TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Don't Mean a Thing]

I like the rich quality of the vocals at the beginning and the conversational tone inherent in the lyrics. The guitar sample sounds a bit cheesy, though, and I thought the kick was very heavy and sub-bassy for a piece like this. The content of the lyrics is really clever, and I like the cutesy mallet instrument at :50 during the more mellow refrain. I’m not sure to what extent this piece describes your real life (I’d imagine your Dad doesn’t have a union job, and I’m also not sure you have siblings either), but the down-to-earth tone of the piece and the passionate vocals makes the entire thing very believable. Almost sounds like you plucked this song out of a quirky off-broadway production. The refrain at 1:32 with the high-register pads and fuller texture is great, and there’s also a great comedic quality to the spoken work vocals at 2:00 and the teacher’s “advice for girls.” Once you get to the banjo line, I’m straight-up laughing my ass off. The production quality is excellent here, btw. Overall, this is a super fun and catchy piece with a great message. At the end of the day, my main concern is probably the lack of originality in aspects of the harmonic framework and arrangement, but that honestly doesn’t even actively bother me that much. Seriously, LunacyEcho, save some good pieces for the other competitors! :P

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.75/10

LunacyEcho responds:

you're definitely right that all the content in here was just made up haha, i don't have a brother and i just thought it had a nice campfire-y folksy vibe. and thanks for all the kind words <3 i'm 99% sure this song was a fluke so i'm hoping that i can pull off another fluke for this next round. cheers!

[XenoXenon - Magical Kingdom]

I like the spacey atmosphere at the beginning and the cute melodies at around :20. There’s a tad too much reverb in the texture, though, and I think the mix is rather quiet in general. The strings have a nice emotional quality, too. I think the progression could use a stronger sense of direction at times, but I like the shimmering pad at 1:10 and the gradual build into 1:36. I didn’t think the extra pause at 1:37 was quite necessary, and the percussion sounds a bit muddy in the mix later in the piece. The piece has a really uplifting vibe, but I think the production quality and generic harmonic content are my major concerns here. Still, nice work with the emotional appeal, melodies, and mood/atmosphere. Keep at it, XenoXenon! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

XenoXenon responds:

thx for feedback

[Trapped in this Time Machine]

I like the gritty bass at the beginning and the cinematic strings. The Middle Eastern theme is a nice touch here. The sudden volume change at :27 was a bit jarring, and I wish the vocals were a bit more prominent in the mix. The burst of intensity at 1:04 works well, although it’s easy to get a little disoriented with the rhythmic syncopations going on at 1:11. The arrangement of the piece is a bit choppy here, although that does help emphasize the punchy, adventurous vibe of the piece to some extent. The piece was also missing some dynamic melodic content. Still, I think the vocals are very good, and the lyrics themselves are also rather enjoyable. Overall, nice work with the production, harmonies, energy, and sound design. The arrangement could be a bit more fluid, and the composition could be a tad bit more fleshed out, but otherwise I really like the thematic content of the piece and the storytelling here. Keep it up, LunyAlex! ^_^

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

LunyAlex responds:

Thanks a lot, as always, for the detailed review, critique and nice words!

[Till ett träd]

I like the rhythmic patterns at the beginning and the introspective tone. The lighter material at :27 is nice, too. The recording quality is great here, and the texture is full and well-balanced despite this being a solo instrument track. The floaty line at 1:22 comes in a bit suddenly, but otherwise I have to complaints with the flow of the piece. The composition might’ve benefitted from a more extended climactic section towards the end to tie things together a bit more, but you did a job offering some cohesion here overall between the recognizable main theme at 3:01 (and other places). Nice job with the gradual ritardando into that last section too. Overall, excellent work, LSD! I’m looking forward to hearing more from you soon. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
9.25/10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Apologies for the delayed response!

1:22 repeats the theme from 1:10, but in a cooler way, so I wanted it to come in quite powerfully. But perhaps the velocity of the first hit is ever so slightly too high!

