#vaceslav

Francis Vace’s Top Ten Pony Songs Of 2015

Hi friends, I’ve just finished putting together my top ten songs of 2015. This is a list of my personal favourite songs from last year, and as such will probably be quite different from any of the publicly voted top x lists. I’ve included songs that, for whatever reason, resonated with me and/or have left a lasting impression over the year.

So venture past the break to see, in no particular order, my top ten of 2015.

New blog in town^^^ Give them some support!

Luna Ticks vs. Skalestia EP

GUYS. YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS CONCEPT ALBUM. I LOVE THESE ARTISTS SO MUCH LIKE THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN PRO TIER BUT THIS RELEASE IS INCREDIBLE.

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Vaceslav

Vaceslav is a 25th year-old Video Game Audio student hailing for Brisbane, Australia. While he’s only been making fandom music for the last two years, and didn’t really pick up until around six months ago, he’s been watching the show since the first hiatus, and playing music for much long, being in various local bands since 2005. Currently he is bandless as he is devoted to the pony-focused Vaceslav project, though he plans on forming a band for it in the future. 

His music is primarily punk rock, which a speciality in ska punk. My brother is a big fan of ska punk who often insisted that the brony fandom should start the fourth wave of ska, and is currently serving an LDS mission in Indonesia, so if he were here I’m sure he’s love Vaceslav. What stands out the most to me about his music personally is his voice; it just rocks so hard, and the way he switches between soft and hard vocals makes it very expressive. Somehow it sounds both rough and polished, making it perfect for expressing punk while still pleasant to listen to. 

While he is still small in the community, he has still featured in a few collaborations. On this duet with Itchigotchi he lets beautiful vocals shine through while showing that his instrumentation, while simple, can stand on it’s own. Another notable collab is the massive cover of friendship through the ages featuring six other talented musicians. He is also a member of the band Luna Ticks with idkQuicksilver where he’s primarily the vocalist, which also primarily plays ska punk though they play other genres such as heavy metal.

#1 - Uninvited

Along with the sillier “’Tis a Lie” from the same EP, it was this song that got me into Vaceslav’s music. The lyrics describes Luna’s reaction to finding out that once again she wasn't’ invited to an important event, this time the royal wedding. Aside from the superbly evocative vocal delivery of said lyrics, the thing that stands out to me this song is the interplay between the synth and the guitar. They are just beautiful during the intro and bridge.

#2 Porcelain Doll

As the title explains, this is a cover of a song originally by Injustrial. For those unaware, Injustrial creates some of the darkest music in the fandom, aggrotech featuring his distinctive distorted screams which are some of the most extreme vocals I’ve ever heard, IMO easily topping death metal. This cover takes the song in a very different direction, being soft for a Vaceslav song. Gone our the synth melodies of the original, being replaced with more ska-appropriate tunes. Naturally it has a very different feel, anger in the original seems to be replaced with melancholia. It’s almost a completely new song. Still, it’s filled with power, and both versions work their lyrics to their own ends. While the original gives the impression of Spike being about the tear Rarity’s face off, this version more makes me feel that he’s gradually building up the confidence to commit to his choice and free himself from an abusive Rarity. Ultimately it’s just as dark as the original, just more subtle. 

#3 - The Wings I Didn’t Want

In contrast to his usual punk, this is an gentle acoustic piece. This is likely a result of the change of emotion; this song was created for Derpy’s Wings IV where he was assigned the emotion “simplistic acceptance”. It might be contrived, but he pulled it off with Twilight relunctly accepting her princesshood. The instrumentation is really pretty too. 

#4 Just Your Problem

Another cover, another Luna song. What’s so special about this cover is that it originally wasn’t a Luna song; it’s from Adventure Time. By only slightly changing the lyrics, he got it to fit Luna perfectly. The music is also updated to fit the lyrics, transforming the minimalistic pop song into an extremely dark and more fleshed out punk one. The screaming of “WHY DO I WANT TO?” at the end is really what sells it for me. 

#5 I Will See Them Fall

Our staff member ph00tbag (AKA Sonic Rainboom) wanted to give a shout out to a lot of very special tracks this week.

Vaceslav - Porcelain Doll

It's kinda weird to see the names Injustrial and Vaceslav in the same place. Injustrial's style is intentionally harsh and forboding, where Vaceslav tends towards a smoother, melodic style. Understandably, this cover is totally different from its source material. While, in the original, the screams of "I hate you," feel more, well, hateful, Vaceslav's interpretation sounds mournful. I love the total change in mood; makes for a very interesting listen.

L-Train - Seaponies

The Seapony theme as surf rock is kind of an obvious interpretation. So why is L-Train the first, and really only person to make a concerted go at it? It's easy enough to appreciate this tune just on the strength of it being a call-back to some oldschool pony lore, but don't forget to pay attention to the solo. L-Train's musicianship is always worth a good listen.

Dalken Starbyne - Phases

I like the way this tune really slowly develops and changes character over the course of the tune. The thematic parallel to the Moon dovetails with the establishment of Luna as the subject in the lyrics. Dalken Starbyne's voice is smooth as silk, and his style complements the tune's droning nature quite well.

Sprocket ft. A Whole Lot of Bronies - TESTIPONY

It's really cool that Sprocket put this out there. I'm not really putting this one in this because of the music. It's excellent, to be sure, and the orchestration really supplements the impact of the words. But the reason I'm posting this here, is because, honestly, it's nice to be reminded of the power of this show, and this fandom, to truly do good things. While it's easy to get caught up in the drama, and fine-grained analysis, songs like this remind us that we're all here to hold onto that little bit of joy, and share it with each other.

Resonant Waves ft. Captainfluffaton - The Temple of Life

The atmosphere in this tune is absolutely phenomenal. I'm always blown away, and rather humbled, by how effortlessly ambient artists like these two guys can fill a space with a handful of well-designed synths and samples. My favorite parts of the tune are the percussive sound that seems to be coming from behind the head, and the slightly distorted pad that closes the tune out. They really round the tune out for me.

idkQuicksilver, Vaceslav, and Guitarbrony13 - Paranoia

I think I've said it, but in general growls tend not to do it for me. This tune is a rare exception, though. In part because of the detail in the instrumentation, especially the pad design in the breakdown, and the guitar work and edits in the climax. This is also a pretty massive collaboration, so I have to appreciate that, as well.

TenderFlutter - Tu Presencia

Before I really even know that I won't understand a word of this tune, the drum programming kinda has me sold. While I don't know Spanish all that well, I do know that I love TenderFlutter's singing, and I can definitely appreciate his decision to use several instruments from his home country's culture. More than anything, I love to see music from all over the planet represented in our humble fandom.

TheBurntMango - Past the Summer Clouds

Decided to paint another sketch from last night's DrawPile. Tried using pressure sensitive opacity and color mixing. It's pretty fun actually. I guess this is kinda a dual tribute to Herny's Luna A.D. blog as well as vaceslav's new album. Yeah.