2023 music I downloaded

posted 2024-01-03T00:00:00Z

here’s a huge list of almost all pieces of music released in 2023 that I downloaded. this list will be organized alphabetically—by artist then by album. that’s simply how ncmpcpp sorts it for me by default. not every single piece of music will be included—mostly ones that are similar albums on the same artist discography page

the format will generally be categorized by artist. don’t expect long reviews of every album. that’d take forever. I kinda trailed off of giving in depth reviews about halfway through. hopefully you don’t mind all too much

if you want recommendations, then any recommendations I prefix with a ** I highly recommend checking out (use ctrl+f and search **). they’re some of my absolute favorites from this year. however, if you have the time—and the interest—do check out everything here that sounds cool! I downloaded them for a reason!

• ** overcast hawk fog entity - Halo and hearts [breakcore, mashcore, nightcore]: the artist is also known as simply kaomoji; I don’t want to paste the actual alias name because it breaks urxvt for some reason. this album is a collection of the works they feel were worthy for such a compilation—one of a closing chapter of their life. it feels very somber, despite the genre tags. their sound is unlike any other breakcore artist I have listened to
• ␡ ␡ ␡ ␡ ␡ ␡ ␡ ␡ ␡ ␡ [sextrance, hexd, bitcrush]: I can not stress enough how good the mixes DEL puts out. all of them—in all their bitcrush goodness—bring me to a world where I exist in nothing but the sound, flowing along and taking where it shows me. by far the best trance mixes I have ever heard. I downloaded their entire discography, so I’m not going to list everything, but I am going to list my favorite mixes of theirs:
  • ** ∞┈୨ ༺ ˏˋ𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑴𝑷ˎ´ ༻ ୧┈∞
  • ** 　　 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟐𝟓𝟎 　　
  • ** ☞ So this is what heaven should feel like ☜ 【VOL.93】
• $uiciderecord$ - $UICIDE$SELECT Vol.2 [breakcore, hardcore, idm, …]: despite the label name, this album is not one of “depressive breakcore”—as the term has such come to be. it’s a wide array of experimental electronic—and one that packs a lot of punches!
• $uiciderecord$ - $UICIDE$SELECT vol.4 [breakcore, hardcore, idm, …]: much of the same as vol.2, but with a different cast! if you liked that one, you’ll like this one
• 01111111100000000000 - no end EP 00001 [dark techno]: an excellent dark techno EP. no more, no less. straight to the point on all tracks—and a point that I very much enjoy. I should look at more dark techno when I get the chance
• 2809 - OVERKILL [breakcore, drum and bass]: 2809 is an artist that I stumbled across when scouring bandcamp tags by newest. my favorite of their two albums as of the time of writing—simple yet nice sounds
• 2809 - Emotional Discharge [breakcore, drum and bass, ambient]: also good! though quite short
• 43ver - Infinite Phantasies [footwork jungle, juke] - another one that I found from tags. footwork jungle has such a cool rhythm (and in my opinion, not many people lean hard enough into the “jungle” part of that!), and I really love what this album does with it—especially the first track
• ** 7_7 - labyrinth [idm, (very) experimental, hyperflip?]: this is one of the most varied, yet cohesive albums I have ever listened to. labyrinth? hell yeah, you feel like you’re going through a labyrinth with this. the sounds are all over the place, the rhythm at some points nonexistent. yet it all fits. a masterclass in experimental electronic, in my opinion. I can’t pick a favorite track. incredible
• Aggression Audio - Dr.Strangecore or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Crossbreed [uptempo hardcore, drum and bass]: I’m going to be honest: I got this for the first track alone. I barely listened to the others—the frontrunner is by far the star of the show. nonetheless, it’s loud. in your face. unrelenting. just how it should be. one of my favorite hardcore labels I have ever come across, and this album is an excellent introduction to them
• Andy pls - Jersey Season [jersey club]: I’m not really a jersey club guy. I’m white. but the rhythms in this one do it for me. the readth remix is my favorite of the album. it’s bouncy fun
• ** arcade trauma - sweet distortion [hardstyle, breakcore, digital hardcore, …]: a never-ending pummel of spasm’d beatbreaks, hardstyle kicks, and noise. completely raw and unrelenting with its sound, this album performs this feeling perfectly. listen when you’re angry to fuel the fire—listen when calm to feel the rush. absolutely incredible, this one is
• ** arcade trauma - a forgettable life [hardcore, breakcore, gabber]: another insane album chock full of the same ruthless kicks and endless breaks. the sound design certainly a step up from sweet distortion, which makes it ever more great to listen to
• Arcade Trauma - Nerdcore Entertainment Sampler [nerdcore, chiptune, hardcore]: a happy, fun, bouncy album with quite a few artists! all good j-core esque fun—very different from the other two arcade trauma releases I put here. fun for all!
