TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Impure]

I like the dreamy mood at the beginning and the echo effects. The thinner texture at :33 right before the huge uptick in intensity was pretty effective as a transitional technique. The melodic content at the 1-minute mark was nice, too, and the bass riff at 1:38 sounds really cool. I thought you could’ve done a lot more with the drums in this piece, though. The crashes are really quiet, and there isn’t a lot of other content in that upper frequency range to fill out the texture, either. The harmonic progression is great at around 2:30, although it feels like forever since there’s been a good bout of structural relief by the time 3:16 rolls around. Glad you brought this piece full circle by bringing back the dreamy vibe from the beginning, but it’s still a pretty sudden mood shift at 3:16. The energetic outro at 3:50 was a nice touch, though. Overall, solid work, JDawg00100! This piece is engaging, melodious, and catchy. Keep up the good work. ^_^

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

JDawg00100 responds:

Thank you for the detailed review!

[Disambiguation]

I like the quirky beats at the beginning. The big bass drum and hip-hop beat vibe well together, interestingly enough. I like the strings and ominous mood too. There isn’t a very strong sense of progression early on, although the melodic content at :58 is nice. The rhythmic content in the instrumental tracks is pretty simple a lot of the time, and I also would’ve liked to see you shake up the texture a bit more. An atmospheric bridge or something would really help give this piece a little more shape during the middle. Right now, it has a constant sense of tension and energetic potential that doesn’t really get resolved until the very end. The melodic content at 2:38 was really nice, though. The higher register part at 2:59 really helped piece this home and increase the emotional value of this track. The end came on a tad suddenly. Some more reverb or something there might’ve been advisable at the very least, just to give it that final touch of atmosphere. Otherwise, I thought you could’ve done a bit more with the drums towards the end, including giving them a more prominent place in the mix to up the intensity further.

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.75/10

Jmagnum responds:

Thank you :) Very detailed review as always. Will definitely take everything into consideration for future songs

[A New Land]

I like the guitar and echo-y drums at the beginning. The rhythmic content is pretty cool, and the mood is soothing, especially when the flute comes in at around :23. Great job with the sound design and progression here, even if the piece does take a while to develop. The string melodies are beautiful, although the transition into 1:11 was a little abrupt. The mix is also a bit dry, with not a lot of reverb or other mixing effects. A couple of the instruments have relatively sudden entrances that bother me a bit, too, like at 1:34. The melodies and harmonic content are beautiful here, although 1:56 was a little abrupt once again. The overarching structure here is interesting. I like the cello at 2:55. The texture comes together well again during the second loop. Everytime the structure resets itself, the transitions are a bit abrupt. Especially in such a flowing and atmospheric piece, I think you could do more to smooth over all of these rough entrances and transitions. Still, that’s my only major compositional complaint here. I applaud the sound design, harmonies, phrasing, and rhythmic content. I would’ve liked to hear more of the drums in the mix during some of the busier parts, but overall the production quality is also quite strong. You definitely took some compositional risks with this one, not least important of which is the sudden ending, but overall most of them paid off imo. Keep up the good work, Syamori! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

Baumarius responds:

Thanks! I'll keep this stuff in mind when I finalize it for the game!

[Nitro]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the cute synths. The chord progression at :20 is a little wonky, but I like the drum beat at :38. The transitional synth at :37 is a bit cheesy, as is the bass instrument, too. It’s a catchy piece overall, but I wish you did a tad more with the drums as the piece progressed. There also isn’t a lot of dynamic melodic content in this piece, although the dreamy breakdown is really nice. Good sense of climax at around 2:30, too. I like how the kick gradually fades at around 2:50 until just the atmospheric elements are left to shine. I think the second refrain at 3:11 would’ve been a bit more effective if there was a little more variety vis-a-vis the first one. I was also looking for some stronger melodic content and variation in the harmonies at some point. The relatively sudden cutoff of the beat at the end also doesn’t work well for me. That said, the atmosphere, sound design, and solid production quality do a lot to carry this piece.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Kassich responds:

Thank you for taking the time to judge all of these songs! These contests are always very fun to take part in!

