TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[F-777 - Power Glove]

This sounds like a super old school Newgrounds hands-up track. I dig it. The melodies are definitely the strongest part of this piece imo, although the mixing isn't far behind. The percussion sounds a little too thin for my tastes, although the other rhythm section elements help keep things engaging. It kinda sounded like you just went a little too far with the high-passing here. I liked the variations on the melodies towards the end (~2:20), and the more conspicuous vocal samples after 2:30 or so were a nice touch. Overall, the piece comes together well. Nice work, F-777! ^^

F-777 responds:

Thanks so much for your reviews man. srsly best feedback ever. You actually can hear it all.
Thank you!

[私はただ生きている... / / / S T R 8 V I B I N]

I like the smooth pads at :16 and clean, crisp mix. The percussion samples are a bit cheesy, but the vocals are a valuable addition to the texture. It's a pretty minimal piece, but the atmosphere and mood really sell this piece. I really like the trumpet solo at 1:23 - it adds a warmness and whimsy to the piece. I like how all the different elements of the sound design come together towards the end. It's an idea as old as time in music, but it's still effective at making the arc of the structure more climactic. That said, I thought you could've found a more creative way of ending the piece. Still, I'm enjoying the vibes. :) Keep it up, TV! ^^

TeraVex responds:

Thank you so much TL! I've been experimenting with styles as of lately and this is one of the tunes to come out of it! I can't wait to show you what else I've been cooking in the oven!

[-Monstrum-]

The effect at the very beginning was a bit cheesy, but I like the glitchy content and ominous VGM-ish effects shortly thereafter. The texture has a nice, bouncy feel once the beat comes in at :26, and despite the minimalism the texture also feels pretty well-balanced. The progression is a little slow to develop, but I'm enjoying the sound design and rhythmic details at 1:20 or so. There was a nice break in the beat pattern at 1:35 - I think I recognize a vocal sample there that Waterflame has used before. I think is says "shut down." Where did you get that from? The more atmospheric synth at 2:05 or so is really nice, and helps take the piece in a new direction. The chord progression there is a bit cliche, and I'm not sure the gradual fade-out into 2:45 really worked for me. It seems like you could've had a more creative transition there. I like how you bring back some of the same harmonic patterns as before at 3:23, but I think I would've liked to see some more variety and development. I also recognize the vocal sample at 3:57. :3 Cute piece overall, PredatorMusic! The composition is a little bland at times, but you've sold me on the rhythmic content, mixing, and sound design. Cheers! ^^

Preds responds:

I’m glad that you liked this! I know, this whole song is totally a cliche, at least for techno music or kinda edm.

The sample is taken from one of the earliest vocal packs from Vengeance, it actually says “Shake Down” haha. The same thing for the 3:57 sample, Vengeance packs, “Everybody in the Club!”. Idk, using that kind of samples make me even more of a “Waterflame wanna be” I feel, at least. :(

Thanks tho! I’m happy to hear that im getting better at sound production and mixing. I’ll try to work on my weaknesses here. Next time you will hear a more original track I guess! :D

[Truman Sleeps]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the atmosphere. Really does sound like you recorded it in a concert hall (and for all I know, you probably did). :) It's a simplistic composition, but your sense of flow and pacing are both strong. It does seem to invoke sleep in some way. I was a little thrown off by the harmonic shift at 1:07 - all of a sudden the progression is much more chromatic and eerie. I felt like there was more to the story after the piece ended at 1:46, but I certainly enjoyed what I heard. I hope you'll do solo piano compositions more often! Cheers, Phono. ^^

Phonometrologist responds:

It was recorded at my previous church before I moved away. I used a room mic that is more prominent here in the mix as well. Regarding your comment about the music sounding as if there is more to the story. Well that's probably true with all film music as this piece was composed by Philip Glass for the movie "The Truman Show." I always liked the harmonic progression that I find peculiar in Philip Glass's music. Now his style has been copied quite a bit, but his harmonic language is still hard to duplicate by those that don't fully appreciate his approach.

[F-777 - The Lost Vikings (2015)]

I like the sound design and atmosphere at the beginning. At first, it's a little hard to follow the rhythm of the main melody, but it gets easier once the beat comes in at :37. The mix is a little over-compressed and distorted, but I still appreciate how loud and well-balanced it is. The harp samples at the breakdown are nice, and I like the harder-hitting mid-range bass during the more melodic sections too. The spacey outro is a nice touch too. Looking forward to hearing some more recent compositions of yours soon. ^^

F-777 responds:

Thank you!!! ya that's make sense too tho I should of added some element to make the intro more concise and followable. Writing this down for future songs. Ye the compressions not great....welll really bad even XD. I do have this still on a hard drive so I might try a new 2020 version. Glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks brooo!

