First off before we get into the biggest Daily Hat Track summary of all time, I want to take a moment to make an announcement on scheduling in case you’re not looking at my Twitter. There is no longer a schedule. Now, that I’ve got myself a full-time job going on, there is absolutely no possible way I can keep up with one review a week, regardless of how motivated I am. And on top of that, the stress I’d receive from trying to review so much would get to me and make it impossible for me to enjoy reviewing. So, from now on, I’m going to be sending out reviews whenever I finish them in my free time. I’ll still be spending significant time reviewing. I’ll just have some longer breaks between longer reviews and maybe some shorter breaks when it comes to tiny reviews (One of the near future reviews is only 5 songs long so I can’t imagine I’ll spend excessively long on that one).
Not that anyone will notice but I’m also shutting down my Patreon. No one was really donating anyway, discouraging me from making any review previews and really just discouraging me from reviewing in general, because at this point in my life, it’s not looking to be really possible to just use this site as a launchpad into becoming a full-time creative. I’m already working on finding another route so we’ll see how that works in the future, but for now, this is going to be one of several hobbies that I’m simply doing for fun.
Anyways, it’s time for the October Hat Track Summary. Likely the longest Hat Track Summary I’ll ever do. September might not have existed, but I made October a double month to make up for it, even if it devolved into an early November onslaught of chaos at the end there. Let’s see what tracks got shared before that happened, and while that happened.
Daily Hat Track: October 1 track 1 (Danny Barranowsky – Mausoleum Mash)
One of the most iconic tracks from one of my favorite games thanks to it’s use in the opening cutscene and one of the game’s early levels. I honestly discovered the soundtrack before the game but I love both.
Daily Hat Track October 1 track 2 (Bliss – Blaze Up)
Bliss is one of the best psytrance artists in recent years, if not the best. He’s been on a roll for much of this decade. This release from last month, for example, is a lovely mixture of playfulness and badassery.
Daily Hat Track: October 2 track 1 (Seven Lions & Ciscandra Nostalgia – Serpents of Old)
This must be the oddest creepiest thing to come from Seven Lions as far as I know. And as someone who is quite a fan of the odd and creepy, I find this to be one of my favorites from him.
Daily Hat Track: October 2 track 2 (Saltillo – Following Evelyn)
Alright, let’s follow up the pleasantly ugly with the pleasantly gorgeous. I feel this song is my favorite from Saltillo, mostly thanks to the vocal samples about growth, change, and finding one’s place in the universe.
Daily Hat Track: October track 2 (Reliant K – The only Thing Worse than Beating a Dead Horse is Betting on One)
This is way outside my usual genre but can we just take a minute to appreciate how much Relient K was able to pack into a song that barely surpasses a minute?
Daily Hat Track: October 3 track 2 (Openwater & Matt Vice – No Regrets)
I guess today is a nonelectronic day as this one is more of an inspiring combination of orchestral, piano and a slight bit of rock. And it’s a worldview I really need to adapt if I’m going to move forward.
Daily Hat Track: October 4 track 1 (Sam Maher – New York)
I’ve really been getting into handpans as of recent and this is guy is my personal favorite handpan master. Here’s about six minutes of unique handpanning. Enjoy.
Daily Hat Track: October 4 track 2 (Shirobon – Regain Control)
I find Shirobon’s retro style quite interesting. This song about regaining control over one’s life (expectedly relevant to me) is a great example of Shirobon (Born Survivor is better but I shared that long ago).
Daily Hat Track: October 5 track 1 (Icon of Coil – Dead Enough For Life)
I haven’t posted a sufficiently existentially edgy song yet this month so this one goes out to the crippling depressive angst of getting stuck in a monotonous cycle with no eacape all while feeling dead inside.
Yay
Daily Hat Track October 5 track 2 (Rootkit & Anna Yvette – Against the Sun)
Probably favorite song from Rootkit, though I believe one influence of that could be that I believe Varien had a small hand in this as well. And considering Varien is one of my favorite artists of all time… Yup.
Daily Hat Track: October 6 track 1 (Assemblage 23 – The Noise Inside My Head)
The noise inside my head could possibly be a simple tune that turned out to be an earworm… Or is it the dark existential insomnia-inducing thoughts that appear so regularly that they’ve unfortunately become the norm?
