TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The failed to qualify for the NGUAC blues]

I like the smooth guitars and melodic content. It really does sound quite bluesy. It's not perfectly quantized all the time, but I love the harmonic progression and production quality. Drums are nice and crisp. The higher register later in the piece (at around 1:40) really hits the track home. Solid work here, man! :)

Soundslave responds:

Pretty happy with this response this was made today in a few hours,,bit of a joke around peice to be honest but im glad you like it!!

[Jump Start]

I like the synth arpeggios at the beginning and the sub-bass that comes in shortly thereafter. The piece has a bouncy energy to it that I really like, and the slight atonality in the sub-bass is made really pleasant when it resolves to the tonic at the same time as the arpeggios (for example, at :16). I think some of the drum samples didn’t work for me, especially the percussion sample at :31 that sounded like an oversaturated hi-hat. The progression doesn’t have a strong sense of direction until around :55, when that soaring lead synth comes in. I think the lead synth is a tad too present in the mix, though - it’s hard to make out the drums after the 1-minute mark, and it was a little disorienting when most of the rest of the texture fell away at 1:05. There are a lot of cool melodic riffs in this piece, like at 1:15, but not a lot of melodic content that’s truly dynamic. The square rhythms of most of these synth patterns don’t really do the piece justice. The arrangement begins sounding pasted-together and formulaic. The saxophone at 1:56 was a refreshing addition to the texture, and also offers a nice sense of structural relief in its moment of strong atmosphere. Overall, though, the piece was missing a strong sense of ebb and flow over time. A full-length bridge or breakdown with a thinner texture might’ve helped give the piece some more shape. That said, I liked the minor chord at 2:41 in a second half of the piece that had very little novel content otherwise. I think this piece has a cool sound design, atmosphere, and harmonic structure, and the somewhat sudden ending actually works well for me here. That said, my structural concerns, along with the general lack of shape in the composition, probably constitute my main gripes with the piece. Keep at it, Zunixx! :)

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

Zunixx responds:

Thanks for the feedback, I always appreciate some good constructive criticism. I do agree with most points, specifically the drums, Ive been meaning to go back to the song to try something different. but otherwise thank you for the feedback!

[Fire - Type Beat]

I like the eastern-sounding instruments at the beginning and the chord progression. The beat at :25 is really catchy, but I think the harmonies at the beginning should’ve been a little louder relative to the sub-bass and some elements of the drum beat. Other than that, I have no complaints about the mixing or balance. The melodic content in the eastern instruments was nice, but the rhythm of that instrument sounds very square overall, and lacked the dynamism I usually associate with melodies. Overall, I would’ve liked to see you fill out the texture more, especially with some more frequencies in the treble range. This piece feels structurally incomplete, and quite frankly the composition is underwhelming. Ideally, there should be a little more ebb and flow in the texture. An emotional bridge or atmospheric breakdown would’ve really helped give some structural contrast to this piece. Otherwise, the composition remains pretty bland and forgettable. That said, I do like the instruments, mood, and atmosphere here. You also scored well for the production quality and rhythmic content of the beat. Still, you simply needed to flesh out the arrangement of the piece more in order to make this a top-tier track. Keep at it, Young-Kingler! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

Young-Kingler responds:

Thanks for feedback! I appreciate this a lot, I'll keep this in mind going forward.

[Pop Rocket]

I like the quirky mood at the beginning and the warm pads. The synths at :13 are cute, and I like the arpeggios you have in the post-chorus at :27. The rhythm of the melody is a bit too square, though, and some of the transitions in this piece were a bit abrupt, like :54. The production quality is pretty strong, though, and I can hear the instruments clearly throughout. The piece might’ve been missing some more melodic development or climax towards the end, though. The two halves of this piece (divided by the solo at :55) sound very similar. At times, I also thought you could’ve done more with the drums too. Still, this is a really cute piece with some fun sound design and an engrossing mood. It almost sounds like a retro-futuristic vibe - a robot falling in love with a peppy 50’s girl, only to have his heart broken. Any piece that can plant an image like that in my mind is a strong one in my book. :) Keep up the good work, Xehao! ^_^

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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Xehao responds:

I see why you are a judge, this review was incredibly useful, thank you for the feedback!

