Let me tell you, I’m always thrilled to cover anything Cynifree does, Not because he is one of my buddies, But he takes the complex and intricate and makes compositions like this! We see Luna here in her realm of dreams looking over how everything threads together as she closely observes. That speaks into what this track is about. We have ambient layered with this gritty bass that has this fantastic pop of energy. It’s ethereal and the wavy effects and mysterious vibe with the beat, I dare say a little bit of lo-fi sprinkled in. It’s all mixed, and it’s well produced. This is Cynifree’s MO, my friends; no one like him does this style. As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
Electronic
Harmonic Six – On The Fringe | Alternative Electronic
Harmonic Six pays tribute to Babs Seed, the fourth Cutie Mark Crusader and founder of the CMC Manehattan branch, with this delightful tune! It opens with chops from the episode “One Bad Apple”, with Babs and the CMC’s reconciling after their differences during the episode. Gentle acoustic guitar accompanies the chops before a lovely bassline joins in, and the guitar shifts to a lively melody. The introduction of percussion, xylophone, and gentle keys and woodwinds in the second half fills out the arrangement and give this song a wonderful soundtrack quality. It really sounds like it could be from an episode! The tone of the track perfectly fits the heartfelt camaraderie and playfulness of the group, echoed by the video’s background, a screencap from the episode. It’s a beautiful tribute to the character and a burst of positive energy that would make the CMC’s proud!
Vanessa Hudgens – Gonna Be My Day (Tw3Lv3 Remix) | House
Oh boy! Has Tw3Lv3 done something incredible with this remix. The melodies infused with movie scores are addicting to listen to! Tw3lv3, like she always does, inject some positive and chill vibes into this song. The music grooves so much with sunny’s message of unity and her quest for renewed friendships as she skates along. You feel there with her with this stylish beat and it brings a smile to your face, reinforcing the message of “gonna be my day!” especially with how that phrase is looped, as melodies get more positive and epic. You can not help but want to listen to this remix because you feel so good after hearing it! Well, Tw3Lv3, you sure have done it again with your talent and a nice touch of the movie clips; as always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
BinExis – Distant Farewell | Progressive Rock
BinExis has gifted us a few wonderful Pony songs over the years (check out the innovative “New Old Beginning” with its awesome instrumentation (complete with flute) and the warm, dark sparkle of their first MLP musical foray, “The Night and Elements“), and now we get their most epic creation yet! This prog rock adventure launches quickly into full flight, a fantastically melodic combination of synths, guitars, and percussion. It combines with the amazing video art to set the table for some most excellent rock vocals (the full lyrics are in the video description! Woo!), which tell a tale of Celestia and Luna traveling through space in a search of a new home for all of the creatures of Equestria. The many parts of this composition feel so well-tuned to the others, calibrated and balanced for maximum narrative impact, which is highlighted nicely by the shift in tone midway through the song that is accompanied by a shift in the video’s artwork. I especially appreciated the great guitar work in the second half which was both accomplished and perfect for the story! This song feels like a snapshot from a sci-fi saga, and I hope that we get more of this story in the future!
PumpkinZ – Black Night | Drumfunk
PumpkinZ delivers a delightfully atmospheric and groovy track with this drumfunk effort! The shimmering opening synths pair with the background art to transport the listener into a night scene that feels alive and energizing like a summer night full of possibilities. A lively melody with a folky feel combines with a groovy bassline and quick percussion, and we’re off on an adventure! The rise into the drop has a cool “bottle filling to the top” vibe, and the chorus brings in some sweet chops at the perfect time. The quieter parts that follow have their own variation on the melody, bringing the percussion in and out, teasing at some as-yet intangible possibility. This is a really well-constructed song with a super catchy melody and delightful groove, so please check it out, and big thanks to the artist for seeing the creation of the song through to the end!