The whole song is definitely based around the rhythmic patterns from the intro. That's also what I came up with first, so it's the seed that grew into the tree that is the composition, if I may (play on the title).

I felt that after the climax starting at 2:11, the piece needed something unexpected and not too melody heavy, before letting it breathe for a bit, until it finally got into the ending.

Thank you for the very generous score, as well as for the dedicated reviewing as always ^__^!

[Life of Pain]

I like the echoy string instruments at the beginning and the relaxed mood. The strings at :21 are beautiful, although the piece is a bit slow to progress thereafter. I like the more intricate syncopations at 1:01 and the graceful woodwind solo. The percussion could’ve been a tad crisper in the mix, and the mix is a tad quiet for a lot of the piece, but overall the texture is well-balanced and full for a satisfying duration of the piece. The melodies here are beautiful, and I especially like the rich string harmonies at 2:40. The structure is pretty intricate, and some of the transitions are pretty sudden (like at 3:11), but overall I like the smooth flow of the piece, and you gave it a soothing sense of ebb and flow over time that keeps things interesting despite the sense of continuity. The texture comes together really well by around 3:30, but I think the ending could’ve been a bit stronger than a gradual fade-out. Overall, beautiful work though. Very evocative piece with some great sound design (especially the percussion) and mixing. Keep it up, Syamori! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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

Baumarius responds:

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I think I know how to fix the issues you described, so I'll probably be using your review later to add some finishing touches. Thanks for the review, TL!

[Cicade]

I like the glitchy content at the beginning and the cute synth riff at :14. The mix is really tight and well-balanced, and there’s a nice sense of climax into :54. The drop is strangely atmospheric, but I like the gritty underlying bass and smooth synth riffs. The melodic content here is nice, but I think it would’ve helped maximize the emotional impact of it to make something more legato and dynamic. I like how you varied the drop the second time the refrain came around (at 2:04) and, despite the relatively cliche arrangement, I think you have a really unique, refreshing sound design and mood to this piece. It sounds both blissful and somewhat ominous, and I really like that ambiguity. Keep up the good work, Zanzlanz! ^_^

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

Zanzlanz responds:

First of all, congratulations on 3000 audio reviews. A bit arbitrary of a milestone to congratulate maybe, but it's no less amazing to me!

I'm interested about your review because track was partially inspired by your criteria and previous feedback (I do wish more judges could do what you do; it's so helpful).

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised about this, but you totally caught me having the typical arrangement! Though it did really help me piece things together, so the tradeoff was probably beneficial in the end. It may have helped sell the intentionality of the more risky choices too. :) But yes, it was comfortable for me and maybe I should be more bold in a competitive situation.

I'm super surprised people like the mix! I struggled with it a lot, so it's a big relief to have direct thumbs up there.

I really love and appreciate the description of "both blissful and somewhat ominous." Perhaps making things "more legato" would have reduced this aspect, but I can see that you're pointing out there are ways to consolidate some of the ideas better.

Also, varied drops: there's no other way man! It's a waste of music to do the same thing twice! :D Thanks for acknowledging that.

And again, thank you for the thoughtful review! Good luck with the next rounds, and do enjoy your couple weeks off!

[Afeared]

I like the gritty texture at the beginning and the catchy strummed riffs at :28. The melodic content might’ve sounded a bit more impactful during the first minute if all of the notes weren’t so short and staccato, though. The production quality and harmonies are both enjoyable here. I still think transitions are what you need some more work on. The changes in the texture at 1:07 comes on a little suddenly, although I like what you did with the shifts in the rhythmic emphasis at 1:22 and again at 1:40. The ominous top line at 2:35 added a nice sense of variety after a while, and I appreciated how you broke up the intensity of the piece with the breakdown at 2:51. I think the composition feels pretty drawn-out at times, especially with the added repetitions of the riff at 3:27. Still, I liked the new melodic material at 4:03, and overall I thought you did a good job of hitting this piece home. I don’t think the piece is nearly as bad as you think it is. It has a good sense of shape, and the sound design and mixing are both really strong. 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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

