This isn’t new, by any stretch of the imagination, but for some reason I completely forgot to post about it back when it was released. Shame on me, because Hardcore Syndrome is quite possibly the best Hardcore Tano*C release yet.

I must admit that I usually feel a sharp pain in my wallet upon buying a Tano*C CD, as aside from the occasional Technorch/Alabaster tune I’m usually paying out 1500-ish yen for a single Betwixt & Between track. This release, however, has got plenty to keep NRG/Freeform fans happy, even without including any Betwixt tunes. How is that possible, you cry? Well, this one includes Hase’s absolutely excellent ‘intelligent NRG’ track, Meditation, alongside some typical kenta-v.ez madness and some nice tunes from Alabaster and Technetium. Even the ‘happier’ efforts are a bit harder than normal here, with DJ Champ and RED ALiCE’s Warp Attacker joined by umbrella’s Optical Force. Finally, we get some extremely hard schranz-esque hard NRG courtesy of Beserk+Haste. If the synths sound a little familar, then you might have picked up on the fact that this is actually one of Betwixt & Between’s pseudonyms – used mainly for experimental/harder tracks. This is one of the more listenable B+H tunes, and definitely worth checking out, as is the whole CD.

• 01.Joshka / Cascading Emotions
• 02.源屋 feat.野宮あゆみ / BLUE SKY (ORIGINAL MIX)
• 03.DJ SHIMAMURA / DOCUMENTAL (DIGITAL REMASTER MIX)
• 04.DJ CHAMP vs REDALiCE / Warp Attacker
• 05.EVOL / BRIGHT FUTURE (M-Project Remix)
• 06.DX PASTA / Perky Pat (320000msec Mix)
• 07.Thanatos / Lovely Lovely Lovely (Cutie Mix)
• 08.テクネチウム / Tc-ma_007
• 09.Next Tribe / August 31
• 10.umbrella / Optical Force
• 11.HASE / Meditation
• 12.Alabaster / Forgotten Ancient
• 13.Berserk+Haste / Quicksand
• 14.kenta-v.ez. / rE-LibErAtioN pLus+
• 15.t+pazolite / Ofcourse you Need and nEed and neEd and neeD and NEED ME?

Here’s yet another release on the ALiCE’S EMOTION label, this time two CDs of tracks based upon the manic shooting games under the Touhou Project banner, and created by amateur/hobbyist shoot ’em up developer Team Shanghai Alice. As something of a shoot ’em up fiend, I’ve often wanted to play the Alice games, but never seem to have gotten around to it – not to get into too much detail, but on the rare occasions I pop into an arcade/play a shmup these days, Cave’s games are the ones for me.

Sorry, where was I? As I’m not too familar with the games themselves, perhaps the most interesting news for freeform fans is the inclusion of two Betwixt & Between tracks – Dust to Dust, an Rx-style track with guitars and fantastic pacey main melody, and Wide Awake, a tune that Betwixt may have played at the last NRGetic Romancer (I’m not sure, but I’ve definitely heard it before somewhere). There are some other nice tracks too, particularly on the ‘harder’ Black Label CD presented by Technetium , and so it’s a release worth seeking out, if you can. For a disorienting sample of every track on the CD, a full look at the artwork, and the tracklist itself, check the release page on RED ALiCE’s site.

After DJ Yousuke’s Hardcore Baby’s Revenge, the Full Circling continues with another release, this time on Electronica Exposed! Anyone who downloaded the recent-ish Full Circle mix from February’s NRGetic Romancer will be familar with quite a few of these tunes, but look out for new tracks from Buzzmasta – my personal favourite is Eufonica, I think. As for the Full Circle tunes, Alchemy is a fabulous tune, and up there with Halcyon as one of their best so far (even if it is a bit slow…). For once, this a CD that’s probably easier to get hold of outside Japan, so rejoice if that applies to you.