• arcade trauma & gut spiller - it will all end in tears [breakcore, depressive]: seriously a masterclass in the whole “depressive breakcore” thing. if you want a modern album that rivals goreshit’s classic ones in raw feeling, this one is it. chaotic breaks overlayed lowly piano compositions—a combination refined and perfected here. get lost in the feels
• Ars Dada & Dr. Roman - Freshly Baked Raggamuffins [breakcore, raggacore]: raggacore’s one of my favorite dialects of breakcore, especially when done well, and this album does it incredibly well. soundboy killer
• ** ASTROPHYSICS - apathy [drum and bass, dreampunk]: astrophysics has a sound completely and utterly unique. I haven’t heard anyone make music quite like what they make, and for that I find their albums incredibly special. an excellent blend of breakbeats—both calm and choppy—and dreamy, punk vocals to make an album about… apathy, not caring for the world—at least for a bit
• Astrophysics & Hatsune Miku - The Second Summoning [synthwave, vocaloid]: a collection of synthwave, vocaloid covers of various songs—morphing them into fresh electronic tracks. fun for all! hard to not enjoy
• Ayane Fukumi - Fukumi Sound System Demo Disc 1 [drum and bass, jungle, house]: can’t go wrong with an oldskool-sounding album, and this one makes sure of that! fresh tracks sounding straight out of the experimental electronic 00s, it’s an itch of mine that this album scratches
• ** bagel fanclub - how are your cars driving [idm, flashcore, glitch, …]: one of the absolute best idm releases I have listened to. ever. the sounds, the noise, the everything. this album feels like a journey across a cyberspace that’s being bitrotted all the way through. some tracks sound angry, some calming, while some just feel good. an incredible work of sound design
• ** Bape Fiends - Bape II Fiends [mashcore, rave]: to me, the original bape fiends is one of the best mashcore albums ever. this knocks it out of the park. every track is a banger—combining sampling songs spanning the world with kicks and breaks of the utmost caliber. there’s so many incredible parts of nearly every song, and none of the tracks drag the album down. a masterclass in mashcore
• ** beansclub: beansclub has the best trance sound in the modern day. full-stop. I’m so happy I found them by random tag searching, because they are a fucking gem. they excel at any type of hardcore they touch as well, with singles like ♫₊˚. ✩｡ /// moonlight shadow /// ૮₍˃​̵֊ ˂̵ ₎ა bringing kicks and sounds that combine to something incredible. I can’t put a ** on any individual thing they have made, because they’re all that good
  • beansclub - CARRY ME AWAY [trance]: 7(+ intro) tracks of banger, euphoric, sometimes bitcrushed trance; it’s an album I sorely don’t want you to miss. get lost in the flow—headbop to the beats. let loose
  • beansclub - bootleg tape vol.1 [trance, hardcore]: bootlegs are always fun—and this album is no exception. take a fresh listen to songs through the lens of trance, and once more, just let your mind drift with the beats. it’s a good time
  • beansclub - bootleg tape vol.2 [trance]: if vol.1 is the experimentation, this is the refinement. it’s the same style as vol.1, but the sound. god damn, the sound. the sound design is pumped up to max. nothing feels out of place—it feels as if these are how all these songs were meant to be heard. absolutely some of the best bootlegs I have ever heard, of any genre
• BLOODCLOT * GHSU * FLASH CONDUIT - REACT:31 TRIPPIN AND A CHOPPIN [footwork, breakcore, raggacore]: a crazy cool compilation that starts out with some footwork, moves into some good ol’ breakcore, then closes with some ragga. splendid all around! I realize that by now I’m starting to not give crazy intricase praise to most, but given the sheer volume there’s only so much I can say. oh well
• BlushyButtercup - DREAM VESSEL [idm, breakcore]: a unique, psychedelic take on breakbeat—inching into the “core” territory at times. conventions are broken in here, but not without replacing them with good sounds of their own. highly recommend!
• Boozedrome - Boozedrome VI - In The Amiga Asylum! [gabber, oldskool rave]: can you ever go wrong with amiga-era gabber? never! the boozedrome competitions exemplify this notion, with each one providing 10 absolute banger tracks of the finest gabber, combining old sound with new techniques. definitely worth a listen
• BrΣak-Trλx - SHOE COMPILATION FIVE [footwork, jungle, breakcore, …]: a compilation combining footcore with a wide range of electronic genres. with legends such as pencil and II-L alongside many others, the sound of this album is just excellent. it’s a sound I’ve been wanting for a while, and this one provides it with flying colors
• ** Bvilches - Beats that make you Spasm [breakcore, idm]: if you yearn for the sounds of older vsnares, then this album is for you. starting with a glitchy, distorted sound, morphing slowly into the climax, before falling down into a dnb, sometimes ambient ending, this album is a journey unlike many others. a top recommendation, and one of my favorite recent breakcore releases
• CBR - absolute insignificance [breakcore, idm, noise]: this album punches you in the face a few times—and I mean that in a good way. it’s a chaotic ride, spanning calm tracks like hull and oldschool mashcore-y ones like Dirty Dancer, it’s an album that might confuse you from its pacing, but one with good sound nonetheless
• CBR vs Shihen - First Impact [j-core, happy hardcore]: can’t go wrong with some j-core! an excellent all-round album that’s fun for the whole family. not much noteworthy to say about the album—but that doesn’t mean it’s bad! definitely worth the listen
• Hizikia / λμκικαζε [hardcore, mashcore]: an excellent 2-way split of mashcore goodness. little chance to breathe throughout the two tracks, as it should be.
