March Top 10

Posted by PlasmaDancer on April 6, 2008
Posted in: Top Tens. Leave a Comment

                               

Apologies for the extended absence (if anyone noticed), I’m now safely ensconced in Tokyo – but not entirely back to internet-using capability yet. While I get myself sorted out, I’m sure you’ll be thrilled (?) to spend all of 30 seconds looking at my Top 10 for last month.

  1. Cyrez and Nightforce – Endstille
  2. Substanced and Grimsoul – Harder Than U Think
  3. Betwixt & Between – Kamsheen
  4. Alabaster – Santuario
  5. Substanced – Right Now (Sam One remix)
  6. Alek Szahala – Voices of Babylon
  7. Rank 1 – Airwave (Betwixt & Between remix)
  8. Die Braut – Ohne Herz
  9. Full Circle DJs – Edge
  10. Guld vs Betwixt & Between – Hatral

(By the way, although it’s cherry blossom season here, I’ve cheated with the photo – it was taken 3 years ago in Kagoshima…better than nothing, eh?)

Kreatrix Volume 5: Japanese Edition

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 22, 2008
Posted in: Canadian, Finnish, Releases. Leave a Comment

Here’s a very interesting next release in the Kreatrix series, the ‘Japanese Edition’. This time a few of the newer artists on the Finnish scene are featured, as well as Twisted Freq himself. Although some might conceivably complain about the number of remixes and originals on one CD, I actually think this isn’t a bad idea at all – it’s always interesting to hear how an artist has messed around with/improved on the original, and my experiences of freeform remixes so far are that most artists are creative enough not to simply slap a breakbeat on top of everything, and then call it a day.

One of the tracks here is effectively a ‘remix of a remix’, Exaltation Reborn (Cyrez and Sam One remix). The original Exaltation (by Level 13) is an absolute classic, so this and Twisted Freq’s new version are probably the tunes I’m looking forward to most. Having said that, I’ve been waiting for Usurper for a very long while now, and Reboot the System and Acid World are also great tracks… An honourable mention to Horzi too, what with Still Alive and Life For Freedom (with Alchemiist) being his first Kreatrix releases.
Better Tomorrow is being absolutely caned by freeform DJs at the moment, so I’ve got high hopes for these, too.

  1. Cyrez and Sam One – Reboot The System
  2. Cyrez and Sam One – Reboot The System (Twisted Freq remix)
  3. Epyx & Cyrez – Warcry
  4. Epyx & Cyrez vs Tyranoid & Strongstream – Usurper
  5. Horzi – Still Alive
  6. Horzi feat. Alchemiist – Life For Freedom
  7. Substanced – Acid World
  8. Substanced – Acid World (Twisted Freq remix)
  9. Twisted Freq – Exaltation Reborn
  10. Twisted Freq – Exaltation Reborn (Cyrez and Sam One remix)
  11. Twisted Freq – 90LD3N 5f34R
  12. Twisted Freq – 90LD3N 5f34R (Substanced remix)

Power Raise

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 16, 2008
Posted in: Japanese, Releases. Leave a Comment

Remember the new Betwixt & Between track (with the ‘something-like-a-flute lead melody’) that I first mentioned a couple of months ago? Well, after a bit of rummaging around I’ve discovered that it has been released, after all. My dark and shameful past of Super Famicom RPG addiction didn’t serve me too well here, as I had no idea that the track is actually a remix of a piece of BGM from the Romancing Saga series.

Reminiscent of last year’s Zodiac Brave release, Power Raise consists of 14 tracks by Betwixt, RED ALiCE, Alabaster….you get the idea. The difference this time is that Betwixt’s track (titled Kamsheen) definitely stands up as a freeform tune in its own right (interesting as Lost Symphonies is, I found it hard to imagine it in the middle of a set), and it definitely went down well at December’s NRGetic Romancer.

Although I don’t have a huge amount of interest in the other tunes, this one has easily galloped to the top of my to-buy-when-back-in-Tokyo list. Oh, a worthy mention to KEI for the cover artwork, very nice indeed.

(Stretch that index finger and click for the tracklist)

Continue Reading

Epyx & Cyrez – Sleep Paralysis (EECD025)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 14, 2008
Posted in: Finnish, Mixes, Releases. Leave a Comment

First of all, take a look over at Electronica Exposed, where you’ll notice the release date for Epyx & Cyrez’s Sleep Paralysis is set as March – and that the tracklists for the two (two!) CDs are very exciting indeed. What with all their releases so far, I was expecting a fair few of the tunes to be available elsewhere, but here we have an unmixed CD of almost completely unheard tracks. Among the many highlights are a couple of my favourites, Immaculate and Subida Del Muerto, as well as This Is The Way The World Ends and what seems to be a similarly warped, disturbing relative of Polar Energy, When Left Alone.