[Ola gyro gyrizoun]

I like the chill guitars at the beginning and the melodic content. The lyrics at :36 don’t have the best recording quality, but I really like the vocals themselves. They sound soulful and expressive. I’d love a translation of the lyrics if you get the chance, too. The dreamy, higher-pitched line in the guitars at 1:11 was nice for giving the piece a greater sense of progression despite the minimal texture. At around 1:27, there’s a little distortion in the mix. I’d be careful not to overwhelm the stereo when you’re recording. It couldn’t hurt to turn down the volume knobs a bit before recording, and then use compression or other mastering tools to make them sound louder as needed. The bridge at 1:50 is really soothing, and serves as an emotional high point for the entire the piece. At 2:30, there are a couple of blips, which is probably the guitar strings vibrating against the body of the instrument, but either way it sounded like a bit of a mistake that should’ve been re-recorded or edited out. The instrumental section at the end dragged on for a bit long, especially given that it’s mostly a repetition of the same few chords. I think the part at 2:23 mostly serves as an outro, structurally-speaking. I would suggest either fading it out after around 2:50 or at least launching some new melodic material to accompany the chord progression later on. You also probably could’ve edited out the last minute or so of relative silence, during which I can hear the metronome you used during recording as well. Still, this piece is quite strong overall. Despite the slight recording mistakes and my detail-oriented structural gripes, you’re clearly a talented guitarist and vocalist, with a good sense of melody and progression to boot. Keep up the good work, Thetakis! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Thetakis responds:

Thank you very much for the Details:)
at 0:46 barfood i run at this beach, here the people have camped at night they make fires and sing 1:10 "Stoped clocks in tha sand, and time have no matter, at this world exist no losers ,cause Earth we all dance around the some "fire".....

[Time Paradox]

I like the peaceful mood at the beginning, even if the string samples sound a bit inauthentic given the uniform vibrato and such. I like the addition of the bass at :27; it really helps fill out the texture. There’s a good sense of build starting at :51, too. The drum samples, especially the snare, are a little generic, and the piece is pretty over-compressed. The climax at 1:18 sounds really full and rich, but not quite as energetic as I was anticipating given the build-up. The mid-range bass at 1:42 is a nice touch, and I like the emotional appeal of the strings here overall. The breakdown at 2:08 is nice, and the piano arpeggios in the background add a somber tone to the string drone. The build-up at 2:33 sounds very similar to the other one, and I think the punchy pads at 2:59 clash a bit with the overall relaxed vibe of the strings. I think the string melodies are also due for a little more variety towards the end of this piece. The emotional appeal of the outro was a nice touch, although I think the transition into it was pretty abrupt. Overall, I think the composition and atmosphere are really strong, but there’s room for a little more balance and blending in the mix and originality in the arrangement and progression. Keep at it, Serfab! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

Serfab responds:

Well thanks for the support.
I make it the most melodical as possible, i am more inclinated more to the chillstep or ambient music than Melodic Dubstep.
The sounds are pretty simples, making unique music in mobile is so hard and i need to experiment with it to found my own style,
Normaly It takes a lot of time.
Anyways, thanks for your support and for tell me what i should to be better:)

[Sunset]

I like the refreshing chords at the beginning and the sense of atmosphere and build. The vocal samples at :15 are cute, although I think there’s a bit too much reverb in the texture at this point. The blissful mood is fun, and the melodic content at :45 is strong. That said, the sound design, arrangement, and chord progression are pretty generic. I think the vocals at 1:16 get a little lost in the mix, and removing some of the reverb here and doing more with panning, stereo widening, and the like should help alleviate that problem. I like the bridge section at 1:37, and the vocal sample at 2:05 made me smile. I wish you would’ve varied the cutesy vocals and melodies towards the end a little more, but overall the piece comes together pretty well, and the filters at 3:05 are a nice touch. Throughout the piece, I think you could’ve done some more creative work with the drums, and some sort of outro might’ve been nice to wind down the energy and drive of the last refrain. Overall, this is solid work. Despite my issues with the mixing and lack of originality, you clearly have a good sense of melody and harmony, sound design, and atmosphere. Keep at it, Semicedevine! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

Semicedevine responds:

Got it, next song will have more unique sound design and variation on drums

ty for write-up! xD

[Neon Void]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the instrumentation. The smooth pads, synth bass, and cheesy drum samples at :16 combine well. That said, the panning on the drums was a bit excessive imo. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the mastering quality is solid. The synth at :52 struck me as a tad cheesy, but it fits along well with the 80s vibe of the rest of the track. This piece is missing some prominent melodic content for the first half or so, but there’s still a nice, gradual sense of progression. I like the breakdown at 2:04, although at some point I would’ve liked to see you change up the chord progression and really aim for some structural contrast here. The synth lead that fades in at around 2:20 has a lot of melodic motion about it, but it’s still very in-the-chords and doesn’t provide the kind of catharsis I crave in the midst of all the escalating tension throughout most of the piece. This tension is even exacerbated by the lead synth as it gradually gets louder. The various elements of the piece come together well at 3:20, and, despite my typical branding of fade-out endings as lazy and overused, the abbreviated one here actually works quite well. The presence of the pads at the end in isolation feels like the only point of resolve this track is willing to provide, which in a way fits the way the tension in the piece never quite boils over. Overall, solid work! Despite my criticism, this piece has strong production, a really solemn moodiness, a pleasant atmosphere and texture, and a cool progression. Keep at it, RealGamja! ^_^

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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.75/10

RealGamja responds:

Wow, this is a really detailed review, thanks for going into so much depth!

