TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Above the Clouds, Below the Sea]

I like the waltzy meter and sound design. The strings have a great, warm sound, and there’s a rather satisfying climax into :23. The harmonic shift at :31 is really well done, despite the fast pacing through that section. The mix is a bit quiet here, but otherwise well-balanced and full-textured. I think you could’ve stood to flesh out the composition here a little more. Right now, it bounces back and forth among several distinct sections very quickly, and the sense of cohesion suffers as a result. Still, these are minor complaints that only slightly detract from my enjoyment of the wonderful orchestration, whimsical storytelling, and impressive compositional details of this piece. Keep up the good work, CloakedSoup! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
9/10

CloakedSoup responds:

Thanks man! I'm actually going to be updating this pretty soon to extend it/finish mixing it, I've just got to get some other music I'm currently working on out of the way first. The thing that bugged me the most about this mix was the annoying white noise that was coming from the high end of the harp here, but I made sure to fix that for the finalized version. I should be able to get the extended/finished one up sometime this week, so look out for that! :D

[JUGGERNAUT]

I really like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning and the gritty edge to the texture. The piece is a little slow to develop at first, and I found it a bit disorienting when the atmosphere completely fades away at around :32. The distorted guitars are nice, but the texture at :48 sounds rather indistinct and bass-heavy. The sound design is enjoyable, but the texture could be more well-balanced to include more treble-range instruments. That said, the mix holds up pretty well in spite of the bottom-heavy frequency balance. The transition back to the murky atmosphere at 2:39 is rather sudden, though, and in general I think you could’ve done a lot more with this piece harmonically. The distorted synth at 3:12 sounds really nice. It sounds forlorn and yet also relaxed in a state of complete acceptance. You also do a good job of integrating the atmospheric flair with the guitars at 3:42. I think that section is still pretty repetitive, and lacks a lot of dynamic melodic content. I also think the piece has a lot of reverb and some relatively weak drums that could use sharpening in the mix. Overall, my favorite elements of the piece are the sound design and atmosphere. I think the composition and, to a lesser extent, mixing, could use some more polish, though. Either way, this is a fun, catchy, and unique piece. Keep at it, SourJovis! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
7.75/10

SourJovis responds:

Thank you for the review. I made some changes since the first upload based on your suggestions. I didn't change as much as I thought I would, because I wanted to stick to the minimalist style I had in mind, so I don't know if you like it better this way. See "Edit September-21st-2019" for more details about what I've changed.

[endK - Midnight Chariots]

The thematic content with the glitchiness at the beginning was a fun idea, but I think you overdid the stereo crackling a bit. The rhythmic content here is certainly catchy, and the sound design is top-notch as usual. There’s a lot of space in the mix until around :50, when the piece gains a more flowing style. I think you could’ve done a tad more with the drums at some point here, and after a while the piece does get a bit repetitive. Perhaps my biggest complaint is that there are several extended sections of relative minimalism in the piece, especially harmonically. That said, I appreciated the harmonic variety you offered at 1:56, and the piece comes together well with the solos at 2:22. The catchy synth brass stabs are nice, and the horse samples help cement the thematic content. Overall, solid work! All of my complaints are minor. Keep at it, EndK. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

endKmusic responds:

Totally agree with you on the drum argument during the chorus - but I was low on time.
The same thought was in my head also!
It sounded good enough so I decided to focus on other things.

The same goes for the 'minimalistic parts' as you said.
I had the call - response pattern and thought it's gonna be good enough, and it did sound ok.
I guess the next song will have the right amount of harmony to compensate.

Thanks for constructive review TL, will focus more on those things for sure. :)

[Rite of First Flight]

I like the eastern-sounding instruments at the beginning and the cool syncopations. The filtering and panning on the stringed instrument at :16 is really neat, and I really like the glitchy flair at :56. The sound design here is so eclectic and refreshing, although there are a lot of relatively percussive sounds in the texture that could use some smoother over at some point. Perhaps some sort of drone-like ambiance would fit the character of this piece and help fill out the texture at times? Still, I really like how the other instruments fade away when the adorable melody comes in at 1:34 with the shaker. The repetition of the string line at 2:30 also gave the piece a bit of structural cohesion that is sometimes lacking in your tracks. The transition at 3:26 was a bit sudden, and I think some of the dense rhythmic patterns there get in each other’s way. Still, by around 4:03 I’m loving the mellow tone of the outro, and the nature FX in the background really helps set the scene. Wonderful work as usual, Syamori. Please let me know when the album comes out. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
9.5/10

