Mixes

Quite busy at the moment, but in between I’m slowly working through some of the excellent sets that have appeared over the past couple of weeks, starting with Tyranoid’s Hardform.

This might be one of his most impressive sets so far, with a very strong theme running all the way through and a great mix of old and new. Really interesting to see some UK freeform in there – it’s thankfully not overdone and gives a nice melodic edge to the set, eventually leading into the classic Battle of Dawn. It’s also a lesson in how to set the scene with some slower tracks, then matching them in atmosphere with some well-selected freeform. Very highly recommended, then.

01 Lowroller – No Longer Human 
02 SAM – Halluzinogen 
03 Tiifa – Pleasure 
04 Wragg & Log:One vs Iain Cross – Run For Cover 
05 A+D+A+M+ Lab4 & The DiabloTraxx Collective – Infernal Desire (Psycho Surgery Remix) 
06 Epyx & Cyrez – Game Over (Tyranoid/Strongstream Remix) 
07 Lost Soul – The Answer 
08 Douglas – Jonestown 
09 Substanced & Alchemiist – Permission To Die (Original/Tornadoz Remix Mashup) 
10 Tyranoid/Strongstream – Deepcore (unfinished edit) 
11 Tyranoid/Strongstream – You Need Another Drink (Cyrez Remix) 
12 Lost Soul – Human Being 
13 Epyx & Cyrez – Crossfire 
14 Blender & Nomic – Battle Of Dawn 
15 Apollo 440 – Stealth Overture 

We already know that Alchemiist sets are worth looking out for, and thankfully his recent Freeformaniacs appearance has kept up the standard. There’s a really nice atmosphere in this one, maybe best described as melodic dark freeform – any set with a lot of Alchemiist tunes is going to be pretty nasty, but this one does a good job of switching back to the slightly-lighter side to throw in some melodies. Excellent use of a couple of classic Kreatrix tracks gets the set an extra thumb up.

01. Substanced – Ghost Of The Future (Alchemiist Remix)
02. Transcend & Dyzphazia – Tormenting Flames (Original Mix)
03. Twisted Freq pres. Nightforce – The Ghost Of Jupiter
04. Substanced – Damage Point
05. Ephexis, DJ Rx & Carbon Based – Decimator
06. Alchemiist – Anthrax Injection
07. Alchemiist – Noise Of Thunder
08. Substanced & Alchemiist – Facemelt
09. Twisted Freq – Kreation
10. Endemic – Xen
11. Alchemiist – Neurotic 

Download here

I’ve now had a chance to listen to both sets from last weekend’s SC podcast, and it’s a big recommend for anyone else who missed the live event. Wyrm’s set in particular is a fantastic hour that sets a new standard of mixing modern freeform with dark psy, obviously really well-considered with a nice consistent theme all the way through. This is helped by a couple of amazing Qygen tracks – 60Hz Power Rave has to be one of the most impressive tracks so far this year. As always, it’s hard to combine harder freeform with psy, but Wyrm does a fine job, and the trippy breakbeat of Funkin’ Jungle is a lovely selection.

Horzi’s set is more conventional, but maybe that’s no bad thing after the experimental sounds of Wyrm. Heavy on the brand-new FINRG releases, there’s also an interesting choice of the two Elementz Records releases towards the end, as well as a pitched up Fist of the North Star.

A great show then – wander along to the Smiling Corpse site for tracklists and download links.

A classic set here that’s been online for a long time, but I only saw it recently (thanks to Alderz). Anyone else who missed it should settle in for a treat – some of the very best in older NRG, all from the one and only Weirdo. Thanks to Guld and COGI, Weirdo’s tunes will always remind me of NRGetic Romancer and early morning sets full of twisty synths and amazing atmospheres, going from dark to uplifting and then back again. I’m a bit sketchy on the tracklist, but rest assured that all the anthems are in here.

edit: Thanks to that man Alderz for a top effort at the tracklist.