• chk!dsk - if i die here i’m gonna kill myself [plunderphonics, mashup, …]: a mix from soundclown pioneer and legend chkdsk (a.k.a. dicksoak, weedhitter, …). fun for all—whether you wanna laugh at some great mashups or vibe to the backing instruments
• Cirklon Fenneko Mike & Ike Arithmetic - Happiness Doesn’t Exist [mashcore, breakcore, dancecore]: a mashcore album that feels weirdly emotional. what emotion? I can’t say! but it’s there. the bandcamp reviews speak for themselves, much more detailed than I can ever be. I just like the sounds
• coffin dance. - music for dogs [breakcore, hardcore, mashcore]: nothin’ but a solid compilation of breakbeats and song samples. one could say a potpourri of the sample-based electronic genres, but that’s not my business! the star of the show is, by far, they put me down at the doggirl pound. not just in name, but in sound as well. excellent work to all, though!
• ** CosineVi - Mid-Atlantic Ecological Cooperative [jungle, atmospheric drum and bass]: honestly, I can’t think of a better album whose sound embodies its cover. it just… fits. the calming breakbeats over dreamy synths and samples of nature. it’s such a simple formula, but it’s executed so, so well here. definitely one of my favorite jungle releases ever
• Crypticable - Kandi Kandi Revolution [speedcore]: I’m a bit sad that the artist threw this off their bandcamp, cuz this is some rad shit! especially for 15 years old. definitely got lots of good music ahead of them. speedcore goodness
• ** cybermonk - takeda tekk [hard trance, hardstyle]: crazy good tracks! cybermonk comes from the same sphere as beansclub—even with a collab on this album—and it definitely shows! an excellent hard trance journey that ends on a hardstyle-trance melding masterpiece. 10/10!!!
• cybermonk, beansclub, enable secret - breakpoint // websphere [trance]: once more some great trance! nothing too extraordinary, but still very nice! highly recommend!
• ** Denephrion - House Ov Leaves [breakcore, drill and bass]: another album that rivals the all-time classics of depressive breakcore. a chaotic, glitchy journey following soft melodies and rapid percussion. an album to listen to when you need to zone out in the drums and forget the world for a bit
• ** dismiss yourself - Sextrance Worldwide Compilation Vol. 2 [sextrance, hard trance]: here we are again with more trance. an excellent compilation of the finest hard trance beats layered over the progression (and sometimes bitcrush) of sextrance. street racing a car down a midnight street? this album’s for you
• DJ ･ﾟ✧(=✪ ᆺ ✪=)-･ﾟ✧- 💕 FRIENDS FOREVER💕 [nightcore, …]: some new-age nightcore mixes for your lovely internet ears. excellent edits, morphing well beyond the stigma of nightcore, much like that of maedasalt. very good
• ** DJ KURONEKO - neko garage 2 [uk garage, jungle]: ok, I’m lying a bit. this was released in 2022. but come on, it was released on the last day of 2022—and it’s just too good not to put here! an absolutely excellent collection of uk garage, this one is. easy to flow with the beats, and easy to salivate over the incredible sound design that kuroneko puts in their tracks. golden.
• dj sammy p - Nice Mice [trance]: this album feels ripped straight from the 90s and given a modern sound design makeover. it emulates the feeling that well. repetitive? kinda! but not without reason! incredibly easy to let your mind drift with the beats, synths, and piano. an absolute gem. my only complaint is that I wish it was longer—2 tracks is criminal!
• dj snaggletooth - Hot Off The Lithium [happy hardcore, rave, speedcore]: can’t ever go wrong with some furry rave music. a quaint assortment of various tracks spanning anything connected to rave. you can tell they had a bunch of fun making it—and I had a bunch of fun listening to it!
• ** dreaming plushie - puppyfication_process_loading [glitch pop, drum and bass, some breakcore]: probably the album that most represents the feeling of yearn for something, at least as of recent. it prides itself in having a cohesive narrative, yet telling that narrative across a rollercoaster of sounds. an excellent journey in music, and one I implore all to listen to, if even once
• dreamlandd - NEWBYTE [plunderphonics]: this album fucking rules???? it’s made completely of samples from other music—seemingly k-pop and j-pop judging by the music video for LICKLACK. absolutely insanely cool sound it has going on, and it’s really fun to listen to. definitely check it out
• ** Ecrylian - Fatigues EP [jungle, ragga]: Ecylian’s been putting out some of the best jungle in recent times that I’ve ever heard. absolutely incredible breaks and ragga here. high praise for this one—it’s incredibly clean in sound design yet excels at having classic ragga messiness. 10/10
• emmcare - emmcares but the internet doesn’t [breakcore, noise, digital hardcore?]: a very interesting album that I can only describe as a bit of a potpourri. it’s amateurish but in a charming way
• enduser - Death Vast Remix / Open Doors [drum and bass, breakcore]: enduser is one of the classic breakcore artists, and consistently has albums that are some of my favorites of the genre. this two-side remix release may not be in the top spot of favorites, but it’s still very great. highly recommend
• entertextinthe - Aquifer [experimental, breakbeat]: entertext’s previous album is one of my favorite albums ever—so much so that I have the CD for it—and although this one doesn’t quite live up to that previous album, it’s still a relaxing listen. Not bad!
• eternalrain.mp3 - horizons.mp3 [drum and bass, techno]: a nice and tidy EP full of smooth breakbeats and good sounds. nothin’ much to it—I have more to say about their first LP, but that was not 2023! still, pick this one up. it’s great. it seems like it was deleted off bandcamp, which is a shame. you can download it on soulseek
• ** flash conduct - home sweet home [breakcore, experimental]: augh. this one hits really nice. the chops are choppy and the rhythm sporadic, just as breakcore should be. it has a little rave-ish sound to it, which is always a welcome addition. splendid little tunes in this album
• Flash Conduct and GHSU - Zany Upbeat Percussive Music [experimental, breakcore]: this album takes a much more experimental, whimsical nature to the sound that flash conduct has. it executes it remarkably well—chops and screws fitting together very nicely. definitely a worthwhile listen!
