The recent M3 event in Tokyo was a big one for freeform, with a cluster of albums and EPs released. Until the last minute I was supposed be there too, but thankfully everything I had my eye on has since become available online/digitally. Although last weekend’s TYFTH Live featured a few of the new tracks (more on that soon), it didn’t end up including anything from the most TYFTH-friendly album of them all – Khaosnet Civilization Vol.4.

Impressively from a lineup heavy on newer artists (and even the more experienced here haven’t been around for that long) the track selection gave me some In Praise of Shadows-esque first impressions. Granted there’re some uplifting sounds here and there, but the album as a whole sounds like it’s taking on the darker and deeper sounds that IPoS was trying to resurrect. No NRG here though – it’s freeform all the way with some of the bpms really getting up there.

Picking a track of the album is tough, but I’ll go for Elfen lied – instantly my all-time favourite Kokomochi track, the first five minutes or so is some of the best dark freeform you’ll hear all year (in a year when there’s actually some competition). Add in some Guld-esque filtered melodies and you have one heck of a track, which is already on the to-play list for my darker FINRG set.

Other highlights for me are Ri-nergy’s Empty Dream, Samiyama’s Azelf, and polaritia’s Strange Dream, but truth be told the quality level is very high throughout. Even Kannami’s Lose Control, a track that seems to have more of a Transcend/UK freeform influence, adds more darkness than you’d expect with some weighty filters.

Compilation of the year, then? It’s in the lead for now, I’d say. Congrats to Kokomochi on this release – another sign of hope in a scene that really seems to be waking up again.