Nothing makes me happier than when a song can utilize a speech seamlessly in a song.
Twilight’s coronation speech is the perfect fit here both contextually and emotionally. Intricate and bright vocal chops melded with a vibe-y and mellow bassline, the speech opening the track, just brings about that sense of joy and longing and really plays with the heartstrings! One thing I love about this specific style of Future Bass is how laid back, yet powerful it is! Fun samples, but you can FEEL the energy in the mix, yet its not in your face. I enjoy the original a lot for its high energy and pumping beat and this takes it in a whole new direction! A State of Sugar just keeps on supplying the goods and this box of chocolate has many surprises in store. You can check out the rest of A State of Sugar’s new album, ‘Chocolate’ right here!
[ASOS] loophoof & NeverLastStanding – Have Here (TCB Remix) | Future Bass
(You can hear the original here!)
Keeping it going with the singles from ASOS: Chocolate, we have a very curious effort done by the always creative TCB! This was made during one of his music making streams, mind you! He’s remixed a track done by two of the very best in electronic music making in our fandom; how do you make that better on your own? Just preposterous!
Nah, TCB has got you. The first track on this album, he turns a very mellow and happy song into something with the excitement you expect from something themed around Pinkie Pie. He has transformed this song into something just hard, smooth and stylish! All of loophoof’s and NLS elements are in place, don’t you worry about that! There’s just more flavor built around the core elements. There are some more colorful vocal chops, and even makes use of a Pony Life sample, that being Fluttershy yelling “Noice!” There is this really nice deep rumbling bass that you just want to move too, and even a guitar solo! Oh, how about that melody that’s like smooth orchestra synth all through this track? Just… Woah! The remix was put together with such care. Again, this was composed on a stream, and it managed to make the cut to be on this album. He sprinkles in some other fun elements just to give track some polish. As I said, TCB aims to please with a smooth track about Pinkie Pie! As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
[ASOS] Seven Ponies – Pale Color | Drum & Bass
The recently returned Seven Ponies is on a roll. Not wasting any time in making an appearance on a compilation album, we have a doozy of one for ASOS:Chocolate (track 33). With some clever use of Pinkie Pie vocal chops from the Smile Song, the track seems to tell a story of Pinkie struggling with feeling so down and heartbroken. The ambient elements tell that tale so well. The vocal chops and the upbeat drums in the drops of the tracks seem to be Pinkie trying to remind herself of when “some days are dark and lonely, and maybe you feel sad, but she can show you it isn’t that bad”. The track is wonderful in blending these elements together while they are clashing inside of Pinkie’s head. A balanced track! As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
DAϟH – Saddle Arabian Heat | Gabber/Speedcore
If you’ve been sleeping on DAϟH, it’s best for you to open those ears. Gabber is not a genre for everyone though. This track holds some middle-eastern melodies blending very well into the hyper pace of gabber and hardcore elements shown. It creates this mythical adventure though a moonlit desert with pretty rad creative music making such as this. The results are the mixture of musical elements that should not work together. You know who else is really good at that? L-Train, the man behind the awesome metal operas. My point? DAϟH has the skill and talent to do the same. However, as I will always say, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
[ASOS] LaunchSix – Fires (feat. Chasing Dawn) | House
Track 34 from ASOS: Chocolate is all about passion. This bouncy house track from LaunchSix features smooth vocals from Chasing Dawn with lyrical themes about musical passion while set to a lovely, homely set of chords and uplifting synth riffs. The flames that these musicians have lit will never burn out or be snuffed, and in this fandom, I definitely feel that one. Give these guys some love!