• ** Full Metal Records - Summer Sextrance Compilation [sextrance, hard trance]: sextrance goes for my heart—I’m biased heavily towards it, but even still, this compilation goes above and beyond. a pummel of drifting-down-the-highway trance tracks sure to make you forget about life for some time. absolutely incredible!
• Full Metal Records - HE IS DEAD: FMR Comp vol 1 [mostly breakcore/drum and bass, other electronic]: another potpourri compilation album chock full of some great electronic music. nothing too special to say about it—it’s just pretty damn good! give it a listen!
• futureisfailed - ichi-go ichi-e [drum and bass, some breakcore]: a nice little wrapped gift of an album—nothing too extravagant, but certainly not bad in the slightest. one of the tags is “tinycore”. I think that fits this album very well. it’s tiny yet nice. quaint
• ** glitchtrode - hollow being. feeling whole. [breakcore, drum and bass, hardcore]: this album reminds me a lot of older goreshit, and I say that in a very good way. some tracks feel right in line with overspecialized, others with wish I was here… or any of the semantics albums. dnb gives way to hardcore, which gives way to breakcore. it’s all really fucking good. incredibly unique trip, this one is
• ** GNB CHILI - World Champion [jungle shoegaze]: gnb chili is one of my favorite artists ever. basement popstar is one of my favorite albums ever. this album lives up to that legacy, with a dreamy jungle feeling that allows me to get lost in the sounds. absolutely incredible. nobody does it like gnb chili
• goreshit and Lil Kevo 303 - X61 [breakcore, rave]: a crazy collaboration between two rave legends. this album hits so many marks for me—insanely good. there’s a reason goreshit has stayed in the light for so long; everything he works on turns out great. and not to discredit lil kevo either! they complement each other incredibly well, and anybody into rave music should give this a shot
• ** greenhouse - arc,regn [idm]: the two recent greenhouse albums are my favorite pieces from emma essex in a long while. this album isn’t necessarily like, a journey in my eyes, not some special ascension feeling like some I’ve said before. it’s just really, really good sound design. incredible beeps and boops. crisp and nice breaks. it all works together so magnificently well. 10/10
• GulloHack - Out of 10! [lolicore]: a simple yet effective album of noisy breaks and anime samples. simply good fun!
• HARMOCORN - ’23 shit [various electronic]: using this space as an excuse to tell you to listen to dragon whips its tail, because it’s really good. this album’s just a few songs they made this year. not the most polished release, but nice enough nonetheless
• ** hypertrance - hypertrance 2 [trance]: an absolutely excellent follow-up to the already amazing first hypertrance album (which was not actually released this year despite saying it is). this is the trance that makes me ascend to a higher plane of existence. it’s nothing short of incredible. 10/10
• ** IllegallyEmbezzleMp3 - Kraqa Cina Z Naboron Z Dvox [mashcore, reizokore]: one of the best mashcore releases ever. that is all I will say. get lost in this one
• ** Ioopat - Club Splitter [hardcore, speedcore, mashcore]: this album’s a damn gem. the samples are crazy. the kicks are crazy. the vibe is crazy. everything is crazy. it’s so fucking good. there’s such a unique mashcore sound here that I haven’t really heard anywhere else. I can’t describe it—almost like everything flows directly into one another? it feels very upbeat, but also very hardcore, but not like “happy hardcore”. a weird dichotomy that works incredibly well
• Ioopat - Club Splitter 2 [hardcore, speedcore, mashcore]: so nice they made it twice! (and thrice, but I haven’t bought that one yet). everything that I said before applies here. good work!
