E-Mantra – Between Two Worlds: The Boatman

Posted by PlasmaDancer on August 13, 2014
Posted in: Goa / Psy, Releases. 1 comment

E-Mantra? Shouldn’t this be filed in the long-neglected Goa Chill Out Corner?

Actually no, this one is indirectly freeform-related – you might remember me talking about my search for alternatives to drum and bass sections or (heaven forbid) dubstep-style breakdowns when adding variety to a mix. While we’ve seen recently that the former certainly works well in the right set, what I’ve been looking for is something that’ll complement (or even deepen) the atmosphere of other tracks while providing a change of pace.

I’d suggest E-Mantra’s wonderful take on dark ambient as one option, as it’s not hard to find elements that atmospherically match with the darker/more melancholy strands of freeform. We’re clearly heading into dangerous territory here though, as it’d be all too easy to misjudge how much dismal, drumless atmosphere will actually add something to the set – the drums in BTW:TB make things a bit easier, but at last month’s CODEX I gambled on also using a large-ish section of the preceding darkness. I followed it up with a classic (and very hard) freeform tune, but maybe I’ll talk more about that in the eventual look back at CODEX itself. It was a farly successful little experiment, but I’ll be continuing to think about other ways to switch things up and (hopefully) make my sets a bit more interesting and coherent.

The track itself appears on The Hermit’s Sanctuary, E-Mantra’s excellent album that was released last year by Altar Records. There are plenty of darker tracks to experiment with, but it’s also highly recommended if you’re simply after some extremely deep, downtempo listening.

Cyberdyne Seba – Eye of the Freestorm

Posted by PlasmaDancer on August 10, 2014
Posted in: Canadian, Drum & Bass, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Mixes, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

After Dyzphazia’s Smiling Corpse mix, here’s another set that shows how a creative DJ can wring some quality out of the modern(ish) drum and bass scene, while meshing it nicely with freeform. Cyberdyne Seba has quite a dnb pedigree – and the selections here are as good as you’d expect – but it’s the transitions that make this a set to pay attention to.

The first third is solid, warming up with that nice little sequence of Nightmare on Base – Take Me Away – Hawaiian Snow, before things go up a level as more freeform is introduced. There are a few ambitious connections here and there, but the standout section of the set has to be from Something Sick to Dream Invader Network – very smooth, there’s a nice, consistently dark atmosphere that then goes psychedelic with DIN. That mix from Love 2 Death is top class, and it’s just a shame that Qygen’s track doesn’t have the bassy power to makes things as seamless as you might like. Unfortunately Pure Evil clashes a little too much with DIN and is jarring after the previous smooth blend, but the final two tracks do at least keep things dark and aggressive.

Lots to like here then, and if you’re a drum and bass head you’ll be merrily carried along towards the best sections of the set, while freeform-only DJs/listeners will really enjoy the progression into the darker second half.

1. Dylan – Intoxication (Outbreak Records)
2. Audio X – Hyväksyminen (Audio Reanimation Digital)
3. Le Dos-On – Mental Madness (2012 Regenerate) (free DL no longer available)
4. The Acolyte – Mind Control (Electronica Exposed)
5. Tom U4EA & James F – Nightmare On Base (Electronic Recordings)
6. Concord Dawn – Take Me Away (Commercial Suicide)
7. Crossfire – Hawaiian Snow (Crossfire Recordings)
8. Substanced – Jinpachi (Rebuild Music)
9. Vyral XIII – Librium (free DL no longer available)
10. Qygen – Kimura Kaoru No Densetsu (Tribute To Betwixt & Between) (Smiling Corpse)
11. Paul B & Subwave – Something Sick (DSCI4)
12. Cyrax & Transcend – Disruptor 2014 (Freeformatted -> free DL: Freeformatted – Transcend-cyrax-disruptor-2014 )
13. The Machinist & Rika – Love 2 Death (Electronica Exposed)
14. Qygen – Dream Invader Network (Smiling Corpse)
15. Re-Form – Pure Evil (Electronica Exposed)
16. Morita yuuhei – You (All) Have Eaten You (Freeformatted -> free DL: Freeformatted – Morita-yuuhei-you-all-have-eaten-you-ffmep004)

 

 

Alek Szahala – Bermuda Square

Posted by PlasmaDancer on August 5, 2014
Posted in: Finnish, Releases. 1 comment

It’s always nice to see the results from each year’s Assembly demo event in Finland, and this time both Alek Szahala and Byproduct had some very nice material on show. Alek’s Bermuda Square was ranked third in the ‘dance’ category, and is an uplifting trancey track that threatens to drift into Paocala territory without ever becoming too melancholy. The little fill before the main drop (from 1.26) was probably my favourite moment – after a fairly conventional breakdown it’s a lovely touch that not many artists could come up with.

It’s definitely worth checking out the Assembly Archive site for more entries, where you’ll also find Galatian March, an impressive downtempo track from Paokala and Underwater Things, a wonderfully melodic tune from Byproduct.

