In the wake of Pony Life finally seeing a wider release on Discovery Family at long last, it should be no surprise that our fandom’s musicians are looking to it for inspiration. Exhibit A is Living The Life by StealingShad3z, a jumpy pop punk track from Ponies at Dawn: Eclipse. Shad3z sings about the feeling of enjoying life at its simplest: hanging with friends and living in the moment, even featuring some little moments showing off his mastery at guitar and bass. If Dookie-era Green Day wrote about ponies, this would be what they’d sound like. Shad3z impresses once again!
[P@D] RedSpark – Thestrals Approaching | Orchestral
Please note that the story elements presented in this article are not official and purely inspired by the artwork of the video.
Pack your saddlebags and hold on to your hats everypony! We’re going on an adventure with this stunning orchestral piece by RedSpark! With an amazing flute accompanied by a lovely cello, this song starts out by hammering home the adventure theme. As the drums join in you leave your village behind and follow Princess Luna along the paths of the Everfree Forest. Horns come in as you reach the peak of a mountain and view the whole forest in all its glory, but there’s still a long way ahead. As the piece gets darker you feel as if you’re being followed, and every fiber of your being is concentrated on watching out for danger to the Princess. As the song grows lighter you finally relax and focus entirely on admiring the beautiful nature all around you. However as the drums return once more you free your gaze from the scenery and return to your military stance to protect Luna and trot onward. The strings create a stunning build up as you near your destination, and you can’t help but admire the natural wonders one more time as you near the clearing to which you’ve seen your friends escort the Princess to for weeks now. Everything goes silent as you break through the bushes, and then, as the orchestra returns with all its power, you see it: The castle of the two sisters, once a ruin, now fully restored to its former glory. You are let inside and are surprised by the intricate details in the castle’s construction. As the song ends you sit down in a chair and realize that the journey you made was worth it all along.
This article was proofread by thecanderson, so big thanks to him!
[P@D] Frozen Night & PrinceWhateverer – Lunar Eclipse III (feat. Holly Frances Royle & Andra Stefan) | Symphonic Metal
Track 11 on the freshly released Ponies at Dawn: Eclipse is Lunar Eclipse III, the third in Frozen Night’s series and coincidentally his third collaboration with PrinceWhateverer! Lunar Eclipse III is a 7 minute long orchestral metal epic and some of the two’s best work to date. A minute long string build up opens the song (featuring violins courtesy of Andra Stefan), followed by the inclusion of drums before the heaviness really kicks in. Strings and crushing guitars really dominate the mix here, as if a metal band suddenly just showed up to ambush an orchestral show. Halfway in sees the inclusion of Holly Royle’s beautiful and harmonious voice, really helping this piece shine amongst everything else. Towards the end, things pick up in pace with a brilliant guitar solo and blazing fast drums, before all the other guests join in with the two musical titans to create a powerful climax. Can’t get over how awesome this one is! Easily one of the album’s highlights.
Yuru – Call Me Choco | Future Bass
Today we’ve got ourselves another lovely track from the talented Yuru (Redstone Brony on YT). The track starts out with the sound of an ocean which is immediately joined by the lovely main beat and some more natural sounds. A synth and a drum loop quickly join in to make the beat as lively as can be. Shortly thereafter most of the sounds stop and make way for a small but sweet build up, and the drop is introduced by something I’ve only heard in one other song–a water drop sound–which really fits well not only with the ensuing, amazing synth fest that is the drop but also with the background image, creating an atmosphere of pure contentment. The drop itself is accompanied by voice samples and the sound of a camera click, reinforcing the beach theme of the track, and the water drop can be heard again as well. After the drop the whole beat goes silent to make way for a lovely Piano accompanied only by the sounds of nature, giving this part an amazing Chillout-vibe. After giving the listener a few moments to collect themselves, a new synth takes over accompanied by the drum loop, and more components are quickly added before the build up, which doesn’t take over this time. Instead it is simply adds to the already awesome track until, once again accompanied by the water drop, the drop takes over, making you dance once more. For the end the piano takes over again, this time accompanied by some lovely strings. This song is amazing, not only for the rare use of a water drop sound, but also for its fantastic combinations of synths followed by piano solos.