• itamirinen - Harmony of hardcore [happy hardcore, trance]: this album sounds pretty damn euphoric. one of the most faithful “oldschool” style happy hardcore albums I’ve come across as of late. do give it a shot if you crave that sound—I promise your expectations will be fulfilled
• j222777 - sound test, sound test, 2!, and SOUND TEST 3 [various electronic styles]: putting these all here since they’re all pretty short. general good vibe to all these albums! nothing too terribly special I can say—I just enjoyed the sounds
• ** Joyless - Ambient Songs For Dead Games and Empty Lives [atmospheric drum and bass, ambient]: this is one of those albums where, once I put it on once, I have to loop it at least a few times. the specific atmosphere that joyless creates with his sounds is unparalleled to any other artist I have ever listened to, except possibly enduser’s Fold EP. crazy good drum and bass gets interwoven with ambient sections reminiscent of a hazy dream, complementing each other to such a high degree. I’ve walked around on empty xonotic maps and minecraft servers with this playing. it fits its title to a T. absolutely incredible, and one of my favorite albums ever
• Juice Mixer - There Is A Way To Be Together Right? [drum and bass]: a simple two-track ep of drum and bass over piano. simple yet elegant. not bad
• ** Juul Exler - Invisible [industrial techno]: I downloaded this album near the start of 2023—about when it released—and after a few months forgot about it since I downloaded so much other music, but revisiting this again now makes it hit. The kicks are punchy. the synths industrially atmospheric. it all mixes together in this crazily good EP. downloading each track individually kinda fucking sucks, since they all go through this crowdboost thing and are WAVs without tags. you can find a tagged flac upload on soulseek
• ** Kaizo Slumber - How Are We Feeling Today? [digital hardcore]: holy shit. this album pummels you with noises. there’s absolutely no cohesion between tracks, and I mean that as a compliment. it’s a hodgepodge of hardcore, and one that is an absolute masterpiece
• ** leroy - Grave Robbing [plunderphonics, mashcore, …]: this. this is my album of the year, and definitely up there in my favorite albums of all time. nothing come close to it. I have listened to this album so many times, and individual songs from this album even more so. the classic leroy sound design is brought forth not in a dariacore-style album, but spanning across various electronic genres, with all blending incredibly well. it’s the pinnacle of leroy and the perfect sendoff to the alias. listen to this, for the love of whatever gods you put stock in
• LickNAND - A Righteous Fire Burns Within Me [experimental]: this album’s pretty weird. that’s all I can say about it. it wasn’t really too memorable for me, but on another listen it isn’t bad at all. very quaint and nice
• ** lililL and The Killing Force - Will Next Season [hardcore, raggacore]: in-fucking-sane!!! this album is insane!!!! I love it!! I can’t say anything more. there’s raggacore and hardcore. both are executed splendidly. listen to this
• ** Lost Frog Productions [hardcore, breakcore, hyperflip, …]: I’m mentioning this label as a whole because I downloaded literally every single 2023 album from them. they consistently release good as hell compilation albums. I can’t list specific albums that shine above the rest because they’re all that good. it’s fucked up (in a good way) what japan did with dariacore. fuck, just, pick one at random and take a listen. I promise
• MAD BREAKS - NEW BLOOD [hyperflip, breakcore]: a very well-rounded compilation album of new people to the mad breaks label, which is always a good label I enjoy downloading from. take a listen!
• MagFoxx - NEWFOUND OPTIMISM SESSIONS: A Spectral Reflection in Three Short Acts [hardcore, rave]: a cute little mix of some rave. there’s nothing super special I can say about this one, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. pick it up if you want!
• MALWAREX64 - ep2 [(very) hard trance]: I found this album pretty soon after it released—I was going through the hard trance bandcamp tag when it popped up. when I listened to it, I was blown away by how good it was for someone with almost zero bandcamp supporters. this shit ruled!!! a genuine hidden gem when I heard it, though it did get a deserved little bit of supporters. awesome
• Meronti - IT’S OKAY TO BE INSANE [mashcore, lolicore]: hear me out here. I promise this is good. well, good if you’re into this kind of music in the first place, that is. anyway, I had a really enjoyable time listening to this—constant blasts of energy from the climax of each song directly into my ears. the distortion done on samples is good. the stitching together is amateurish enough to be charmingly good in the context of the album and genre while also not sounding off enough to be weird. mwah
• ** Metalpha - Liminal Spaces Being Butchered [idm, breakcore]: this album kind of gives me the same feelings as xanopticon’s music. of course, I haven’t heard anybody stack up to the absolute legendary album that is liminal space by xanopticon, but this one gets pretty damn close. it’s a bit more toned down, and doesn’t learn too hard into the flashcore-y feel, but it damn well makes up for it with pretty damn good sound design and chaotic flow. give a listen—it’s a crime there’s only 2 supporters on bandcamp
• ** Millennium Strike - TERMINAL Q1 2023 // ACID [techno, trance, acid]: millenium strike is a really good netlabel—I highly recommend everything on here, since I did download everything here. However, this album especially is really fucking good. a criminally underlooked compilation of some of the finest acid/trance/techno I’ve heard. 10/10
• miso-nicomi records - みそれこ！！ [breakcore, hardcore, other electronic]: once again, a nice and sweet collection of tracks that I simply enjoyed. not my absolute favorite miso-nicomi compilation, but certainly one I don’t recommend passing up. there’s a download for this on soulseek
• ** miunau - Visitations [ambient, drone]: get lost here. drift away into the clouds. forget about the world for a bit as dreams take over for a brief hour. that’s how this album makes me feel. miunau does it incredibly well. so, so very well. thank you
• Miximiximixing - AN/A3STH3TIC [drum and bass, house]: another album that I randomly found while searching bandcamp tags, and it was surprisingly nice! nothing too exciting, but it’s simply a neat little fun-sized album. the same applies for their other album, CROSS CAFFEINATED MOODS
• MO - MAD OTAKU BREAKS [breakcore, mashcore?, amenpunk]: just another little gift of an album that I enjoy. amenpunk is a little bit of a cheat code for me liking something, and the amenpunk tracks in this don’t disappoint. it’s great! give it a go :D
• MTS AIRMASS / Bvilches / FLASH CONDUCT [idm]: while only three tracks, the sound design more than makes up for the length. it’s surprisingly complex for what it is—though I’m sure that’s not too much of a surprise given how I already mentioned bvilches and flash conduct before. anyone who likes idm in any capacity should pick this up. you won’t be disappointed
• Next Reflection Digital - B.B.K.K.B.K.K. 10TH ANNIVERSARY [hardcore]: b.b.k.k.b.k.k. is one of my favorite songs ever—just simply by the vibes of it and its music video. this remix album houses a bunch of different repurposings of the song, and I love all of them. the directions each artist takes is great, and the 2023 remake nora2r did is crazy cool. definitely a worthwhile listen!
