Apropos to nothing in particular, this is one of the tunes getting me through my commute this week, and so why not share it with TYFTH? The Long Dark Remix of VotS was the best version by far, adding some extra chops to the drums and a much improved bassline. Definitely blows away the 1996 version…
I feel another non-freeform YouTube roundup coming on, but hope you enjoy this one for now.
Still a few sets I’ve been meaning to mention, starting with a psy-influenced hour from Australia’s Inoxia. There’s no faulting the ambition in this one, and the effort to take the listener on a trippy journey into psy and freeform really impressed me.
That said, there were a few missed opportunities after the fabulous intro and the Jesus Raves section – with such a demented (and nicely mixed) opening, the set seemed to be crying out for some Qygen, older Alek Szahala or Betwixt & Between. Instead there’s the slightly disappointing choice of Power of Universe, before getting back into the mood with some nice ikaruga and Vyral XIII selections. The set has lost some of the unique atmosphere by that stage though, and it’s more about enjoying the tunes on their own merits.
The final section (maybe beginning with Evolutionize’s Tandoku) heads into more typical, energetic territory, and ends things on a classic note. Plenty of interesting ideas here then, and lots of potential for future Inoxia sets.
A quick look at the tracklist for Hellfury’s latest set made me wonder if it was quite my cup of tea, but after his fantastic Shin No Noir IX I was more than willing to give it a go. As expected there are fewer tracks that I really enjoy, but the quality is still very high – this time the unifying sounds are Le Dos-on’s trademark melodies and a more understated psy influence than in SNNIX. Look out for some ambitious mixes, one of my favourite Qygen tracks (Birth Within the Cosmic Storm) and a enjoyably ferocious finale.
I really like 7Sins’ taste in tracks, and here again we have a very solid, no-nonsense selection of melodic and filtery tunes. It’s fair to say that the set is more about the tracklist than the transitions, but the Hatral – Tormenting Flames connection is truly glorious and I’d love to hear more of the same in future mixes.
This was supposed to be The Week Of Mixes, as recently I’ve been really trying to catch up on sets in preparation for giving a few more recommendations. I’m already behind schedule though, so I’ll try to add one a day for the rest of the week.
We’ll start with a Cuedy set that’s now almost a year old, but I’ve only now managed to dig it out from Freeformaniacs’ mountainous back catalogue. Apologies to Cuedy, as this is another superb hour of music that does all sorts of things right, and really deserves to have been mentioned at the time.
The first thing you’ll notice is the excellent first 20 minutes or so, nicely rationing the lighter tunes before the sounds deepen up with tracks from Nomic and Re-form. That Silver Cube – Human Race connection is excellent, while the introduction of Fluorite midway through the section does a fine job of linking the two atmospheres.
The middle section of the set is also impressively mixed, but in the trancey UK freeform style that never sits that comfortably alongside Finnish equivalents like Frozen Flame. Just my opinion, mind, and even if Frankenstein isn’t my kind of tune, Cuedy’s blend into Unohdetut is one of those standout connections you’ll be looking forward to on a second listen. Full marks for ambition with the next mix into Scout, but the keys really have to be rock solid for this to work, and after listening on a couple of different headphones I think this one could have benefitted from a bit more tweaking – maybe there’s a ‘sweeter spot’ at a nearby bpm?
Dodomeki and the Lush remix are an excellent combo, and end the set on a very high note. There’s something for most of us here, and if you’re a fellow beard-stroking transition nerd then you’ll surely enjoy this hour from one of the scene’s finest DJs.
01. XIO – White Out (Le Dos-on Remix) [Asgard \ Japan With Force]
02. Horzi vs Amini – Don’t say a thing [fc. Return of the Jeb Eye \ Smiling Corpse]
03. Alabaster – Flourite [Worldwide Heavyweight Freeform \ Rebuild Music]
04. Re-form – Silver Cube (Extended Edit) [Free Release \ FiNRG]
05. Nomic – Human Race pt.II [fc. Return of the Jeb Eye \ Smiling Corpse]
06. DJ Rx – Frozen Flame [Free Release \ FiNRG]
07. Transcend – Spirit Of Hades [STMSLM008 \ Stamina Slam]
08. jD-KiD & Javi Dj – Purnima [BFB010 \ B-FormBeats]
09. Qygen – Supersonic Speed 2013 [fc. Freeformatted Vol 2 \ Ruffbeats & Freeformaniacs]
10. Transcend – Frankenstein [Free Release \ Facebook Fan Page]
11. Epyx & Cyrez – Unohdetut 2011 [Freeform Exposed \ Electrode]
12. Grimsoul – Scout [Melancholy Overdose \ Electronica Exposed]
13. Ikaruga_Nex – Dodomeki [fc. Return of the Jeb Eye \ Smiling Corpse]
14. Pain on Creation – Lush (Epyx & Cyrez Remix) [Free Release \ FiNRG]
PlasmaDancer – Together by Plasmadancer on Mixcloud
Seems like most of the posts that come to mind right now will take a while to write, and as there’s all sorts of other stuff I should be doing (Freeformaniacs next week, remember) things might be a bit quiet here.
