TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Interlude For The Day]

I like the relaxed vibe at the beginning and the detuned piano. The rhythm is a little hard to follow at the beginning, and the harmony isn’t much easier at first either, with a lot of jazzy chords in rapid succession. There’s more clarity in the texture when the drums come in at :25, but the mix is still pretty thin. The flow is punctured frequently by sudden transitions, which in a way helped keep the piece engaging, but I also think I lost the sense of direction of the piece after a while. I like the blissful, bouncy mood of the piano and the somewhat moody inflections that occur at times, but I think you could’ve done a lot more with the composition in some regards. The entire piece feels a bit fleeting, not just because it’s short but also because there’s rarely a sense of structural stability anywhere. You have a lot of cool transitions and ideas running across the page, but I wanted to be able to point to a moment of arrival that ties the piece together. Instead, it never really came, leaving this piece feeling unfinished, to be frank. Still, you’ve really got an engrossing mood going here, and the production and sound design are strong as usual. Keep at it, Vocaloutburst! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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
7.75/10

vocaloutburst responds:

Thanks for the review dude, it really means a lot! I think this was definitely one of my more ambitious tracks to make, especially for this contest. Up until now, I've taken a more video game/orchestral/cinematic approach to my tracks, and this jazzy lofi track is kinda out of left field but I wanted to give it a try and see what happens. I honestly think your review helps the most out of all the comments/critique I've received for this track. I focused mainly on my knowledge of jazz when I was putting this together, but I often get too snared into my own ear for the vast majority of my tracks. I want to get better at stepping away from the production process and attempt to hear the track from a different viewpoint so I can appeal more to the masses. I think with your review, it showed me what others' ears might have gravitated towards and that's usually a hard thing to figure out on my own. I don't just want to make music that I think my friends and people I admire will like, but I also want my music to reach people who I'd never dream of getting to know. Basically, what I'm saying it this, I have to come to terms with the fact that what I think sounds cool isn't always going to resonate with everyone in the same way. Again, really REALLY appreciate these reviews, it means a whole lot to me!

[endK - Gotta Go Blast!]

Catchy beats and fun sound design as usual, EndK. I like the low slap bass at :14 and the synth brass melodies at :27. The piano fill at :38 was a nice touch, too. I think you could’ve potentially done more with the drums, but my main complaint in the piece is that it just doesn’t feel structurally complete. There’s a dense texture rife with killer melodies, energy, and funky syncopations during the first 52 seconds of the piece, and then the ‘B’ theme and its variations dominate the rest of the piece, giving the overarching structure an awkward AB arrangement that doesn’t really allow you to develop and expand on some of the strong melodic themes you introduced earlier in the piece. Maybe that seems like a bit of an over-specific complaint, but I think that’s a missed opportunity at the very least. Still, the mixing is really strong, the melodies and instruments are fantastic, and it’s easily a piece that’s stuck in my head. Solid work overall, EndK! I just wanted to hear a final refrain that hit this piece home. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

endKmusic responds:

Your review is totally right if you're looking at this piece as a 'could-be-full-length-song'.
From that perspective it sure is, as you said, 'awkward AB arrangement'.
But as I said in the description, I tried to make trailer-like music for 2 opposite things.
There wasn't meant to be a wrap up, eventhough I could've done it (if I had more time / ideas / etc.)
As always, I'm really grateful for your detailed review!
It sure makes me wonder of how would it sound if it really was one unique full-length wrapped up idea.
Thanks TL! :)

[Lost Joy]