• ** Noisy Neko Paws - Gabber Revolution 100%EP [gabber, rave]: absolutely great album this one is. has the sound of oldschool gabber but with the composition complexity of the modern age. one of my favorite eps this year, that’s for sure. do check it out
• nottanishi - golden ratio [hyperflip]: it’s fucked up what japanese people did to dariacore. in a positive way. this album exemplifies it pretty well
• null - run [plunderphonics]: good album. good plunderphonics. good electronica. good all around
• ** onacide - Catdub 05 [jungle, drum and bass]: I got the entire discography of this label, but listing every individual 2-track album here would be a complete drag. this one, in my opinion, shines above the rest. both tracks are crazy cool here, with the first being smooth jungle with guitar over it and the second being a crazy atmospheric remix of HOME by Resonance. if you like this, check out most of the stuff on this label, as well as some of onacide’s releases on focusonme
• Patricia Taxxon - TECHDOG 1-7 [idm, ambient]: the experiences with this album mostly surrounded its release, rather than the music itself. patricia only announced that there would be 4, then released 5-7 across the days after 1-4. it’s a story of life told through idm, and one that seems to want to touch on various feelings for each individual album. I only have 1-4 downloaded since I’m mainly there for the music and it’s good idm nonetheless, but others may enjoy the entire heptalogy as well
• Pimp Lumpo - Pimp Lumpo V [various electronic, comedy]: pimp lumpo is a (parody|spiritual successor|something) of limp pumpo, and it shows pretty clearly. to me, the first and last tracks of this album clear the rest, but all contain the hints of comedy that make it great. do check it out
• Pomodoro - 9/9/99 [breakcore, rave?]: cirno! cirno! cirno! cirno! it’s pretty amateurish sounding, but in a charming way. cirno!
• PshYxc - I still see her with me [breakcore, …depressive hardcore?]: this album is raw. it’s powerfully raw. you can feel the emotion in the tracks—feel it through the kicks and breaks and all else that occupies the soundscape. it makes for a very, very good feeling. definitely worth the listen
• ** purity://filter - SHRAPNEL FLUX: ENDPOINT MINIMUM [sextrance]: mwah. again, guilty pleasure of mine when trashy bitcrush trance is involved, but it really is my drug. absolutely incredibly sound to me, and I hope you find the same joy in it as I do. personally, I believe this album is a masterclass of sextrance, even if purity filter said this album is the result of the biggest art block in their life
• QIREXX - CENTIPEDE - EP [hardcore, speedcore]: while short, this ep makes up for its length with an absolutely phenomenal pummeling of kicks and noise, pleasingly assaulting your ears with hardcore and speedcore that rivals the greats of the scene. its atmosphere perfectly encapsulates the sound, which is always an experience I greatly enjoy having
• ** Qube Honey - To Infringe Upon A Melody [jungle]: the cover may fool you into thinking that this is a sad-feeling album, but you would be quite wrong! this is simply incredibly cohesive jungle—quite a rarity for a jungle album to keep a feeling the entire way through while not getting repetitive. the sound is unique as well, something I haven’t heard in many other jungle albums, either old or new. a modern masterpiece
• Razor Edge - Suborbital Wrath [hardcore, industrial]: while not usually my cup of tea (though it probably is and I just don’t seek it out as much as I should), the raw industrial power of this album can not be understated. fujimi puts out top quality releases, and this one is no exception. any industrial noise/hardcore fan should pick this one up, full-stop
• riphyaku - rated N for nobody [hyperflip, mashcore]: once more I am being hit with the japanese style hyperflip weakness of mine. can’t say anything incredibly extravagant that I haven’t said before—this is just good fucking music to me. it’s plunderphonics on crack. check it out
• schoolbook_depository - secret lovenotes of copyright infringement & clonazepam (remixes 2022​-​2023) [mashcore, other hardcore electronica]: I will not say anything. I simply want you to open this page, navigate to track 17, and click play. you might want to turn down your headphones a tiny bit before doing so.
