TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Hollow Knight Main Theme Remix]

The beat is a little simplistic, but moves the piece along nicely. The ominous melody is cool, but it would've been nice to have some additional harmonies in there - bass, back-up melody, etc. - before 1:26 or so. I think the main riff sounds really indistinct in the mix, which is probably my main problem with the piece. I'd suggest removing some of the reverb and delay effects to add clarity. It's possible that they come with the instrument you used, but I think having fewer mastering effects in the texture would add some clarity to the mix. I hope you continue to work on this, though! It's a catchy tune with a cool atmosphere. Keep at it, man! ^^

DaVaP responds:

Oh damn, thanks. This was made in a bit of a rush to have something done for the game's anniversary, but that doesn't excuse it being as not-well-made as it is. Thanks for all the tips, means a lot. This was made in FL Studio Mobile which isn't quite as versatile as its PC counterpart, and I'm new to making music. I'll definitely try to do better on my next song/s as I'll be getting a laptop fairly soon, so look forward to that. Thanks again for the review!

[Etherscape]

I like the atmospheric style and soothing instrumentation. The pulsing of the pads at :47 was refreshing, but overall the piece is a tad slow to develop, and just when it seems to be coming together and building towards a climax, you launch into the breakdown at 1:24. The huge build-up of reverb into 2:05 was fun, and I like how it suddenly gives way to the frantic synth line and drums at 2:06. In fact, that last minute and a half or so is probably my favorite part of the piece. The mood and harmonies just come together more in that section. Overall solid work! Looking forward to those DnB tracks, too. ;)

Alloud responds:

Hey thanks for listening! Your review is very appreciated I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Whirlwind]

I like the strings at the beginning. Love the fusion orchestral-breakbeat style. Reminds me of some of Waterflame's old tracks. You have a great knack for creating catchy, energetic riffs that progress well over the course of the song. I especially like how one section bleeds into the next, like at 2:37. The piece gets a tad repetitive towards the end, but the energy is certainly maintained and the mastering is great throughout. Keep up the good work!

P.S. Where do you get your string samples from?

ErikMcClure responds:

Pretty much everything here is EWQL

[To Pilot A Moon]

I like the heavy guitars at the beginning. Catchy riffs, and really loud, crisp mastering. I also really like the dreamy synth riff at :37. The vocal layering is great. I like the tone of your voice, too. Sounds like you're a child playing out his fantasy. The structure of the track almost reminds me of a musical, because it's just itching for some visuals to accompany it. I also love the contrast between the legato vocal phrases and frantic guitar riffs. I really like how the cymbals kinda pulse back and forth in the mix at around 3:30, and the darker-sounding mid-section starting at 4:00-ish was great! The "radio" section at 5:10 was a great thematic touch. I also love how it comes full-circle with the structure of the vocal phrases by "been told I'm a loon." The ending was just haunting. I'm tempted to critique the lack of cohesion in a way, but the storytelling in this piece is just phenomenal. Fantastic work, Kor-Rune! Is there anywhere I can download this?

Kor-Rune responds:

thank you!! it should be up for download here now, it's also on Spotify. Thanks for your kind words!!

[FF8 - The Man With The Machine Gun Metal]

This is amazing! I love the energy and the layering and the well-timed changes in the rhythmic pacing (e.x., :35). The chord at 1:01 is awesome. There's a lot of different emotions in here, but in the end it comes across as victorious, frantic, and passionate. I also really like the breakdown at around 1:30. The second breakdown at around 2:30 even has a touch of dreaminess to it. Really strong work here, PirateCrab! You clearly put your soul into this track. Keep it up! ^^

PirateCrab responds:

Thanks bud! Got no soul left, gonna just make Metal memes now haha!

[endK - Ethereal]

Another cool short piece! I like the emotional appeal of this one. That piano has a really bright tone to it that's really soothing. All of the rolled chords and spaciousness of the texture are pleasant to the ear, and I like the somewhat dark ambient sounds that come in towards the middle of the piece. Compositionally, it's a bit simplistic, but it has this great inward and ponderous tone to it that I really like. Strong work! Keep it up, EndK. ^_^

endKmusic responds:

Much thanks for the review.
I'm glad you enojoyed it! :)

[Enter the Dungeon]

Cool stuff! Sounds very heroic and even cinematic in a way. Definitely a cute, VGM-ish take on a classical fanfare. While I like the sound design overall, some of the samples sounded more like fake brass than brassy synths, if you know what I mean. It's a short piece with a simple-yet-effective ABA form, though. I like it! There's a great anticipation-resolve set up in the structure of the A-section that repeats every measure. Keep up the good work, EndK! I like the username change, btw. :)

endKmusic responds:

Thanks for the kind words! :>
Yeah, totally agree with you for the brass. However, I think it does its part, since I didn't try to overhumanize or make it 'shine', eventhough there's a lot of stuff that could've been improved.

[Ashes]

I like the crisp drums and heavy guitars. The dark content of the lyrics complements the instrumental track well. The vocals, while very good overall, came through as a little dry sometimes, and the delay effects seemed like a bit of a formulaic solution to that. Maybe some reverb, chorus effects, or other mastering tools would help them sound fuller? The ending is also a tad sudden, but other than that I have very few complaints. I love the passion of the vocals and the pace set by the guitars. Keep up the good work, B-M-I!

Bad-Man-Incorporated responds:

Thanks man, glad you dig it overall. This is just a captured idea for the tune. Basically drums, press record. No mastering at all. Volume and channel control. Basically record it 4 times, with two slightly different tones, panned hard left and right and mid left and right. Then volumes. Zero post on the guitars.

I have a pretty standard set op for doing all this. It's mostly volume control. You are absolutely correct about the formulaic solution! To eliminate the work on the vocals, I record with minor delay on, set to the tempo of the song - so I don't do any post work. Just a minor compression, which fills up the delay. Eliminates a lot of work, for the idea of it and it still passes! Thanks for the review, mang!

[Zel - Diamond Caves (Spadezer Remix)]

Cool white noise at the beginning and sound effects that sound like water dripping. I like the catchy bass riff that starts at :36. The progression is really nice and anticipatory. The drop was cool, but I think there's a bit too much reverb in the texture for my tastes. I'd prefer the breaks there to sound sharper, and the reverb gives off a more atmospheric vibe. The ghostly melodies at 1:55 were nice, and I like the steady undercurrent of bass that's maintained throughout this section. Later, the bass gets even heavier, which is definitely a highlight, but the final melodic refrain at 3:10 or so definitely hits this piece home. The texture is very busy and maybe even a little bottom-heavy throughout, but the production quality is still really good. Impressive work here, Spadezer! Keep up the great work. ^_^

Spadezer responds:

Thanks for the feedback TL! I could see what you mean about the reverb, and even since I've uploaded this, listening to it again I think I'd agree and change up some of the mixing a bit. Like the kick needs trimmed up, and some of the bass I let get a little messy. I'm also really glad you like 3:10 section!

[Close to Her]

Beautiful! I love the Celtic-sounding instruments and the choir. The string swells and the modulation at :48 were both especially nice compositional elements. I like the emotional outro, too. Man I wish this piece was longer. Composition, mastering, and sound design are all fabulous. Great work, Bosa!

Bosa responds:

Thank you!