JDawg00100 responds:

Thank ya for the review! :)

[From the Dust You Whisper]

I like the murky atmosphere at the beginning, the vocals in the background, and the gritty industrial-sounding effects that fade in and out. The percussion is cool too, and I like the synth riffs at :48. The texture takes a while to come together, but the ominous mood and atmosphere help keep me engaged. I liked when the beat fell away at 1:38, and the synth arpeggios and airy vibe at 1:50 adds to the sense of intrigue and suspense here. The vocals at 2:18 are really nice, although I’m beginning to lose a sense of cohesion in the structure by this point. The guitar solo towards the end is pretty sweet, and helped give the piece a sort of harmonic dynamism that it was otherwise lacking imo. I still think you could’ve done a tad more to resolve the underlying tension of the piece here, and I’m sure you can anticipate my criticism of the hasty ending. :) Still, I have absolutely no complaints with the mixing, sound design, or atmosphere. I think you nailed the mood and flow of this piece. The piece has a good sense of shape, too, but I think you were still playing it a bit safe with elements of the harmonic content. Overall, though, solid work here, Phonometrologist! Keep it up. ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Phonometrologist responds:

Well I cannot say that I disagree with any of it. I appreciate the review as it is all reassuring. This piece still feels a bit odd to me whereas it doesn't quite finish with the same energy as the first minute and a half of the piece. But it has its own character and I've accepted the piece for what it is.
Regarding the harmonic content and "playing it safe." You're probably right. What was on my mind in creating it was making sure I showcase the sample library so it can be used as a demo. Sound design, mixing, and the percussion were the main focus, and the harmonic content wasn't anything I really tried exploring. I'd much rather write a piece that offers something deep and meaningful in terms of the harmonic and melodic content, but this often requires a lot of time interacting and listening to a piece of music to explore its secrets. The theory aspect of music is like a religious experience for me where each individual note plays an important role in finding the next one. I simply couldn't do it here as this was more of an exercise in writing to a specific deadline.

[Osaka beatdown]

I like the energy at the beginning and the generous dose of hi-hats. The airy synths at :26 are nice, but the lead riff at :40 sounds pretty harmonically different, and a lot of this piece doesn’t have much harmonic depth. The bell-like harmonies at 1:04 even make the texture sound a bit atonal. The drop at 1:30 is pretty cool, albeit pretty minimal, and I am enjoying the high production quality here. The vocal samples at 1:56 are fun, and overall I’m really liking the rhythmic content and flavor of the piece too. The transition at 2:22 could’ve been smoother. The fade-in approach into that new piano riff doesn’t really work given the differing harmonic frameworks between the two sections. My favorite part of the piece is probably 4:05, but the transition into that section could’ve been a bit smoother. Overall, you’re clearly a talented producer with a great sense of rhythm, sound design, and atmosphere creation. That said, the arrangement is pretty choppy here, and the harmonic content doesn’t always sound coherent. Still, solid work with the mixing, energy, and catchiness. Keep at it, KayozKun! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

KayozKun responds:

Thank you so much ^^

[Obelisk]

I like the pensive atmosphere at the beginning and the sound design. The progression is a little slow-paced at first, but I really like it when the texture comes together more at :46, even if the transition there could’ve been a tad more gradual. The energetic section at 1:20 also works well, and I liked the modulation at 1:40. The mellow section at 2:19 was smooth, and I liked the re-introduction of the energy at 3:29. You guys really like key changes, wow. While key changes this conspicuous during a climactic section should generally be used sparingly, I like how you foreshadow them slightly before the transitional moment itself. I also like the rhythmic details towards the end (like at 4:52). Overall, my one major complaint here is probably the somewhat choppy arrangement. Still, great job with the production, sound design, mood, and melodies! Keep it up, guys. ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

tailspun responds:

big thanks for consistently reviewing so many peoples' tracks, helps so much to get a second opinion (-: