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Blue Revolver

Posted by PlasmaDancer on April 28, 2015
Posted in: Goa / Psy, Releases, UK, USA. 6 comments

Better late than never – it’s time to finallly show some support to Blue Revolver, an extremely promising shmup that features an OST from Qygen and sound design from Wyrm.

The developers reference CAVE and Raizing in their opening comments, and there’s definitely a strong influence of mid-era CAVE in the bullet patterns and weapon choices. Thank the heavens that character design and overall atmosphere don’t stray into the cringeworthy territory of later CAVE efforts, while the demo shows some pleasing depth to the scoring system and a quality first boss.

The choice of Qygen on music duty is inspired, and there are already some fabulous tracks on show in the game and on Qygen’s SoundCloud. Very freeform-esque, this will surely be the best use of harder music in a shmup since Raizing’s Battle Garegga. Big congratulations to both Qygen and Wyrm for some amazing work so far.

I’ve only had a little time to play around with the one-level demo (available here), but apparently the game has already been Greenlit on Steam, and I’ll be spending plenty of time with it on release.

Funnily enough I was intending to write a little VGM-related digression post soon, but for now I’ll just mention Recca (Famicom) – one of my favourite shmups and released in 1992, the soundtrack is way, way ahead of its time.

 

Smiling Corpse 2

Posted by PlasmaDancer on April 12, 2015
Posted in: Canadian, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Releases, UK, USA. 1 comment

A busy week has delayed a couple of other posts, but the release of Smiling Corpse 2 definitely deserves to jump the queue. Long-awaited is a bit of an understatement here – it probably won’t be too long until this two CD compilation sells out. Congratulations to the SC crew for finally completing the release, and the tracklist is really one of the strongest we’ve seen for a few years.

Trek over to the rather sexy new Smiling Corpse site, where you can order the release for a mere five pounds.

Sky Dragon – Freeformaniacs Round 19

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 22, 2015
Posted in: Finnish, Mixes, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

I’ve been keeping an interested eye on Sky Dragon’s productions for a long time now, and so I was very excited to see him in the lineup for round 19 of Freeformaniacs. Happily his set has lived up to expectations, and is a lovely example of (mostly) deeper melodies and well-considered mixing.

Liquid Moon is such a nice choice to set the early tone, and I really, really enjoyed the blend into Code of Silence – something about the two playing together adds a sad note to the hard trance melodies of LM. There’s a nice, careful key change into Celestia too, and while Ambient Angels wouldn’t normally be my kind of track, it works superbly here as a bridge between Nightingale and Lightshaft.

The final section will probably appeal more to the UK freeform brigade, but Solar Summon takes things back to the deeper atmospheres of earlier in the set and is a more than fitting finale.

A great mix from Sky Dragon, and it’s so encouraging to see some (relatively) new DJs approaching their sets with this much thought, and an obvious feel for how melodies and atmospheres can blend together.

01. 2 Raverz – Into My World (T-Forces Remix)
02. Sam One – Liquid Moon
03. DJ Rx – Code of Silence
04. Aryx – Celestia
05. Sky Dragon – Nightingale [Demo]
06. Gammer – Ambient Angels
07. Grimsoul – Lightshaft
08. Oli G – Jasmine (Ephexis & Helikaon Remix)
09. JD-Kid – Unforgettable
10. K90 – Red Snapper (Metrix Remix)
11. Gammer – Unforgettable Hope (Douglas Remix)
12. Vyral XIII – Solar Summon

Pearsall – Not The Future We Were Promised

Posted by PlasmaDancer on February 28, 2015
Posted in: Drum & Bass, Mixes, UK, USA. 2 comments

Far and away the best set I’ve heard this year isn’t actually freeform, but a masterclass in jungle selection from Pearsall that you simply have to check out. Harking back to the early-to-mid-nineties golden age of Dreamscape and Helter Skelter, Ellis Dee and Grooverider, this 94 minute set is Pearsall on top, top form.

It’s one thing to put together a tracklist of massive classics and lesser-known tunes, and then quite another to blend them this well – the best jungle sets always give me the impression of knife-edge, organised chaos, and what a good demonstration this is. Props to Pearsall for some top-drawer mixing, but also the set’s progression, moving from some of my favourite chopped up breaks to the amen-focused main section of the set. The climax also has some inspired selections, Music Takes Me and a glorious remake of Tango and Fallout’s Revelations ending the mix in ecstatic style.

Pearsall’s typically thoughtful Sonicrampage post confirms my first impressions, that such a complex set must have taken a heck of a lot of practice and pre-planning, and after a couple of weeks on constant rotation I can confirm it more than stands up to multiple listens. Highly, highly recommended.