Daily Hat Track: October 6 track 2 (Squarepusher – Mutilation Colony)
A beautifully ominous beginning eventually transforms into a distorted nightmare. An interesting unconventional journey.
Daily Hat Track: October 7 track 1 (Rotersand – Hey You)
I shared Rotersand’s Not Alone a long while back and I consider this to be its companion song. The music sounds quite a bit different and there’s a bit more dark was in there but the theming and structure are similar.
Daily Hat Track: October 7: track 2 (VNV Nation – Homeward)
Several of the recent hat tracks (as well as today’s review) have been focused more on a great personal meaning. That’s what happens when one is in a big transition in life. I just hope I can keep home in sight.
Daily Hat Track: October 8 track 1 (Aviators – The Path Home)
Remember when I’d reviewed Aviators’ Aeterno? Well, a couple weeks ago, the man released a remastered version of a few of the tracks off that album and many are a vast improvement. I think The Path Home benefited the most
Daily Hat Tracks: October 8 track 2 (Neilio – Captivating)
I don’t care much for the musical content of this Monstercat classic (hardstyle just isn’t my thing), but the lyrical content is a glorious illustration of my relationship with music so I quite enjoy the song otherwise.
Daily Hat Track: October 9 track 1 (Bruderschaft, Apoptygma Berzerk, Icon of Coil, VNV Nation, and Covenant – Forever)
What I love about Bruserschaft is that it’s four futurepop artists all collaborating all at once. And as a huge fan of futurepop I obviously enjoy that. And Ronan Harris from VNV Nation at the front is definitely a treat.
Daily Hat Track: October 9 track 2 (Lindsey Stirling – Shadows)
I’d originally discovered Lindsey when this song was featured in a video by Nerogeist called the guardian, which you should also definitely check out as I’d argue that it’s just as beautiful as this song.
Daily Hat Track October 10 track 1 (Beborn Beton – Another World)
This is way too catchy for it’s own good. Such a specific concept too with the singer being a spirit from the beyond the grave warning a loved one to leave his resting place alone, for he has found the afterlife.
Daily Hat Track: October 10 track 2 (Rameses B & Aloma Steele – Darkest Place)
This one used to be on my top ten Monstercat songs of all time though it admittedly has been slipping back a slight thanks to my attention being drawn elsewhere. My DnBias keeps me coming back to it though.
Daily Hat Track: October 11 track 1 (Neelix – Mosquito)
I’ve shared a remix of this song before quite a while ago, but I want to take a step back and admire the original version with its dramatic tension, danceable drive and distorted mosquito sampled synths.
Daily Hat Track: October 11 track 2 (Deltron 3030 & Del the Funky Homosapien – 3030)
I like to share a lot of songs depicting the future. Often they’re hopeful, bu this one is a bit bleaker. I never minded bleakness though long as it’s not too destructive, which this isn’t.
Daily Hat Track: October 12: track 1 (GUNSHIP – When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies)
The title alone makes me a bit existential what with my dispassionate disposition towards the world of adulthood. But the song itself is a bit more uplifting than it might initially appear.
Also it has a sax so yes.
Daily Hat Track: October 12 Track 2 (Nana the Shrimp & DZA – Speedball)
Seeing as the song’s name is Speedball, it understandably fast paced despite not having an exceptionally high BPM. Though there is a switch up in the middle that allows for an interesting lightly accelerate tempo change
Daily Hat Track: October 13 track 1 (Nobody Beats the Drum – Natural Thing)
This song sounds more technological than natural so I’m not fully certain how well the title and vocals fit. But the song is a nice multileveled trip nonetheless.
Daily Hat Track: October 13 track 2 (Mahamudra – Shadows of Courage)
This song depicting a strangely ominous mixture of desperation and victory was hiding deep in the shadows of my musical memory.
It resurfaced recently.
And I’m so glad it did.
Daily Hat Track: October 14 track 1 (Le Matos – La Mer Des Possibilités)
Le Matos is one of many synthwave names I enjoy. I’ve chosen this song in particular to share due to its arpwork and the fact that the title translates to “The Sea of Possibilities.” A sea that I should look on with hope
Daily Hat Track: October 14 track 2 (Varien – Teva833)
I’ve established before that Varien is one of my favorite artists. The man has massive spectrum of moods that his song can adhere. And when it comes to the darker trippy stuff from him this song is certainly top notch.