[Reality (demo)]

I like the smooth guitars at the beginning and the atmosphere. You have a great sense of harmony and rhythm. The vocals are :54 are pretty nice, but also sound pretty undecorated. They might need a little more reverb and other mixing effects. Sometimes the vocals also duck under the mix for the splittest second, like at around 1:50. I can’t tell if that’s because of the mastering quality or the recording, but either way it warrants fixing. Once you get into the higher register at around the 2-minute mark, the vocals sound a bit thin and strained, too. I enjoy the meandering harmonies, but I would’ve liked to hear some more structural variety here. The piece has a near-constant intensity for almost 2 minutes, which is quite a while without any sort of breakdown or bridge section. There’s actually an escalation of intensity at 2:15 before anything else, which helps make the piece feel climactic, but also doesn’t do much to maximize the dynamic contrast and emotional quality of your piece overall when the baseline is something like 1:08, which is also pretty full-textured and driven. The solo at 2:43 is pretty sweet, though, and overall I think the composition of the piece comes together really well. I also really like the lyrics themselves. The line towards the end, “I’m feeling the wrong way” hit me hard. The end comes on a tad suddenly, but the guitar amp fade-out helps alleviate that. Overall, solid work with the flow, melodies, and vocals. Some of the compositional details might need a bit of work, but the production, mood, and rhythmic content were also strong. Keep at it, ZappaFan52! :)

P.S.: Sorry to hear that you’re depressed. Let me know if you need someone to talk to.

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

ZappaFan52 responds:

The depth and specificity is greatly appreciated, I'll definitely keep all of that in mind going forward! Thanks again ^_^

[Lapse of memory]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning and the atmosphere. It has a nice sense of build throughout the first minute, but overall the progression is pretty slow. I thought there was a little too much reverb on the clap at :43 (and in general), but the harmonic content here is really cool. The white noise at 1:04 seemed a bit undecorated - could use some rhythmic variation or filtering. Either way, the drop is pretty cool, if a bit bland harmonically. My main problem with the piece is the lack of harmonic complexity. The chord progression is pretty generic and simple, and overall it doesn’t feel like there’s a strong sense of direction to the piece overall. Absolutely a lot of potential here, but it almost feels like I didn’t get to hear the second half of the piece, where you (supposedly) provide another emotional height, melodic development, a modulation or other harmonic variety, and maybe even an atmospheric bridge or something. Still, really good start here. I really like the sound design, rhythmic content, and atmosphere, and I’d encourage you to keep working on this piece! Keep at it, klru27! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
7.5/10

klru27 responds:

Thanks for pointing out my lazy mistakes. I'm still glad that you scored it better than I expected! Newgrounds has been a nice place for me thanks to people like you! I'll try to bring better works later! :)

[Burning Rush]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The synth rolls were a bit much - I think they would be better if they had a distinct rhythm, but I like the bass instrument at :11. The kick could come through the mix a bit cleaner, and the melody at :22, while catchy, seems to have a few too many notes to be memorable. The chord progression is also pretty cliche. Honestly, my main problem here is probably the generic sound design and harmonic elements of the piece. The way the lead cuts off at 1:08 is a little sudden, and the harmonic pattern of the piece changes very suddenly there. Given the frantic tempo of the piece, it might be a good idea to put in a more spacious breakdown so that you can give the listener some time to adjust to the new harmonic content. You actually have one at 1:53, but unfortunately it comes after you switch up the chord progression. That said, I like how you combine the two main harmonic progressions at 1:45 and again at 2:10. The transition back into the refrain at 2:18 was good, but once again there’s not a lot connecting the sections joined by the transition at 2:41. You have the crash and drum fills, sure, but that feels like a bit of a Band-Aid solution. I’d encourage you to make your transitions more gradual. Ideally, the different sections you’re connecting would share a couple of instruments and even the same riff. The melody at 3:26 also kinda came out of nowhere. Overall, despite my compositional complaints, I enjoyed the blissful mood, energy, and overarching structure. This piece just needs a little more tightening on the mixing, some more creative sound design, and a smoother flow. Keep at it, Mutty99! :)

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

mutty99 responds:

I'm happy you liked the energy, that means part of my "experiment" worked!

