For every good and joyful thing, there’s always a bad and dark counterpart, it’s a rule in nature and our existence; there cannot be the good without the evil, and there’s no light without the darkness. But there’s a space, a little narrow space between these two forces, where the balance happens, where the harmony can be found, a place where you can get knowledge about the people in the light and the people in the dark. A place where you can understand both worlds, and where you can see both of their gifts, and their curses, and you get wiser. But you can’t stay there for long, you need to choose, you need to face the crude reality and determine which of them it’s the right one, and you need to accept the consequences of your decisions. And I think this song by Cherry Blossom encapsulates that feeling of being in the middle in a cool way. You can hear how the emotional weight of this feeling pulls the piece forward, like an inevitable fate. The contrast between the vigorous and energetic Violins and the taciturn and melancholic guitar it’s just perfect. The track speaks itself. It’s the voice for those who are at the border, seeking a new perspective.
Please, check this song, is very underrated, this song and Mystery Of Magic are just perfect, so go ahead and show some support!
Thunder Dash – Thankful | Piano Solo
Thunder Dash issues a call to gratitude through this beautiful piano piece. It’s an acknowledgement of good and bad times and the need to recognize both for what they are and appreciate that simply continuing to exist is more than some ponies have. This life-affirming sentiment is expressed through a gentle piano progression that has a blend of tender, hopeful moments and pensive passages, but the repeating theme always brings the song back to those positive notes as we are often challenged to do ourselves. I hope that you take comfort in this song, this shared belief in positivity, and the opportunity to make positive connections in your life. Let’s all be champions for each other and do our best to fill the world with beauty. Big thanks to Thunder Dash for doing their part!
BGM – The Tale of Trixie | Orchestral Metal
BGM has given us another fine pony tune, and this time their chosen subject is the most great and powerful pony in all the land basically ever–Trixie! The song opens with a gentle acoustic guitar that gives the impression that this song has a tale to tell in classic troubadour style. The guitar is soon joined by vocals that set the scene for Trixie’s arrival in Ponyville (accompanied by lyrics in the video!). The harmonized vocal tracks are awesome, and I love the use of the second track and the shift to the lower key to emphasize the conflict brewing between Trixie and someone (you’ll never guess who) in the Ponyville crowd. The full orchestral metal arrangement is totally epic and matches the lyrics perfectly. I won’t spoil the story, but it’s fair to say that some liberties have been taken in the retelling of events. It’s an epic tail told with suitable aplomb and is basically the most incredible, amazing, humble song ever. You will enjoy it. A lot.
Ocean Melody – Twilight’s Requiem | Lyre Solo
Sometimes it’s good to just relax and meditate on some music, and there are few things more soothing than the delicate strings of the lyre! Ocean Melody has created another lovely piece in their series of lyre songs inspired by the fanfic “Background Pony“. It’s awesome when folks create music based on written works and create a soundtrack to pair with the story. The whole song is performed using a lyre with a little ambience sprinkled in to enhance the mood. There’s a calm melancholy to the piece, and I enjoy the way that a consistent melody is often used to back more plucky passages, like memories trying to emerge from the constant noise of a normal stream of consciousness. I found that this narrative fit the song’s role in the fanfic, and I enjoyed the song’s interesting progression. Kudos to the artist for their continued exploration of this theme! Also, the fanfic seems like a good read, so probably check that too out if you’re curious and have some time.
Kimiko Glenn – Fit Right In (Yellow Tune Remix) | Synthwave
This is a really original take on this track. The synthwave delivery creates a much different emotional dynamic than the silly, fun energy of the movie version. The dreamy, ambient synth opening has a cool retro vibe, and the energy gets boosted by the introduction of percussion and vocals. The vocals are slowed down just a touch to fit the tempo, and the song then works to create melodies that compliment them while offsetting their original energy as we fly over the synth landscapes. I really like the bass heading into the chorus, which adds a satisfying thump, and the bits of effects accents sprinkled throughout the track add a nice depth. The chorus synth melody keeps the vintage vibe going, and a picture of the movie characters in leg warmers and headbands would fit the package perfectly. It’s an interesting and well-done remix, and I hope that you share my enjoyment of this creative approach!
