years ago when my grandpa passed. That one is "Villavslutning". I didn't mention anything in the description, since I didn't feel like it at the time. But I like to see them both as belonging together.

There is actually a reason that the end isn't necessarily very conclusive! Before the very end, the section points back to the beginning of the piece; like you said, almost going from childhood to retirement. There's a hint that there is not long left, and then, it suddenly ends, on an ambiguous tone. That's often how it is and feels, I suppose! It's sad, but it's not all bad either. She was old, and definitely had her fair share of pains. I think in a way, it was also nice to be able to let go.

Thank you again!

[Tear Through The Sky (NGADM 2023)]

I like the high-octane guitar riffs at the beginning and the punchy drums that come in shortly thereafter. The drone-like vocals at :22 are nice, although at times (:32, 1:10, 1:58, etc.) the lyrical vocals sound a tad over-processed. That may have been intentional, but it comes across as a bit cheesy. That said, I like the outer space theme and compositional details, like the way the guitar mimics the melodic contour of the vocals at 1:51. The piece might’ve used some more structural variety at some point to break up the constantly frantic and energetic texture, but the rhythmic bridge at 2:41 at least gets you part of the way there with a relatively thin texture. The extended countdown at 3:02 was a little bit drawn-out, but the guitar solo at 3:15 absolutely shreds. It’s a great way of hitting the piece home, although the drums get a tad buried during the last minute or so when the guitar is really dominating the texture. Still, I love the melodies, sound design, progression, and rhythmic content here. Keep it up, CrossCarrasco! ^_^

Also, really sorry to hear about your uncle passing. Hope he had a long and happy life.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
8.75/10

CrossCarrasco responds:

Thank you for the feedback!

[moonlighting]

First of all, I’m so sorry to hear all that you’ve been through in the last couple of weeks, Trois. Can’t even begin to express how glad I am that those two people were there that day. You have some incredible grit to be able to channel all these experiences into such a beautiful work of art. Wow.

—

I like the relaxed mood at the beginning, the smooth lead guitar, and the heartfelt vocals. The way the “more than I” line fades out at 1:34 strikes me as a bit awkward, and there are other times where your voice sounds a bit strained towards the ends of phrases. I understand that’s part of the emotional quality you intended to put behind the song, but for me it doesn’t quite land.

I love the vocal layering and added instrumental tracks during the refrain, though. The guitar solo at 2:58 is really nice, although the vocals could’ve used a bit of a boost in the mix there. I like the soulful bridge at 3:22 too, though I felt the vocals could’ve blended better between each of your parts. The dramatic breakdown at 3:55 was absolutely chill-inducing, and that section in turn leads well into the outro with the heavy guitars at 4:10. From 4:34 on is another example of the vocals getting a bit overwhelmed in the mix, but was also a really resolute and fitting way of concluding the piece.

Overall, downright inspiring work here, you two. I also want to say that it’s rather refreshing to hear a song that has such a consistent rhyme scheme throughout, although that’s a pretty small detail in the grand scheme of things. Rock on, Troisnyx and DisOmikron! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Troisnyx responds:

Thank you for the review.

Unfortunately there's been enough going on on Newgrounds and elsewhere to show that that grit doesn't matter, my intentions and emotions and musicality don't matter, and this song was needlessly prescient with a certain very popular Newgrounder's gaslighting of his victim and the entire Newgrounds community.

So yeah, frankly, I'm done. I stayed on because of my modship, because people needed to process recent happenings, but I feel like I could disappear tomorrow and the sordid things behind this song would go on with absolute impunity because nobody gives a shit.

[cloud reverie]

I like the tranquil guitar and nature sound effects at the beginning. The tempo feels very loose towards the beginning, and the panning is a little too heavy for my tastes. The sound design is really good, including the glitchy electronic elements that really bleed into the texture by 1:04. Sounds like an edgier version of “Every Photon, 100 Times a Second” by @SleepFacingWest. The melodic content in this piece is also good, but a bit understated at times, like the smooth synth melody at 1:50. I also think the arrangement is a tad choppy, with some sudden transitions and a compositional approach that’s taking you in a few different directions at once. The atmosphere, instrumentation, and production are probably my favorite elements of the piece, although the experimental texture and rhythmic content are not far behind. Really evocative work, LordAndiso! Keep it up. ^_^

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

LordAndiso responds:

Thank you so much for the review! I will learn a lot from this! This is amazing that there are competitions like this, really brings the artists self-improvement :D

[We Are Free [NGADM 2023]]

I like the atmospheric intro. The vocals sound nice and confident, but are also a tad over-processed at times, and the lyrics themselves are a bit cheesy. The mix is loud and punchy, but during the drop at 1:05 the drums get a bit lost. I like the sound design, especially at the breakdown at 1:43. The crisp strings, choir pads, and later the return of the prominent bass at 2:08 all really hit the spot. The rhythmic content and filtering work at 2:34 are especially nice, although the heavy breaks there also bury the vocals once they come back in at 2:47, and the vocals also get a tad repetitive towards the end of the piece. Overall, I enjoy the upbeat and triumphant mood, synth melodies, and progression of this piece a lot. I think the production could use some tightening up, and the composition could use a tad more variety later on. Still, you struck a great balance between atmospheric and danceable here. Keep at it, Benji!

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

Benji-G responds:

Thank you so much for the review TaintedLogic!