TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Rhode Island]

Super fun track! The whispered lyrics at the beginning are a little hard to make out, but otherwise I have absolutely no complaints. Your vocal range is great, combining a rich baritone with a strong falsetto. Do you take voice lessons? I love all the vocal layering and call-and-response effects ("that's right!", etc.). The instrumental is smooth, too. Reminds me of the soundtrack of an 80s sitcom. Great comedic value too - I burst out laughing at "their mascot is a scrotum." Just of curiosity, have you ever been to Rhode Island? XD Admittedly, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't take up the opportunity to write a song about my home state of Massachusetts, but seriously: fantastic track here, LE! ^_^

LunacyEcho responds:

Thanks for the review as usual! Haven't been taking vocal lessons haha, but definitely have been trying to get better at singing recently (this song pretty much hits both the upper and lower limits of my range too)

And heyy Ylvis already did the Massachusetts one! It's a riot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvUMV1N7eGM

[Underbound]

Hi Ale and Jordi! Been a while. This is a super cute piece. Overall, I like the unconventional sound design, but a couple of the choices sounded a tad unpolished, especially the cloudy pads at 1:26. The piece definitely comes across as a collage of ideas, but upon watching the animation it does come together a bit more as a cohesive whole. I think my favorite riff is the somber one at 1:48, although I like how the initial riff returns at 2:34 to bring the story full-circle. Nice work, guys!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I'm on the hunt this night!
I think this may be the last one to have slipped through the net :O
Thanks for your thoughts! ^____^

[AIM - Timeless Adventure]

I like the uplifting Celtic-sounding tune at the beginning and the bass drum at around :20. The percussion throughout are quite good, in fact, and they're mixed really well too. The melodies get a tad repetitive, but I really liked the thicker pads you added at 1:30. Super cute piece, and it fits the bright, well-defined art really well. Strong work here, Everratic! ^_^

Everratic responds:

I'm glad you think the percussion is mixed well because that was very difficult! It's nice that people think it fits the art work well :D

As for the repetition, I do agree with you, but I guess I don't see it as being that bad since there's a healthy amount of variation in other areas. That's a fair point though.

Thanks for the review!

[The Road Less Traveled]

Really interesting meter here. I think it's in 6/8, but the beat threw me off a bit for a while. I like the bright tone and the continuity of the underlying rhythm - just like footsteps. At the same time, I would've liked to hear a little more structural contrast over the course of the piece. The bridge at 1:48 is the closest thing you get to adding more space to the mix for an extended period of time. Otherwise, there isn't a lot that stands out from the overall texture. I like the harmonic content and the transitions, but the composition could use a little more shape and fleshing out. Overall nice work, Chrono! ^_^

ChronoNomad responds:

Hey there, TaintedLogic! Thanks for dropping by, my friend.

Merely manifesting an idea that was clinging to my mind's eye (though I guess that goes without saying), and I thought that it had a really interesting sense of tension that was simultaneously rather chill. Also getting back to my piano roots a bit since I've been doing a lot of very different things recently, and those beautiful ivories have been calling out to me for a while now. How can I ignore such a plea? xD

I really appreciate the review, man! This was a more fun and casual romp, but it was originally going to be a much shorter - and ultimately more repetitive - loop. Suffice to say, I'm glad that I took the time to expand upon it somewhat before bringing it back around. There's quite a bit of change, especially in the lower register, but much of it is subtle and requires a few listens to really pick them out.

Despite the simplicity of the musical ideas, I still quite enjoy the motif. I can just sit and listen to this for an extended period of time without getting bored, and it brings me a sense of peace for some reason. If other folks enjoy the ride, hey—that's a bonus! It's just nice to have a place to share the music. ^__^

[-Cove-]

I love the airy sound quality and the smooth pads. The progression is a tad slow, but the laid-back and atmosphere and mood really sell this piece. Later on, the mellow guitar solo and chord progression totally hit me in the feels. The track does get a bit repetitive, but I'm a sucker for these chill-out tracks. You sold the emotional appeal really well by stripping away the beat at the end, and the radio effects/static was a nice thematic touch. Overall great work! I would buy an album full of tracks like this from you. ^_^

Waterflame responds:

Thanks! That's great to hear :) Appreciate the feedback.

[-Viscid-]

I like the atmosphere. Similar percussion to "Dim," but the bass is heavier and the thematic content is a lot different between the police sirens and clavinet and organs. I really like the harmony, but I wish it developed a little faster at times. It has a bit of a linear progression, without too many surprises or structural changes...which is not necessarily bad for a rather short piece, but I could still see you doing a lot more with this. My favorite parts of it are the rhythm and instrumentation, which contribute the most to the funkiness for sure. Keep up the good work, WF!

Waterflame responds:

Thanks! :) Yeah, true about the progression and potential.. i felt like I was building a theme before a possible 2nd act, but this track took me long enough, it would be another 2 weeks. I felt like it was forcing it beyond the end point. The way I see it I would rather finish and try similar later than to over-produce on one piece.

[-Dim-]

I like the quirky instruments and white noise. Really helps set the scene. The beat is a little simplistic, but the bell-like synths have a really interesting rhythmic element that helps give the piece more character. By 1:30, the progression starts to come together, and the more hard-hitting snare rolls by 2:15 help channel the energy going into the re-intro/breakdown/coda at 2:30. The very end even had a more melodic vibe. I really like this track. It sounds very different than a lot of your recent work in character, yet something about the instrumentation and drum work is still quintessentially you. Good to be all caught up with your recent tracks, Waterflame! Looking forward to hearing some more soon. :)

Waterflame responds:

Thank you! Glad it still shines through. I am getting more comfortable with making these kinds of beats at last.

[-Groovy Tower-]

I like the distorted vocal samples at the beginning and the catchy bass riffs. Later, the frantic melodies and quirky secondary harmonies really make this piece a fun adventure. I especially like the apparently Middle Eastern-inspired riff at :58. The choir in the background at around the 2-minute mark was a nice surprise. Seems like you were still itching to use that sample after finishing "Running from Demons." ^_^ The sub-themes of the piece all come together really nicely by the end. This piece has a really strong sense of direction and cohesion overall, which I really appreciate. The ending was a tad sudden, but that's honestly my only major complaint. Another baller track. Keep it up, WF!

Waterflame responds:

Thank you! :D Yeah those choirs are nice, Its 8dio samples so quality is great, but I actually destroyed the quality in this one to make it fit the track more and not poke out so much. It just seemed right at that part. No idea why, but I went with it!

[-Escalade-]

I love the industrial sound effects and the James Bond-style guitar at the beginning. Interesting...at first I thought this was going to be one of your bassy, rhythmic tracks. The progression is a tad slow for the first minute, but you do a great job of slowly morphing it into a more upbeat track. I'm definitely getting some older Waterflame-style vibes here, but the instrumental palette is a bit richer and the texture feels more saturated, both of which are pluses. There's a lot of melodic content to keep me engaged. Your mixing has definitely gotten better in the last couple of years, but I think that snare wasn't always as prominent as I wanted it to be. The piece also feels a tad repetitive by the end. The contour in the main riff is very similar throughout the track. I also thought the ending could've been a bit more creative. Overall, though, I really like the sound design and mood here. The bass is really important to the texture of the piece, but it's still a really strongly melodic track. Keep it up, WF!

Waterflame responds:

Thanks for the review! Thats great to hear. I actually agree with the criticism too, I was entranced by the repetitive melody. I tend to fixate on certain bouncing appreciating things and make them go on for a tad too long. This could def. have been cut down a bit and mastered with less emphasis on the bass.