Top 3 Mixes of 2012

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 25, 2013
Posted in: Finnish, Mixes, UK. 8 comments

The Top 3 Tracks post will be coming soon – it’s already a good one, but just waiting for responses from one or two more DJs. In the meantime then, here are my picks for the Top 3 mixes of 2012. There were plenty of excellent efforts last year, but the three here do an especially great job of creating their own atmosphere, finding exciting connections that add to the set, or pushing the sound that TYFTH was set up to promote (or sometimes all of the above). If you would have chosen differently (including any nice sets that didn’t appear on TYFTH, of course) feel free to give them a shout in the comments below.

First of all we have Pearsall’s stupendous tribute to FINRG, mixed to tie in with the 10th anniversary.

Next is really two mixes in one – the Freeformaniacs session between BEEZEE and Alderz.

Finally, I’ve gone for Tyranoid’s Elder Signs, a wonderful hour of darker music that pips the competition to third spot with some brilliant connections (mainly the 2023 – Engel combination that I’m still in love with).

Honourable mentions: Wyrm, Dyzphazia, Alchemiist, AT, Cuedy 

Freeform Exposed 2

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 22, 2013
Posted in: Canadian, Finnish, Japanese, Releases, UK. 2 comments

For those who weren’t aware until now, there’s one heck of a freeform release on the way from one of the founders of the sound, Electronica Exposed. Following on from the excellent Freeform Exposed, this second edition will have two Shanty-mixed sets and 37 (!) unmixed tunes spread over 3 parts, set for release in February, March and April. No sign of tracklists just yet, but check out the release page for a very promising list of artists and a schedule for the promo clips (starting with the great Finfish remix).

Paokala – Carnelian Waltz

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 19, 2013
Posted in: Finnish, Releases. Leave a Comment

Let’s step away from freeform again for a minute to enjoy a beautiful new Paokala track, one of the nicest downtempo tunes yet from Alek Szahala or any of his aliases. Right up there with some of Nomic’s piano pieces, I’m really glad that this has gone up on FINRG’s SoundCloud, giving the label’s followers a taste of the deeper sounds Alek is capable of.

Dyzphazia – Fucked Thursdays Podcast Mix, 10th January

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 16, 2013
Posted in: Drum & Bass, Finnish, Japanese, Mixes, UK. 1 comment

If you’re after a 30 minute burst of NRG and freeform, look no further than this great Dyzphazia set from last week. His finger’s on the pulse as usual with some brand new selections, but the second half also has some lovely, unexpected choices that flow very nicely towards the manic Night Prey.

  1. Cyrez – Raver’s Legacy [Rebuild]
  2. Ikaruga Nex – Black Hawk Down [CDr]
  3. Le Dos-On – A (Cyrez Remix) [Splash Energy! Records]
  4. Substanced & J-Mx – Flawless Victory [FiNRG]
  5. Transcend – Eons [CDr]
  6. Alf Bamford – Heartburn (Dark By Design Remix) [Hard Timez]
  7. Kevin Energy & Proteus – London Helsinki Underground (Proteus Warcry Remix) [Nu Energy Collective]
  8. Technical Itch & Kemal – The Calling (Evol Intent & Ewun Remix) [Moving Shadow]
  9. Pain On Creation – Night Prey (Live Edit) [CDr] 

Qygen – Freeformaniacs, 3rd January 2013

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 12, 2013
Posted in: Goa / Psy, Mixes. 1 comment

I haven’t had time for Qygen’s Smiling Corpse mix just yet, but he also made an incredible recent debut on Freeformaniacs with this two-hour voyage into the trippiest of dark psy. The opening to the set is way out there, and had my freeform-conditioned mind desperately searching for some kind of structure. That’s not a criticism, though – it’s great to be thrown out of your comfort zone, and it’s a real journey as the set heads into some very nasty stuff.

I didn’t recognise many tracks on the first listen (maybe only long-time COGI favourite, Something in the Air), but thanks to Qygen himself we now have a tracklist, complete with label info.

