Japanese

Hiroyuki Takahashi / Guld live @Dark Dimension, 26th October

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 30, 2013
Posted in: Events, Japanese. Leave a Comment

Dark Dimension’s Halloween edition was a massive affair held at Shinjuku’s Christon Cafe (which also houses Decadance Bar), bringing together a pretty special lineup from all corners of Tokyo’s darker scenes. After a typically arduous few months of mainstream Tokyo I’d have loved to attend, but luckily we have here an awesome 45 minutes of Hiroyuki Takahashi’s live painting session for those that missed it. I’m a big fan of Takahashi’s work, and his live appearances are always amazing. It’s probably worth mentioning that the accompanying performance (while fairly tame for events at Christon) might drift into NSFW territory as things progress.

The bonus here is that Guld starts his set from around the 9.40 mark in the second video. Settle down for 25 minutes of classic Guld, with plenty of Romancer classics alongside some newer tracks (including Gestaltzerfall) and some brilliant crowd reaction. Great to see that the audience is still there for the harder genres, and that Dark Dimension is growing with each new event.

Freeformaniacs Round 12 Schedule

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 29, 2013
Posted in: Events, Finnish, Japanese, UK. Leave a Comment

Let’s finish off a hattrick of Freeformaniacs posts with the rest of Round 12’s schedule. We’ve just missed the broadcast of Pearsall’s set (look out for the download), but there are plenty of other quality DJs lined up to finish the year. Worth mentioning that the show has now moved over to happyhardcore.com, so that’s the place to go if your time zone allows for live listening.

5th December – Raqhow / Damo

12th December – Jerome / Alchemiist vs Shimotsukei

19th December – Cuedy / J-Kub vs Piumaki

26th December – Olly Atomic B2B Olly Addictive

2nd January – Pulse / Beezee B2B Alderz

Dyzphazia – Freeformaniacs Round 11

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 27, 2013
Posted in: Finnish, Japanese, Mixes, UK. Leave a Comment

My increasingly geriatric Hell’s Gate rework is mixing with the elite here, in what has to be my favourite Dyzphazia set for a long time and a treat for all fans of filtery freeform. Tracks 1-5 work brilliantly together, establishing a dark atmosphere that then leads into some top quality combinations – check out Darkside into Outbreak as an example, a nicely ambitious mix that had me enjoying Rx’s remix a lot more than I usually do. The whole set flows very well though, finishing with Le Dos-on’s Morokai remix. Upcoming on Smiling Corpse, Le Dos-on has excelled himself with a glorious breakdown that recalls the very best of Japanese and Finnish freeform.

Well done to Dyzphazia for an awesome effort – this one comes very highly recommended.

1) Epyx & Cyrez Vs. Substanced – Expedition Bloodbath [Electronica Exposed]
2) Alek Szahala – Voices of Babylon [FiNRG]
3) Zio – Hell’s Gate (Plasmadancer Remix) [TYFTH]
4) ThermalForce – Al Megiddo [Khaotic Dimension]
5) Alchemiist – Empire [FiNRG]
6) Carbon Based – Darkside [FiNRG]
7) Endemic vs. Solution – Outbreak (DJ Rx Remix) [NuEnergy]
8 ) Epyx & Cyrez – Blackest Night (Endemic Remix) [Watchtower]
9) Kors-K – Tubular Bells [Nukleuz]
10) Le Dos-On – A (Cyrez Remix) [Splash Energy]
11) Substanced Vs. Transcend Vs. Horzi – Eons of Anxious Hater (Substanced Mashup) [CDr]
12) Hommarju – Verzweiflung [Relentless Digital]
13) Aryx – Morokai (Le Dos-On Remix) [F/C Smiling Corpse]

Smiling Corpse ‘Dead Happy’ Podcast Episode 13, 23rd November

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 21, 2013
Posted in: Events, Japanese, UK. 2 comments

It’s an enormous honour for me to announce that I’ll be appearing alongside Wyrm on this month’s Smiling Corpse podcast! Following the past couple of shows won’t be easy, but I’ve put as much time as possible into my set (hence the silence again here recently) and we’re sure to have an awesome second hour with Wyrm.

Now that the UK’s back on GMT it’s a bit easier to for us in Japan to catch the show as it goes out, so I’ll be up bright and early on Sunday to mingle in the Krafty chat. Hope to see everyone there!

Guld – Gestaltzerfall

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 21, 2013
Posted in: Japanese, Releases. 2 comments

The darkest track of the year? Guld has outdone himself with Gestaltzerfall, an incredibe piece of work that everyone has to check out. I haven’t heard this sort of aggression in an NRG/freeform tune for a long time, and it will actually be the (not-so) secret weapon in my upcoming set – see the next post for more on that.

Smiling Corpse ‘Dead Happy’ Podcast Episode 11 / Episode 12

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 15, 2013
Posted in: Canadian, Drum & Bass, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Mixes, UK. Leave a Comment

Recently I caught up on all the recent Smiling Corpse podcasts – four sets of excellent quality that no Horser should miss out on.