For now here’s that intelligent drum and bass set I’ve been talking about – very similar to the ustream version, but with a few tweaks and now finally online at mixcloud. This was obviously something of a labour of love (my first ever full-length dnb mix, in fact), and while it has its problems I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. Humour me, then, while I run through a few of the tracks and the thinking behind the set.
So Long happens to be one of my all time favourite tunes, but has always struck me as a hard one to mix. As a challenge I decided to use it first, but opening with those ever-wonderful melodies and amens gave me the perfect atmospheric, bitter-sweet base to work from. You’ll notice a couple of Future Loop Foundation tracks in the first half – I’d say he’s one of the most underrated artists in intelligent dnb, and is actually responsible for another big, big favourite, Discovery. I couldn’t fit it into this set, but I Want to Believe and Spirit Catcher both feature that deep, melodic FLF style that echoes some of the more thoughtful 1992-1994 hardcore and jungle.
That connection from Sensory Elements was one of the toughest in the set, as I’d decided early on that I wanted to ‘deepen up’ SE with some pads in the final section. Anyone who’s mixed this stuff knows that finding tunes in the same key is a rare thing indeed, but after plenty of work I was very satisfied with my choice of Spirit Catcher. Incidentally, it’s worth mentioning that the sparseness of Sensory Elements arrives sooner in the set than I had planned – there was originally one more ‘pads and atmosphere’ track after IWtB, but it was just out of key enough for me to scrap it. Frankly I couldn’t face however long it was going to take to find a replacement, and lazily shunted everything else ‘up’ one place instead.
From halfway the problems with the stucture are a bit more obvious as the set meanders from one style to another, but I was glad to get in at least one PFM classic in The Mystics. Language of Love would have been the only ‘filler’ tune in the set, but I dispensed with the incredibly dull central section and just used the final third (which, helpfully, is pretty easy to mix). After things got a little too ‘realistic’ with LoL and Passage to India I wanted to get back to the spirit of the intelligent sound with the final four tracks. I think they work well, tied together by Shogun’s tracks and a very long transition between the In Too Deep remix and Jonny L’s beautiful Underwater Communication. As for Shogun himself, he was surely one of the finest producers of the time – Together brings back all sorts of memories while Nautilus is my final tribute to LTJ Bukem’s The Rebirth, the set that first inspired me to DJ.
Together is such a special track for me that I decided to fade out at that point. It’s a nice feeling to have finished my first set, 20 years after hearing these tunes – and after plenty of discogs trawling I now have more than enough material (including some rarer tracks) for another mix. That might happen eventually, but for now it’s back to 2014 and some more freeform set preparation.
After Dyzphazia’s Smiling Corpse mix, here’s another set that shows how a creative DJ can wring some quality out of the modern(ish) drum and bass scene, while meshing it nicely with freeform. Cyberdyne Seba has quite a dnb pedigree – and the selections here are as good as you’d expect – but it’s the transitions that make this a set to pay attention to.
The first third is solid, warming up with that nice little sequence of Nightmare on Base – Take Me Away – Hawaiian Snow, before things go up a level as more freeform is introduced. There are a few ambitious connections here and there, but the standout section of the set has to be from Something Sick to Dream Invader Network – very smooth, there’s a nice, consistently dark atmosphere that then goes psychedelic with DIN. That mix from Love 2 Death is top class, and it’s just a shame that Qygen’s track doesn’t have the bassy power to makes things as seamless as you might like. Unfortunately Pure Evil clashes a little too much with DIN and is jarring after the previous smooth blend, but the final two tracks do at least keep things dark and aggressive.
Lots to like here then, and if you’re a drum and bass head you’ll be merrily carried along towards the best sections of the set, while freeform-only DJs/listeners will really enjoy the progression into the darker second half.
1. Dylan – Intoxication (Outbreak Records)
2. Audio X – Hyväksyminen (Audio Reanimation Digital)
3. Le Dos-On – Mental Madness (2012 Regenerate) (free DL no longer available)
4. The Acolyte – Mind Control (Electronica Exposed)
5. Tom U4EA & James F – Nightmare On Base (Electronic Recordings)
6. Concord Dawn – Take Me Away (Commercial Suicide)
7. Crossfire – Hawaiian Snow (Crossfire Recordings)
8. Substanced – Jinpachi (Rebuild Music)
9. Vyral XIII – Librium (free DL no longer available)
10. Qygen – Kimura Kaoru No Densetsu (Tribute To Betwixt & Between) (Smiling Corpse)
11. Paul B & Subwave – Something Sick (DSCI4)
12. Cyrax & Transcend – Disruptor 2014 (Freeformatted -> free DL: Freeformatted – Transcend-cyrax-disruptor-2014 )
13. The Machinist & Rika – Love 2 Death (Electronica Exposed)
14. Qygen – Dream Invader Network (Smiling Corpse)
15. Re-Form – Pure Evil (Electronica Exposed)
16. Morita yuuhei – You (All) Have Eaten You (Freeformatted -> free DL: Freeformatted – Morita-yuuhei-you-all-have-eaten-you-ffmep004)
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
Well, I just about managed my deadline, recording a first version of the non-freeform set earlier this week. It’s full of tricky connections though, and another try’s definitely needed. I’m still not sure what to do with the final version – it’s actually a set of 1994-1996 intelligent drum and bass, but the mixing’s turned out to be a combination of my current freeform style and other transitions that let the tunes roll a bit more.