• Screamr - Viví [breakcore, ambient]: another simple yet quaint little collection of tracks that feel like they’re from the soul. lyingnext2me is my favorite one here. the artist deleted it off https://pupgrind.bandcamp.com, which is a shame, but oh well. I still like it
• ** SCSI - The Annual e-World Developer Conference 1995 [vaporwave]: I’m not a vaporwave guy! it’s not really my thing. but this album just like, idk, speaks to me or some deep shit like that. I like the sound a lot. I think the little blurb along with it fits really well. definitely check it out if you at least don’t hate vaporwave
• server.of.user - a readth album [breakcore, various other electronica]: all the tracks here are remixes of one particular influential “depressive breakcore” song, readth by Waqs. each one takes either a unique spin on the track (a la Andy pls), or simply brings the track to a higher plane of breakbeat goodness. definitely a good pick for anyone who is a fan of this sound
• 𝖘​𝖊​𝖙​𝖊 - 𝖘​𝖊​𝖙​𝖊 [hard trance, sextrance]: TRASHY BITCRUSH TRANCE!!!! TRASHY BITCRUSH TRANCE!!!!!!! RAAH!!! listen to this NOW!!! it’s very good actually, surprisingly good. 1/9/9/9/ itself is a 10/10 track to me. absolutely incredible
• ** Shimoda, Eightaphoria, and Bloodclot - It Takes Three [breakcore, mashcore, raggacore]: one of the few singles from 2023 that I’ve downloaded, and for a good reason. this is, by far, one of the best tracks of this kind I have ever listened to. these three legends do excellent raggacore, and combining their powers in one beautiful 9 minute symphony of fast paced breaks and a pummel of sound to end the world to has led to one of the greatest raggacore songs ever. everything from 4:32 onwards makes me astral project. absolutely incredible. do not pass this up, for the love of god. 10/10
• ** Simi | donkinator - Happy to be Hardcore [happy hardcore]: this album makes me feel really good!!! that’s really all there is too it!!! the 2nd track is by far my favorite of them all, but every track is very good as well. one of my favorite happy hardcore releases in a while (though, I don’t download it a lot usually…)
• SIR.VIXX - REACT:30 MASHUPURFACE [grindcore, breakcore]: noise noise noise noise. NOISE!!! this is very good noise. this noise scratches my brain. good noise. this is grindcore excellence. breakcore mayhem. it’s a violently amazing listen
• ** slowslicing - burn the effigy [industrial breakcore??]: the atmosphere this album puts on is almost one of a kind. it’s the album I’d listen to when running from security at an abandoned brutalist factory. magma sphere has been putting out insanely cool releases
• SONNY SHIMODA - REACT​:​CD008 - Kardiac Killa [raggacore, mashcore, hardcore]: shimoda does it again. I think this is their first album since the VELVET albums, but boy were they cooking up a storm to release this. excellent ragga goodness that I hold to a high recommendation. do check it out
• Sorry about my face - Remixes.. Again.. [drill and bass, mashcore?]: IDK how to categorize this as a genre, but one thing is for sure that I can categorize this as: good. the remixes series that sorry about my face has going on is probably some of my favorite… breakcore? dnb? ever, simply just by how unique the sound is. the blend of drum breaks with these russian synthy pop songs is exceedingly one-of-a-kind, and definitely something I look forward to more of
• ** Sorry about my face - Бесконечный поток серости [breakcore, drum and bass, dark ambient]: an excellent collection of sorry about my face’s most emotional tracks. sorry about my face is a real expert in the whole like, “sad breakcore” subgenre that goes on everywhere. their break complexities actually go far enough into the breakcore territory, yet they remain crisp instead of noisy. the backing instruments complement the sound perfectly. a masterclass. 10/10
• Splitterkor Rekords Dziwko - We’re Not Done Yet [various hardcore]: I wish these compilations albums were more memorable to me, but they just… aren’t. they’re still good, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t really stick with me like other compilations do. it’s a nice pickup, though. I don’t dislike it. check it out for some hardcore goodies
• ** Spongebob Squarewave - Hands in the Air [rave, breakcore]: ideally, I wouldn’t need to introduce spongebob squarewave. the dude is a timeless artist for blending oldschool rave sounds and samples with new age composition and sound design. an absolute gem that needs to spread across the internet and world as an example for pioneering the finest rave music. listen to this. it’s completely and utterly worth it and then some. a masterpiece
• Spring Spring - Triangular Fox Studios [chiptune]: a nice little happy go lucky chiptune album that I like. if you like chiptune check out the whole artist too :D
• strxwberrymilk - The Strxwberry Vault [jersey club, footwork]: once more the jersey club itch gets scratched by an album like this. well-rounded, sounds nice, and some footwork for good measure. god I gotta download more of this kind of music and branch that out, but I have so much other shit to think about that’s more important. maybe eventually
• Supire & Xat0li - Longinus [breakcore, idm]: spire is one of my favorite japanese breakcore artists—they have such a unique rhythm to their track that makes it easy to get lost in. this album is no exception, and Xat0li complements their style incredibly well. from breakcore to beeps and boops brought on by 7_7, this album is great. pick it up
• t4c0s - the city iii [ambient]: urban dreams, cozy nights, rainy days. this album is really, really good for that. listen to drift away in the landscape
• ** takahiro(FKS) - Ten Nights’ Dreams [dariacore]: while I did download all of takahiro’s discography, I am only mentioning this album because it is by far my favorite one. their sound is so fucking good and this album is the perfect representation of it. Until The Day I Die is my favorite from this album, purely by now they work with Krewella - Alive sample for the first 40 seconds, but the entire track (and the entire album) is incredible. 10/10
• TAROLIN - Swinging 200 [ravecore]: feed this noise directly into my veins if you can. good as fuck. the rave samples, the very j-core composition, the everything here… ough… so good. pick this one up NOW!!!