This article was proofread by thecanderson, so big thanks to him.
[P@D] Meelz – Twilight Sparkle, You’re My Reason To Live 2020 | Pop Punk
There typically isn’t a lot of pop punk on Ponies at Dawn albums, but there doesn’t need to be when it’s this good! Meelz contributes their genius and good energy to the new Ponies at Dawn: Eclipse with Twilight Sparkle, You’re My Reason to Live 2020. Venturing down memory lane, this track comes in hot with distorted guitars and a drum beat that would make any crowd go nuts. Meelz sings what we have all been thinking in 2020 – their affection and connection to the best book horse is what grants the motivation to keep going each day. It is impossible not to get hooked on this track from the start. The different sections are perfect for boppin’ along and the whole this is too endearing to pass up!
[P@D] L-Train – It Came From Next Tuesday | Surf Rock
It’s Ponies at Dawn time once again and that means all kinds of crazy-imaginative, new songs! The Australian shredder crafted this innovative take on It’s About Time, slapping some Twilight chops from the episode over a very California beach rock instrumental. The main guitar riff sets the tone right away with a classic, low-fuzz tone and a quick beat until suddenly you are right in the middle of a creative blend of fun times and chaos. The synth rounds the edges by adding fuzz and a sense of pandemonium to the track. Before you know what happens, L-Train slams you into a djent-y breakdown and It Came From Next Tuesday speeds out of control to its climax!
MelodyBrony – Better Life | Metal
It is always exciting to get an original track from MelodyBrony. While he is relatively new to the fandom (and young too!), Melody has proven himself a skilled songwriter and producer who is always improving. Better Life was written for the recent DustCar competition centered on Luster Dawn as a theme.
The first things you notice in this track are the metal guitars and the brilliantly mixed drums bringing a ton of energy. Melody sings from the perspective of Luster – curious about Twilight’s friends, the downsides to friendship, and how to become an accomplished unicorn like her mentor. Better Life is catchy, quick, and fun – a great pickup (as long as you don’t mind hearing magic still getting rhymed with tragic after ten years 😛 )
Vibeponiez – HomeWork | Compilation Album | Multi-Genre
The following article of Vibeponiez: HomeWork is a Horse Music Herald “All-Out-Attack!” Collab that is co-written by DrakeEmberHeart and Blackened Blue.
VibePoniez has returned with their second full-length album and third release overall, Homework! The album features 17 tracks from some of the fandom’s most talented and chilled-out electronic and lo-fi artists.
(Continued after the break)
JayB & Giggly Maria – Rain (Whirly Tail Remix) | Happy Hardcore
Whirly Tail has done it again, taking an absolute classic and giving it a magnificent Hardcore spin, creating a remix that is both true to the original and a legitimate original take. If you haven’t listened to the JayB and Giggly Maria original version, then please check it out! It’s a masterpiece that creates an amazing, enveloping atmosphere, and there is such a wonderful harmony between the music and vocals. I wish that more producers cared about melding a song together like this. What Whirly Tail does so well in this remix is to add urgency to the song, and the more percussive nature of this version shifts the listener into the storm itself. The vocals are now disrupted by the rain drops, the melody is caught in the deluge, and the song’s drops and choruses surge with electricity. The singer’s wish for rain has been answered with a torrent, but it’s a welcome one, and there’s nothing to do but dance through it! As the song comes to a close and the storm recedes, you just might find yourself wishing for your own delightful downpour.
Sky Sprinter – A Performance To Die For | House
You know, I love tracks such as this that show off an OC’s talent. This tune is a commission piece for a track about a character (who I believe is a deer OC) putting on some greatness before a crowd of ponies with some flawless tricks and grace that captivates the audience! The beat is so sick and electrifying, and the elements used put you right in the front row taking in this spectacle. Those keyboard notes are pretty rad I tell ya. Give Sky Sprinter (formally Jai Hyuk Choi) some love, and as always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