  1. Intro (?)
  2. Got 2 B Funky
  3. Get on the Floor
  4. Ghost Stick
  5. We Decide
  6. Blue Oyster (Weirdo remix)
  7. Make U Groove
  8. Photic Zone
  9. Mindereader
  10. ?
  11. I Know a Plaice
  12. Curva Peligrosa
  13. The Other Side
  14. Devil’s Play Thing 

This mix was a recommendation from Guld, and lives up to expectations with some awesome, dark NRG. Anyone after some harder tunes in the genre will have a great time here, as Tre and Disturbed’s material seems to have a stronger than usual (and very welcome) Lab 4 influence. After an amazing first 30mins or so (including a brilliant first tune), things calm down slightly before getting back to the madness with a Candyman remix and some very nice original tracks.

1. By Demons be Driven – Pantera (DRTRE mix) 
2. Aphex – DRTRE 
3. Bactera – DRTRE and DISTURBED 
4. Punk – Justin Bourne (DRTRE mix) 
5. Un-Consciousness – Distorted Reality 
6. Fuck em All – Paul Glazby (DRTRE mix) 
7. Heathen – DRTRE and DISTURBED 
8. Purgatory – DRTRE and DISTURBED 
9. Slapper – Distorted Reality 
10. Rawthroat – DRTRE and DISTURBED 
11. Kuntrot – DRTRE and DISTURBED 
12. Candyman – Lab4 (DRTRE and DISTURBED Mix) 
13. Imposters – DRTRE and DISTURBED 
14. W.A.F.M – DRTRE and DISTURBED 

The Top 3 Tracks post will be coming soon – it’s already a good one, but just waiting for responses from one or two more DJs. In the meantime then, here are my picks for the Top 3 mixes of 2012. There were plenty of excellent efforts last year, but the three here do an especially great job of creating their own atmosphere, finding exciting connections that add to the set, or pushing the sound that TYFTH was set up to promote (or sometimes all of the above). If you would have chosen differently (including any nice sets that didn’t appear on TYFTH, of course) feel free to give them a shout in the comments below.

First of all we have Pearsall’s stupendous tribute to FINRG, mixed to tie in with the 10th anniversary.

Next is really two mixes in one – the Freeformaniacs session between BEEZEE and Alderz.

Finally, I’ve gone for Tyranoid’s Elder Signs, a wonderful hour of darker music that pips the competition to third spot with some brilliant connections (mainly the 2023 – Engel combination that I’m still in love with).

Honourable mentions: Wyrm, Dyzphazia, Alchemiist, AT, Cuedy 

If you’re after a 30 minute burst of NRG and freeform, look no further than this great Dyzphazia set from last week. His finger’s on the pulse as usual with some brand new selections, but the second half also has some lovely, unexpected choices that flow very nicely towards the manic Night Prey.

  1. Cyrez – Raver’s Legacy [Rebuild]
  2. Ikaruga Nex – Black Hawk Down [CDr]
  3. Le Dos-On – A (Cyrez Remix) [Splash Energy! Records]
  4. Substanced & J-Mx – Flawless Victory [FiNRG]
  5. Transcend – Eons [CDr]
  6. Alf Bamford – Heartburn (Dark By Design Remix) [Hard Timez]
  7. Kevin Energy & Proteus – London Helsinki Underground (Proteus Warcry Remix) [Nu Energy Collective]
  8. Technical Itch & Kemal – The Calling (Evol Intent & Ewun Remix) [Moving Shadow]
  9. Pain On Creation – Night Prey (Live Edit) [CDr] 

I haven’t had time for Qygen’s Smiling Corpse mix just yet, but he also made an incredible recent debut on Freeformaniacs with this two-hour voyage into the trippiest of dark psy. The opening to the set is way out there, and had my freeform-conditioned mind desperately searching for some kind of structure. That’s not a criticism, though – it’s great to be thrown out of your comfort zone, and it’s a real journey as the set heads into some very nasty stuff.

I didn’t recognise many tracks on the first listen (maybe only long-time COGI favourite, Something in the Air), but thanks to Qygen himself we now have a tracklist, complete with label info.

