Epyx & Cyrez – Risk Addiction (Substanced Remix) by FINRG Recordings
There are some very promising signs that FINRG is getting back to top form again, including Risk Addiction, maybe the best NRG/freeform release so far in 2011. Substanced’s remix is really a top quality tune, very DJ-friendly and with that excellent breakdown.
Alek Szahala has just made a big update to his homepage, with a very nice redesign and some quality new additions. Most obvious is the recent Mayhem set from Australia – no tracklist/other info yet, as I’m just about to give it a listen while out and about for the afternoon.
edit: It’s easy to hear the effort that went into this one – it’s undoubtedly one of Alek’s best sets for a long time. Unlike some Live PAs, it flows really well, and there are so many edits in here that its an essential listen from start to finish.
Listen out especially for the stupendous new version of Ascend to the Stars that does exactly what I was hoping from the original (double edit: Ascend to the Stars was cut after the intro, so it’s actually a mystery second tune), a great version of Vertigo and a final tune that brings back ‘Thank you for the horse’! Well done to Alek, here’s the best I can do with the tracklist so far here’s his official tracklist:
01. Alek Szahala – Ascend to the Stars
02. Alek Szahala – Ziggurat (unfinished)
03. Alek Szahala – Astraia
04. Alek Szahala – Vertigo (unfinished)
05. Alek Szahala – Deimos
06. Alek Szahala – Maruuk
07. Alek Szahala – Voices of Babylon
08. Alek Szahala – Dryad Machine
09. Alek Szahala – Aurinko 2009
10. Alek Szahala – Iron Squid
11. Alek Szahala – Starcrossed (unfinished)
12. Mark Seibert – Erana’s Peace (Alek Szahala remix)
13. Scott Brown – Viroid (Alek Szahala’s made in hotel remix)
The redesign also does a fabulous job of integrating stuff from SoundCloud – I’ve been planning to do something similar with TYFTH when (if..?) my own SC gets sorted out, so that’s all very inspiring. Something else worth mentioning is the listing of Deimos in the upcoming releases for this year, it’s really good to see Alek getting back into the swing of things these days.
Now this is something really worth supporting. Hard NRG (and now techdance) legend Yoji is releasing tracks from a huge range of artists on the Hellhouse label, all to raise money for relief efforts in Japan. Proteus is apparently signed up to contribute, and Guld’s Lamento della sirena remix is already available for 300-5000 yen.
It goes without saying that this is for a fantastic cause, even more so after yet another big earthquake last night.
Anyone into the Re-form brand of freeform (that’ll be everyone, surely) will like this – a mid-production video of Laz at work on the upcoming track Decade. Personally I’m not a fan of the dubstep-style bass wobbling that’s popular at the moment (as I’m a dinosaur and can’t let go of the 90s sub), but the tune itself is sounding excellent, with some really good melodies.
Anyway, it’s both very cool and educational to see the track under construction like this, and also good that Re-form are still working on new material. Back to reality after this post though, as I’m going to spend a bit of time on a newish track I’ve been messing around with…very little chance of it turning into anything playable, but you never know.
Substanced is on a production roll right now, including this upcoming tune (set for Hybridize, it looks like), set for release on Hard Underground Music. It’s pretty common that Substanced nails the intro/outro to tunes, but this one is especially nasty, with some real weight to those synths. Post-breakdown it’s a nice catchy melody too, albeit not as evil as you’d expect for something called The Grim Reaper. A quality tune then, definitely one I want to hear through a big PA.
Auferstehung was a very classy hardcore release from Invader and Nightforce a few years ago, and in a fit of generosity the guys have made the full Auferstehung EP available to download! The EP includes the original, the harder Blackout remix, and the excellent Full Circle DJs remix with that sharp and nasty synth work.
Anyone who missed out on these tracks back in the day can now get on the case by downloading here.
Substanced – Aquarius (Amini Remix)(Clip) by DJ-Amini
Amini’s making big strides with his production lately, and his newest tunes are really deserving of a listen. The first is a remix of Substanced’s popular tune from last year, Aquarius, and Amini’s done a great job so far of giving this version its own sound. As well as some edits to the main theme, I love that bassline with the filtered intro melodies.
Amini’s other tune is an original track called It’s a Phau. Once again, the intro/outro is really nice, with a pretty dark feel, while the melodies are energetic and definitely have a strong Sam One influence. A nice touch is the little sequence from 4.10 onwards, a really effective way of breaking up the main part of the track.
Thanks to Meke for the heads up on this excellently edited video, which was actually completed the best part of a year ago but is still well worth a look. The video itself was to promote the FORCE event, while the backing track (by Horzi and Meke) was released by FINRG and can be found here. I remember hearing the tune back when it was first completed – the classic Horzi filtered synths combined with the original’s fairly happy piano/melodies make for a nice contrast, and would surely work well in a UK-styled set.
Alchemiist – Parasite by Alchemiist
Alchemiist’s Parasite has been under construction for a while now, and it’s showing the benefits with some really top quality ideas. The first half does everything you’d expect – nasty synths with a nice pace to them, but the breakdown is close to something very special indeed, with its eerie atmosphere and melodies over the breakbeats. One of Alchemiist’s finest, no doubt.
Epyx & Cyrez – Risk Addiction (Substanced Remix) by Substanced / Subi
Thanks to illness and various other calamities I’ve been out of action for the last week or so, but now it’s about time to get things going again with a whistle-stop tour of what’s happened since the last post. Some of the biggest news has to be Substanced’s upcoming remix of the classic Risk Addiction – this does a brilliant job of injecting some pace into the original tune, and has to be one of the most promising ‘dark’ tunes so far this year.