• ** tdstr - DnB Suite [drum and bass]: some classic smooth drum and bass by the man himself, tdstr. I say the man himself because I really like his internet brainrot album and also am like 2 degrees of separation from him. that sounds weird. oh well. listen to this :D
• tdstr - FALLING [deconstructed club]: not usually my thing, but… it hits. the noise is crazy cool, and it makes for an atmosphere thats nigh one of a kind. definitely a worthwhile listen
• Teletexter - Nowhere To Hyde [mashcore, rave, drum and bass, …]: following up from his three excellent previous albums released on favicon, the label that really introduced me to the “mashcore community” as a whole, teletexter doesn’t disappoint with this album. breaks go flying and samples vocalize in the classic mashcore style—then you get caught off guard by oldschool rave samples. a very good potpourri album that I highly recommend to anyone
• ** Temma - SH!T [breakcore, gabber, hardstyle, …]: if grave robbing didn’t exist, this would probably be my album of the year. this one encapsulates the oldschool sound so, so well, then follows it up with some of the best tracks I’ve ever heard. I just can’t say something even remotely bad about it. it’s incredible all the way through. please pick it up
• tfwamirite - my bed squeaks all wrong [jersey club]: I wouldn’t expect “the most famous goreshit lolicore album but as jersey club” to work as well as it does. the remixes here are pretty damn good. nhj especially made me like, laugh while listening to it—turning such an emotional sounding song into damn jersey club. good stuff. check it out
• toyod ine - popwasbroken!!!!! [mashcore]: nothing too special, but nothing bad at all. fucked up what japanese people did to dariacore etc. etc. still very good nonetheless
• TRVSHBXVT - Lofi Hardcore [hardcore-ish]: a neat little bundle of tracks that, as the album name suggests, is a bit of a “toned down” hardcore feeling. it’s like, watered down, but not in a bad way? it’s hard to describe, but I enjoy listening to it. give it a shot
• ** TURQUOISEDEATH - Se Bueno [shoegaze, atmospheric drum and bass, post-rock]: I’ve known about turquoisedeath for almost 1.5 years now, ish, and I’m so so so glad that they broke through with this album. it feels like the culmination of what all their previous work was building up to. I felt something was brewing when they released Paralyzed Wing (the release date says dec 2023 but it was released months before se bueno actually), which I also downloaded, and seeing that sound get integrated here was really, really nice. all around great album
• ** umru & Friends on BBC Radio 1xtra® - B2BATTLEPASS SEASON①「FW’23」 [hardcore, hyperpop, …]: an excellent compilation album by a bunch of friends. there’s lots of different styles represented here, and I really enjoyed listening to it all thr way through. the shnuffel song remix is crazy still. if you want a download for this, it’s on soulseek
• ** wawawa - nauseating symphony [breakcore, hardcore]: if there is any album that I’d say is a direct spiritual successor to goreshit - overspecialized, this one is definitely it. the atmosphere nigh perfectly matches that of overspecialized while remaining fresh and modern. exquisite. amazing
• x.nte - Reimagining DB [breakcore, idm]: this album’s title isn’t lying. it really is reimagining… db? well, I really mean dnb here. it feels oddly fresh for an album like this, and as such I highly recommend listening to it if you enjoy this kinda thing. I enjoy this kinda thing, so I enjoy this. simple as
• ** xaev - berdlycore chapter 3 [plunderphonics, mashcore]: xaev has been my favorite dariacore-inspired artist out of all of them. their sound is so fucking unique compared to the rest, and I’d be damned if they weren’t at least one part of inspiration to the japanese artists as well, because it almost feels like this unique blend between the original dariacores and the japanese hyperflip scene. it leans much more info the wubby electronic side of music, which fucking rules. mwah. 10/10
• yam lynn - year of the moon rabbit [drum and bass]: I downloaded all of yam lynn’s albums on unlucky wind, but this one is my personal favorite. they do dnb so well. there’s nothing too terribly extravagant I have to say about this album, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad by any means. it experiments here and there—never enough to be completely avant-garde, but enough to not be boring and in the dnb sea. very nice pick
• λμκικαζε - 無​常​再​興 [breakcore, amenpunk]: I’ve been waiting for months upon months for good japanese amenpunk to make a comeback—ever since discovering miso-nicomi’s festival in summer albums. this little collection of tracks fills that void. I just wish it was longer
• λμκικαζε / ハヤトムラカミ - フ​ツ​カ​ヨ​イ [amenpunk, shoegaze ish?? kinda?? IDK]: I dunno how to categorize ハヤトムラカミ’s tracks on this, but I do know of one word to describe them: great. good shit all around from both—a split of amenpunk goodness and dreamy bootlegs of already great tracks. pick this one up
• ღDJ魔女っ娘ミラクるんღ - MIR4CLEN 4 [happy hardcore, j-core]: good album. good album!!! happy go lucky fun nice tunes nice kicks!!! I gotta download more j-core because I always forget how much of just a fun banger it can be
• きらいり - insensate [breakcore, drum and bass]: downloaded all of this person’s albums but this one is my favorite glaggle. good breakcore goodness. all there is to say
• 元号レコーズ - Watch Me Drop It Like [various hardcore]: ohhhh my god I forgot this album is crazy listening it to it again. good j-core spread across many genres I like!!! please check it out :D
• ** 望月真白 - Alternative Neon Sight [deconstructed club, trance?? other electronica??]: this album is, like. hmm. it feels like a journey. it feels like what the image makes me feel. it’s very, very good. I can’t really like, describe it? it’s just a potpourri, but with a weird form of continuity. idk. I like it. I like it a lot. listen to it
• 毒/Poison - Aconitum [hyperflip, mashcore]: more crunch noisy hyperflip goodness. mwah mwah mwah. feed this noise directly into my veins, because it’s a drug to me. a worthwhile listen for all who enjoy. check it out
• ** 響現 - Awakening [synthpop]: and we end this entire journey—a journey filled mostly with hardcore sounds, noisy kicks, and chopped up breaks—with a relaxing collection of synthpop tracks. a neat little journey of beeps, boops, and vocals painting a picture of sendoff—to me, at least. it’s very chill, and something I really like. highly recommend

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