I’ve enjoyed playing through it in practice though, and I’ve managed to fit in some all-time favourites, which was one of the main missions. Anyway, for now I’ve decided to play it live on ustream this weekend – if you remember the good old days of drum and bass, or just fancy an hour or so of deeper tunes, it’d be great to see you.
A little bit late with this recommendation, but anyone who hasn’t yet checked out Proteus and Dyzphazia’s SCDH podcast should definitely do so.
Something a little bit different from your standard freeform set, Proteus’ hour in particular is another great example of how to ease casual listeners into the freeform sound. I’d usually run a mile from the initial bpm, but with Proteus at the helm you’re pretty much guranteed a DJing lesson that’s worth taking in. So it proves here, with some ‘normal club’-friendly hard trance (?) and industrial leading into the Substanced-styled finale.
Recently I’ve been ranting to anyone who’ll listen about how depressing I find the drum and bass/dubstep sounds that seem to be infesting every other freeform track these days (actually my CODEX set last weekend was an attempted reaction to that). Perfect timing from Dyzphazia then, with this heavily dnb-infused set showing how to incorporate it into a quality hour of tunes. Crucially there’s plenty more going here though, with some psy-style sounds and darker tracks holding things together – the standout is surely Guld’s upcoming Gozenzeuna. I won’t pretend to be a fan of the stuff in between the darkness, but Dyzphazia has done a great job of forging an identity for the set and I can imagine it sparking off all kinds of inspiration among other DJs.
A unique and really interesting SC then, while the next one (this weekend) features Olly Addictive and Arkitech.
Talk about being worth the wait – Watchtower 3’s tracklist has just been announced, and there’s something for everyone in what could be one of the finest freeform releases ever. Although tracks from the likes of Alek Szahala, Grimsoul and Qygen will surely be highlights, it’s fantastic to see some NRG in the form of Hatral 2013 and Proteus’ superb Freedom – along with a very strong UK freeform contingent there really is something for everyone.
Vol.3 will surely keep up the excellent level of presentation that the series has managed so far, in a 3 CD release that’ll also feature a DJ mix. If ever a release was worth supporting it’s this one, so be sure to keep an eye on the Watchtower site and Facebook page in the coming months.
And so the tracklist:
FireFarm & AJ Myst – Carpe Diem Part 3
Alek Szahala – Avalanche
Proteus – Freedom
Eryk Orpheus – Day Off
Douglas- Not Everyone
Transcend & Hardform – Deliverance
Le Dos-on & Psycho Stalker – Chemical Wash
Endemic – Hurricane (Modulate Remix)
Rik Arkitech – Heart is a flutter
Pretty Addicted – Fear Myself (Lost Soul Remix)
Aryx – Helyx
Epyx & Cyrez Vs Tyranoid / Strongstream – What Lies Below
Transcend – Eons (Substanced Remix)
Psyence – Unique
Transcend – Odyssey
Substanced – Ghost Of The Future (Alchemiist Remix)
GULD Vs Betwixt & Between – Hatral (GULD 2013 mix)
Qygen – Soul Survivor
Grimsoul & Nailgun – Manchurian Kandidate
Transcend & Midas – Hide & Freq
The lineup for next year’s 12th anniversary FINRG spectacular is now public, and features just about every Finland-based FINRG artist plus UK freeform standard bearers Ephexis. This time around the event will be held at Helsinki’s Venue, meaning there’ll be plenty more room for dancing/enthusiastic stomping than at Senssi Lahti last year.
It’s already shaping up to be a fantastic event, but there’s also some very sad news – Epyx & Cyrez have announced that it will be their final Live PA. It’s hard to overstate what a loss to the scene their step away from freeform will be, but for now let’s look forward to their last couple of club appearances, as well as some unreleased tracks that are apparently on the way.
I’d love to be at 12 Years myself, but we’ll have to see – as is usual each February I’ll be getting out of Japan post-haste, but still not too sure how close to Finland I’ll be. Definitely not an event to be missed if at all possible..
Here’s the full lineup, for the rest of the event info check out the Facebook event page:
EPHEXIS (UK)
PROTEUS
ALEK SZÁHALA
PAIN ON CREATION
DJ RX
SUBSTANCED
NOMIC
EPYX & CYREZ (last live pa ever!)
TYRANOID/STRONGSTREAM
MACIO
MZA
ALCHEMIIST
HORZI
YEDIAH
YAYA
MASTATRON
ILLUVIAL
BIG MISTAKE
VJ MOVE