Australia

SoundCloud Roundup

Posted by PlasmaDancer on April 24, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Mixes, Releases, USA. 10 comments

I’ve been quite busy lately with a few TYFTH-related projects that probably won’t appear here for quite some time, which is the main reason for the post count dropping again. Rather than draw it out even longer, here’s a rapid fire version of some of the SoundCloud recommendations I was meaning to get around to.

Top of the list for good reason is a new upload from Nomic – this time a recording of his 2017 Kosmos set. With the scene having quietened down since then we haven’t heard Nomic’s tracks too often, which might explain why this sounds so fresh. Featuring a wonderful as-yet unreleased WIP, this is a truly beautiful set that still manages to finish with some high grade aggression. Many of us have more time than usual to check out sets these days, but if you can only manage one for the forseeable, this is it.

Next up is my favourite of Proteus’ recent releases, his goa-influenced rework of Gute Nacht. For one reason or another I got some strong UX feelings from this one, so it was interesting to see Proteus shout out Kris Kylven in his track notes. Sadly it doesn’t really have the old school filteriness of UX, but there’s a nice mix of classic Proteus along with the other influences.

Erkenfresh’s Pleading to a Silver Moon wins points for sidestepping a variation on Lockdown/Quarantine/Contagion as a track title, while also excelling as an emotional, energetic freeform track. Absolutely something I would have put forward for Hybridize back in the day, this is very solid work that steps up plenty of gears in the breakdown. While I wish the drop had crashed in earlier, the filters and quality melodies make it well worth the wait.

Finally for now is Malice, a collab track between Alchemiist and Risa, releasing at some point on Drop Bear Digital. From the clip it sounds like the breakdown is the standout here, and while the drop doesn’t seem to do anything too out of the ordinary it looks to be a classic-styled NRG track that would slot into plenty of sets. This won’t be the first release on Drop Bear for either Alchemiist or Risa, so check out Beatport for others in the meantime.

Asahi – Heartbeat of Life

Posted by PlasmaDancer on April 11, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Finnish, Italian, Japanese, Mixes. Leave a Comment

Current circumstances seem to have been the trigger for a few DJs to return to mixing, happily including Asahi who was way ahead of the general Japanese curve a couple of weeks ago. This is much more of an industrial set than NRG, but not something you’re going to hear anywhere else and comes very recommended.

Asahi has nailed the Dark Dimension atmosphere, with some industrial anthems combined with Grimsoul (!), Lab4, and even Configsys PROJECT. I know from experience how hard industrial can be to mix, what with those unconventional structures and short intro/outros, making the construction here all the more impressive. Extra respect for the use of Resurrection, perfectly placed as an energetic centrepiece to the set.

Although there are a couple of wobbly moments in the second half that I’d put down to a combination of indutrial weirdness and Asahi’s rustiness, the selection’s still superb and they’re certainly nothing to worry about.

Give this a try, then, as even if you’d prefer more NRG it will very likely inspire a few new mixing or listening ideas.

01. god destruction – Across the light
02. Phyton VS Grimsoul – Phantom
03. Seileen – Lanmento della sirena
04. X SICKFREAK – Open Your Eyes
05. Cyferdyne – Cables and Codes
06. Lab4 – Resurrection
07. Alien Vampires – All The Fakes Mast Die(Benjamins Plaue Remix)
08. Hocico – Born to be Hated
09. Alien Vampires – Hell Descent
10. Reaxion Guerrilla – Sacrifice(Asinaptico Remix)
11. Aim＆Execute – Phantom Energy
12. T3rror 3rror – Domination
13. Configsys PROJECT – Ode To Charli

Shimotsukei – Hard NRG Session, 11th February

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 15, 2018
Posted in: Australia, Finnish, Japanese, Mixes, Swedish, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

There’s more Shimotsukei to talk about soon, but before that a quick mention of this three (!) hour NRG session that ticks plenty of the TYFTH boxes. Although there’s already an endless supply of recordings on Shimotsukei’s SoundCloud, it really does add to the enjoyment of live sets when you can see what’s going on. Plus in this case there’s the very helpful overlay to answer any tracklist questions and a pretty lively chat that’s worth keeping an eye on.

If NRG’s your thing then this really is an essential listen – it’s very likely you’ll hear some forgotten classics as well as some more obscure selections. As things move into freeform territory it’s also a good chance for fellow DJs to check a few Before the Dawn tracks in a (well) mixed environment

Futureproof Sounds Vol 1

Posted by PlasmaDancer on December 26, 2016
Posted in: Australia, Japanese, Releases, UK, USA. 1 comment

What was already the strongest year for releases in a long time just keeps improving, as Futureproof Sounds’ first compilation has just sneaked in before the end of 2016. A UK label with a taste for the darker side, Futureproof has given strong support to the Japanese scene in FS Vol 1, with tracks from Hyphen and Kokomochi.

I’m not sure I’ve heard the Hyphen track yet, but judging from the collection of preview clips Kokomochi’s Iron Sky leads the way in the rest of the lineup. One of those Hyphen/ikaruga/Falchion-esque tracks that goes heavy on the melodies but anchors things with some nastier sounds, it sounds like a track that could fit into a lot of sets.

The rest of volume one features some interesting melodic tracks without heading too far into darker territory (Transcend and Cyrax’s Forever is a nice example), but the release is definitely one to keep an eye on. It’s available now from the Futureproof site with a very limited run of 100 copies.