I like the waltzy vibe at the beginning (although I suppose any piano piece in ¾ sounds waltzy to me). The melodies sound both melancholic and cutesy, but by :18 the texture has much more of a structurally flat quality that emphasizes the melancholic part. The chords themselves are a colorful variety of major and minor, which makes me think that this piece is fundamentally about joy or memories of joy, even if that joy is presently lost. I also like the heavy low chords at :28. They really add a sense of urgency to profoundness to an otherwise mellow section of the piece. The clashing notes at :31 work well for me, too. I’m really enjoying the dichotomous character of the piece, even if I wish the angry, inward parts and the light, graceful surface were integrated a bit more fluidly at times. I also think the chord at :39 was played just a tad too loudly, even if that’s a miniscule detail. You did a really good of guiding the listener’s expectations with the gradual ritardando there and then the rich chords at :50. The violin entrance at 1:02 was rather unexpected, although it certainly fits the somber, evocative mood of the piece. I think the violin would’ve been more effective if the solo was longer there. Everything about this piece seems so short-lived and fleeting. Maybe that’s the point given the subject of the thematic content, but I wanted you to explore the ruefulness inherent in the violin solo a bit more. Still, the content that’s here is still really enjoyable. The composition might need some more fleshing out, but the emotional piano and violin riffs and fun jazzy filler content do a lot for me in a mere 95 seconds. Keep it up, Everratic! ^^ Also, if you ever need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to message me.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Everratic responds:

I'm having trouble understanding your criticism. Let's talk about it another time.

Thank you for the review and support!

[My Meandering Mind]

I like the tasteful ascending roll at the beginning and the bouncy feel of the texture. The rhythm is a little hard-to-follow at times, with some very sudden changes in emphasis starting at :11. I like the more contained sound at :36 and how you quickly open it up with the bluesy bass line at :45, and the cadence at 1:05 cements the blues theme for me. The pause at 1:07 was a bit long, although it also did a good job of predicting the more downtempo section that followed. I like the gradual increase in energy level until 1:32, and the frantic doodling there sounded rather impressive. I like the wonky, refreshing vibe at 2:13, but by 2:43 I’m starting to feel that the piece resets itself a bit too much to really come together how I want it to. The final phrase at 2:58 is nice regardless, and I think the slight ritardando and jack-knife descending scale there really sell the conclusion. Overall, you took a lot of risks with this piece, many of which paid off wonderfully, but some of the more dramatic transitory moments are still going to take some getting used to for me. Still, I applaud your exploring a new genre, and given the piano’s rich tone and good balance of frequencies it’s hard to complain about the sound design or mixing either. Nice work, Ale! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I must apologise for the very late reply! I've been fairly busy in my own life, and much of the free time I've had I've tried to dedicate towards composing and the like. Now that the NGADM is nearing its end, I find I have a little bit more time to dedicate to other things too, which is nice. So I am trying to get back to people I haven't been very good at responding to in a timely manner. Here we go!

As you noted in your review, jazz isn't a genre I typically compose in, although I've dabbled with it here and there. For this piece, I just wanted to see what I could do if I tried to make a full-length piano composition with a jazzy style in mind. In this specific instance, it ended up becoming a little jazzical. It was fun to play! When composing, I spent faaar to much time making and learning the part at 1:32. I had to practice for hours on just that short part, because of the speed and complex finger placement. Not the smartest decision for a competition like this, but I'm glad it worked out in the end, and I'm happy with the sound. I suppose I ended up making my final piece even more difficult to play, though, looking back at this :p

I understand that parts of the structure and progression can be a little bit wonky, since I was quite experimental with this piece. I am glad that you enjoyed it anyway, and thank you for the high score!
I hope you're doing well :)

[Motivation]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning. The texture comes together well by :32, and the slap bass really helps fill out the low end. The mix is a tad quiet, but also really clean and clear. It has a much more organic/acoustic vibe than most of your other tracks as I recall, but I like when the more synthetic elements start to bleed in at around 1:04. This track has a really smooth vibe overall, and I love the harmonic variations at the bridge at 3:00. The funky guitars at 3:14 are another big plus. There could've been some more prominent melodic content at some point, but for now this track really has a refreshing, down-to-earth coffee house vibe. Looking forward to hearing more of your work soon. Welcome back, NoisySundae! ^^

Noisysundae responds:

I've come to learn that letting the peak sit too close to zero is not a good idea since those samples can be clipped when encoded. My mastering rules right now is first keeping the loudness difference between the middle channel only and middle + side in between 0.5 to 1 dB, then adjust the loudness on the loudest part of the track to -16.xx LUFS with -2.xx dB peak. I got these numbers from when I was doing 15 remasters a few months ago and it works quite well on them. Also, that's one way to make sure the sound won't be altered too much on Spotify (they use a limiter).