[Etched Bow]

I like the quirky percussion and funky guitars. The rhythmic content is really pleasing, and the piece has a great sense of flow and energy alike. Some of the prominent chord progressions in the piece are a tad repetitive or cliche, like at :31. I also would’ve liked to hear some more prominent melodic content that stood out from the rhythmic textures. I think you needed to include some variation on the main riffs later in the piece in order to keep me engaged, too. The plucked bass riff at 2:05 was a good idea for an outro, but I thought the fade-out came across as a bit lazy. That said, the production quality here is top-notch. There’s a good balance of frequencies here, with a loud mix and tasteful amount of reverb to boot. It would’ve been nice to introduce a more legato element to the texture at some point, though, as everything in the instrumental palette can sound relatively percussive throughout. Still, the sound design in this piece is really fun, the adventurous mood is great, and overall there’s a lot of creative energy in this piece. Keep at it, Petrol4brains! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Petrol4brains responds:

Wow, thanks for the review! Really going to try working to improve my future songs based on your feedback for sure.

[Ecarsa (Part 2: The Redemption)]

I like the funky bass at the beginning, even if it’s a bit dry. I’d encourage you to be careful about putting so much reverb on the kick at :08. It can make your mix sound pretty muddy if the texture is thick enough. That said, I didn’t notice any huge problems with the mixing, besides it being a tad quiet. I think the texture is a little bottom-heavy at times, without a lot of mid and treble-range tones. The texture also consists of a lot of catchy, albeit repetitive, riffs that don’t have a lot of forward motion to them. Perhaps fittingly, there are a couple of jarring transitions here that you use to bridge the gap between sections, like at 1:32.

I like the frantic harmonies and the rhythmic content, but I wanted to see you give the piece some more shape - ebb and flow over time will help maximize the emotional appeal of your piece, which is especially important for keeping your audience engaged with such a long piece as this one. Nevertheless, I like the gradual build in intensity with the percussive instruments at 2:05. I think that’s a good start towards establishing the kind of dynamic composition I’m looking for. That said, the transition at 2:05 only really served to introduce what I thought was a pretty clunky snare sample at 2:18, instead of taking the harmonic material in a meaningful new direction.

I’m beginning to think that you should try consolidating some of your compositional ideas here. I think it’s helpful to envision a story while you’re making your piece. If your story is a movie, and I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie, I might choose to go somewhere in this middle section of 1:32-4:13. I think there’s very little sense of direction for most of that section, especially in the harmony, and even during transitory moments to the sub-sections, there isn’t a sense of gradual build and flow but of sudden entrance and interruption. Try to think about the “going to the bathroom during a movie” analogy when you’re making your piece, and cut out repetitive or structurally flat content as necessary.

One thing I like about this middle section, though, is the creative drum beat at 3:43. It has a great sense of drive about it, and while 4:13 is another abrupt transition, I feel like the piece has come together more so at around the 4-minute mark than anywhere else. What’s still missing is some strong melodic content (I think the melodies in here now are a little too frantic and fleeting to satisfy my melodic craving) and smooth transitions.

I thought the two-part fade-out ending you had in here was a little bizarre. I momentarily appreciated the idea of a “return to the solo bassline” like you had in the beginning, but I think it would’ve worked better if you had cut off the bassline on the downbeat after the melodic instrument fade-out and ended the piece like that. It probably also would’ve sounded smoother if you had some more reverb or delay effects on the melodic instruments, so that the first fade-out feels more gradual atmosphere-wise than it is note-wise.

Overall, there are a lot of good ideas here. The melodic riffs are catchy, the production quality is solid, and the sound design, while a bit cheesy, fits the thematic content well enough. You just needed a bit more of a “flexible” feel to your composition and arrangement that wasn’t quite there, and some more mixing effects could really enhance the sound design and atmosphere of the piece. Keep at it, PanBat! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

PanBat responds:

thank you for this critique. very constructive and helpful, really helped open my eyes to what i could have done better