Daily Hat Track: October 15 track 1 (Matduke – Shivers)
Another classic MC hard dance track (I shared Neilio’s Captivating earlier this month). But I prefer Matduke. And this is my favorite Matduke as it has the most satisfying variety of the early days of MC hard dance.
Daily Hat Track: October 15 track 2 (Rezonate & Ashley Apollodor – Rebirth)
My favorites from Rezonate are songs with a chill introspective perspective. This is the most uplifting of the bunch with extra focus on embracing positivity rather than letting go of negativity (there’s a difference).
Daily Hat Track: October 16 track 2 (Moby – Lift Me Up)
I heard Sesto Sento’s remix first (even though I was already familiar with Moby via Natural Blues and Why Does my Heart Feel So Bad).
This song is a much happier alternative to those two and it’s just as beautiful.
Daily Hat Track: October 17 track 1 (Tut Tut Child – Talking of Axes)
Talking of Axes is clearly appreciated by me as a song involving both rock elements and some good electronic basslines. And that’s not even mentioning the syncopation.
Daily Hat Track: October 17 track 2 (Juno Reactor – Pistolero)
Pretty obvious that the ever present guitar is the absolute star of the show in this one. Really sells the western vibe this song seems to aim for (everything else about the song is great too, but guitar is what I love).
Daily Hat Track: October 18 track 1 (INTERCOM – Truth and Malice)
My favorite nonInfected Mushroom song to make it on a MC Rocket League comp.
It transitions perfectly between beautiful stringed sections and groovy basslines sections seemlessly, likely thanks to the vocal chops.
Daily Hat Track: October 18 track 2 (Phaxe – Angels of Destruction (Neelix Remix)
I will likely eventually share every combination of Neelix and Caroline Harrison eventually as they sound so gorgeous together.
While this is no Makeup, it’s still up there among my favorites from the two.
Daily Hat Track: October 19 track 2 (Jilax & Durs – Conquer)
Continuing on a psytrance roll, I’m going to share a bit of a recently fresh psytrance track. There’s some nice dramatic near cinematic tension in places and whenever it’s building itself up, it does so nicely.
Daily Hat Track: October 20 track 1 (Grabbitz – Better with Time)
I’ll admit that I’ve lately felt stuck in that place where I’m seeing life as a boring movie, desperately hoping it all gets better with time.
Hence I enjoy this song.
Plus syncopation of course. That’s always loved.
Daily Hat Track: October 20 track 2 (Niteppl – Can’t Stop Now)
Seeing as I’d discovered this song in my early Spotify days, this one feels like an inspirational classic to me. Sure the lyrics are a bit repetitive, but the funky vibe and piano bridge more than make up for it.
Daily Hat Track: October 21 track 1 (Absurd Minds – The Question)
Have I done a song yet on the nihilistic questioning of reality as we ponder the slow transition to dystopia that society is trending towards?
Well if not, here’s an example.
Daily Hat Track: October 21 track 2 (The Anix – Interferance)
A bit of an oddly creepy maybe edgily unhealthy love song from The Anix for this one. Kind of like anything I’d expect off of FiXt. But there’s also just that hint of existential that keeps me coming back.
Daily Hat Track: October 22 track 1 (Altered Frequencies (Phutureprimitve edit))
I’ll be honest, I haven’t actually taken the time to listen to the original version of this one yet. But hey, I do know that Phutureprimitive’s edit has a great blend of sounds (including guitar) that hits the sweet spot
Daily Hat Track: October 22 track 2 (Daniel Deluxe – Darkness)
Darkness is unsurprisingly quite a dark song about eternal darkness. Go figure.
Thematically, I’d say it’s similar to Gunships’s Dark All Day, albeit this one doesn’t have a sax so it’s obviously the lesser of the two.