Inoxia DJ – Buried deep in the nostral of your own demise.

Posted by PlasmaDancer on October 6, 2014
Posted in: Australia, Drum & Bass, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Mixes, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

Still a few sets I’ve been meaning to mention, starting with a psy-influenced hour from Australia’s Inoxia. There’s no faulting the ambition in this one, and the effort to take the listener on a trippy journey into psy and freeform really impressed me.

That said, there were a few missed opportunities after the fabulous intro and the Jesus Raves section – with such a demented (and nicely mixed) opening, the set seemed to be crying out for some Qygen, older Alek Szahala or Betwixt & Between. Instead there’s the slightly disappointing choice of Power of Universe, before getting back into the mood with some nice ikaruga and Vyral XIII selections. The set has lost some of the unique atmosphere by that stage though, and it’s more about enjoying the tunes on their own merits.

The final section (maybe beginning with Evolutionize’s Tandoku) heads into more typical, energetic territory, and ends things on a classic note. Plenty of interesting ideas here then, and lots of potential for future Inoxia sets.

What We Missed

Posted by PlasmaDancer on May 24, 2014
Posted in: Australia, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Mixes, Releases, UK. 2 comments

Whistling in the wind a bit here, but I thought it’d be worth a look back over the past few months and select a few standout moments that normally would have made it onto TYFTH. Sorry about the bullet-point format, but hopefully that’s better than nothing –  if anyone’s still reading the site and feels like adding any major ommissions in the comments, that’d be most welcome.

Pearsall’s excellent look back at freeform in 2013

Quality tracks from Aryx, Nomic, Qygen and others in Rebuild’s final compilation release

Another wonderful Freeformaniacs set from Nomic

Guld plays The Superbeast at Dark Dimension / SUKE’s dark psy at Dark Dimension

Some of the finest releases so far this year, from Freeformatted

A gallery of photos from February’s 12 Years of FINRG

A quality Freeformaniacs set from Transcend

Some highlights from January’s CODEX

Qygen’s first artist album – successfully funded on indiegogo, to be released via Smiling Corpse

 

Munted! Takeover, 30th May (kraftyradio.com)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 31, 2013
Posted in: Australia, Events, Finnish, Japanese, UK. Leave a Comment

TYFTH is back in business again after a week off, starting with an upcoming Krafty Radio appearance courtesy of Freeformaniacs! I’ll be alongside Aryx, Midas and Douglas for a non-stop, two-hour warmup event that’ll hopefully get everyone in the mood for the following month’s Munted! spectacular in London.

Stay tuned for more info, but in the meantime check out the rest of a very exciting looking Freeformaniacs schedule for April/May that features plenty of familiar faces:

4th April – Pearsall (Electronica Exposed Special) / Beezee

11th April – Jerome / A.R.D

18th April – Substanced / Piumaki

25th April – Girdler Synthetic (Two-hour Special)

2nd May – Thumpa / Midas

9th May – Cuedy / Pulse

16th May – Olly Addictive / JKub

23rd May – Triex / Stray

30th May – Munted! Takeover (Aryx vs Douglas vs PlasmaDancer vs Midas)

6th June – Greg Peaks / Alderz

Proteus / Lab 4 @FreckShow

Posted by PlasmaDancer on February 12, 2013
Posted in: Australia, Events, Finnish, UK. 3 comments

We’re indebted to Alderz again for this awesome find – 50 minutes of madness from a youthful Proteus and Lab 4 at FreckShow in Australia. While the Lab 4  second half definitely won’t disappoint, it’s fantastic to see Proteus in full flow (complete with dreads), building up a set of NRG before dropping the early FINRG/Proteus anthems.

Wyrm – Freeformaniacs Radio Show, 1st November

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 24, 2012
Posted in: Australia, Finnish, Japanese, Mixes, UK. 1 comment

Not too sure how this passed me by until now, but having checked out Wyrm’s recent appearance on the Freeformaniacs show I can heartily recommend it for all fans of the darker side. A glance at the tracklist shows what sort of hour’s in store, including plenty of Pain on Creation, Aryx and a great Penguin Conspiracy remix of Wyrm’s own Tendrils of Reality. Indeed, there are some quality UK tracks here that fit very nicely into this set of twistiness, broken up with trancier melodies and an inspired finish of Gravity’s Rainbow – Hostile Lifeforms.

01) Re-form – Hold Your Ground [FiNRG] 
02) Dodgee – 2000 Miles [Electronica Exposed] 
03) Substanced – Stockholm Syndrome [Smiling Corpse] 
04) Pain on Creation – V8 [Camel Records] 
05) Transcend & Greg Peaks – Cosmic1 [Electronica Exposed] 
06) Pain on Creation – Lush [FiNRG Hard] 
07) Tazz & Concept – Planet of Dreamz [Digital Beatz] 
08) Wyrm – Tendrils of Reality (Penguin Conspiracy Remix) [F/C Smiling Corpse] 
09) Firefly – Dangerous [Electronica Exposed] 
10) Aryx – Morokai [Smiling Corpse] 
11) Betwixt & Between – Gravity’s Rainbow [HARDCORE TANO*C] 
12) Shox – Hostile Lifeforms [Sinthetic Records]