Baumarius responds:

Thanks TL! I'll keep this stuff in mind, and I'll definitely let you know when it's out! I've come to a few new musical epiphanies and breakthroughs with the next song for the contest, regarding the personification of my instruments... I can't wait to post it lol

[Derpcat - Crystal Caves]

I like the cute, atmospheric synths at the beginning and the blissful mood. I have mixed feelings about the glitchy guitar synth at :35 - I get what you were going for with the added intensity and drive there, but some of the glitchy elements kinda interfere with the flow of the piece after a while. There’s also a rather heavy contrast in mood with the abbreviated breakdown at 1:10 that never gets fully explored imo. The bridge at 1:18 was a bit bland, as were the drum patterns throughout the piece. I really like the atmosphere at 1:53, and I think you could’ve capitalized on the emotional quality of the piece there by incorporating more gradual transitions into this piece. Overall, there’s a lot of promise here in the mood, sound design, mixing, and rhythmic content of the piece, but the structure feels a bit thrown-together and choppy right now. The piano outro is great, but I’m not sure you have me sold on this piece as a cohesive composition yet by the end. I still think 1:18 functions like a bridge (as :35 feels a lot more climactic), which leaves the last half of the piece without a major point of arrival to hit it home. Still, nice work with the production, atmosphere, and instruments. Keep at it, DerpCatOfficial. ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

DerpcatOfficial responds:

UwU thank

[Speak Easy]

I like the smooth guitars at the beginning and the groovy bass that comes in shortly thereafter. The texture and harmonies have a really quirky edge to them, and despite the loud mix and variety in the instrumental palette, the texture sounds pretty thin at times. The brass sounds entirely authentic (and probably is), but I’m often thrown off by how the piece meanders between distinct sections at a pretty fast clip. At times, the drums sound pretty distorted in the mix, which is especially noticeable with the crashes at 1:56 and onward. I also think the snare could’ve been a bit crisper. Still, it’s the abrupt transitions (like at :33, :53, etc.) that really bother me. I think you begin to make up for that by adding some cohesion with the repetition of the beginning riff at 2:18. The solo at 1:37 is really nice and dynamic, but I still wish you had broken apart the underlying rhythmic framework a little more at some point in the piece. Overall, I’m really enjoying the refreshing sound design and evocative rhythmic content, and my complaints with the mixing, texture, and otherwise are all minor. Keep at it, JamesRennaMusic! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Jumbs responds:

Thanks man I really appreciate it, I’ll get to work then :)

[Everybody's Invited But Me - Song]

The synths and drums patterns at the beginning are catchy and cute, but the instruments themselves are pretty cheesy. The melody synth sounds really thin compared to the bass, although the mix is fairly loud and clear otherwise. The lyrics have a fun, almost comical vibe, yet the recording quality isn’t perfect and the mixing on the vocals could be smoother. The panning on the vocals is pretty heavy, and the different vocal layers could’ve blended better. There’s also a bit of distortion at 1:17, likely because of the overpowering vocals. At 1:42, I’m enjoying the catchy percussion and circus-like instrumental solos. The chord progression remains pretty cliche throughout the piece, although I liked the gradual decline in register of the piece at around 2:20. At 2:26, the distortions from the vocals become more noticeable and the quantizing isn’t perfect either. I think the vocals often fall behind the beat. Some re-recording might be in order there, especially for the purpose of better syncing up the backing vocals with the lead. Overall, I think this is a cute piece with a lot of fun ideas, but the execution on the vocal processing and mastering needs some more work. Keep at it, Jackbliss! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

jackbliss responds:

Thanks for another great detailed review TaintedLogic. It's been a great opportunity for me to produce songs for this tournament and learn from my mistakes to get the best output for future releases. Keep up the good work! :)

[Tethered to the Past]