[Guru (feat. JT the Human)]

I love the quirky, glitchy vibe at the beginning and the smooth vocals. The content of the lyrics is also really good. The production quality is fantastic, and the angelic vocals at around :45 are great. I really like the crisp, mellow drums and the variety in the vocal textures here. This piece is both relaxing and thought-provoking. The rap part at around 2:45 was also really good, although I might've liked to hear the vocals be a bit stronger in the mix there. The texture here is really smooth and flowing, and I love the variations on the chorus at the 4-minute mark. If I had to complain about one thing, it might be that the instrumental track could use a stand-out moment, as the instrumental hierarchy is pretty similar throughout the piece. That said, the variety in the vocals and the overall tone of the piece sell it really well. Fantastic work overall, everyone! ^^

Phonometrologist responds:

Oi is there a point in replying after over a month and a half? Well, It's been a super busy December, and I'm getting back into the hang of things now. If you took the time to write out your thoughts about the piece, it is the least I can do to say thank you. I, too, really think the rap part brings the whole piece to a nice finish, and I also agree with you that I prefer having more instruments being more in the forefront of a mix/arrangement. However, it's the mixing style for the genre they were going for where the vocals ride over the top, and the instrumentals are more reserved. I understand it, but I always preferred a dirty mix such as the classic albums in the Rolling Stones, or the musical lyrics that blend well with the music as in Radiohead and M83. This is their baby, though.

[Where The Beast's At]

I like the ominous sound design and rich atmosphere towards the beginning. There's a good sense of climax into the drop at 1:04. You've really shown off your filtering skills and strong sense of rhythm. I like the cutesy VGM vibe at around 2:25 too, and the sing-songy "la la la"s at 2:35 help enhance that feeling. They also flow really nicely back into the pre-chorus thing at 3:02. The sound design during the outro is genius, and I loved the creepy atmospheric details at around 4:15. Nice job with the ritardando at the very end too. Overall solid work yet again, MrKoolTrix! ^^

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for reviewing, TL! :D

[Western Punk]

I like the ominous sound design and atmosphere at the beginning. The texture is a bit minimal, but the percussion and sense of apprehension keep me engaged until it starts picking up at around :51. There's a bit of dissonance in the texture there, and I think the climactic part in the middle needs a bit more fill in the lower-mid frequency range to sell the intensity. I think you nailed the mood and atmosphere of the piece overall, and it has a good sense of flow and sound design as well. The composition might need a bit more fleshing out, and the tonality of the piece threw me off at some points, even though I know it's meant to sound creepy. You might also need more of a proper outro to the piece. Feels like it ends right after a climactic section, which is a bit jarring. The mixing is good, although during the climactic parts I wanted the drums to be punchier. Overall, though, solid work here, GALICROSS! :) Feel free to ping me again when you release your next track.

GALICROSS responds:

Thanks, I
I rework this music on the drums and more atmosphere

[Fulcrum]

I like the jazzy flair and crisp percussion. The texture is a bit minimal and staccato-y, but I like the addition of the groovy plucked bass at :20-ish. The solo at :35 is really wonky, with a lot of dissonant notes and large interval jumps that make it a bit hard to follow the harmonic framework. The mix is a little quiet, and could even use a higher saturation of effects to keep things interesting towards the beginning. The organ solo at 1:40 was super nice, and the texture fills out better in the second half of the piece. I really like the bright brass chords at around 2:25, too. The structure is a bit meandering and disjointed at times, but the piece comes together well by the end. Despite my general sour attitude towards sudden endings, this one seemed fitting given the rather quirky tone of the piece overall. You’ve also managed to give the piece a similarly quirky title. I applaud you for continuing to take so many compositional risks with your work, even at this late stage of the competition. Despite some minor gripes with the arrangement and harmonic details, you won me over with this one. Keep at it, Vocaloutburst! ^^

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

vocaloutburst responds:

As always, thanks a ton for your reviews man!!! Tbh, I was REALLY worried about this one cause this is pure jazz XD. In this round, I felt like I was hitting a really bad block, so I went with creating a track that I was most comfortable with and that's honestly jazz stuff. I was afraid that it wouldn't sound very fitting in the contest, considering that most of the submissions so far were orchestral or cinematic. So it really means a lot to hear that you still enjoyed the piece regardless of the style!