Releases

Alchemiist – Dead Silence

Posted by PlasmaDancer on October 12, 2017
Posted in: Finnish, Releases. Leave a Comment

I should really have mentioned by now that FINRG’s latest EP has been online since last week, as I suspect you’re going to have to search hard to find a better freeform and NRG release anywhere this year. The ever-reliable combo of Alchemiist and Substanced has done it again with Dead Silence and its freeform remix, two tracks that definitely play to the strengths of their genres.

This might in fact be the darkest release since a certain compilation and I’m really looking forward to trying them out in a set. Both are available now from Beatport.

Artificial World Records – THCB=FREEFORM HARDCORE=

Posted by PlasmaDancer on October 11, 2017
Posted in: Japanese, Releases. Leave a Comment

Later this month sees the sudden, surprise release of an very promising remix album, courtesy of Kokomochi. This is actually another freeform take on ZUN’s inspired soundtracks for the Touhou series – the emotional melodies are made for freeforming, as we’ve seen in goodness knows how many past compilations.

Kokomochi looks to have done a spot-on job of adding some aggression to the tracks, thankfully sidestepping the jolly style of some hardcore remixes I’ve heard in the past. Instead there’s plenty of melancholy here (see my first-impressions favourite, White Heron), along with some quality track progression and an impressive level of production. The tone overall strikes the sweet spot between freeform’s various camps, with some UK-style fills and effects combining nicely with nastier Finnish filtering.

As things stand the release is only announced for this month’s M3 event, but I’ll update as and when any other release info turns up.

Smiling Corpse – N.E.M.M. Nostaligic Euphoric Melodic Music

Posted by PlasmaDancer on September 12, 2017
Posted in: Goa / Psy, Japanese, Releases, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

Smiling Corpse’s newest release definitely lives up to the name, with 13 tracks of trancecore styled freeform that should bring back memories (for some) of the early scene, pre even the Nu-Energy/FINRG era. The CD compilation will be released this month but is already up for preorder – and with only 120 copies pressed (and 69 left at the time of writing) it might be worth getting in sooner rather than later.

FINRG – From The Shadows EP / Eryk Orpheus – Doofs, Squeaks and Bleeps EP

Posted by PlasmaDancer on August 6, 2017
Posted in: Finnish, Goa / Psy, Releases, UK. 1 comment

A couple of recent EP releases here that most will have seen, but both are encouraging signs that the big names haven’t given up on freeform just yet. From The Shadows is a very welcome return for FINRG, though this is obviously more of a UK freeform showcase and style-wise is only nominally in the same ballpark as previous Finnish releases. My favourite is Transcend and Hedonistik Ritual’s Scorched, with its trademark Transcend production and some nice filtering on the leads.

The release is also notable as a step away from SoundCloud free releases, appearing instead on Beatport and Juno Download. I know from TYFTH research and my days helping out with Hybridize that sales from digital download sites have to be pretty healthy to make it a worthwhile exercise, so be sure to show some support if your listening/mixing tastes line up with this one.

Next is an EP from one of the UK scene’s strongest producers, Eryk Orpheus. Doofs, Squeaks and Bleeps is an interesting mix of styles that has been a long time in the making – my favourite track in the release, Benodihydrochloridebenzylex, has been floating around for years. It’s another great example of how dark psy/goa can be incorporated into freeform even if things here don’t quite go to Qygen-like next levels. The EP is available for a mere £1.50 via the Intelli-Trance site.

Jimhe – Iku-Turso

Posted by PlasmaDancer on July 23, 2017
Posted in: Finnish, Releases. 2 comments

I’m obviously never averse to a trip down memory lane, and the other day I was thinking fondly back to how many ‘amateur’ Finnish producers used to come up with some wonderful stuff, promoted via the FINRG forums (often by way of mikseri).

Jimhe’s Iku-Turso is a decade too late to join Cyber Genetics, Beliar, and the rest, but thanks to SoundCloud there’s still a chance this excellent track will get the exposure it deserves. From the moment the first acid lines and melodies kick in it’s clear that this is freeform in the finest Finnish tradition (both musically and otherwise) that manages the energetic/melancholy balance impressively. Throw in a beautiful, creative pre-break, weighty drop, and some Aryx-esque leads, and you have a quality piece of work.

That I was easily imagining this playing alongside some of Grimsoul’s mikseri back catalogue should say it all, as his rough and readier older tracks sometimes hit atmospheres that weren’t matched by the later versions (see Painajainen and Bleed as an example). I hope to goodness that after an introduction like this Jimhe has plenty more on the way.

