TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Gaining Ground]

While no longer an official "contest" review, I did have one already written before our PM exchange the other day. Have at thee:

I like the staccato-y guitar riffs at the beginning and the melodic vocals at :11. The mix is loud, crisp, and well-balanced, and the injection of intensity at :32 is great. I really like your style, Ajskull. Reminds me of a cross between Green Day and the soundtrack from Rent. The solo at 2:18 was super nice, but also a little short-lived. The extra layering on the guitars during the final refrain is nice, but part of me wanted even more melodic development and intensity for the last minute or so of the piece. The arrangement of the piece is pretty generic, but it also has a great flow and sense of pacing overall. The mixing is probably the strongest part of the piece imo, although sometimes I wanted the drums to pop in the upper register a little more. The vocals came off sounding really powerful and rich, though, which can be hard to do with such a heavy underpinning of guitars. Overall, this is a highly impressive piece, and all of my complaints are minor. Well done, Ajskull! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

AjSkull responds:

Wow this is awesome! Thanks so much for still giving this a solid review! Newgrounds rocks!

[Abstrack - Reflection]

I like the somewhat ominous fade-in at the beginning and the cutesy synths at :05. The melodies are catchy, but the chord progression is pretty generic, and the texture stays pretty minimal for much of the piece. Sometimes, the drums also sound a bit distorted in the mix - like at :37, for example. I think there’s a tad too much reverb on the claps sometimes, but there also could be a little too much compression on some of the other instruments. The lead synth at :48 was cool, although it didn’t add much in the way of novel harmonic content. I like the rhythmic variations between mini-phrases (2:28), but otherwise there isn’t much in the way of variety or melodic development later on in the piece to keep me engaged. The extended pause at 3:01 threw me off a bit, although the airy outro thereafter was a nice touch. I think some more variation on the main melody at 2:19 would really help give more of a narrative arc to this piece, but it might be even more important to have a stronger point of contrast towards the middle - an atmospheric bridge or harmonic shift after the first refrain, for example. Still, your work here shows a strong sense of atmosphere, rhythm, and harmony. The minimal texture and cliche chord progressions and arrangement are probably my main complaints here. Keep at it, Abstrack! :)

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
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.5/10

Abstrack responds:

Thanks TaintedLogic for your big review! You always do this by providing so many details, it helps me so much!

If getting better at music production is like exploring a dark cave with a light torch, then getting a constructive review is like having someone else lend you their torch for a bit.

[YPJ Technical Mecha]

I'm not judging your group, but this piece is awesome. The sound design and rhythmic content are killer, and despite being almost entirely rhythm section, there's actually a solid balance in the frequency range. Sometimes, there's a bit too much reverb in the texture for my tastes, but the production quality is really solid as well. Really creative stuff here, Mooke! ^_^

zybor responds:

Thank you for your review, TL! :)

[Freeform HC WIP]

Dark and dreamy. I like it! Atmosphere is solid, too. I think the percussion at the end is a tad cheesy, and the transition at :37 could've been smoother, but the ascending line in the strings from :27 to :33 was really well done. Gives the piece a subtle sense of climax, even though it's really short. Hope you're still producing, man!

DDman465 responds:

Makes a lot of sense looking back. Never had any real consideration for the listener or awareness. Will definitely try my hand in the next contest NG has to see how skills have improved. Thank you for the review.

[Spirits]

I like the ghostly lead at the beginning and the airy riff at :14. The pulsing synth bass is a nice way of keeping a sense of energy and drive in the texture too. I was a little thrown off when it seems to duck under the mix at :43, but it seems like that's intentional. I'm loving the majestic harmonies at around 1:25, and also the catchy lead riff at 2:20. The flow of the piece is really smooth, and I like how it comes full-circle by the 4-minute mark. Overall, it's a fun and catchy piece with a neat atmosphere and solid mixing.

I'm extremely sorry to hear about your assault, and I wasn't aware that this was the reason for the late submission. I'll discuss with the judges about making an exception for you. Clearly the late submission wasn't your fault. That said, I'd also encourage you to prioritize taking care of yourself over participating in the NGUAC - mental health comes first. If you ever need someone to talk to, please don't hesitate to send me a PM.

Teckmo-X responds:

This review made me feel like I had finally accomplished something and this time did it right. I didn't get to fully mix and master it like I wanted to but I tried to rush as much of it as I could to make the deadline. This review also gave me light to what I'd say an improvement from all my other work. I thank you for your time and kindness to listen and comment.

I apologize for my late submission. As for my health I am doing much better and undergoing a speedy recovery. This isn't the first time it's happened (last time was worse and life threatening). I get harassed quite often because I''m transgender but I continue to stay positive about things. I'm just grateful to be okay. I thank you for your concern. If you'd have any questions or would like more info please don't be afraid to ask me in private.I'm a very open person.