Brilliant Venture Presents NeighGative_ – A Place In A Different Time | Trance
Sometimes an album comes along that resonates with my musical soul and forces me to really soak it in. This is one such album, and it takes me back to my early days of finding personally meaningful music on the internet. A big genre for me at that time was trance. There’s something uniquely emotional and energizing about the genre, and it’s so wonderful to be reconnected with it as I have been here. Regardless of whether you think of yourself as a trance fan or whether you continue reading this article or not, YOU ABSOLUTELY OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM. The songs are ridiculously amazing and are chock full of pony goodness. Seriously, go get it now, and if you want to hang out with me in the rundown below, then come on back, but at the very least GET THIS MUSIC and then give the amazing creator behind it a big ol’ hoof bump, because they deserve it. Thank you from the bottom of my musical heart. ❤
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Ice Angel – Still United (Reunify pt. III) | Hardstyle
Ice Angel continues their “Reunify Series” and celebrates the 11-year anniversary of MLP:FiM by creating some delightful musical intensity with this fantastic Hardstyle take on their “Reunify” theme. I’m so thankful that Ice Angel fought through some pandemic blues to see this song through to completion! The track opens with some lovely ambience and synths that set a positive tone, and then the beat kicks in and begins a great progression into the drop. The synth melodies play off of each other-m before the drop hits, and the full arrangement, driven by that fantastic kick, is a super satisfying listening experience. A key change towards the end sends this song soaring even higher, a fitting way to end to a song that is a testament to the enduring spirit of the fandom and its values!
One Track Mind – Nostalgia, Vol. 1 EP | Electronic
One Track Mind is an artist who is continually focused on improving and evolving their music (they recently remastered all of their previous releases!), and this EP is a wonderful example of that. The artist celebrates an oft-revisited motif in its original form and variations, and each one is a full-fledged attempt at something new. It’s honestly no wonder they keep coming back: the original is packed with great melodies and progressions which it continually morph and distort in interesting ways, creating an engrossing soundscape that glitches and buzzes with insistent energy before echoing to a close. The “Repetitive Remix” opens with contemplative keys and drifts through the motif before a fantastic bassline and skittery percussion give the song a futuristic groove. It sounds like something that would play over the opening credits of a sci-fi thriller! “Reprise” bubbles to life over synths and percussion with a nice retro vibe that gets more distorted before a heavy bassline kicks in, creating a nice juxtaposition with the lighter melody. “Ends” starts heavily distorted and drenched with reverb but still feels light; it fades out but then bubbles back to life with a dark groove punctuated with distorted keys. The arrangement lightens at the end and gives the track a more triumphant feeling before it echoes and fades out. “Sunday” has an ethereal quality courtesy of its keys and choir, adding a distorted bassline and light, snappy percussion before building into a fuller arrangement. When it does, it positively springs to life: the melody swirls and builds, and then the now-familiar motif returns in awesome, chippy, scratchy fashion, creating an uplifting, atmospheric progression. It feels triumphant, like reaching the plateau on a long climb, knowing that there’s more to come but being satisfied with the journey so far. Then, just to remind you that this is the artist’s party and they’ll do what they want, the track switches things up at the end, careening to a close like a twist ending in a movie. Kudos to the artist for their inventiveness and for putting this fantastic EP together. To the continuing journey, my fellow musical adventures!
Sparklight Productions – Aurora | Lo-fi
This track represents the culmination of Sparklight Production’s debut EP, “Ethereal“, and what a great way to close out this effort! The song was created with the hope that it could be a comforting reminder to not get caught up in our anxieties and make the most of every day. I can definitely appreciate that sentiment, and the soothing piano melody floating over a chill beat is some good medicine for the frazzled mind. A choir melody adds some nice dimension, and there’s a delightful progression through the piece with a nicely filled out arrangement at the end before the piano carries the song back into the ether. Hopefully it takes some of your worries with it and leave you feeling a little more ready take on the world!
Vanessa Hudgens – Gonna Be My Day (Rod Steven Remix) | Eurobeat
Well, this just feels right: this wonderfully upbeat song has been given a deft Eurobeat treatment! This remix launches straight into the chorus vocals repeated over the original melody followed by an encouraging “let’s go!”, and it feels like the party is now in full swing, which the irrepressible Sunny would absolutely appreciate. The gloriously upbeat Eurobeat melody and percussion support the arrangement without running roughshod over the original, which is a credit to the artist’s skill and experience working with this genre. The marrying of styles is so good that you’d swear that the song always sounded this way. Let’s get dancing!
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