  1. Atim – Theories (ZuluTunes)
  2. Luuli – Burnt Dust (Akashik Record)
  3. Magma Ohm – Aqui Atendemos Loucos (Akashik Record)
  4. Mergel – Blood Emo (Akashik Record)
  5. Parandroid – Metaprogram Language (ManiacPsychoPro)
  6. Daisy Pusher – Max’s Brain (JellyFish Frequency Recordings)
  7. Cybernetika – The Outer Reach (Cybernetika Self-release)
  8. Ben Atomgrinder – Burning Moth (ReBuild Music)
  9. スゲ (Suge) – kitchen in the dark (Druggy’s Acid RacK)
  10. Xikwri Neyrra – Between Hydrogen & Helium Particles (Twisted Minds Recordings)
  11. Aremakki – Dinol The Wastehead (Ultiva Records)
  12. Limbo – No Joke (Anomalistic Records)
  13. Furious – Puzzle Fussion (Insomnia Records)
  14. Cosmic Iron – Terrapia (Anomalistic Records)
  15. Nritya Shastra – Something in the Air (Tantrumm Records)
  16. Airi – October Projekt (2to6 Records)
  17. Psykovsky – Tanetsveta (Tantrumm Records)
  18. Psykovsky – Aura Leta (Tantrumm Records) 

Download the set here

Here’s a recent track from BRK that’s an essential for the NRG heads, and might even be one of his best so far. The melodies and synths are firmly in Lab 4 territory, which is about the highest compliment you can give a Hard NRG tune.

No Mercy was also included in Cyberdyne Seba’s newest set, Hoovers at the Edge of the Universe. The middle section is far too hard-housey for me, but there are some great acid picks here and there with the harder and nastier NRG saved for the second half. Really worth checking out, this one.

Thanks to the Munted! organisers I’ve got permission to upload my Betwixt & Between tribute set a little earlier than originally planned, which sets us up nicely for a little belated Christmas present tomorrow.

This was one of the most difficult sets so far to put together, not only from the emotional side of things, but also in terms of track selection. Any Betwixt fan would agree that you’d need a lot more than an hour to do justice to his sound, but here I tried to at least give a taste of his different styles, while also including a few favourites and some unusual stuff for the more knowledgeable crew in a set that would still get people dancing/head-nodding. Ambitious stuff then, and I’m sure there are a lot of omissions that people thought were must-plays, but thankfully it went down well during the event and has had some nice feedback since.

Given the circumstances, to start I went for some melodic tracks that really show the emotional side of Kaoru’s sound – it was hard to look past Stairway to Solstice as the first tune, while Isolation has always been my favourite ‘new’ tune on the Nanosecond Eternity album. After stumbling on the Tout est Bien – Burst! combo, I decided on a harder detour to show off his other styles, before going (almost) freeform-only for the second half. Then it was a matter of judging when to throw in the big anthems like Zusammengehorigkeit, while happily the City of Solitude – Reincarnation connection near the end (one of my favourites) was a big success on the night.

01. Betwixt & Between – Stairway to Solstice
02. Betwixt & Between – Tankobu Hesotarou no Hourou
03. Betwixt & Between – Isolation
04. Betwixt & Between – Self Extortion
05. Betwixt & Between – Tout est Bien (Sein zum Tode)
06. Poly Calamity – Burst!
07. Poly Calamity – Unam Sanctum
08. Betwixt & Between – Nanosecond Eternity
09. Betwixt & Between – I Think We Can Go To The Moon
10. Betwixt & Between – Zusammengehorigkeit
11. RaverRose – Broken Visage
12. RR-ThermalForce – Moving Flare (Betwixt & Between edit)
13. Betwixt & Between feat Yukacco – Nothing Compares 2 U
14. Betwixt & Between – City of Solitude
15. Betwixt & Between – Reincarnation
16. Poly Calamity – Decillion Catastrophes
17. Betwixt & Between – Flowless

I stopped myself from playing promos simply because they’re promos, or anthems that wouldn’t have suited the flow of the set, but that means I still have a lot of tunes that didn’t fit into this mix. Sometime soon, then, I’ll be playing an alternative tribute on Ustream with some of the tracks that didn’t make it into the real set.

Finally, huge thanks to Munted! for the chance to play at a great event, and special thanks to all the listeners and chatroom ravers who stayed until 4am GMT to hear my set and pay tribute to Kaoru. I hope he would have approved of this mix – I owe him such a lot, and his memory and music will always be part of what I do in this scene.

There’ll be a roundup of the other sets once they’re all online – stay tuned.