No, I haven’t gone mad yet – the craziest post title for quite a while is actually an intro mash-up from none other than Twisted Freq. If you’re not a DJ, this one will just be for novelty value (it’s only a minute or so long), but for anyone looking for an offbeat set-opener, you’ve come to the right place. Just earlier I was imagining this leading into Android Lime’s Sex and Violence..it might just work…
Big thanks to Twisted Freq for the permission to put this online – download here.
Better late than never, eh? Soham has just upped a few videos from last month’s NRGetic Romancer, including this great one of Guld playing Hatral. As you can see, he hardly ever leaves the mixer alone, throwing in effects here and there…it’s definitely his mixing trademark.
Two more videos to come, after clicking this post.
I’m a bit late to Sweden’s Ultraform, but thanks to Proteus and Android Lime I’ve finally started checking out some tracks, and been really impressed. It’s not often I come across hard melodic tracks with a bit of darkness to them, and I really like I Feel, a nine-minute epic with real anthem quality and some brilliant breakdowns. It’s great to see that the track has just been released (alongside Chase Me) on Fool’s Forest, a very high quality free netlabel which also releases breakbeat, ambient and more experimental tunes.
Carbon Based – Xerosis by FINRG Recordings
Another storming batch of releases here, this time it’s Alek Szahala and Carbon Based with some great tunes from the archives. At the top of the post is Xerosis, a lovely blast from the past for me, I haven’t heard it for ages. Other tracks this time include Carbon Based’s Fairy Play, Methodist and Anytime, as well as some previously released tunes like the classic Anthem. On the Alek Szahala side we have tracks like Firecloud, Maruuk and the unreleased Unilaulu, a happy little 2-minute track. edit: a lot of Pain on Creation tracks are up there too.
Get them all from FINRG’s SoundCloud.
Substanced – Freeform from Finland (promo mix 2010) by FINRG Recordings
Anyone (like me) who missed Substanced’s appearance on the Free of Form radio show should be happy to see that his 2010 promo mix is now online. It’s a really nice set, and makes you realise the variety of tracks Substanced has been coming up with lately. From uplifting tunes that will get the crowd going (Challenge 2009, Do You Love), to nasty twisted crazy stuff (Freeform Mercury, Crank Cleopatra) and everything in-between, there’s pretty much something for everyone here. Standout parts for me included Crank Cleopatra (which went down very well at NRGetic Romancer), the insane intro to Challenge 2009, and that lovely breakdown melody in Escalate. Here’s the tracklist, and you can give a listen at the top of this post, too:
1. Substanced – Aquarius
2. Substanced – Apocalypse (2010 Remake)
3. Substanced – Challenge 2009
4. Substanced – Escape From Zombieland
5. Substanced – Escalate
6. Horzi – The Elegy (Substanced Remix)
7. Substanced – Crank Cleopatra
8. Substanced & Nightforce – Do You Love 9. Substanced – Meteor
10. Substanced – Freeform Mercury
Here’s Nightforce’s newest freeform track, a very dark tune with a Biohazard/Resident Evil theme to it. I played it at NRGetic Romancer, and it went down well…listen out especially for the great gabber-style section in the middle. The tune is set for release soon on Electronica Exposed, by the way.
Carbon Based – Live at Oulu by FINRG Recordings
Not too much is happening here in Japan, but I’m trying to finish a mix that’s been on the schedule for the last month…it’s a busy week, though…
Anyway, over on the FINRG SoundCloud there are a few new mix-length uploads – one of them is a really brilliant set from Carbon Based. I’m guessing it’s from a while back – I’m lucky enough to have some of the older CB material, but there were a few gaps in the tracklist for me too. Anyway, CB’s melodies are always fantastic, and it’s not often us folk outside Finland get to hear their tunes b2b like this.
Other new sets include the Rx vs Alek Szahala Live PA from the 2007 Hakkapeliitta tour, Alek’s great hardcore set from Mania, Swoosh’s 512 set and Rx and Alek Szahala Live once again, this time at Pharmacy.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are also a lot of newly-free Re-form releases, including Mask Man 2005 and Cyanide, one of my old favourites. Once again, the FINRG SoundCloud is the place to go.
Many thanks to Betwixt & Between, who has just given me his Top 3 for last year. I’ve already added him to the big post, but just in case you miss it:
Betwixt & Between (NRGetic Romancer/TOTAL DISCOMMUNICATION)
While the freeform world is recovering from New Year, it might be a good time to relax with a few more intelligent drum and bass tracks from the 90s. First we have quite a well known tune – The Mystics from my favourite producer of the era, PFM. This one’s from 1996, and as deep as they come.
Most people will have heard DJ Rx’s My Serenity on the FINRG player (plus the Finnish remixes), but now it’s finally on free release. Even if (like me) you’re not the biggest fan of modern drum and bass, this track has a lot going for it, with some beautiful melodies and the kind of top quality production that’s becoming Rx’s trademark. Download the mp3 or wav file from the FINRG SoundCloud, as well as the remixes from JNKS, Horzi, Sam One, and Nu-Energy’s Synthwulf and ENDEMIC.
Rx has also announced that the My Serenity remix pack will be downloadable, but the link is out of action at the moment. I know for a fact that a few people are waiting to have a try at their own version, so I’ll let you know as soon as it recovers. edit: The remix pack is online now, and can be downloaded here.