This is a great time for pony music. New faces are are showing up while old ones are returning, already existing labels are developping while new ones are being created. In terms of chill music, 2019 began with Spikey Wikey’s mix showing there was demand for this family of genres that had been previously left aside by the fandom. Later this year, Tw3Lv3, Steryotype and TheTaZe undertook the responsability of building a scene from the ground up in some sense and produced decent amounts of music to relax/study to, to quote the YouTube stream that rose lo-fi to the popularity it has today. In september they created the label VibePoniez that sought to “promote brony artists who make chill music”. They had expected to have 3 to 4 lo-fi tracks overall on their debut album but it went much beyond their expectations as they recieved submissions from a great diversity of genres and even some from big names in the community.
This long EP starts off with meme tracks from the label founders themselves that are nonetheless very pleasent to listen to. Single Purpose‘s track Setbacks is short, sweet and minimalistic and uses a heart wrenching Octavia sample. Paloris‘ i still miss you makes creative use of Twilight vocal chops from I Have to Find a Way and has a great deep bass which creates a terrific chilled out atmosphere. TheChristmasSong(ChestnutsRoasting) from Steryotype is exactly what you’d expect from him: clean classic lo-fi beats. Reflection by Rayne Dear, an alias of PhonicB∞m apparently, uses some nice percussions made up of various sounds they recorded in their dad’s kitchen. Tw3Lv3 made a liquid drum & bass remix of GrazySmash‘s Dream from Helpie’s Corner: Other Side Of The Mirror, which definitly falls under the chill category. :Twi: by TCB will get a post of its own soon. Happy Mood is Insane Domi aka Mr.Sunset’s first ever released track. Even though it didn’t quite make it in Equinity 02: Catalyst, with a few tweaks and help with mastering from Tw3Lv3 it became a rock solid track to relax to. Lorris Power Note‘s Sentiments brings yet another genre to the album being a cute vocal chops-heavy synthwave track. VibePoniez’ first album and sucess ends on an ambient piece by GrazySmash which comes off as a surprise considering Grazy had only made hard hitting music so far.
Now we almost have enough for a 24/7 pony lo-fi radio! Make sure to follow VibePoniez on Bandcamp and YouTube to catch their latest releases!
Asides
Toby Macarony – Shenanigans | Album | Electronic
Toby Macarony makes incredible and unique music that only Toby Macarony can make! For years now, they have been pushing the boundaries of conventional dance music and thrilling those paying attention with a hybrid electro swing/horror style while occasionally dabbing into other genres as well.
Shenanigans puts the full array of talent front and center with a variety of amazing tracks! The vocal chop work is out of this world, with the timing, tuning, and modulation.
The first track The Starlight Glimmer Express has a powerful and very jazzy feel. The beat bounces to a train-like cadence and sets the stage for a crazy album.
Songs like Sunset at the Farm, and AJ’s Muscles utilize some country instrumentation and get a very homely, Applejack feel with the twang from a banjo among other stylized instrumentation.
One of the biggest standout tracks on this album is Forever which is a sound bath of incredible vocal chops, expertly panned. It uses only a little bit on piano, focusing almost entirely on the layering of familiar tidbits from several show songs. The track amazes from very early on and only gets better and better throughout the 6 minute run-time! You do not want to miss out hearing this song and it follows that you should do yourself the favor of listening to the full album. There is absolutely no musician in this fandom (or probably outside of it either!) who does what Toby Macarony accomplishes!
Thrasher – Welcome To Insanity | Album | Industrial Metal
Industrial metal musician Thrasher’s third studio album is finally here, and it’s definitely a treat. With 11 tracks of industrial metal goodness, this is an album you won’t want to pass up. Emanon, Blackened Eyes and A Villain’s Descent were released as pre-release singles, which leaves us with 8 brand new stellar songs to hear. After the album’s ominous opener, Evolution, we’re greeted with powerful metal tracks in the form of Emanon and Annihilation. Both of these songs are erratic and fast-paced, filled with chugging guitars that you’ll easily find yourself headbanging to. Track 4, – Disoriented – starts out with a unique Indian-inspired atmosphere, with tablas and sitars leading the intro before bringing the rhythm section and distorted guitars into the mix, making what can best be described as a heavier Tool-sounding song. The middle of the album sees a minute long interlude, consisting of a distant electric guitar ringing out before heading into the transition for the next track, Insanity. The two stand out tracks on this album are Colossus and The Word Above, both of which are longer than 6 minutes. Both tracks are heavy, filled with electronic elements and feel a lot shorter than they actually are. Overall, this album is a must-listen if you’re into industrial metal such as Fear Factory. You won’t regret it in the slightest.
Francis Vace – Horses In Real Life EP | Ska Punk
It’s never too late to release an album on our favourite sextuplet of pastel coloured horses, which is exactly what Francis Vace recently decided to do. Horses In Real Life is a 6 track EP of all original catchy ska punk songs based on the concept of the Mane 6 living in the real world. Track 1 is My Rainbow Horse and Me, first released on Ponies at Dawn: Eternal, and depicts a scenario where Rainbow Dash is living in someone’s house after popping through a TV. She’s said to be a messy freeloader, living with no job and using the character’s utilities for herself. AJ’s Honest Apples tells the story of a new brand of apples reaching town, with the chorus being sung from her point of view. These apples are free of pesticides and taste like no other apples you’ve ever had! Interview With A Fashion Icon tells the story of Rarity being interviewed about her time in the human world as well as her fashion endeavours. While keeping the familiar ska elements, it’s a slower number that feels like something Rarity would have no problem singing. The fastest track on this album, Bright Pink Horse, is about Pinkie simply dancing in the street, with the fast pace capturing Pinkie’s hyperactive personality with flying colours. Overall, with six fast tracks about our six favourite ponies in six unique scenarios, this is an EP you can’t pass up. If you’ve enjoyed Francis’ work over the years, this will be a great addition to your collection!