[tocc]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the eerie mood. The cello at :13 could sound a little more distinct in the texture, and by :34 or so the texture overall is pretty dissonant. It's a little hard to follow the direction of the piece around the 1-minute mark, but I'm liking the oom-pah vibes at 1:12 with the barking dog. The transition at 1:36 was a little rough, but I'm enjoying the rhythmic content and sound design thereafter. Overall, this composition doesn't have a great sense of cohesion, and oftentimes lacks harmonic depth. Dissonance can work really well in a dark, cinematic track like this, but I feel like it needs to play a clearer role in the narrative form of the piece. Instead, I think the order of the phrases and the way they’re connected aren't really building towards something here. My favorite elements of the piece were probably the sound design and atmosphere, from the foreboding synths to the authentic-sounding guitar and strings. Overall, the fun mood, dissonance, and variety are potentially really appealing aspects of this piece, but I think they'd work better here if the arrangement was less choppy. Keep at it, Snoballandthmonyshot! :)

snoballandthmonyshot responds:

Hey hey,
Thanks for taking the time to review.
As with a lot of my stuff it does lack cohesion! Never to be completed this one as it died along with my old laptop. I do intend to keep at it as i now have a functional daw again.
I'll be gunning for a 4 star from you with my next one...
Thanks again
Px

[Anemoia]

Wow, this is great. I love the atmosphere and the sound design. The synths at :23 are super cute and dreamy, and there's a great sense of climax into :45. The production quality is solid, even if the compression is a little heavy for my tastes, and the flow of the piece is really smooth. I like the chopped vocals at 1:30 and the extended breakdown at 2:40. The harmonic content can get a tad repetitive after a while, and I would've liked to see some more engaging melodies towards the end to really hit the piece home. Still, it's a really chill track with a great mood and strong instrumentation and progression. Keep at it, DrayxMusic, and congrats on the front-page! ^_^

DrayxMusic responds:

Oh snap you're right, another frontpage. Always awesome to see! :)

I agree that the piece ended up a bit more repetitive than I'd have liked, even if I was going for a more ambient/chill vibe. There was definitely some untapped potential here that I want to get better at fulfilling, especially for longer tracks like this. And yeah, as for compression still have a bit to learn. Anyways thanks for the review, glad you enjoyed it! :D

(Btw next year for NGUAC I'll have to submit a stronger piece. I was a bit complacent this year with my audition choice, after my placement last year in the finals) xD

[[NGADM] 夜明けの風 ( Dawn Wind )]

I really like the emotional appeal and atmosphere of the piece. The mix is a little quiet, but also clean and well-balanced. The melodies are beautiful, and the piece alternately has a feeling of nostalgia and blissfulness. I also like the rhythmic variations at around 1:40. The somewhat ambiguous ending and ambient sound effects at the end also work well. Lovely piece overall! Best of luck in the ADM. ^^

L-Mity responds:

Thanks!

[Lost Valley of Wycloff]

I like the tranquil guitars at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. It has a great, haunting cinematic vibe, and the echo-y guitars at :45 (and again at :53) are really cool. I’m thoroughly enjoying the melodic content and the progression, and you do a wonderful job of slowly escalating the intensity by gradually making the atmosphere richer. By the time you start absolutely shredding at 1:47, I’m completely sold on the composition - favorited this piece before it was halfway through. The return of the bass-heavy riffs at 2:25 served as a really fun re-intro, and the production quality is as wonderful as the composition tbh. The melodic content doesn’t stop being awe-inspiring in the second half, and I also thoroughly enjoyed the heavy, distorted final chord at 4:21. Hell, that lead guitar could convince me to leave my family and join a religious cult if it wanted to. This piece is awesome and you should feel awesome. Have I done enough ass-kissing yet? Probably. Keep up the great work, man! :^)

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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
10/10

Mechanical-Head responds:

Woah, thanks for the review dude! I'm glad you liked it :). Seeing people liking this track has been great and unexpected. I really don't know what to say, i'm so happy :D

[XTechno - Frozen Solid]

I like the cute arpeggios at the beginning and the harmonies at :10. The sound design is really great here, from the heavy bass to the piano. The mix is a little dry, and could probably use some reverb or other mixing effects to create more of a sense of atmosphere. That said, the bass does a lot of that work in its place, and you clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression. The composition could use a little more ebb and flow over time, as opposed to the relatively sudden transitions and the fact that the instrumental changes are the main sources of variety (as opposed to dynamic contrast, phrasing, filtering, automation, etc.). I’m liking the slower pace at 1:40 and the organ at 1:51 - it’s nice how you rebuild the texture with different instruments during the second half of the piece. Overall, solid work here, XTechno! The sound design is awesome, the mixing is solid, the composition is well-organized if a little square, and the harmonic framework and progression work well for me. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.5/10

XTechnoMusic responds:

Thank you for the in-depth review :)