Firstly, please forgive the rushed nature of this writeup; there are reasons for that but I shan’t go into detail, this is a place for music. So if you’re in the mood for some funky, hip-hop beats, then grab a seat and let’s listen to Technickel Pony’s new album, aptly named Beats and Pieces. Full writeup after the break.

The album opens with a short funky piece, Introlude 3. What happened to 1 & 2 is unknown, but hopefully this should do well enough to satisfy your funk needs. Next, Requiem for a Dying Cyborg, a mellow, chillout style piece whose drums take you on a spin by switching from a simple beat to an IDM-style pattern halfway through. The third track, entitled Metallic Carneval, start off with an interesting lead sound playing a rather catchy hook.The drum beat that shortly follows for some reason reminds me of of certain 90s chillout songs.

Onto Dreams of a Tortoise, and we’re introduced to some ambient sounds courtesy of Sytrus presets, which lead into another chill drum beat and some chopped Rainbow Dash vocals, possibly from I’ll Fly. A remix of Injustrial’s Porcelain Doll follows; the hip-hop-esque beat seems to contrast very strongly with the vocals – a very different feel from the original. And,um, after that Technickel has remixed Nothing Can Stop The Smooze. Yes, that song. It’s what you might expect for a rather simple edit, with simply a hip-hop beat placed over the original. But hey, if that’s your jam (no goo-like puns intended), go take a listen!

Another remix, this time one of Speed by MrBronyDash. The addition of a hip-hop beat to this simple acoustic track work very well in this case, and simple as it may be, still adds a new dimension to this track.The next song, 4/20, gives off some very mellow vibes at the beginning, and after that classic Tree Hugger line about sonic bliss, we descend into some SUPER smooth hip-hop. This song is without a doubt the standout track of the album for me. Castle of Hope, a collab with Jastrian follows, featuring some fast-paced vocal sampling from a variety of songs, and taking a more trap-based route than the previous selection of songs.

Time for another remix, and Technickel brings back THE FUNK for his spin on Aoshi’s…distinctive 2013 track FluttERR. It has a much lighter sound than Aoshi’s track, possibly ideal for anyone sensitive to the…um, peculiarities of the original. Following that is another remix, this time of Freewave’s Yardwork, and more hip-hop goodness that fits the little banjo fill that loops in the background surprisingly well. As for the next song…well I’ll be honest, I’m a bit stumped and am not sure what to say, but have the sudden urge to Eat a Banana.

Describing many a brony musician’s quest for people to listen to their music (well, perhaps not), Almost Famous is another trap-like song, based around a piano riff and sampling Find the Music in You for background vox. The simply named Bells.flp speaks for itself, and is a simple trap/dnb song with pleasant melodies sounding throughout the track. The album finishes off with Lost (in the Everfree), another chill hip-hop sound with some slightly darker themes underlying in the synths and the chord progression.

I have rather mixed feeling about this album. While I know Technickel’s been around in the music scene for a while now, I can’t help but feel the production quality on this album varies an awful lot. While the beginning and the end don’t necessarily grab my attention so well, the middle of the album seems to be noticeably better than the songs surrounding it. Still, if you like chillout and hip-hop, this album is worth checking out, and lives up to its name in the sense of eclecticism. If we did ratings, I’d give it 3/5 stars.

You can download this album for any given price on Technickel’s Bandcamp.