Episode 11 features a really interesting, experimental set from Dyzphazia that very skilfully switches between different subgenres to make something very fresh. Making the most of the schranzy-style tracks to bring in new sections, this is one of the best Dyzphazia mixes for a while and a great set to check out if you’re in the mood for something different.

01) zkillbang3r – Loberta Ingrata (Original Mix) [Fiume Beat]
02) Sulima – On Mars (Original Mix) [Goamagnetic]
03) Hypix – Criminal [Sounds Diabolic]
04) Faradize – Psycho Therapy (Original Mix) [Goamagnetic]
05) Buchecha – Revolution (Original Mix) [Fiume Beat]
06) ETC – Helpless (2012 Remaster) [Phantasm Records]
07) zkillbang3r – La Huerfana [Sounds Diabolic]
08) Epyx & Cyrez ft. Jarno H – Continuum of the Ordeal [Watchtower]
09) Hellboy – The Nightmare Begins [Infractive Digital]
10) Alek Szahala – Unicorn Grove [Electroplates]
11) Qygen – Supersonic Speed 2013 [F/C Freeformatted Vol 2]
12) Einhander – Fourbeast [CDr]
13) Betwixt & Between – Tankobu Heso Tarou no Hourou (Proteus Remix) [Hardcore Tano*C]
14) Ayrx – Morokai (Le Dos-On Remix) [F/C Smiling Corpse]
15) Brothers In Techno & ASIN vs. Qygen – Arkhatek Temple (Dyzphazia Bootleg) [CDr]

Alchemiist’s set from the same podcast is exactly what I hoped for – twisty, solidly mixed and with plenty of older darkness. It’s not always easy to find freeform sets that go for all-out aggression, and with the sprinkling of promos livening things up this is a must-listen.

01) Pantera – By Demons Be Driven (Alchemiist & Decion Rework) [CDr]
02) Alchemiist – Terrible Times [Orrible Noize]
03) Horzi – Human Hater (Substanced Remix) [FiNRG]
04) Alek Száhala – Maruuk [FiNRG]
05) Endemic – Hurricane [Watchtower]
06) Substanced – Reptile Zoo [FiNRG]
07) Twisted Freq – Unleashed [Electronica Exposed]
08) Twisted Freq – Hanuman Visits Lanka [Electronica Exposed]
09) Twisted Freq & Cyrez – The Edge Of Extinction [Electronica Exposed]
10) Alchemiist – Neurotic [CDr]
11) Lost Soul feat. Dark Angel – Sacrifice (Endemic Remix) [Watchtower]
12) Substanced & Alchemiist – Skullcrush [FiNRG]

Episode 12 keeps things dark with a great set from Olly Addictive that introduces some variety around the basic TYFTH-friendly sound. I often think that mixing other tunes with Alek Szahala tracks is a very risky business, as very little else can match his unique atmosphere and it ends up feeling like a waste (eg. my Lucky Lotus set – Let the Funeral Begin works a treat, but Last Glimmer of Hope cancels out Sunray’s atmosphere and things head off in a different, lighter direction). Anyway, Olly puts the lie to all that with a blinder of a connection, moving straight from Pastor Skinstrom into Solar Hive. Brilliant stuff, and the rest of the set is melodic but twisted, and definitely recommended.

01) Unnatural Selection & Cik – Day of Judgement (Ophidian Remix) [Industrial Strength]
02) Carbon Based – Painkiller [Electroplates]
03) Epyx & Cyrez – Unohdetut 2011 [Electrode]
04) Shanty – Cerebral Cortex (Wyrm Remix) [Electrode]
05) Transcend – Eons [F/C Watchtower]
06) Qygen & Olly Addictive – Vapaamuoto [F/C Smiling Corpse]
07) The Sauna Boys – Pastor Skinstrom [FiNRG]
08) Alek Száhala – Solar Hive [FiNRG]
09) Alchemiist – Empire [FiNRG]
10) Evolutionize – Pain [F/C Freeformatted Vol.2]
11) Transcend & Neptune – The Spirit Molecule [F/C Strictly for the Purist]
12) AC Slater – Overdose [Kaotik]
13) Tommyknocker – Twist [Traxtorm Records]

Finally we have a headline set from Alek Szahala that is hopefully getting the listeners it deserves. The tracklist alone is fantastic, with a few oldies alongside the wonderful Succubus, Raingun and Mageslayer, but this one also deserves special attention for the mixing style. Maybe the most complex Alek set I’ve heard so far, there’s plenty of mixing before the traditional outro section and a couple of tunes that leap straight into the breakdown, keeping even hardcore Alek fans guessing until the end. A top quality hour then, and the perfect warm up for Alek’s 10th Anniversary set in Helsinki tonight.