Marcus Warner – Reprise | EP | Orchestral
The artist formerly known as Evening Star has returned under his real name, Marcus Warner. As a thank you to the fans who’ve been there for him since day one as well as a tribute to the show itself, he’s put together Reprise, an EP full of ES tracks from way back then, remastered and reimagined in an epic orchestral style. Along with him are a number of guest vocalists and musicians, such as Brione Jackson, who provides live cello to the tracks Octavia and To Build an Army, and Rory Sherman, who in addition to taking part in choir vocals across the EP, also shows off his skills with the flute. In terms of stand out tracks, Starswirl the Bearded definitely hits a high note with its strong atmosphere crafted by a dark choir alongside a viola before building up to add punchy drums and plenty of epic string progressions to top it off. Land of Equestria – the EP’s closer and sole lyrical track – was originally produced a year ago and features fandom musicians Silver Note and Sterling Fusion on vocals. Now it’s back, and with a new beautiful orchestral coat of paint. This EP is nothing short of amazing, and a beautiful way to pay tribute to the show that brought us all together and will continue to inspire. Thanks for the memories, Marcus!
Tw3Lv3 – Release | Album | Lo-fi
The debut album from the fandom’s lo-fi giant Tw3Lv3 is finally here! It has 20 tracks, some of which will be familiar if you follow his channel, such as Old Vibes, Starlight’s Dream, Canterlot Suburb, Tsukimi and so on. Quite a few of the songs are collabs with other producers, such as TheTaze, Steryotype, Power Note and Astral. A couple guest vocalists also appear, such as ShobieShy on the vocal version of Starlight’s Dream, and MC Arch on the closing track I Will Still Think About You. Standout tracks are Memorias for its catchiness, Autumn Breeze (featuring The Empty Tomb) because of the chilled out nature, as well as the aforementioned Tsukimi, Under the Rain and I Will Still Think About You, which displays Arch’s singing abilities really well! Overall, this album is nothing short of fantastic, and an amazing debut that’s well worth the wait. Pick it up when you can!
Frozen Night – Thorn of The Frozen Star | Album | Orchestral / Metal
Breathtaking, astonishing, mesmerizing. The superlatives are lacking to describe this majestic album.
If you decide to embark on this journey Frozen Night has crafted for us, you will be hearing the incredible fusion of orchestral and metal we know and love him for. Half of the tracks include gorgeous lyrics sung by the equally gorgeous voice of Velvet R. Wings.
Each piece is a chapter of a well thought-out story which you will be able to discover in the document that comes with the album, along artwork accompanying every track and detailed explanations. It tells the tale of a kirin trying to save her kin from a looming threat of olden times. Zenith is about an epic fight between the protagonist and her nemesis, told with creative sound design exploring different electronic elements, all while empowering Velvet’s extraordinary operatic singing. Thorn of The Frozen Star creates spellbinding soundscapes throughout the track which has multiple phases including ones of respite with heartbreaking melodic percussion and the absolutely stunning climax with the guitars and strings working in unison to create a memorable experience. The album closes on a beautifully emotional ethereal piece centered around a piano and strings.
Together with Radiarc they coordinated their respective album releases to be simultaneous, and you should check out Radiarc’s album too, and remember physical copies of Thorn of The Frozen Star are available!
Brilliant Venture – Legacy : In the Mix | Album | Dubstep / Drum & Bass
Here it is! Brilliant Venture’s long awaited album is now upon us and boy was it worth the wait. Including many remixes of classics of both community and show songs, as well as original tracks, this album is truly a love letter to the fandom.
Brilliant’s signature wubs are very much present as one could expect and the musician also ventures in drum and bass giving a refreshing new spin to the Ponies at Dawn-featured track I Love This Fandom. Time honored Party With Pinkie by Alex S. gets a remix keeping the spirit of the original while making it sound quite novel. You will also find their take on iblank2apples’ I’ve Been Dreaming of Sunshine and Celery Stalks, adding it to the ever-growing list of wonderful remixes of this now absolute classic, giving it a new feel with heavier dubstep parts in true Brilliant Venture style.
I most definitely invite you to discover the many delightful gems treasured in this album full of adorable pony vocal chops, uplifting beats and marvelous melodies!
Pinkamena Party – GABBA-CA-DABRA FOR PONIES | Compilation Album | Multi-Genre
It’s Nightmare Night, and the Pinkamena Party crew got a bag full of treats for you all to savor, in the form of a compilation album themed for the occasion and featuring Abra-ca-dabra on the cover art! The contributing musicians did awesome venturing in the roads less traveled once again, while having heaps of fun, and you can definitely hear it! Gabber, play on pony vocals, experimental endeavors, eerie atmospheres, ambient adventures… So many lovely initiatives are so wonderful to see, as we celebrate the shenanigans of this spooky night along with everypony on the album! And if you missed the live release party, you can watch the recording of it!
noise.horse – Music for the Headless Horse III | Compilation Album | Multi-Genre
For Nightmare Night, we can always count on the #1 pony music label venturing in the obscure and dark musical roads less traveled, to bring us something tasty to bite! The organizers went all-out and so did the contributing musicians who deliver many treats and creative musical experiences to savor while trick and treating. Many familiar faces as well as regulars of the experimental music scene had fun joining and partaking in the madness for all kinds of spooks and silent walks in dark forests and abandoned amusement parks, empowering the experiences with the power of music! Get the album from Bandcamp here, check out the recording of the live release party here, follow noise.horse’s Twitter to stay updated, and go follow all the contributing musicians too!
Horse Music Herald 