[ASOS] Single Purpose – I Have To VIP | Future Garage
(Listen to the original for P@D: Eternal Here)
You want to talk about stepping up your game with a remake of your own work? While the original is an emotional D&B track about the Twilight mistake in “Magical Mystery Cure”, this VIP track… just… Woah. What a treat for ASOS: Chocolate. The methodical and deep emotional atmosphere replaces the pace of the original. Those vocal chops just give you goosebumps. The rhythm is surprisingly very fun and lets you get into the groove to move around like you’re in a dream. The little sounds and elements mixed in… Wow, it’s like you’re standing there at her door with the sun coming down in her window, watching her ponder on how to fix this problem with her friend’s Cutie Marks! Bravo SP! One of my favorites so far on this album! As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
[ASOS] Burning Gryphon – Hate (feat. PrinceWhateverer, Bree, Scoonie and Stallionslaughter) | Metalcore/Deathcore
What a debut track for his first major compilation album! Burning Gryphon has been making himself known in 2020 with his live sets over the number of online pony conventions. Now he steps into a huge stage on ASOS: Chocolate!
Not holding back in this deep and angry track, he was inspired by Starlight Glimmer’s lesson in not holding your feelings in. The track is based on personal life experience, and boy, is it not for the faint of heart. The deep and howling melodies go with this harsh track about BG dealing with emotions that he had long suppressed and much like what happened with Starlight, it has done a number on him. The guitars and drums are hard and full of spite. There is this epic and haunting melody to go with those lyrics, really driving home this feeling of anger and sorrow in these elements.
Speaking of that, BG composed the music and wrote the song, but it’s the guest vocalists that bring it to life. Bree sets up both verses with spoken word inserts, with Scoonie and Stallionslaughter joining them in the emotional growls of those heavy lyrics. So heated and hardcore! With the chorus, the one and only PrinceWhateverer lends his powerful voice into the mix with everyone else, expressing the emotional message of anger. The clean and screaming vocals work so well. BG knows what he’s doing I tell ya. Don’t sleep on him now.
Oh, and a couple fun facts about this song. The album also marks the first compilation album Stallionslaughter has been on, as well as Prince’s first time on ASOS and Bree’s first compilation album in the fandom. What a historic track! As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
Sound Bandit & Fin – You Smooze U Lose | Hip-Hop
(The following track has small amount of Adult Language, You been advised)
Presenting the winner of the 2nd dustcar compo! (if you don’t know what that is click here)
This is a surprisingly good vibing hip-hop track from both Sound Bandit and Fin. The topic of the race was MLP baddies. The lyrics flow very nicely and mixes the narrative of riding in the dust car, giving a vision of villains like Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, Sombra, Tirek, Cozy Glow, Daybreaker and Grogar in the back of this car chilling to this track. The video that goes with this track is fun and cute, plus the shout out to OG G1 villains: the witches Hydia and her daughters who released the Smooze in the G1 MLP movie as the background footage for the video! There’s a lot of humor and swag to these too in this song, so check it out for yourself. As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself. Oh if you’re feeling creative, there is a fun bit at the end of the track that asks for fans to take part in!
[ASOS] Painters & Poets – Everything Here | Acoustic
Today we’ve got ourselves another song from Chocolate, Painters and Poets bring us this great Acoustic track. The song starts with just the guitar for a bit until the lyrics start and later we get a beautiful lead guitar solo. The lyrics tell us that we have to try to make something great from what we have and that we have everything we’ve ever wanted right here and we just have to discover it. And on a more personal note some of the lines really made my eyes water up simply because of how beautiful this song is and how much nostalgia it brings to me, back in the day when my parents had a CD full with songs like this one when we drove into another country for our vacation and I hold those memories so dear.
[Equinity] Proto_ssin – Should I | Liquid Drum & Bass
This version differs slightly from that found on Equinity 03: Breach where it was originally released and better displays what the producer had in mind. Proto_ssin’s concept is better explained in their own words: “Luna has trouble fitting in. [This is] an untold story of when she visited her Nighmare Moon statue, [as she gained] thoughts. What do you think those thoughts are”? This backstory is lost in a stream chat from months ago yet shines light on the creative choices taken, and in particular the glitchy ending. That story is told using reflective melodies and plucks as well as great drum sample choices.
Horse Music Herald 