SmD is back with another charming and relaxed piece! Filled to the brim with crystal clear chimes and a crisp driving force, ‘All Bad Back’ brings endearing tropical vibes to a very progressive and deceptively complex arrangement. Of which I’ve had to go back and listen to more then a couple times, just to appreciate the subtle nuances that I may have missed on the first go around! This one will take you on a journey, guaranteed.
Childlike Wonder – Sparkle (I Eat Books) | Indie Pop / Future Bass
Well, I certainly didn’t expect this great of a pop song to ever come across my ears, but here we are! We start out immediately thrown into the fun, upbeat pop beat and soon Childlike Wonder’s amazing vocals set in, neither of the two parts really take single center stage, which for this song fits really well as there is nothing in focus but there’s a harmony of all elements during the lyrical sections. When the lyrics go quiet is when you can really appreciate how much the instrumental can stand on its own. With a guitar joining the pop beat, we also get a good taste of future bass vibes later in the track too. The drop/chorus is a wonderful combination of the fun upbeat pop sounds together with fire rock elements, which makes for a great track overall!
[Equinity] Night Blaze – Alicornisation | Hybrid Orchestral
Hybrid Orchestral? Yes please! My friend Drake has already talked about the lore behind this track here, so I’ll focus mostly on the music aspect.
Clocking in at a bit more then eight minutes this song has a lot of time to explore different moods and it earns up to that! We start out with a more dark ambient sound to it, dark strings, sinister melody and all entailing, we get first hints at the electronic part of this here as well, but the focus is definitely on Orchestral. As the electronic elements take over, we move into the second, more action focused part where the synth melody takes center stage and is supported by some orchestral and some electronic aspects. After a bit we make a switch to a again more orchestral focused sinister part that really lets the instruments shine before moving right back into the epic electronic section of the piece that soon combines with the big orchestral parts to create this wonderful harmony of sounds. Lastly we get this scenic conclusion as dark and sinister strings carry us through the rest of a bleak and tense outro.
Sparklight Productions – Eclipse | Chillout
Today I’ve got for you something special: We’ve all had our struggles, especially over the last few years, Sparklight Productions focuses here specifically on anxiety, something a lot of people fight with, and puts it into a stunning Chillout track.
We start out immediately with the slightly darker melody that represents well how anxiety can feel for people, before we get into the calmer beats, joined by a piano melody and soft drums. After a bit we get into a more atmospheric melody that slowly combines with Elements previously heard and some new ones, forming this atmospheric sounds that seems happy and uncaring yet foreboding at the same time. We pretty much stay with this sound, slow changes happen and before you know it, the song slowly comes to a close.
Harmonic Six – “Friendship is Magic” Orchestral Suite | Orchestral
Ready for a nostalgia trip everypony? Harmonic Six delivers some more orchestral sweetness, dedicated to the show that, by now years ago for most, has gotten us through a lot, let’s see what we got here!
The suite starts out sounding a bit more pop-ish then you’d expect, but this intro is quickly over and we switch to the full front of calming and soothing orchestral melodies. Harmonic six turns the us well known feel melody into an orchestral iteration beyond any rivalry, together with a quieter, more reserved part that almost sounds like chanting at a few points we get a pretty good idea of how much this show means to Harmonic. Divided by a sweet piano melody we get into the second half of this piece, we keep up on the soft and nostalgic sound of the instruments as we take what feels like a slow trip through all the achievement and happiness of the show, with motivational drums in the background this suite switches fully into a motivational masterpiece that just seems to scream at you to go and follow your calling in life!
We end this beautiful orchestral masterpiece on a bit slower, soothing outro.
[P@D] Frozen Night – Awakening (feat. SDreamExplorerS) | Symphonic Metal
The call has gone out to all warriors! It’s time for “Awakening!” This epic track from Frozen Night’s concept album, Time’s Arrow, dives right into battle mode as resounding bass drums begin to herald a rousing call to war. Uplifting choirs and dramatic strings and horns build a sense of destiny advancing into strong conflict. An uplifting, Celtic-warrior-type melody eventually bursts into a climactic electric guitar solo by SDreamExplorerS, which brilliantly expresses the buildup to the critical point of battle where the tide turns, and victory is assured. For all who want to awaken the righteous warrior within, be sure to listen to this inspiring track from P@D’s newest album release, Aurora.
Francis Vace – Fading | Rock
Francis Vace was out of action a little when it comes to music over the last year or two compared to his regular output, but recently he’s hopped back on the release train with a plethora of awesome tracks that now make up this newly released album, Fading. There’s plenty to enjoy throughout this thoroughly cohesive experience, as it blends elements of pop, punk and electronica into a wonderful rock experience. There’s also support from collaborators too with features from TCB, Koa, Luck Rock, Jade Kelly and Scoonie. The consistency in feeling between all the tracks in the album driven most pointedly by the tone of guitars across tracks helps to make it a thoroughly cohesive experience, but with the help of the other collaborators there’s also more than enough variety to keep things interesting the whole way through.
(Some song recaps after the break)
Continue readingSOUND BANDIT – break the cycle / sleepless nights ft. Fetlocked | Hyperpop / Breakcore
Sound Bandit and Fetlocked have teamed up to create a masterpiece! The signature hyperpop-esque vocals with a fast and chaotic breakbeat rhythm while still reigning in that energy with a soothing, beautiful melody leads to an interesting melancholic experience! Break the Cycle / Sleepless Nights somehow gets the blood pumping while managing an atmosphere where the listener can just lean back on a rooftop in retrospect. The Fluttershy vocal chops in the breakdown just add to the overall ambience of this relaxed, yet restless piece. Perfect for a sleepless night.
Nyancat380 – The Brightness | Prog / Electronic Rock
From “Methodic Ways To Break A Mind” this song ironically feels quite dark and tense. “The Brightness” is a riddle of sorts themed around Rainbow Dash, with hints sprinkled throughout for the album’s theme, plus there is an outstanding lyric video accompanying it! The tension and mystery is laid out with fast paced guitar riffs and hauntingly beautiful vocaloid lines. Cold, methodical, and chant-like, everything about this track grabs your attention and doesn’t let go! The chorus is heavily addicting and I guarantee your thoughts will be provoked by the poem that Nyancat380 has laid out.
Whirlwind – Skybound | Chillout / Dubstep
This one is quite an airy one! Inspired by ‘Tanks For The Memories’, there’s quite a bit of interesting mixes and mashes here. Ambient flowing pianos and rising and falling ambiance with crystal clear melodies really give off an ethereal feel to the choppy and glitched vocals that adorn this track! Whirlwind even incorporates some old-school dubstep growls halfway through to breakup the relative calm with a burst of unexpected, yet not unwelcome energy. A fun track not afraid to experiment, Whirlwind’s first song of 2022 starts the year on a high note!
Horse Music Herald 