It’s been a while since a promised post arrived (just about) on schedule, but here we are with the Japanese scene’s roundup of the tracks of 2014. Although it wasn’t a massive year for releases, the biggest group of DJs and producers so far has made plenty of really interesting choices, including a few tunes that might have been overlooked by some.
Big thanks to everyone for taking part, and the commenting crew should also feel free to add their own choices down below.
GULD (NRGetic Romancer)
1. GULD – Gestaltzerfall
2. Aryx – Celestia (Spirit Wolf remix)
3. GULD – Gozenzeuna
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Alabaster (Cradle to Grave)
1. Styles & Breeze – You’re My Angel (Synthwulf 2014 bootleg)
2. Alchemiist & Jason X – Sinister
3. Dark by Design – Darkness is Coming
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Le Dos-on (Splash Energy/SOLIDBOX RECORDINGS)
1. A.B & Nick 235 Feat Rhona – Silence A Prayer (Substanced Remix)
2. Strife II – Lockdown (Substanced Remix)
3. Transcend – Astral Projection
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ikaruga_nex (Smiling Corpse/Freeformatted)
1. A.B & Nick 235 Feat Rhona – Silence A Prayer (Substanced Remix)
2. Alabaster – Fairytale
3. Empire Of The Sun – We Are The People (Transcend & Cyrax remix)
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Morita yuuhei (Illegal Wave Records)
1. Substanced & Aryx – Redux
2. Alabaster – Fairytale
3. GULD – Gestaltzerfall
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Raqhow (CODEX/Freeform Bros)
[Freeform]
1. Substanced & Alchemiist – Jawshatter
2. Transcend – Astral Projection
3. Epyx & Cyrez – Neverlasting
[Hard Dance, NRG]
1. GULD – Gozenzeuna
2. Alchemiist – Dead Machine
3. BRK – Lucifer
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NONAKA+CHIN (SPREEMO/Freeform Bros)
1. A.B & Nick 235 Feat Rhona – Silence A Prayer (Substanced Remix)
2. GULD – Gestaltzerfall
3. Wyrm – Tendrils of Reality (Qygen remix)
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ASAHI (Dark Dimension)
1. Icon feat R.Sena – Inner Universe
2. Twisted Freq – Dirtier World
3. Ephexis – Quantum Fury
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魅衣 [Mii] (Dark Dimension)
1. Yuki Kajiura – Mezame (Nomic bootleg)
2. Substanced & Alchemiist – Skullcrush
3. Transcend – Domination
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PlasmaDancer (FINRG Recordings/NRGetic Romancer)
1. GULD – Gozenzeuna
2. Wyrm – Tendrils of Reality (Qygen remix)
3. Qygen feat. Leo Hartley – Mediterranean Summer
My top 3 for tracks of this year are
1) ikaruga_nex – 月の繭（satellite remix）
2) Nomic – Neptune
3) Wyrm – Tendrils of Reality (Qygen Remix)
My top 3 for tracks not from this year
1) Betwixt & Between – Tout Est Bien (Sein Zum Tode)
2) 梶浦由記 – 目覚め (Nomic remix)
3) Einhander – Devil’s ear 2011
Didn’t quite make my top 3 but worth noting
Le Dos-on – Voice Of The Wolves
Alek Szahala – Railgun
Evolutionize – Afraid of God
I think here is my top 3 of 2014:
1. Substanced & Aryx – Redux
2. Le Dos On – A (Suncore Remix)
3. The Prodigy – No Good (Alchemiist Bootleg)
1. Nomic – Neptune
2. Substanced – Red Warrior
3. Substanced – Crank Cleopatra (2012 Mix) (Technically, this was released in 2014 so w/e)
Initially, 2014 looked quite promising, but many promised albums and tracks remained unreleased/got delayed so it ended up being a pretty poor year tbh.
1) ikaruga_nex – 月の繭（satellite remix）
2) Guld – Gozenzeuna
3) Evolutionize – Still Alive
At the risk of sounding unoriginal I’m gonna go with:
1) Guld – Gozenzeuna
2) Wyrm – Tendrils of Reality (Qygen Remix)
3) Nomic – Neptune
1) Alek Szahala & Aryx – Byrgius
2) Transcend & Nailgun – Obey
3) Vyral XIII – Magicite Omega
Thanks for the lists guys, a good taste in tunes across the board 🙂
DY – I totally agree, the year fell away sharply after a good start, but at least it guarantees a pretty strong 2015!
Good analysis! With smiling corpse #002, watchtower vol3 and substanced new album on the horizon, 2015 ought to be a great year! Hopefully we’ll see alek szahala release some of his gems too (I’m looking at you railgun)
Very late, kind of forgot about this. Oh well.
Top 3 tracks from 2014:
01. Nomic – Personal Hater
02. Alek Szahala & Aryx – Byrgius
03. Nomic – Neptune