Top 3 Mixes of 2014

Posted by PlasmaDancer on December 31, 2014
Posted in: Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Mixes, Top Tens, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

Time for today’s final post – the now-traditional look back at my favourite sets of 2014. I’ve actually checked out a lot of mixes this year (far more than you’ve seen here, in fact), but in all honesty it’s been a bit of a thin year for sets that really fit the increasingly-picky TYFTH bill.

As always, respect and thanks go to all the DJs supporting our little corner of the freeform scene. This year it has been especially nice to hear a number of well-constructed, ’emotional’ sets, a necessary counterbalance to the ferocious, melodic freeform we’ve heard a lot of in 2014.

My picks are below, but feel free to take to the comments with your own choices.

No. 3

Shimotsukei – Hardcore Summer Bash 2014 Mix

Shimotsukei’s excellent set is the place to find this year’s best transitions, with some creative selection and very original use of some oldies. Other track choices might feel a little out of place, but the overall atmosphere and progression to the high-bpm second half is top class.

No.2

Nomic – Freeformaniacs Round 14

Following his superb efforts in 2013, Nomic goes to the next level by combining his deeper recent tracks with the harsh, angry sounds of the Nu-Energy and FINRG years. The master of melancholy and aggression strikes again then, and all as solidly-mixed as we’ve come to expect.

No.1

Hellfury – Shin No Noir IX – Soul Abyss

This set is a another lesson in how to maintain an atmosphere, as Hellfury combines psy and pianos for a beautifully consistent hour of thoughtful freeform. Crucially supported by some quality track connections, this was my favourite set of the year.

Honourable mentions: Guld, Pearsall, Cuedy, Dyzphazia

Well that’s it – thanks as always to everyone for the support in 2014, it’s massively appreciated. The first post of 2015 will be a roundup of the Japanese scene’s favourite tracks, but the main event in January will definitely be the announcement of major (I repeat, major) changes to TYFTH. Have a Happy New Year then, and I’ll see you next month.

Dawn of the Sol (Lucky Lotus & Touitsu Recordings)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on December 26, 2014
Posted in: Drum & Bass, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Releases, USA. Leave a Comment

This upcoming (29th December) collaboration release between Lucky Lotus and Touitsu Recordings is going all-out for variety, with everything from goa to dubstep, via twee Japanese vocals and gabber. Freeform’s what we’re here for though, and across the three releases  (‘Day One’ is up above) there are top quality tracks from Nomic, Evolutionize and an interesting effort from Harrs.

Otep – Smash the Control Machine (Evolutionize bootleg)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on December 13, 2014
Posted in: Releases, USA. Leave a Comment

Evolutionize’s bootleg of Smash the Control Machine recently went online in preview form, and the full version will be downloadable once he reaches 1000 SoundCloud followers. He’s gained one for sure, as I realised that the TYFTH account hadn’t yet connected with him. I’d have been more than happy to correct that without the carrot of a free tune, but this is a brilliantly aggressive bootleg that I’m looking forward to trying out in darker sets.

Cuedy – Freeformaniacs Round 16

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 24, 2014
Posted in: Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Mixes, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

After Shimotsukei’s Hardcore Summer Bash 2014, let’s keep the standards high with a look at Cuedy’s latest Freeformaniacs mix. You should know what to expect from Cuedy by now – plenty of deep melodies, some next level transitions and a nice variety of old and new.

The first half is as good as I’ve heard for quite some time, with a nice darker element balancing out the melodies and some brilliant connections. Blood Sacrifice isn’t my favourite Betwixt track, but that blend into Human Fraility gets better each time you hear it. Also congrats to Cuedy for a brilliant use of the Yksisarvinen remix – it always seems to awkwardly stand out in other sets I’ve heard, but here it’s a lovely progression after Icy Clouds. 

The second half of the set seems to lose some momentum, but that might just be the lack of tunes that really appeal to me. Quality choice of finale with Tendrils of Reality though, and it does seem as though Morita yuuhei’s other melodic freeform tracks have plenty of mix potential.

Another recommended hour from Cuedy then, and thanks to the man himself for the tracklist you see below.

01. Epyx & Cyrez – 4th Dimension
02. Alek Szahala – Icy Clouds
03. Le Dos-On – Yksisarvinen (Qygen Remix)
04. Evolutionize – The Second Renaissanse
05. Betwixt & Between – Blood Sacrifice
06. Morita Yuuhei – Human Frailty
07. Suge – Yabarekabare
08. Morita Yuuhei – Xiendealice
09. Nomic – Suicide Machine
10. Pearsall – Dreaming of Berlin (Le Dos-on Remix)
11. Nightforce – Symphony For The Devil (The Virus Escaped)
12. Lost Soul – Warlock
13. Morita Yuuhei – Astrics
14. Wyrm – Tendrils Of Reality (Qygen Remix)

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.

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)