Freeformatted EP007

Posted by PlasmaDancer on August 4, 2014
Posted in: Japanese, Releases, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

Another new EP from Freeformatted then, this time with a bit more of a consistent sound and some fascinating inclusions. Guld’s brilliant Gozenzeuna is still my favourite, but Exemia’s Psyperactive shows loads of promise, and I hope we’ll be hearing more of this style in the future. Le Dos-on and Evolutionize’s tracks are up to their usual standards and of course are well worth checking out if you’re in need of a melodic freeform fix.

An essential release, Freeformatted is really showing what a smaller online label can achieve with some bold artist choices and careful curation of tunes.

TYFTH Live, Sunday 3rd August @11pm (JST)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on August 2, 2014
Posted in: Drum & Bass, Events, Japanese, Mixes, UK. 2 comments

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Well, I just about managed my deadline, recording a first version of the non-freeform set earlier this week. It’s full of tricky connections though, and another try’s definitely needed. I’m still not sure what to do with the final version – it’s actually a set of 1994-1996 intelligent drum and bass, but the mixing’s turned out to be a combination of my current freeform style and other transitions that let the tunes roll a bit more.

I’ve enjoyed playing through it in practice though, and I’ve managed to fit in some all-time favourites, which was one of the main missions. Anyway, for now I’ve decided to play it live on ustream this weekend – if you remember the good old days of drum and bass, or just fancy an hour or so of deeper tunes, it’d be great to see you.

Dyzphazia – Sinistry: Piracy

Posted by PlasmaDancer on July 29, 2014
Posted in: Events, Finnish, Japanese, Mixes. 1 comment

Anyone who missed the recent Sinistry event in London has Dyzphazia to thank for this excellent practice version of his set. The tracklist is as you’d expect, Finnish/Japanese with a few surprises here and there, and an inspired opening to tie into the event’s piratic theme. I’d say the final section is the standout here, starting with Evolutionize’s energetic remix of Forced Worship and ending with your favourite and mine, Voices of Babylon.

Very nice work from Dyzphazia then, while Jester and Kohl deserve plenty of credit for continuing to strongly support our side of the freeform scene.

01. COPILOT – Drunken Whaler
02. Guld vs. Betwixt & Between – Hatral
03. Xilent – Boss Wave (James Marvel Remix)
04. DJ Rx – Frozen Flame
05. Betwixt & Between – Hollow
06. Ephexis – Sick Seduction
07. Epyx & Cyrez – Unohdetut 2011
08. Morita Yuuhei – Forced Worship (Evolutionize Remix)
09. Einhander – Four Beast
10. Proteus & DJ-X – Full Metal Jacket
11. GULD – Gozenzeuna
12. Alek Szahala – Voices of Babylon

PlasmaDancer – Munted! Animal House

Posted by PlasmaDancer on July 25, 2014
Posted in: Events, Finnish, Japanese, Mixes, UK. Leave a Comment

Here’s that ‘something extra’ I mentioned last week – as the next freeform set won’t be for a while, I thought this might be better than nothing, and it’ll also give the Munted! crew the chance for a nice look back. Having said that, this was originally meant for personal listening only, as it’s so short and I’ve already used Tout est Bien and Self Extortion in goodness knows how many other sets.

The rest of the Munted! set has already been carved up for use in other online mixes, but I’ve always enjoyed this section and decided to record it for nostalgia’s sake. To improve things I probably should have started from Caballo’s breakdown – brilliant tune though it still is, it plays for a lot longer than anything else here. Anyway, in my pre-set notes (more on those another day, maybe) I’d settled on a ‘pacy, dark and melancholy’ sequence around this point, and so tried to use Human Race as the melancholy bridge between the two harder sides. After the two long breakdowns of Human Race and Self Extortion I wanted an anthem that would grab any of the crowd left behind by that atmospheric section, and thankfully the second half of Lush worked a treat. If I remember rightly, next came the psychedelic madness of Neon Circuit Boards – Gravity’s Rainbow…

Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that the TYFTH SoundCloud is alive again (this is another not-really-for-FINRG mix), which means that the previous (unmixed) tracks are downloadable. Do make sure to check them out if you haven’t already, some brilliant tunes have been in hibernation there.

 

Status Report

Posted by PlasmaDancer on July 17, 2014
Posted in: Events, Mixes. Leave a Comment

I had plans for something a little extra this week, as well as a tangential post and a few other bits and pieces, but I’m heading off to Taiwan tomorrow and (you guessed it) have run out of posting time. The trip’s only for a few days though, so I’ll be back with some/all of that next week.

Ah, almost forgot to mention that my non-freeform mix is coming along quite well – I’ve set a deadline of the end of this month, so let’s see what happens.

In the meantime, why not enjoy this glorious mix of C64 tracks, courtesy of Byproduct.