I like the ominous tone at the beginning. Nitpicky thing: at :11, there’s this really low-pitched harmony line that sounds pretty indistinct. That might be on purpose, but it sounds to me like the notes are spaced a little too close together. I thought it was really clever when you transitioned into an oom-pah line at :17, which in turn progresses nicely into the more flowing and melodic vibe at :26. Stylistically, this is a rather eclectic piece, but you’ve really showed off your knack for storytelling and fluidity. I loved the frantic pitter-patter at 1:00 too. One transition that may have been a tad sudden for me is at 1:09 when the piece gets a little darker in tone again, but the ritardando into 1:28 was an effective way of foreshadowing the injection of energy thereafter. My favorite part of the piece is probably 2:08, which just sounds really cute. I also like how it gradually meanders its way to a lower register before launching into another more flowy section. The doodling at 2:50 is pretty impressive, but also wasn’t a particularly climactic way of concluding the piece imo. I would’ve liked to hear something with a fuller texture that united some of the disparate themes of the piece a little more. Still, the somewhat comical ending seemed fitting in its own right. Like I said, you really told a story with this one. I can envision the protagonist fighting with himself over whether and to what extent to let go of his past. There’s the stagnant, cyclical-but-enthralling parts of him that need curing, yet also the volatile, uncertain-but-optimistic prospects that the future holds. Anyway, fun piece, LSD! Keep it up. ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the review, and sorry for the delayed response! I was teaching for four weeks as part of a university course, so I've been really tired whenever I've been at home :'D

Now that that's over, I hope I'll have some more time for music again!
As for your nitpicky thing, I don't hear what you mean there, as I'm just playing octaves. But maybe you were talking about 0:13, where the left hand might be a bit understated. I'm playing power chords there, but they might be somewhat quiet :)

The oom-pah thing is really fun to play! Believe it or not, I hadn't really developed that technique until now, so I'm glad it's in my arsenal.

Personally, I disagree about 1:09, as I feel like it's a natural place for the song to return to the intro. But it might've been unexpected, which just makes it all the better in my opinion!

2:08 is a callback to 0:31, and I agree that it's stylistically quite nice. Probably one of the most traditional parts of an arrangement I think I've ever composed.

I can see what you mean with 2:50. Seems like a lot of people also liked it though, so I guess it could be one of those flares that speaks to some people, yet not to others.
The way I see it, the climax of the piece is pretty much at 2:20, and the rest is just a fleshed out outro. I do however, feel like the outro draws the piece together, as 3:04 is pretty much the same as the intro and the middle section of the piece :3

"I can envision the protagonist fighting with himself over whether and to what extent to let go of his past. There’s the stagnant, cyclical-but-enthralling parts of him that need curing, yet also the volatile, uncertain-but-optimistic prospects that the future holds"

=> Wow, that's actually pretty close to what I imagine the piece being about, myself. I'm glad you caught on to that!

Thanks again for the thorough review, as well as for all your hard work!

[Crystal Winter]

I like the light and graceful tone at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The piece has a great emotional appeal and a nice spaciousness in the mix. The vocals are brilliant, if a little breathy for my tastes at times. The lyrics themselves are beautiful, and the rich texture really falls together by around 1:34. I really like the extended piano solo before the short, final vocal phrase. The piece has a nice and uplifting vibe overall, and the production quality is fantastic. Keep up the great work, guys! ^_^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks for the review!
I am really amazed by how quickly Jordi was able to come up with and record the vocals for the track. He also added some more reverb on the piano, I think, which gave way for this amazing atmosphere. Personally, I love the breathiness, as I feel like it fits the wintery feel really well. It's interesting that you liked the piano interlude, whereas SplatterDash thought there could've been vocals there. I guess that goes to show how different taste can be, even regarding dynamics :)
It's also interesting that you find the piece mostly uplifting, and JessieYun feels some sad undertones. I really appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts; it's almost like conducting small-scale research, haha :'D
Keep up the great work, you too!

[The Watch ft. Ethereal Winds]

I like the haunting, Middle Eastern vibe at the beginning. The warm strings and vocals are both great. I'd love to get a transcript/translation of the lyrics. This piece has a great atmosphere and progression. The mix is a little quiet, but I love how the piece ebbs and flows in intensity over time. The vocal content often seems repetitive, but the instrumental tracks have a pleasant shape to them throughout. Strong work here, guys! Looking forward to more fruitful collabs in the future. ^^

McGorilla42 responds:

Thanks, Tainted! I'm glad you enjoyed it and we will upload more.