TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[SWEDEN (MINECRAFT)]

Woah! Been a while since I've heard from you. I like the tranquility at the beginning. The rich strings at :47 are really nice, and there's a great warm tone to the piece once the texture starts filling out at the 1-minute mark or so. The sound design here is especially admirable. The mix could've been a tad louder, but you definitely emphasize the contrast between the beginning and the climax quite well. I like the portamentos during the drop - really nice touch that adds some dynamism to the chords there. Naturally, the full-circle approach to the composition that you took here is really effective. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, Dave! Hope to see you posting more on NG in the near future. ^^

Daveisgr81 responds:

Thanks! I'm still around - been a long time since I've been here!

I hear you about the volume, it was a problem during the mix :/

[Hold Me, Love Me]

I like the dreamy quality and cheesy synths. The progression is a little slow-paced at times, and the chord structure is a little bland. I think you overdid the reverb on the percussion, especially during the fills at 1:54. The melodies at 2:03 are nice, but the bass and drums get a little drowned out at that section. The smooth flow and atmosphere really help sell this piece, and the seductive saxophone is a highlight for sure. Some of the harmonic details might need more fleshing out, but this is a solid start. I'm far from being a "retrowave nerd," but I'm looking forward to hearing more of your experiments with '80s synths. ^_^

sleepFacingWest responds:

thanks! Yeah, when I think big 80's drums I imagine cavernous reverb but I think I overdid it. They're a bit boomy. I think I need to book up on actual 80's production methods to capture that feel.

[Summer Vista]

Nice! I'm not used to hearing jazz from you. I like the relaxing guitar melodies and percussion. There's a tad too much reverb on the drums, though - it sounds a bit unnatural. The sound design is well done overall, though, and the filtering work at :56 was a nice touch. The piece doesn't have a ton of variety in the texture, but I think the piano solo about 2/3 of the way through goes a long way towards breaking up the structure of the piece a bit. The variations on the drums towards the end were pretty unexpected, but they serve as a fitting echo of the rhythmic contour of the rest of the piece. Solid work, 8-bitheroes! ^^

8-bitheroes responds:

Thanks for the feedback sir! Have a great day :)

[Will of the Wisp - 05 - Withers]

Wow. Much more energetic texture compared to the rest of the soundtrack. You've really created a well-varied and evocative OST here. The rhythmic component is also a bit stronger here - I especially like the low strings at :58. Paired with the ominous piano, it really lives up to its title, which suggests both an air of mystery and a state of decay to me. I've got to compliment you on being quite prolific recently. You keep producing, I keep fanboy'ing...it's a win-win. Bravo on this lovely and versatile soundtrack, Miyo! ^^

Miyolophone responds:

thank you once again for all your kind words, TL! we'll see if i can keep up this pace for the rest of the year, but i promise i have even more music coming soon :)

[Äventyraren]

I like the flute melodies at the beginning and the background noise. It has a very organic sound. The percussion is great, and the key changes, instrumental palette switches, and octave jumps add some flavor and variety to an otherwise relatively repetitive piece. The strong clap at the end is a nice touch of added energy, although I thought the applause at the end was a bit cheesy, especially since the timing there sounded so unnatural. Still, this piece has a lot of character to it, and your mixing is getting better. Good luck in AIM, EverErratic! ^^

Everratic responds:

Thank you for the review :)

I'm glad the sound is organic and you notice the progress I've made in mixing.

With regards to the timing of the applause, the setting I envisioned is one where the song is played in a tavern in a popular market area, and there are many spectators. Because it's a folk song, the townspeople heard it hundreds of times, and therefor they know exactly when it ends, and thus, I thought it would make sense for the applause to begin relatively early. With that said, this is something I'll pay more attention to if I use the applause effect again. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Thanks for the luck wish, but this isn't an AIM submission. I'm not sure if I'll enter any competitions this year.

