(slight warning: if you are currently grieving, maybe skip this song until you’re feeling better)
This song starts out with just the wind, blowing through your ears as a low growl rises together with foreboding, dark bells as slowly a mournful string section starts playing. The strings continue on, slowly starting to sound hopeful and then dramatic again in a constant switch from one to the other. Towards the end dull and dark sounding drums set in, moving the whole song into this heavily tragic range as we end on the same dark bells we started on.
Thanks to theCANderson for proofreading!
Original
CAPT – Merry! | Lo-fi / Drum & Bass
CAPT never ceases to amaze with their work! I personally am a sucker for theory style of production, and this song is just so wonderfully done! It starts out with a really fun melody, which slowly fades in as more elements are added along with a riser, resulting in some of the most fun DnB ever! Everything about this is so amazingly cute and wonderful. Around the middle we get a bit of a switch up as we keep the melody but move into some new elements and instruments. We end this wonderful track with a very fitting crash.
Huge thanks to theCANderson for proofreading this!
Corrosion – Hateful Night | Deathstep
This is one of those songs that absolutely surprised me! Personally I’m not that much into Deathstep, but every once in a while you come across a gem you can’t help but enjoy, and this is one of those gems! The beat works really well to establish this scary, dark atmosphere, and it combines with vocal chops from the show that include an echo effect to spice up the song really well. Towards the end we get a switch of the main melody into something equally fun, and pretty much every drop is a unique piece in and of itself!
Proofread by theCANderson, big thanks to him!
GhostXb – Dreaming | Ambient Orchestral
Ok, so people who know me know that I am a sucker for two things in this world: EDM of the House/Bounce variety and Orchestral, and of the latter this is a perfect example of why I love the genre! “Dreaming” starts out with this wonderful arrangement of strings that perfectly captures this dramatic feeling. Soon the strings are joined by an electric guitar, giving a nice accent to the song. Every now and again we get a really high note on the strings that almost sounds like a cry for someone. Then a bit later on out of nowhere these heavenly choirs appear to bring joy to your ears! Near the ending we get more epic orchestral sounding string parts as the guitar leaves, leaving us with only the strings, something I love hearing that really accents this piece nicely. At the end the strings simply fade out.
I’ve often talked about how much I enjoy longer songs that don’t go out of their way to be some flashy firework, and this song embodies exactly that. It clocks in at a bit more than six minutes and stays very consistent throughout, which makes it a perfect song for a perma loop, having exactly the right amount of variation so that it doesn’t get boring!
Proofread by theCANderson, big thanks to him!
Cherry Blossom – Tales Of Magic – Dark And Light | Ambient Orchestral
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.
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!
[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.
Horse Music Herald 