It is (or rather was) the 2nd anniversary of the Horse Music Hotspot this February, and what better way to celebrate than to release the episode extremely late? I can only apologise for the delay, multiple issues from technical difficulties to IRL problems caused it, but better late than never!
Tracklist and embeds available after the break
StealingShad3z is back with an emotional track based off of the FimFic “Sleepless Nights”. The track has a soft overtone with beautiful, gentle vocals, while the drums contrast with rapid and uptempo beats. This layering of soft over fast creates an excellent juxtaposition to convey the themes of companionship and anxiety. The lyrics reflect the main character’s wishes not to be left alone in the hopes of battling insomnia, which Shad3z sings brilliantly.
NB: This was originally posted on Equestria Daily on 25 March 2018.
Hay Tea brings the funk here with a super groovy remix of bank pain’s Sunset Shimmer tune Sunny’s Theme. Making excellent use of vocal samples from the original, the percussion throughout the track is top notch and the synths in the track work perfectly to give some strong vibes throughout the track, not to mention the lovely piano work.
NB: This was originally posted on Equestria Daily on 26 March 2018.
A commission for a story by artist ‘Dreams Of Ponies’, this piece from Vylet is subtle and subdued, with some excellent play between different instruments throughout the track. It definitely carries a nice air of playfulness and mystery thanks to the lovely composition.
NB: This was originally posted on Equestria Daily on 23 March 2018.
AnNy Tr3e has released a few pretty neat house tracks, but this is definitely his best so far in my opinion. Featuring some fantastic vocals from Metajoker, it builds up in a classic progressive way to a high energy house-y drop with some engaging compositional work and nicely clean mix.
NB: This was originally posted on Equestria Daily on 25 March 2018.
Suskii’s new Changeling-themed EP Bugsquad Pt. 2 is out now in full force, and this track featuring vocals from Kozmos showcases it pretty well. Kozmos’ rapping builds the track up to a heavy dubstep drop that, like most of Suskii’s tracks, has a distinctly insectoid feel to it, before a powerful melodic break that leads into more wubs.
Featured on the new Ponies at Dawn album, this brilliant track is a tribute to The Wasteland Wailers’ late bass player and songwriter, Yondy. Brittany Church sings passionately with crystal clear tone to carry the 60s-style club tone over top an expert instrumental provided by the Wailers. It is easy to tell the group put a lot of effort and emotion into this song for their fallen friend. The tempo and instrumentation is perfect for such a rare genre among fandom music, and the transition and guitar-work on the chorus is top notch. Absolutely make sure you listen to this splendid work of art!
Inspired by an old cover of the show’s first big hit (originally produced by SHAICO), Rockin’Brony re-creates Winter Wrap Up as a brilliant, symphonic instrumental. RB’s always top notch guitar soloing ability is really on display here, with several layers of great guitar work and shredding interspersed through the track. The drums are on point for the upbeat style and the bells really ring out the top-end of the mix for an extremely fun take on the beloved classic!
Another hit from the new Ponies at Dawn album, Metapony brings both the beautiful melodies as well as the dance wubs in Between Night and Day. The song starts with a very pleasing synth ambience which carries into a sort of dubstep-influenced portion of the track. Meta uses bells to keep the pretty sound as a consistent theme while the drum beat and drops maintain the energy, and keep your body moving. The piano and synth round out the track beautifully, and help make it a stand-out track on an already incredible compilation!
Bringing back a classic, Sterling Fusion teams up with Silver Note to cover the WoodenToaster/H8 Seed hit. Sterling nails the lead vocals and all of the electronic effects, as Silver Note delivers on great additional. This is a great track for a quick stroll back down memory lane!
Horse Music Herald 