Evgeniy Doctor – Hibernation | Electro House
It’s pretty funny that Evgeniy Doctor based this song on Benny Benasi’s “Satisfaction” (don’t follow that link if you’re at work!) considering how different the subject matter is, but it works! The track opens with cymbals and a buzzy synth line and quickly gets into some great house percussion. Some excellent vocal chops set up the track’s story, and the insistent vibe of the track is explained as Rainbow Dash stresses out about Tank’s need to hibernate. I love the “hibernation” Flutterchop that is used for a bit of vocal melody–it’s a hilarious parallel to the “satisfaction” lyric from the inspiring track. There is some nice depth to the mix and satisfying synth design throughout the song, and the arrangement keeps the energy high and dynamic. I was expecting this song to be a lot more chill when I saw the background art, but I didn’t mind being surprised! Add this track to the holiday playlist!
Daniel Ingram – What More Is Out There (Pagan Pegasus Remix) | Future Bass
[P@D] MirroredReality – Alpenglow | Psytrance / World Music
MirroredReality’s penchant for blending classical instrumentation with electronic elements has created another masterpiece! This particular tune, featured on the “P@D: Aurora” album, is inspired in parts by the song “Alpine Skyline” from the game “A Hat in Time” and MLP’s Yakyakistan, and those respective inspirations are melded fantastically herein. An echoey percussive melody opens the track, and it is soon joined by a synth line that climbs with it through a beautiful melody while light percussion supports the arrangement. Things really take off with the introduction of strings, which add a lovely texture to the melody before the psytrance pulses to the fore backed by a choir melody, a shift that pumps up the energy without losing the flavor of the track. The shifts in pitch on the synth melody give it a world music vibe, the past melding with the new, before the arrangement fades. Another shift brings a whole world-music-flavored electronic arrangement, and the sound design is so good on the synths and chimes that they sound organic, machinery mimicking life. The climb into the psytrance drop and progression to the end have more little shifts that add dynamic flavor. I hope that you will enjoy as much as I did this beautiful track that is a credit to the artist’s imagination and skilled production.
[P@D] Wandering Artist – You have friends in Maretime Bay | Soundtrack
Wandering Artist constructed this song with the intention of mimicking the G5 movie’s structure with a predominantly light and carefree feeling, and they were unquestionably successful! The track opens with a fantastic, jazzy arrangement with a classic feel that is supported by the rest of the orchestral instrumentation. The interplay of the instruments that comprise the melody is delightful, and the addition of accordion was a great choice (there’s just something about accordion that contributes an intimate and grounded feeling to an arrangement). The brass, woodwinds, and keys dance with the plucked strings, and then the instruments take their turns at the fore, at times and swell together in glorious unison. The sombre piano interlude in the middle fits the song perfectly, and the ebbs and flows of the progression are lively and engaging as it morphs through multiple styles, even taking on an electric guitar lead towards the end. The song has an amazing balance of powerful and delicate moments throughout, and it’s no wonder that it earned a spot on the “P@D: Aurora” album!
TCB – Congrats, You Were Too Late: A 10 Year Retrospective | Album | Electronic
Okay. I probably don’t need to introduce you to TCB (If you’d like a proper introduction, may I recommend this beautiful compilation album?). All you really need to know is that this artist is one of the foremost practitioners of sound design in the fandom, that no one gets more out of a vocal chop than they do, and that emotional and psychological subject matter is their forte. Now they have given us a whole album of finely calibrated tracks, the product of 10 years of pushing boundaries and redefining sonic excellence. Your musical mind is in the hands of a master, so find a quiet place, break out the good headphones, sit down, strap in, and do your best to absorb everything that is about to come your way. It’s going to be a heck of a ride.
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