At 3 minute mark, it's actually just a sped up elevator and funk music (I mean, try listening to that part with 0.75x speed on YouTube.). Btw, I admit that I got a bit burnt out towards the end and didn't come up with better melodies. I got overwhelmed by all those earlier parts, but I can't really imagine the shorter version of this track so I went with 4.5 minutes.

Thank you again for the detailed review! And yup, already having a bunch of new menu projects going on, and the remasters I mentioned.

[Clocktown]

I like the dreamy vibe at the beginning and the cute synths. The melodic content at :20 is wonderful, and the crisp percussion and atmosphere-heavy mix really help fill in the texture. Really creative work with the percussion at around :56. The production quality here is great, and I love the tempo automations at 1:05. The section at 1:26 has a more energetic vibe, and the background percussion really does sound like a ticking clock there. The rhythmic shimmering effect at 1:42 didn’t quite work for me - I feel like that section functions as the most legato part of an already atmospheric piece, and the wavering effect lessened the impact of the climax for me. Still, the sound design and melodic content in this piece are awesome, and the emotional appeal of the outro at 2:43 was very well done. Strong work overall again, guys! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.5/10

Onefin responds:

thanks for the review! these help a lot

i need to ask jessieyun for a review lol

[Salsa Verde [Arby's Revenge]]

Very different than what I’m used to hearing from you! I like the sound design in this piece a lot, although the rhythm at the beginning is a little hard-to-follow at first. The piano at :05 really helps anchor the syncopations in place, though. The vocals at :13 add to the thematic flavor, and the guitar at :28 is a really refreshing addition to the texture. The saxophone melody at 1:12 serves as a wonderful point of arrival, and I also love the bass line there. There’s room for a little more structural ebb and flow in the piece, although the solos at 2:01 help hit the piece home well. The ending also comes on a tad suddenly, but the percussion fill during the last few seconds helps. Overall, I love the compositional work here, and the production quality is strong as always with you. Another strong effort, Phono! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Phonometrologist responds:

Thank you for your review here for which I do not take for granted. Regarding the rhythm in the beginning, this was my inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi0aQ4PVAdI
There's not much critique here for me to gnaw on, but I appreciate the comments nonetheless. Regarding the ending...well.. you know

[Sanctum]

I like the smooth guitars at the beginning and the crisp drums. The rhythmic content is enjoyable too, although the piece is a bit slow to progress at times. The arrival point of :59 really anchors the piece imo, although I would’ve liked to hear some stronger melodic content there. I would’ve liked to hear a stronger sense of ebb and flow in this piece over time. Especially the verses here feel a little flat and stagnant. Nice job with the high-energy section at 2:29, and I appreciate the addition of the melodic content at 2:58. I still think you could’ve done a tad more with harmonic development and adding more dynamism in the composition here, but overall the piece comes together well towards the end in terms of a narrative arc. I also have no complaints with the production quality, mixing, or sound design. Keep at it, JDawg00100! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

JDawg00100 responds:

thanks for the detailed review :)

[Neon Gaze]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the luscious atmosphere. I wasn’t a huge fan of the clap sample - it sounded a bit dry, and also didn’t sit very well in the mix at times. Otherwise, the sound design is enjoyable. The harmonic content has a serious lack of variety here, though. I like the transition at 1:08, but otherwise there’s not a lot of variety to keep my attention. Nice use of phrasing and filtering later on, but I’m afraid the composition here is just seriously underwhelming. The mix is also a tad quiet, although it’s still clear and clean. The piece needs some more structuring, melodic content, and variety. I think you’ve set up the mood and thematic content well, though, and I hope you keep working on this. For a short and (admittedly) incomplete piece, it sounds good. Keep at it, AceMantra! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

AceMantra responds:

Thanks for the review and your hard work. I'll definitely work on this some more.