01) Alek Száhala – Intro
02) Alek Száhala – Succubus [CDr]
03) Alek Száhala – Deimos [FiNRG]
04) Alek Száhala – Supriya [FiNRG]
05) Alek Száhala – Astraia [ReBuild Music]
06) Alek Száhala – Dryad Machine [FiNRG]
07) Alek Száhala – Aurinko [CDr]
08) Alek Száhala – Alanamra (Arkitech Remix) [Nu Energy]
09) Alek Száhala – Iron Squid [FiNRG]
10) Alek Száhala – Maruuk [FiNRG]
11) Alek Száhala – Railgun [CDr]
12) Alek Száhala – Mageslayer [FiNRG]
13) Alek Száhala – Barber’s Adagio for Strings [FiNRG]
14) Alek Száhala – Vengeance
15) Alek Száhala – Anmitzcuacah

Check out all the sets here

Son of Sam @SINISTRY, 26th October 2013

Posted by PlasmaDancer on November 9, 2013
Posted in: Events, Finnish, Japanese, Mixes, UK. Leave a Comment

I’m obviously no use as a news source right now, but the endless commutes and post-work gazing into space is at least giving me a chance to catch up on some excellent sets. I have a few to post up now, so let’s begin with Son of Sam’s Sinistry selection of melodic/twisted tracks.

That opening rock-solid mix between Reborn and Polaris had me immediately convinced, but using Starfall as the set’s centrepiece is just fantastic – it remains one of my all-time favourite Alek tunes. The mix into Air shows that a lot of thought went into this mix, and there’s a great flow here. It might be a bit of a freeform cliche these days to finish a set with gabber, but when it works this well, why not?

Overall this was a brilliant set and a really nice surprise – with the one like BEEZEE also dropping some trademark sounds, Sinistry might just have been the best UK event ever for ‘intelligent freeform’. With Aryx and myself trying to do the same at Munted! (a much-delayed look back at that will be coming one of these days), there’s real hope that deeper sounds will play a much bigger role in the scene’s development.

  1. jD-KiD – Reborn [Re-Born Beats]
  2. Aryx – Polaris [Watchtower]
  3. jD-KiD & Javi DJ – Purnima [B-Form Beats]
  4. Alek Szahala – Deimos [FINRG]
  5. Le Dos-On – Obsidian [Relentless Digital]
  6. Paocala – Starfall [Electronica Exposed]
  7. Le Dos-On – Air [Relentless Digital]
  8. Substanced – Ghost of the Future [Watchtower]
  9. jD-KiD & DJ Corr – Carinae [ReBuild Music]
  10. Korsakoff – Pink Noise [Cloud 9 Dance]
  11. Dyprax – Murder & Crime [MoH]
  12. AniMe – Cracks [Traxstorm]

Alabaster – Failytale

Posted by PlasmaDancer on October 10, 2013
Posted in: Japanese, Releases. 4 comments

I’m battling to keep TYFTH updated through another busy spell, but bear with me – I’m actually hard at work on stuff behind the scenes and there’ll be a couple of longer posts tomorrow. Regardless, the track-making return of Alabaster is massive news by itself, and Failytale doesn’t disappoint with some really interesting melodies and a quality breakdown. This version is sounding a lot more polished than the tune he played at CODEX, an excellent follow-up to Fluorite .

PlasmaDancer – Lucky Lotus Online Electronic Music Festival 3

Posted by PlasmaDancer on September 26, 2013
Posted in: Events, Finnish, Japanese, Mixes, UK. 3 comments

PlasmaDancer – Lucky Lotus, August 2013 by Plasmadancer on Mixcloud

I’ve had a couple more requests to put my Lucky Lotus set online, so here it is! The artists/DJs on the FINRG SoundCloud are pretty self policing these days in terms of what goes up there, and as in this case I don’t think the set is anywhere near the quality we should expect from FINRG I’ve dusted off Mixcloud instead. That’s not to say I was disappointed with what I came up with, mind, just it was always intended to be a one-off event-style set that showed off a few styles, not one for repeated listens.

Anyway, I was a bit unsure about where to pitch this one, but decided to go for some melodic sounds to start with (Beati Mortui aside) and then hit listeners with some harder, darker tracks. It got a pretty good response at the time, and I heard people picking out certain parts of the set that appealed to them, which is really what I was aiming for – if it inspired non-freeform fans to seek out some new tunes, then mission accomplished.

Have a listen and see what you think – apologies in advance for Face the Destiny – Neurotic and Toybox – Human Hater, those are the kind of lazy transitions I hate, though the rest of the set has a few old favourite connections from Ustream and Romancer.

Back again

Posted by PlasmaDancer on September 22, 2013
Posted in: Japanese. 54 comments

Once again, time to start up TYFTH after a long absence – I’m just back from my holidays, and things will be back to semi-regular updates for the next few months. The next post will be a little something that’s been requested a few times now and will hopefully make up for the recent quietness, while I’ve got a few other projects on the go that should see the light of day before too long. Oh and I realise the TYFTH SoundCloud isn’t looking too healthy right now, but it’ll be back to its old account level in the next day or two.

By the way, the photo was taken last week in Yakushima, an awesomely beautiful island in Kagoshima prefecture.