  1. Atim – Theories (ZuluTunes)
  2. Luuli – Burnt Dust (Akashik Record)
  3. Magma Ohm – Aqui Atendemos Loucos (Akashik Record)
  4. Mergel – Blood Emo (Akashik Record)
  5. Parandroid – Metaprogram Language (ManiacPsychoPro)
  6. Daisy Pusher – Max’s Brain (JellyFish Frequency Recordings)
  7. Cybernetika – The Outer Reach (Cybernetika Self-release)
  8. Ben Atomgrinder – Burning Moth (ReBuild Music)
  9. スゲ (Suge) – kitchen in the dark (Druggy’s Acid RacK)
  10. Xikwri Neyrra – Between Hydrogen & Helium Particles (Twisted Minds Recordings)
  11. Aremakki – Dinol The Wastehead (Ultiva Records)
  12. Limbo – No Joke (Anomalistic Records)
  13. Furious – Puzzle Fussion (Insomnia Records)
  14. Cosmic Iron – Terrapia (Anomalistic Records)
  15. Nritya Shastra – Something in the Air (Tantrumm Records)
  16. Airi – October Projekt (2to6 Records)
  17. Psykovsky – Tanetsveta (Tantrumm Records)
  18. Psykovsky – Aura Leta (Tantrumm Records) 

Download the set here

Alek Szahala – Deimos

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 12, 2013
Posted in: Finnish, Releases. Leave a Comment

The freeform world’s already well aware of this bit of news, but a new Alek Szahala track always deserves a post of its own. Deimos is a wonderful mid-point between Alek’s current sound and the otherwordly melodies of a few years ago, and is an absolute floor-killer at slightly higher bpms.

B.R.K – No Mercy (Misogyny 2012 Mix)

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 10, 2013
Posted in: Finnish, Italian, Mixes, Releases. Leave a Comment

Here’s a recent track from BRK that’s an essential for the NRG heads, and might even be one of his best so far. The melodies and synths are firmly in Lab 4 territory, which is about the highest compliment you can give a Hard NRG tune.

No Mercy was also included in Cyberdyne Seba’s newest set, Hoovers at the Edge of the Universe. The middle section is far too hard-housey for me, but there are some great acid picks here and there with the harder and nastier NRG saved for the second half. Really worth checking out, this one.

Candy Ravers on Style Arena

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 8, 2013
Posted in: Events, Japanese. 1 comment

Going off the usual track for a fashion-related post here, but this is well worth a look for anyone interested in the wider Japanese scene. Style Arena is usually the place to avoid go for street snaps of Tokyo’s teenage fashion victims, but this month the site ran a feature on ‘Candy Ravers’, the 90s UK happy-hardcore influenced crew that can always be spotted at Tokyo’s hard dance/hardcore events.

Unsurprisingly, over the years I’ve bumped into all of the ravers featured – KANGU is a very good friend of mine and a long-time supporter of my sets and NRGetic Romancer. Club dancer RINKO is well-known to anyone in the Tokyo hardcore scene and another Romancer regular, while 7 was a big supporter of the darker/harder freeform DJs during the 2009-2010 golden era. Take a look here for all the photos, along with some (translatable) text to accompany each raver.

Splash Energy Recordings – A remixes

Posted by PlasmaDancer on January 4, 2013
Posted in: Finnish, Japanese, Releases. 3 comments

The deadline has been and gone for Le Dos-on’s A remix project, and the tunes are available to download on the Splash Energy Recordings site. The genres are eclectic to say the least, but the biggest track for freeform fans is definitely Cyrez’s slower, NRG-styled remix. It does a brilliant job of putting Cyrez’s stamp on the track, while keeping the Le Dos-on meets Alek Szahala feel of the original. Of the other remixes, my favourite is probably Supremacy’s ferocious gabber version, but head over to Splash Energy Recordings and check them all out for yourself.