Maybe everyone has seen it before, but a couple of days ago I came across this nice video of Nomic playing at an event last year. Some of his recent classics are in here, and he also gets a million bonus style points for playing a set while wearing a Thundercats T-shirt.
Finnish
I’m really late to this set, but finally gave it a listen on the train yesterday. It’s another good one from Decion, with some very nasty tracks, especially in the middle of the set. My favourite tune was actually Alchemiist and Decion’s remix of Beliar’s Jigsaw – just enough melody to make it stand out, and the synths are fantastic again. As usual, it’s highly recommended.
1. Defective Audio & Weazal & Firefox – Twisted Mission
2. Shenton & IAHH & Riggsy – Annihilate
3. Matt Morris & Riggsy Feat. Nat – Scooby Doo
4. Defective Audio & Michael Smith – Freak Attack
5. Random But Raw – Commander
6. Beliar – Jigsaw (Alchemiist & Decion Remix)
7. Valex – Shake Rattle & Rolla
8. Michael Smith – Torture
9. Crazy Chris – Bad Asses
10. Dramatik – Swear Jar
Carbon Based – Xerosis by FINRG Recordings
Another storming batch of releases here, this time it’s Alek Szahala and Carbon Based with some great tunes from the archives. At the top of the post is Xerosis, a lovely blast from the past for me, I haven’t heard it for ages. Other tracks this time include Carbon Based’s Fairy Play, Methodist and Anytime, as well as some previously released tunes like the classic Anthem. On the Alek Szahala side we have tracks like Firecloud, Maruuk and the unreleased Unilaulu, a happy little 2-minute track. edit: a lot of Pain on Creation tracks are up there too.
Get them all from FINRG’s SoundCloud.
Substanced – Freeform from Finland (promo mix 2010) by FINRG Recordings
Anyone (like me) who missed Substanced’s appearance on the Free of Form radio show should be happy to see that his 2010 promo mix is now online. It’s a really nice set, and makes you realise the variety of tracks Substanced has been coming up with lately. From uplifting tunes that will get the crowd going (Challenge 2009, Do You Love), to nasty twisted crazy stuff (Freeform Mercury, Crank Cleopatra) and everything in-between, there’s pretty much something for everyone here. Standout parts for me included Crank Cleopatra (which went down very well at NRGetic Romancer), the insane intro to Challenge 2009, and that lovely breakdown melody in Escalate. Here’s the tracklist, and you can give a listen at the top of this post, too:
1. Substanced – Aquarius
2. Substanced – Apocalypse (2010 Remake)
3. Substanced – Challenge 2009
4. Substanced – Escape From Zombieland
5. Substanced – Escalate
6. Horzi – The Elegy (Substanced Remix)
7. Substanced – Crank Cleopatra
8. Substanced & Nightforce – Do You Love 9. Substanced – Meteor
10. Substanced – Freeform Mercury
Carbon Based – Live at Oulu by FINRG Recordings
Not too much is happening here in Japan, but I’m trying to finish a mix that’s been on the schedule for the last month…it’s a busy week, though…
Anyway, over on the FINRG SoundCloud there are a few new mix-length uploads – one of them is a really brilliant set from Carbon Based. I’m guessing it’s from a while back – I’m lucky enough to have some of the older CB material, but there were a few gaps in the tracklist for me too. Anyway, CB’s melodies are always fantastic, and it’s not often us folk outside Finland get to hear their tunes b2b like this.
Other new sets include the Rx vs Alek Szahala Live PA from the 2007 Hakkapeliitta tour, Alek’s great hardcore set from Mania, Swoosh’s 512 set and Rx and Alek Szahala Live once again, this time at Pharmacy.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are also a lot of newly-free Re-form releases, including Mask Man 2005 and Cyanide, one of my old favourites. Once again, the FINRG SoundCloud is the place to go.
Most people will have heard DJ Rx’s My Serenity on the FINRG player (plus the Finnish remixes), but now it’s finally on free release. Even if (like me) you’re not the biggest fan of modern drum and bass, this track has a lot going for it, with some beautiful melodies and the kind of top quality production that’s becoming Rx’s trademark. Download the mp3 or wav file from the FINRG SoundCloud, as well as the remixes from JNKS, Horzi, Sam One, and Nu-Energy’s Synthwulf and ENDEMIC.
Rx has also announced that the My Serenity remix pack will be downloadable, but the link is out of action at the moment. I know for a fact that a few people are waiting to have a try at their own version, so I’ll let you know as soon as it recovers. edit: The remix pack is online now, and can be downloaded here.
The first post of 2010 is a beautiful new track from Nomic. I thought I’d overdosed on WITA with the Re-form bootleg, but this one is a lot calmer, and about as close as you can get to chilled out freeform. Fantastic intro, and wait for the break at 6.24…
Alek Szahala – Invitation by FINRG Recordings
Not the unreleased tracks that everyone is chasing right now, but FINRG has released three more of Alek Szahala’s tunes for free. Invitation, Pink Magic and Chimaera are now on the FINRG SoundCloud, so if anyone reading hasn’t got them yet (I doubt it), get yourself over there right now.
Tonight I’m heading out to the Transa Year End Party at my second home (aka Studio Cube), as KA-NA has managed to get herself on the lineup at the last minute. With her, AEMI, DX Pasta (and Zio playing tech/hard dance on the main floor), it should be a good one with DJs I don’t hear all that often…
I doubt there are many people here who don’t check the FINRG forum, but it’s worth posting this up just in case – an epic list of old/unreleased FINRG tracks, compiled by Jiipez. He’s even added audio clips for quite a few, really an amazing effort. You can easily lose a morning checking them all out though, so beware.
I’ve used a few of the tunes listed in my sets, but the vast majority I’ve never heard before. Recently the FINRG servers have been checked for older stuff, so at least some of the tunes are possibles – Alek’s older tunes like Solar Hive and the incredible Freezing Clouds haven’t turned up yet though. As BerN says in that thread, it might be better not to release everything for the sake of it – a few of the tunes are understandably sounding a bit creaky these days – but others are definite classics…let’s hope they get the releases they deserve, eh?
Alek Szahala – Voices of Babylon by FINRG Recordings
Here’s an epic end-of-year update from FINRG, including Alek Szahala’s Voices of Babylon! It’s possible that I’ve played this tune at every event this year, but I’m nowhere near tired of it – Guld and KA-NA have also been dropping it every chance they get. As well as VoB, there’s my recent favourite The Most Masochist, plus Private Demon, Final Destination, Eewol’s newer tracks and more.
Also just uploaded is Sam One’s set from the Free of Form show on Christmas Eve – I wasn’t able to catch it live, so I’ll be checking this one out soon.