Finally time for a look back at my favourite set of 2024. All of Asukarai Matsuri’s sets are required listening for any self-respecting Horser, but this tribute to Qygen goes even further above and beyond what we’re used to. From what I can tell (happy to be corrected, as always) it’s only available on YouTube for the time being.

While the set leaves out a few tracks that I would have thought to be must-plays, this is about as smooth a single-artist mix you’ll ever hear and that’s surely the reason why. Interestingly it’s not quite Qygen-only, as one track each from Mellow Sonic and Nightforce also find their way in there. As two of the best transitions in the set you can understand it, and personally I don’t mind at all – it brought back memories of Betwixt using Supriya in his all time great Live PA from 2005.

The set opens up with a superb combo of Aeronautics into Final Moments, which, while I’m not such a big fan of Qygen’s piano-heavy tracks, sets the tone of things very well. As does the following Vapaamuoto, without doubt my favourite Olly Addictive track and one I really need to get into a set someday. You could name any transition as a standout, but Digiplex into Dream Invader Network and the wonderful Tendrils of Reality into Spatial Healing are two more I’d pick from the first section of the set. The second section is where I have one of my minor criticisms, as it moves (smoothly of course) into an extended drum and bass/jungle sequence. While the mixing is first class there’s a danger it might lose those who are signing up mainly for Qygen’s goa-freeform and I was expecting the two styles to instead switch back and forth. There’s both some excellent selection and mixing here though, with Synthetic Sweetheart and Above the Clouds featuring some lovely work with the amens.

Freeform Horizon is the track to take things back to freeform, before Nightforce’s Raindrops sets up the big finish. It’s both the best use I’ve ever heard of the track and quite possibly my favourite transition of the set as it blends with Supersonic Speed 2013. One of those magic moments when the transition improves both tracks, it’s a welcome reminder of how rarely we hear mixing of this level in the freeform scene. Supersonic Speed actually closes the set which is a slight surprise – there are a few other uplifting tracks that come to mind as a follow-up, but on the other hand it does act as a nice call back to the earlier pianos.

If you missed this one at the time or skipped it because you’ve listened to plenty of Qygen elsewhere then I implore you to give it a go. If ever a set did justice to Qygen’s sound then this is it, just beautiful work.