Some video from this month’s Sinistry is finally appearing, including this dark-but-atmospheric clip of Alek Szahala playing Iron Squid. Looks as if Alek’s set was as well-received as ever, though I’d love to see a tracklist and some more video/photos, if there are any floating around online.
UK
The master has returned! Nomic is back with Suicide Machine, a brand new track on Smiling Corpse that has all the signs of becoming a future classic. While in Finland I was lucky enough to hear a work-in-progress at Nomic’s studio, and even the day after the guitars had been recorded it was already a phenomenally complex tune. The guitars add some real weight to the pre-breakdown, while the melodies are just beautiful – reminding us once again that Nomic’s in a league of his own when it comes to danceable melancholy.
The next I Love Hard Beats is coming up in a couple of months, featuring a Substanced – Aryx b2b (!), and to mark the occasion the HBC crew have posted a quick interview with Aryx. Sounds like it’ll be quite an event, and Aryx will have yet more new material ready to play.
Facebook fans can (hopefully) check this link for the full interview.
Here’s a very highly recommended set from Olly Addictive (of Smiling Corpse infamy), mixed just before last week’s Sinistry over in the UK. This was a really nice surprise, from the creative tracklist to the interesting mixing – fans of the older FINRG sound, filtered hoovers and acid will feel right at home, with Olly’s pacing and selection absolutely spot on.
Photic Zone is an excellent choice to start, and there’s a great blend of nasty filters and melodies in the first half. The overall atmosphere of the set is pleasingly dark, while any fears that things might tail off after the promising opening are put to rest with some quality connections like Geneva II – Kadotettu Todellisuus and the mad-but-it-works Adagio – The Definition of Freeform. This has been my commuting soundtrack for a couple of days now, and is absolutely worth a download.
01) Weirdo – Photic Zone
02) The Mexican – Land of the Pharaohs (Carbon Based Remix)
03) Tempestarii – Lightning Force
04) Carbon Based & DJ Rx – Reptile
05) Oli G – Cordelia
06) Raver Rose & Thermal Force – Eternal Cannon (DJ Rx Remix)
07) Substanced – Geneva pt. II
08) Grimsoul – Kadotettu Todellisuus
09) Lost Soul – Outta My Brain
10) Endemic – Loki
11) Mark Ashley & K-Complex – Imitation of Life
12) Nomic – Unique Mind (Horzi Remix)
13) Alek Száhala – Barber’s Adagio for Strings
14) Tazz & Shanty ft. MC Drew – The Definition of Freeform (Olly Addictive Remix)
15) Scott Brown – Boomstick
This is a set from last month that I’ve only just had a chance to check out – ASAHI is making really big strides now that he’s resident at Dark Dimension, and seems to being doing a great job of finding a new audience for his style of NRG/Freeform.
Final Destination starts off in traditional ASAHI/AT style with a Nomic track, this time it’s Falling Star, with a lovely transition into PoC’s Adaption. The rest of the set is full of nice selections that most Horsers will approve of, but interesting to hear BRK’s new FINRG releases (The Nobodies and Keep on Pushing) back-to-back, something he also tried at one of last year’s Destroyed Highs.
A really nice set then, and for anyone also into dark electro/industrial ASAHI has recently upped a Dark Dimension style mix that’s also well worth a listen.
The lineup over at Smiling Corpse is looking better by the minute, as this latest track is comfortably in my best 3 of the year so far (alongside Aryx’s The End of All Things remix and Le Dos-on’s Intro). Morokai is an Aryx take on the darker side of freeform, his first since he’s achieved so much success with releases over the past year or so. The 10 Years of FINRG crew might recognise this tune – Aryx pulled out all the stops to finish a 10 Years of FINRG edit just a few days before I left Japan (for which I’m forever in his debt). There it absolutely did the business towards the end of the set, slotted in between two Betwixt tracks, and hearing it again now brings back all sorts of awesome memories.
This version has a few new elements in the breakdown and some improvements to the mastering, but it was a phenomenal track anyway and even amongst the quality stuff on the way from SC this’ll surely be a standout release.
What with one thing and another I’m not a very regular contributor on the Freeform Forum at the moment, but luckily there does seem to be a nice little community taking shape over there. Thanks to Chip, then, who’s pointed me towards the new poll that’s up and running re. episode 7 of Munted! Monthly!
It looks like something quite special is planned, with Chip and Midas, two new guests, and two crusty veterans from previous shows. That includes me of course, so if you enjoyed my last M!M! set do feel free to put a vote in (or a vote for someone else if you didn’t, of course). Looking at the poll this evening, it appears that the ‘leaders’ are currently me and the fairly un-crusty Substanced, but we’ll see what happens.
Anyway, I’m messing around with a few different mixes at the moment (both freeform and otherwise), so whatever happens I’m hoping to have a new set properly under construction soon.
Great news came from Electronica Exposed a couple of days ago, re. the launch of the new free label, Electrode. To mark the event Shanty has come up with a typically comprehensive release, a very tasty looking 3 parter of brand new material.
Some of the tracks I’ve heard (or even played, in the case of Unohdetut), but the vast majority are new to me, including tracks from Wyrm and Olly Addictive & TTE that I just can’t wait to hear. The showcase set from Shanty is already downloadable, with the DJ-friendly separate tracks on the way soon. This is one of those rare times when I’m posting about a set I haven’t listened through yet, so any opinions/feedback from the comment section crew would be great.
The current page on the EE site seems to be a placeholder – personally I agree with Shanty that even if the music’s free it should be presented properly/professionally, so I’m very much looking forward to the new site design, too.
Thanks to Amini I heard Stockholm Syndrome while in Tampere, and it’s great to see that Smiling Corpse has snared it for release. Incredible production once again, and J-Mx was talking the other day about the lovely breakdown (even if I could do without the vocal again, truth be told).
A brilliant track then, and speaking of Amini his excellent Guitarian is also set for release on SC, as well as the really interesting Thunderhead by Xombei. Very encouraging that some more experimental sounds are appearing with the big-hitters, the first release is already looking essential.
Plenty of interesting stuff appearing at the moment, but let’s start with a recent free track from UK artist Transcend. This one was released by Watchtower a month or so back and has to be one of my favourite Transcend tracks so far, with some lovely filtering, no trance melodies and a genuinely darker/rough section in the second half.
What a shame about the vocal sample that covers up an otherwise utterly awesome choral breakdown – without that I’d be really keen to play it out ASAP, but it’s still a great track that could find a place in a variety of sets. It doesn’t seem to be up on the Watchtower site just yet, but facebook folk can find it by following this link.