[Go Crazy]

Admittedly, I was going to be more critical of this piece, but then I realized that you made it in ONE HOUR, which is actually insane. There's a lot of detail in this piece for one hour of work, wow - even variations in the final refrain. A lot of the compositional elements (arrangement, chord progression, etc.) are pretty generic, but the cheesy sound design and lively drums still have me sold. The vocals are strong as usual, and the upbeat mood and piano solo are highlights. I think the drums could've been stronger, but, again, I'm hesitant to criticize the mixing too much because you made this in ONE HOUR. Rock on, LunacyEcho! ^_^

LunacyEcho responds:

thanks TL!!! tbh the reason the drums suck is because i was experimenting with plugging in and recording straight from my electronic drum kit—so that is actually me playing! but it's an old kit so the sounds aren't that good. plus, i can't separate the tracks for separate mixing because i only have an audio cable and not a working midi cable :(((

but who knows??? if i release this somewhere, anywhere, i might just reprogram with drum samples and clean up the mixing that way. thanks again for stopping by!!

[Rising Hero]

I like the uplifting mood and the sound design. There's a noticeable delay on those strings that's a little disorienting at times, but I have a feeling that's a built-in part of the sample. Either way, my main complaint here is that it ends. I love the contrast between the climactic first minute and the more subdued final 30 seconds. The ending is really abrupt as it is, which is really a shame because the rest of the piece has a really evocative narrative form, and that same element of dynamism is even present in the title. You've left yourself a lot of space for a grand finale in those last 30 seconds, so if you ever write one please PM me. Until then, keep up the good work! ^_^

Bosa responds:

What would it take for you to write it for me

[Mihari]

I like the cutesy piano riff at the beginning and the melodies. The beats at :47 are really nice, and lead into the refrain at :59 well. The mix is super clean, and the flashy synth pads and the hip-hop-inspired beats create a refreshing and well-balanced sound design. I like the rich pads at 2:55, but I would've liked to hear a little more variation on the main melody during the final refrain. The outro had a nice melodic flair too, though, and overall this piece is really smooth and upbeat. Keep up the good work, 8-bitheroes! ^_^

8-bitheroes responds:

Thanks for the support and feedback, much appreciated!

[Two Thousand And Twenty Dreams]

I like the emotional strings and bright piano. Reminds me of "Clocks" by Coldplay with the vaguely melancholic descending chord progression. Later on, it gets more upbeat, and I like the injection of energy at :50 or so. The cutesy melodies there are nice, although I thought the risers and some of the synths and drum samples were a bit cheesy. The piece has a nice flow to it, although the middle section might've been a tad too dragged-out for my tastes. The mixing is pretty good, although it had a bit of a contained sound at times (maybe a little too much filtering?). I would've liked to hear some more variation on the main melody during the final refrain, but the piano "echo" during the outro was a nice touch. Solid work overall! Looking forward to hearing what you produce for contest season. ^_^

DJ-DG responds:

Thanks so much man! Honestly yeah, it does feel cheesy when you mention it... but I just wanted to make something that sounds super happy haha
Hopefully I get far enough this season to really put some more work out there :D
-DJ-DG

[raccoon joins band practice for the first time]

Ayyyy! How did I miss this? Excellent start to a new decade of Johnfn Newgrounds uploads. Has a whimsical and cutesy vibe from the start, even if it's a bit dry. The cats are killing it at :55, but the sudden drum break threw me off a bit at 1:07. The dissonant chord at 2:03 made me laugh, and the melodic variations later on in the piece really had me sold. The little piano solo riff at 2:20 was a great touch, too. The full-circle-style outro with the mallets felt like the ending credits on a kids show episode. I'm going to call up @LazyMuffin and pitch it to him right now. :3

Keep up the good work, Johnny Boy!

johnfn responds:

THANKS TL! the drum break is supposed to be the bear on timpani arriving late and over excitedly to the party lol