The instrumentantion choice has always been problematic for me, i think i should find new plugins for when i'm gonna come back this Autumn.
About the structure, the sudden transitions were voluntary: i tried to get inspired by the direct and simple style of Pokémon tracks, but maybe, following your review, i could've put more parts of my composing style. Understandable :)
One last thing: the 3:26 melody is a variation of the 1:30 one, i put it to make the mix less annoying and repetitive.
Glad you enjoyed the mix, i'll try to improve my style even more!

[Probe]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning. Some of the synths are a bit cheesy, but I’m enjoying the swells and filtering/automation in the texture. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the production quality is pretty good. There were moments where I thought there was a bit too much reverb in the texture, but the transition at 1:03 actually works quite well. I wish there were more high-pitched tones in the texture to balance things out a bit. It’s a very bottom-heavy track, and the atonality here is a tad excessive. Great job with the energy and emotion - I would be scared for the protagonists if this was the background music in a movie - but it could use a bit more harmonic depth and melodic content. It also has a lot of tension and intensity throughout the piece - at some point I would’ve liked you to push the reset button and give the structure a bit more shape. The thinner texture at around 3:30 helps, but it’s very short-lived. The rhythmic content at 3:47 is a little hard-to-follow, but at the same time very creative and unique-sounding. The creepy outro is well-done too. Overall, solid production quality, atmosphere, mood, and compositional details. The texture needs a bit more contrast, especially in terms of pitch and harmony. A melodic bridge, greater density of effects at the upper frequency range, or even a mid-range pad drone would help fill out the texture a lot here. Keep at it, BiPolarBeat! :)

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

BiPolarBeat responds:

Thanks for the feedback, i guess my style is slowly shifting into more retro vibes i.e. 2006ish limewax, so i guess stay tuned for that ;)

[Broken Hearts]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning, but the sharp hi-hat was a little much imo. The sound design is really cool here, especially the sound effects at :23 that sound like you spent a lot of time modifying some recordings of bird calls or something. The pensive mood here is great, although the progression is a tad slow-paced. The drop at 1:07 is really refreshing, and I love the groovy synth bass and quirky vocals. I suppose I would’ve liked to hear some more melodic content at some point, though, and I think the refrain drags on for a tad too long. The return to the beautiful ambiance at 1:53 was quite welcome, and the sense of build starting at around 2:30 is great. Throughout the piece, I thought you could’ve done a tad more with the drums, which at times (especially 2:58) are a little overcompressed, btw. Unfortunately, this piece doesn’t have a strong sense of harmonic development over time, and I would’ve liked to hear a more distinct outro too. Overall, despite the top-notch production and sound design, I think you could’ve done more with the composition here. I kept waiting for these groovy - albeit somewhat contained - beats to break and ascend into a fit of catharsis with some gorgeous, climactic melody, but it never happened. The result is that the structure of the piece feels more like a stagnant cycle than a smooth narrative. Still, the instrumentation, mixing, and atmosphere definitely kept this piece afloat. Keep at it, Aoraz! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Aoraz responds:

This review has honestly made me so happy!

I will try my best to improve on my composition and make the overall flow of future songs have a more fluid feel.

Thank you so much! I hope I can get a 10/10 on your next review :)

[Unreleased 1]

I like the nature FX and atmosphere at the beginning. Sounds alternately ominous and pensive. I think the pads had a bit too much oscillation in volume levels, though. It affected the flowiness of the piece after a while. That said, the frantic drums are really catchy and crisp. The transition at 1:11 is a little sudden, but I love the vocals. They fit the dreamy atmosphere of the piece well. I think the piece could use some more prominent melodic content at some point, but in the meantime I enjoyed how the bass at 1:30 thickened the texture a bit. There are more abrupt transitions later, such as 1:55 and 3:22, and the structure is beginning to be a bit predictable by the midpoint of the piece or so. The strongest part of the piece is probably the production quality, although I like the sound design too. The vocals at around the 3-minute mark were a nice touch. It still needs a bit more textural fill, melodic content, and harmonic depth, though. That’s where you lose the most points from me, but you also get full credit for mixing and mastering and instrumentation. Keep at it, ErmDJVit! :)

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
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

Vj responds:

Thank you for taking the time to review my recent work. I appreciate your approach on this style of electronic music within the review.