The mixed second CD is equally impressive, featuring great tunes such as Fragile Mind, Unohdetut, and Proteus’ current beau, Toivoton. A really impressive effort, this release definitely cements Epyx & Cyrez’s position up among the forerunners of the scene these days. Quite how they come up with so many tunes, so quickly, I’ve no idea – but long may it continue.

Belial – Naughty by Hypnodisc

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 14, 2008
Posted in: Drum & Bass, Releases, Uncategorized. Leave a Comment

I should have mentioned this by now, really – but here’s a ferocious new track from Belial (aka. dark freeform supremo Twisted Freq). Currently only listenable on the new MySpace page, Naughty by Hypnodisc is semi-drum & bassy hardcore/breakcore that marks a huge, but very promising change of direction. It’s a fine line between the perfect fusion track, and hardcore-style breaks that lose the pace of 4/4 tunes/lack the bass and sheer muscle of the hardest d&b tracks, but Belial certainly seems to be heading along the right lines here. After a few listens, the vocal has grown on me too, adding a pleasantly old-skool element to things.

Anyway, this tune would be terrifying in amongst a mix of more recent Kreatrix releases, and it’ll be really interesting to see how this new sound develops.

Alek Szahala – Promo Live Mix @ NRGetic Romancer

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 14, 2008
Posted in: Events, Japanese, Mixes. 1 comment

                                         

I’ll soon have the chance to find out whether my praise for Alek Szahala’s Tokyo set was down to post-event hyperbole or not, as those who make it to NRGetic Romancer on the 19th of next month will receive a promo CD of that mix. All for a mere 2500yen (with flyer/a bit of guestlisting) and a trundle around the Yamanote line? As long as 3 weeks back in Tokyo hasn’t bankrupted me, I’m sure I’ll be able to manage that.

The regulars are all present and correct for the next event, and I swear by the god of schranz that I’ll get there on time to hear Horny’s set. No flyer yet, but as the crew have all been jaunting around Japan for the last couple of weeks, that’s to be expected.

Ravers United Special @ LAB.TRIBE, Kyoto

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 13, 2008
Posted in: Events, Japanese. Leave a Comment

Here’s the final stop on Arkitech’s tour – at Kyoto’s LAB.TRIBE, next Wednesday. He’s joined once again by DJ Yousuke and Buzzmasta, as well as a clutch of Ravers United regulars. As you can see from the flyer, it’s best to expect a dark, twisted evening of warped freeform – or perhaps glowsticks and tinkly melodies might be more the order of the day, who could possibly say? Something else caught my interest about this event though, the ‘live painting’ by OT29. It’s the first time I’ve heard of something like this (or at least at a hardcore event), but it definitely sounds intriguing. Aside from a couple of flyers though, I can’t seem to find anything related to the artist. Let’s see if anything turns up online after the next week or so…

DJ Technorch – GOTHIC SYSTEM lite ~Trancecore meets Gabber~

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 11, 2008
Posted in: Japanese, Releases. 1 comment

I know, I know, it’s not really freeform. But the original Gothic System is an absolute classic in my opinion, and DJ Technorch has just released a re-press of his first album – a collection of Gothic System remixes/interpretations by the Tano*C collective.

The above YouTube video features what I assume to be every track on the CD, but I must admit that I got a bit lost while listening, so I can’t offer any sage advice re. which ones to particularly look out for. As great as the original is, I’m sure a whole CD of what is effectively the same tune might get slightly wearisome, but this could be very interesting for DJs that lean towards the HappyCore/Sharpnel-esque Gabber side of things.

By the way, check the page on Technorch’s site for the tracklist and various other bits and pieces, including the fabulous cover art that definitely deserves to be seen full-size, rather than me squashing it to fit into this post.

News from the past

Posted by PlasmaDancer on March 11, 2008
Posted in: Events, Japanese. Leave a Comment

Unless you happen to be Marty McFly, this will be of very little interest to you, but last Saturday saw the Hardcore Tano*C crew head to Osaka’s Club NEO, where all the usual suspects (REDALiCE, Thanatos, Technorch, Betwixt & Between etc.) brought their brand of otaku-flavoured Hardcore to Kansai. There’s some rather more interesting (but related) news coming up in the next post though, so bear with me.

Incidentallly, my cunning plan for last weekend ultimately consisted of heading off to some islands between Shikoku and Hiroshima, which isn’t exactly what I had in mind at the start of the week. Still, good to get some fresh air, eh? Maybe I’ll put a random photo or two up before long, in an effort to convince you that I did the right thing.