Daily Hat Track: October 23 track 1 (Neilio – Obsession)
Oh this song sounds nice and romantic at first…
At first…
Daily Hat Track: October 23 track 2 (Covox – Attack Vector)
I don’t know if I’ve ever really posted chiptune Hat Tracks that often. In the right hands some cool stuff can be made in the genre. Here’s one such song, albeit it’s the second half where the song really shines.
Daily Hat Track: October 24 track 1 (Lauren Bousfield – No Clocks No Mirrors (For Joey))
I’ve always loved Lauren’s fine line between the calm and the madness. And this song does a great job of bouncing back and forth in between the two extremes.
Daily Hat Track: October 24 track 2 (Tokyo Machine – TURBO)
This recent release is likely one of the only Tokyo Machine songs I truly enjoy. He just doesn’t fit my groove. I think I was in the right mood when first listened to this one as I was driving in the middle of the night.
Daily Hat Track: October 25 track 1 (Vexare – The Clockmaker)
I will admit that I prefer that calms and the moments of the ticking clock more than the main drop, but there is somewhat of a classic feel to this one. Not super dirty like some dubstep but it still hits nice and hard.
Daily Hat Track: October 25 track 2 (Carpenter Brut – Roller Mobster)
Been listening to an above average amount of Carpenter Brut as of late, likely one of the greatest artists of all of synthwave. Choosing one song to highlight is nigh impossible so I just grabbed one of his most popular.
Daily Hat Track: October 26 track 1 (Muzzy – Spectrum)
Easily one of my favorites from Muzzy. It has it all: beauty, intensity, meaningful lyrics. It’s just a lovely song that few, if any can top (maybe the Wrong remix but that doesn’t take the beauty cake)
Daily Hat Track: October 26 track 2 (Muzzy & Droptek – Warhead)
Long as I’m on the topic of Muzzy, here’s one of his most badass tracks. A collaboration with Droptek that feels as if it’s in the same vein as Endgame. And I love Endgame. So I love this.
Daily Hat Track: October 27 track 1 (Infected Mushroom – Cities of the Future (extended remix)
The best remixes have the ability to improve upon the original while still keeping the heart of what made the original so great. This is a great example of such a remix of a song I’ve already fully reviewed.
Daily Hat Track: October 27 track 2 (Ace Ventura – Hello?)
Imagine. You’re driving through the night listening to music, some new, some old. One of your favorite song ends with a good 5 seconds or so of near silence and then out of no where you hear it:
“Hello? Anybody here?”
Daily Hat Track: October 28 track 1 (Krama – Master of Elements)
This song served as my introduction to Krama, one of the best artists of Spintwist (other than Neelix of course)
Oh and this apparently has a quote from Doctor Strange in it. Didn’t notice at first but there it is.
Daily Hat Track: October 28 track 2 (SCNDL & Timmy Trumpet – Bleed)
Meme
Daily Hat Track: October 29 track 1 (Sesto Sento – Zoombai Warriors Surfing on a Small Chapati Sound in the East of Parvati (Megamix))
This insane mashup is made up of several songs by 9 different psytrance artists, including one of my very favorites, Bliss. Absolutely amazing piece of work right here.
Daily Hat Track October 29 track 2 (Savant – Change)
Multigenre songs with tempo changing switchups are some of my favorites. So what of this song? A full constant switchups multigenre cluster of fantasticality, constantly accelerating until the very end before breaking down.
Daily Hat Track: October 30 track 1 (Ehrling – Thokoloshi)
Ehrling is always a pleasure. Probably because saxophone is always a pleasure. And Ehrling nearly always has a saxophone present. Like many of his songs I love the bouncy sax vibes the song has to offer.
Daily Hat Track October 30: track 2 (Wisp X & Xomu – Lumina)
Now the reason I’m particularly enjoying this song isn’t because it’s breaks (though syncopation is still expectedly awesome, but it’s because it had some gorgeous piano melodies at the forefront.
Daily Hat Track: October 31 track 1 (Direct & Mr Fijiwiji – LA2016)
Direct and Fijiwiji are always a great combo, but I’m honestly just here.for the vocal chops.
Daily Hat Track: October 31 track 2 (Savlonic – Computer Guy)
Sir Weebl, the main man behind Savlonic may be responsible for memes, but this one is so incredibly catchy that I’ve gotta throw back to it. And it’s slightly more serious than his more well known stuff.