B.R.K. feat GULD – Brothers Never Die (The Atomik Samurai)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on July 13, 2017
Posted in: Italian, Japanese, Releases. 1 comment

BRK’s keeping himself very busy these days, single-handedly propping up the NRG scene while we wait for some more releases. His latest is Brothers Never Die, a really nice collab with GULD that appeared on Ominous Digital at the end of last month.

The track is definitely BRK’s with GULD influence, but with BRK’s production coming on leaps and bounds by the month that’s no bad thing at all. It happily leans in the harder direction of tracks like Rhythm is a Dancer, while the breakdown really is quality – more emotion than we’re used to hearing from either artist, it surely goes into the ‘very best’ category of BRK’s growing back catalogue.

There’s a lot more to come from him this year, including on TYFTH when time allows.

Korpiklaani – Ämmänhauta (Carbon Based feat Netta Skog remix)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on July 5, 2017
Posted in: Finnish, Releases. Leave a Comment

There have been rumours of a Carbon Based return this year, and here it is – unpredictable as ever, the comeback track is a pretty glorious rework of Korpiklaani’s folk metal.

It’s not quite freeform, mind, as the Toni and Teemu CB influence has led this one down the breaks path. Even so, the sound is unmistakably recent-era Carbon Based, especially those beautiful breakdowns and leads. I must admit to expecting/hoping for a 4/4 kick and some FINRG filters to burst in at some stage, but things have been reined in this time, alas.

Indeed, the atmosphere on the whole is far lighter than the dark, folky melancholy of the original, which also got me thinking about how great a range of FINRG remixes would have been. Imagine a freeform edit, or if Proteus, Nomic, or Horzi could get their hands on this?

This track is still a fine piece of work at a possibly useful 160-ish bpm, and (amazingly) suggests that if anything the Carbon Based production levels are still improving. It’s available in mp3/FLAC formats here.

Dimensional Gateway 4: Veil Of The Moon

Posted by PlasmaDancer on May 31, 2017
Posted in: Goa / Psy, Releases. Leave a Comment

Inspired by the incoming Terraformer from Global Sect, I was meaning to go back to Goa for a post-In Praise of Shadows refresh, even before the freeform drought we’ve seen so far in 2017. Another release I’ve taken a proper look at in the meantime is Veil Of The Moon, the excellent fourth installment in Neogoa’s Dimensional Gateway series.

After a lot of recent Suntrip, Altar and Global Sect compilations that cater for the lighter Goa sound its nice to hear a darker, melodic, old-schoolish atmosphere throughout VOTM, especially as my forever-WIP Goa mix is always at the back of my mind. The intro track Dragon Twins starts the release off in impressively creative style, with some nice acid, psy elements and even decent use of the Think break. It’s into more conventional Goa territory for the following tracks, maintaining a consistently high standard throughout even if some of the production falls short of the scene’s big-hitters, with some occasional (comparative) muddiness or slightly spongy kicks.

Favourites for me would be the Proxeeus tracks Dagon and (with GoaD) Acid Implant, as well as Clementz’ Black Dwarfs. Negans’ Silver is a fine track, but doesn’t quite match the lovely stuff on his own Neogoa release, Danse Macabre. Both that and VOTM are freely downloadable and a very nice accompaniment to the great music appearing on the physical labels at the moment.

Lucky Lotus – Summertime Dreams

Posted by PlasmaDancer on May 25, 2017
Posted in: Drum & Bass, Finnish, Goa / Psy, Japanese, Releases, UK, USA. Leave a Comment

I dread to think when the last post was – Life Stuff has meant some schedule juggling to fit everything in, and TYFTH has been suffering a bit as a result. Finally getting around to a few posts though, starting with the grand launch of Lucky Lotus’ CD compilation, Summertime Dreams.

The most significant news so far for freeform in 2017, this compilation has some very big names on board – Nomic, Qygen and Morita Yuuhei top the bill, with a very nicely produced contribution from Erkenfresh and Archari and Shimotsukei’s Dagor Dagorath adding some up-and-comers to the tracklist. With Shimotsukei in charge of things the rest of the release is about as eclectic as you’d expect, giving us a taste of everything from funkot to downtempo chillout, via Lab4’s excellent, roll-back-the-years NRG track, Moving To The Beat.

edit: I’ll blame posting rustiness for not mentioning something so important yesterday, but LL has announced that Qygen’s Crystal Cave will be his last freeform track. Talk about another huge loss to the scene, though the signs are that he’ll make a return to music of a different sort in the future.

Not really a release you can afford to miss, I’d say – it’s set for the end of June, but preorders are open already on the Lucky Lotus bandcamp and bigcartel sites.