The production abilities of bank pain just keep getting better! Here he’s taken a bit of a detour from the dark deep neuro-style druym & bass tunes he’s often focused on to provide a powerful melodic dubstep track that nonetheless still carries plenty of his trademark style. Combined with some of PegasYs’ best vocals yet, it’s clear that a lot of work went into this tune. I especially adore the vocoded vocal section and the way it builds into the final drop so well, not to mention the clarity of the mix as a whole.
Electronic
[P@D] Skunked – Sky High | Dubstep
Skunked has been improving a lot lately, and this is definitely my favourite thing I’ve heard from him so far. Featuring a relentlessly upbeat and positive vibe throughout its chiptune-flavoured dubstep vibes, there’s some terrific energy supplied by the aggressive sound design, clever use of vocal samples and lovely FX inputs too. The way it just dives into the drops is especially fun to experience, even on repeated listens.
[P@D] GrazySmash – Thunderbolt | Psytrance
This track just hits you in the face as soon as it starts, with no chill. Grazy is an up and coming artist who has released some excellent tracks lately, with this one providing one of the best examples of fandom psytrance I’ve heard. Absolutely evoking the feeling of being lost in amongst a thunderstorm, the classic psy bass design combines perfect with orcherstral and vocal hits alongside some terrific stormy atmosphere. Definitely an artist to watch if they keep up stuff like this!
[P@D] Age Of Vinyl – Heroes of The Sky | Drum & Bass
Age of Vinyl’s drum & bass creations always impress me, and this is arguably one of his best yet. Creating a gorgeous emotion that pulls you in almost immediately, the drums are smooth and the vocal chops are the absolutely height of what I love about this sort of sound. Combined with the gentle bass and uplifting arpeggiation, it’s well worth a listen and certainly one of my favourite songs of this style to come out of the fandom!
TurquoisePianist – Aerial Exploration | Electronic/Orchestral
Newcomer TurquoisePianist brings us Aerial Exploration, an electronic track with orchestral composition that varies in styles throughout. When combined with the changing instrumental features, TurquoisePianist achieves a sense of viewing different cultures, giving the track a more worldly vibe – as though you are exploring from the sky! I really like the dancing bell section 3 minutes in and encourage everyone to listen to the exciting themes prevalent throughout the whole song!
[P@D] Silva Hound & StrachAttack – Punk Rocks (feat. Namii) | Electro House / Progressive House
Ponies at Dawn is back baby! It’s back with another dope stream of tracks and waves of talent – A tidal wave really! Punk Rocks features the talent of Silva, Strach, and Namii. They all truly outperformed themselves with this collaboration and it is legit an honor to write my first HMH article for Skyward with this track! Namii sings with wonderful vocals, while Strach and Silva bring in the hard party vibes! The track is very uplifting and delivers on its desire to get the party started! I love this track, and everybody slayed on it! Well done everybody, keep it up! ❤
[P@D] John Kenza – Life Box | Melodic House/Trance
John Kenza’s new song Life Box is full of his trademark melodies and sounds. The gentle tunes fill me with serene joy. Listening to this song makes me think of Rainbow Dash soaring through the clouds, free as can be.
Download or buy Skyward on P@D bandcamp.
Crusader! – Long Live the King | Pop / Alternate Electronic
Crusader’s newly released Super Duper Dance Party EP includes this poppy song about King Sombra, and it actually works very well! Continuing on that distinct musical style brought forward by the whole EP, the musician did wonders with those blissful vocals and cool lyrics, and this song is certainly very fitting in light of recent events in the show! Also check out the last track from the EP, Another Day!
[P@D] MEQA, L.M., Cosmic Fox, AJ Young, Soundnix & Quadrivia – Bronycalypse | Dubstep
The end is not the end.
One of the sneak peak tracks of Ponies at Dawn Skyward album this track is a MASSIVE six way collab between some great artists. Opening up with some moody guitars and pizzicatos it quickly builds into a wonderous cacophony of interchanging styles weaving in and out of each other! the melancholic interlude finishing off the track also gives us a retrospective vibe to briefly reflect back on the past decade and is such a fun and professional song. If there is one thing I can get behind, its collabs, and on this scale it hits home the fact that the fandom won’t disappear after the show, there is a world of untapped potential just waiting to be explored and I think we can go on for a long time coming!
Niłch’i Poni – V’ynuk | Liquid Drum & Bass / Siberian Folk
Niłch’i (F 109) is no stranger to ambiance and sound design and this is no exception! The opening piano chords and pads are rich, deep and carry a weight behind them and that’s only the beginning. The focus shifts most notably with what appears to be a jaw harp(?) of all instruments and a more ethnic, folk sound with some tight and complex break beats to tie in to the main genre of the song. Everything ebbs and flows like water through out from the chimes to the one shots and reverberates so cleanly and mysteriously. I absolutely adore the very deep and gritty bassline that punches through at times and the dynamic range really shines through with these iterations. This is truly a unique masterpiece and truly immerses you into its world!
Horse Music Herald 