Camelia’s production style lends itself excellently to uplifting music styles, and what could be more so than some classic progressive trance. Yoake, roughly translated as ‘dawn’ or ‘daybreak’ is an effervescent piece initially released on P@D’s Aurora album last year. With some classic synth stabs and arps right from the get go, this track is carried throughout by its excellent melodic composition, which has become a staple of Camelia’s impressive discography of late.
Original
SpinScissor – alive through you | Chillout / Experimental
Now this one is a trip! This is a reflective and thought-provoking piece of recollections and memories focused around Sunny. The beauty lies in its cohesive and emotional piano glissandos coupled with the airy, yet crisp soundscape. There’s always a new idea forming keeping things unique and interesting that you can feel the sense of wonder and scope the artist instills here. After all, Twilight’s legacy now lives through Sunny.
BGM – Make Or Break | Metal
What a classic feeling banger from BGM! It’s got everything you’d expect from a Rainbow Dash tune: catchy vocals, nasty guitar, insane shredding, and a beat that can’t be… well, beat! The vocals are quite the treat, with Rainbow Dash herself taking lead. This one’s sure to be stuck on repeat in your playlist!
Violin Melody – Sisters (Original Mix) | Future House
In light of the many fandom tracks conveying Celestia and Luna as rivals, it is refreshing to see Violin Melody presenting them as loving siblings in her appropriately titled piece, “Sisters”. This is exactly the kind of subject matter one could expect Violin Melody, founder of ASOS, to focus on, and she does so with this lovely composition. The melodies are powerful yet sweet, with these gentle chimes mixed in – like them being there for each other. The drops show a bit of mystical energy and power, just like alicorn magic. The beat has its ups and downs, just like any siblings have with each other. These elements tell the love and closeness these two share: a sisterly love that is strong through thick and thin. This track is a pure banger, just like when it’s go time between them! As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself.
Spikey Wikey – Rock n’ Roll | Techstep / Drum & Bass
Spikey Wikey brings us his re-imagination of the episode “Wonderbolt Academy” with a dark and intense Drum and Bass track. This song is full of gritty basslines, fast and dirty breakbeats, and vocal samples from the show – a fiery combination that takes you back to the rivalry between Lighting Dust and Rainbow Dash. You can feel all the tension of their relationship permeate in the atmosphere of this complete banger! Rock n’ Roll starts with an uncanny, chopped break loop accompanied by a gloomy Rhodes piano and a quiet sample of footsteps. The track layers more and more instruments including deep bass and a synth that makes a simple, eerie melody. More drums help reach that climactic moment where the vocal sample glitches into the drop. It’s a very good track as one would expect from Spikey Wikey (he’s a master), and with his new song, there is no doubt about that!
[P@D] Tw3Lv3 – Everlast (feat. Scoonie) | Liquid Drum & Bass
Last year was a tough time for many of us, and Tw3Lv3 especially went through a lot of hardships. However, she was also able to look past that to the positive aspects that still remain and channel them into this wonderfully soothing love letter, featured on P@D’s Aurora album last year. With help from Scoonie to bring some thoughts regarding it all to life, there’s also plenty of the chilled out vibes Tw3Lv3 is increasingly becoming known for.
[Album] Brambleshadow4 – Dustcar 2021: The Scraps | Pop/Chiptune
If you haven’t checked out DustCar yet, it may be worth your time to join the Discord server where every two weeks they host a songwriting competition open to everyone as a way to encourage musicians of every skill level to challenge themselves to create something musically. Over the course of 2021, Brambleshadow4 made several contributions to the competition and combined them into The Scraps album which showcases a variety of genres ranging from a singer-songwriter style of just ukulele and vocals, to heavy chiptune, and even a live Christmas remix from TrotCon! This album is a great example of how the DustCar community challenges its participants to try different things in their music as well as grow through the experience!
PSFMer – Unicorn Attack | Techno / Afro-Beat
PSFMer doesn’t stop amazing us with his tracks, especially with his brand new release “Unicorn Attack”, which is centered around the new generation movie! This track is a curious but perfect mix of Afro Percussion and Techno, a rare combination that we have seen very sparingly in the fandom, and features vocals from G5 as well as audio by 15.ai. The whole track is a vibe that makes you wanna move your body! The song starts with a constantly growing and evolving percussion rhythm, little by little layering more percussive sounds, like if the track were coming alive. After all this drum craziness, we got some vocal chops, including Hitch screaming the song title – very crazy stuff going on this track! This is a cool and groovy track, so please don’t hesitate to check it out!
[Album] Skyshard – The Borderline | Synthwave/Indie Electronic
Right after Christmas, Skyshard dropped this huge, immersive album offering an extended look into their dystopian, Equestria Girls world. Though fully instrumental, The Borderline tells the story of a scientist working in a dark future where he finds the truth behind the shady workings of the tyrannical mega-corporation. The album as a whole explores lots of different styles to the synthwave sound and switched back and forth between melodic and often optimistic tracks versus emptier, more barren soundscapes. Every track is distinct form the last, and it is easy to tell each song is written with a specific purpose in mind as it relates to the story! (continued after the break)
Melochromatic Sunset: The first song on the album does a great job imprinting a large, dismal world and industrial turmoil at the heart of it all. The synth work is both excitingly melodic and heavily burdensome when it needs to be. The attack on the instruments perfectly establishes the oppressive feel of the landscape, especially in the deep, echoing drums.
Numbers: About halfway through the album, this track may catch you off-guard. Among a patch of songs defined mainly for their slower, emptier and more pessimistic atmospheres, Numbers sticks out for its flashier melodies and rhythms which are highlighted in the synths and give off an impression of hope in what has been a largely harsh environment.
The Other Side: The penultimate track on the album really brightens up with flashy strings, bright synths in the background, and quicker, more energy-driven melodies. One of the longest songs on the album, this track paces its message well through differently styled sections which all build beautifully through layering instruments as the piece goes on.
There are a whooping 42 songs included in The Borderline, so it is definitely encouraged to get the full album on Skyshard’s bandcamp, for the wholly immersive and incredible experience!
[VibePoniez] BlueBrony & Drummershy – Insomnia (Sprout’s Friday Night) | Jazz
Have you ever had one of those nights where you can’t sleep? And it seems that the only thing you can do is to reflect on your past, your future, and everything around you? Sometimes it’s fatiguing and annoying; some other times are just empty and apparently useless. Well, BlueBrony and Drummershy know that feeling, and deliver to us this fascinating jazz piece, with charming keys, some groovy drums, and a flute melody that is just stunning. The track opens with vocals telling us about a man who fails to fall asleep every night. Then all the instruments come together and enhance the atmosphere, like you were visiting all your memories and ambitions, while trying to get a moment of sleep. Everything cuts out, leaving only the Rhodes, a warm guitar, and a filtered drum kit that slowly and delightfully add more color to the track. By the end of the song, you have gained more experience and are finally ready to get sleep. The whole tune is a vibe, holding true to the compilation album!
Horse Music Herald 