TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[NewGrounds : Demo]

I like the progression and dramatic percussion. Sound quality is a bit muddy - try to use less reverb on those low-end drums. That said, the composition is great. Really lively and climactic. Excellent use of sound design, especially with the subtle electronic elements at :36. Sounds like the end of a chase scene. Strong work!

Junebuggo responds:

Thanks for your criticism! Some of the muddy quality is due to Newground's bad MP3 compression. Also funny thing... those "electronic elements" at 0:36 are actually trumpets on a flutter and fast half step trill XD

[Lucid]

I love the tranquil atmosphere at the beginning and the swells (like at :33). The sound design and mixing are fantastic as usual with you, and I especially enjoy the mix of orchestral and more synthetic/ambient elements. There's a lot of musical variety here, and I especially like the contrast you draw between the brass solo at 3:40 and the preceding downtempo section. The coda was haunting, a fitting echo of the charisma and cinematic flair of the more energetic sections earlier. Well done, Step! The narrative form of this one is truly engrossing. ^^

Step responds:

I still love your reviews. Thanks so much for leaving a comment, Andrew!

The contrast at the end is something I'm very happy with too. In general, this piece is all about driving a narrative, and if someone were listening to it and couldn't form any kind of story in their head based on what they're hearing, then the song didn't do its job as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks again!

[Dreams]

Bit of a brighter tone to this one than usual for you. I like the creative hi-hat rolls in the background. The kick is pretty heavy, and the attack on those pads at 1:09 is a little too sharp for my tastes. The synths need a little more body here to feel well-balanced against the drums sometimes. Can you send me a screencap of the equalizers on your synths, too? Otherwise, I like the bouncy tone of this one. Attack on the pads is the only thing that actively bothers me.

djRemedy responds:

Thanks dude. Fixed the kick.. tweaked a few things.. still not perfect but I will keep on it. Lol sorry it took so long.

[I'm not a simp]

I like the quirky beats and loud, crisp mix. The synths are a little cheesy, but the vocals are neat. It's a little hard to make out the lyrics at times, but that might be more due to the layering and mixing effects more so than the mastering quality. Catchy and fun piece overall! Keep at it, man. ^^

RealMrSnuggles responds:

Hey, thanks, I forgot to include the lyrics in the description, gonna do it now.

[Midflight Skysprite]

I like the cutesy synth riff at the beginning and the gradual additional layering. The nature effects are a nice atmospheric touch, and overall the piece has a great sense of build over the first minute. The distorted breaks at :58 were a tad bizarre and tinny, but they provide an evocative element of contrast when juxtaposed with the easy-going melodies at 1:20. The texture of the piece certainly has an experimental vibe overall, but the level of variety and high quality of the mix and sound design are engaging and fun. It was really interesting to read the narrative description here because it doesn't really match what I pictured at all. :) For me, there's clearly an element of conflict here between the fluttery, distorted textures and the flowing melodic parts. Either way, really cool piece at the end of the day! Keep it up, guys. ^^

tailspun responds:

thank you for the review, TL! it's interesting how you had a different interpretation of the emotions this song carries; now that you've mentioned it, though, i can see what you mean.