TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Aether]

I like the energy and the synths. The chord progression is a little cliche, and the filtering on the airy pad at :12 is a little wonky. I might suggest smoothing out that pad with some more reverb. The melodies at :50 are cute, and the glissando at 1:05 makes for an effective transition into the chill outro. Overall, it's a neat piece. A bit short and rough around the edges in places. It might've flowed a bit smoother with some more crashes/mixing effects to channel the energy. The composition could also be fleshed out more. Still, you won me over with the cute sound design and danceability. Keep it up, BrwGD! ^^

Kiraichu responds:

Thanks a lot for your feedback, TL! You’re very helpful. :)

For some reason, I don’t know why GarageBand doesn’t smooth the pad out on its own. I noticed that too when I was making the song. I feel like I could’ve fixed the drum loop because of the inconsistency, specifically the end of it. There are three “eighth-notes” at the end of the drum loop, one for the third section, and two for the rest of it. For me, that seems inconsistent when looking back at this.

But again, thank you for your feedback!

[Another Life...]

I like the jangly guitars, and the vocal concept is really creative. The reverb is a little overdone, but I'm really enjoying the powerful vocals at 1:20 or so. The mix is cleaner this time for sure, but some aspects of the balance don't quite click for me. The bass and the hi-hats both seem a little loud, especially the hats. The piece has a pretty nice flow, but the lyrics feel a little stream-of-consciousness at times and there could be more variety in the instrumental tracks. The heavy distortion at 4:20 or so kinda comes out of nowhere, but at the same time helps keep things interesting later in the piece. The ambiance at the very end (almost sounds like a half-second loop of someone mumbling) is a bit experimental, but also help add some variety. Overall, really evocative piece, PPS. The mixing is strong overall, and the experimental atmosphere and sound design make for a pretty engrossing track. Keep at it! ^^

DaneDeLucchi responds:

It’s about a homeless man in a wheel chair who is begging on the streets. He believes in reincarnation and that in other life’s he was important people in history. He also believes that he is ready to die and be reincarnated again. The stream of consciousness lyrics came from an actual encounter with a homeless vet who was being racist to a Mexican security guard outside a 7-11. I was reporting an incident and embellished what actually happened. I super appreciate you taking the time to assess it and give thoughtful feedback.

[AIM - Twin Cities Under Blue Sky]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the frantic techno beat at :43. The mix is really loud and clean, although perhaps a bit over-compressed. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the rhythmic content and sound design are both enjoyable. The drawn-out transition into 2:44 was cool, and I like the change of pace for the more melodic section at 3:30ish. The section at 4:30 was pretty drawn out, but the transition back into 4:55 with the repeating riff in a descending pattern was clever. I like the combination of the heavy beat and the rich atmosphere during the last minute. Overall, really solid work, man! Spacey track, yet catchy. ^^

CryNN responds:

Thankyouuuu

[AIM - Atlantean Arbitrium]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The guitars at :45 really help channel the intensity, although the piece is a bit slow to progress. The production quality is really solid - I love the crisp drums that start becoming prominent at around 1:45. The melodies at 2:20 really helped relieve the sense of apprehension in the first couple of minutes of the piece. That solo in the middle is so dynamic and well-executed. I like how the harmonies are momentarily tripping over each other at 4:40 - really adds to the sense of uncertainty in the texture. The piece really has a nice "slow burn," where it really grows on me after I get adjusted to the pace. Probably my favorite AIM piece I've listened to so far. Congrats on a baller track, Banana-head! ^^

Banana-head responds:

Thanks a lot man! The lead melodies were all improvised though haha, i had no main melody in mind when making this.

[AIM 2021- wadle chill]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. The low string-like instrument and percussion sound a bit clunky together, but it grows on me as the piece goes on. I think my biggest problem with it is that it doesn't really change much over time - in terms of energy, harmonic pattern, or otherwise. The structure is really easy to figure out after listening to it just once (it's the same minute-long section played three times in a row), which is a telltale sign in my book that it could be more dynamic. Still, the sound design and cutesy mood of the piece are nice, and I like the syncopations and harmonies too. Keep at it, man! ^^

knah responds:

hey man thanks for the criticism :) i will be making a remastered version soon.

[searching for clues]

I like the rich strings and church bells at the beginning. The effect of the short phrases on the flow is effective at first, but it felt a bit choppy after a while, especially with the back-and-forth between the energetic/dramatic mini-phrases (:34, :51) and the more mellow and ominous ones. Still, the orchestral samples are really high-quality, and I like the brighter tone of some of the chords starting at around the 2-minute mark. Everything sounds really well-balanced and clean in the mix, too. You've been scouted, my friend. Welcome to Newgrounds! ^^

LudwigComposer responds:

Thank you for your thoughts and scout! The song is meant to be easy to rearrange to suit film, that is why there are gaps.

[Blackout Remix]

Certainly different style than what I'm used to hearing from you. I like the string pads, clap syncopations at around :43, and flashy synths. You might overuse the transitions with the tom-toms a bit, but I'm enjoying the flow and the minimalistic sections with the bare vocals. The piece feels like it could use a bit more variety towards the end, but perhaps the original didn't have much more vocal content to work with. A prominent solo or bridge wouldn't been a welcome change. Still, happy to see an upload from you. Happy New Year! ^^

dude2312 responds:

Hahah I genuinely felt like I was at the NGUAC2021! Great review, TaintedLogic. You know appreciate your criticism a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my little piece.