I find I'm avoiding the real-world news more and more these days and taking refuge in colourful, magical escapism, so maybe that will give me a bit more time to read ponyfic. That's the ideal, at any rate, though something is bound to turn up to ruin it. Still, we'll see how things go.
Read it Later story count: 279 (+1)
Four stories again this week. If I can just get my count up to five a week and keep it there, I'll be very satisfied. They're all short fics again, though I do have a couple of longer tales I'd like to review before too much longer. We'll see how that goes, too, but for now here's what's on offer:
Big Jim's tweet today, debunking a bunch of "Season 9" pictures as fakes, made me wonder once again of how long it may be before we get some real news on S9. There are two things to watch out for: the date of the season premiere and confirmation or otherwise of whether S9 will be the final year of FiM. It's possible we could get both those pieces of news at the same time, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if that wasn't the case.
As to when Hasbro might actually say something... the New York Toy Fair is in February, and Hasbro is bound to have a presence there. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that S9 will begin in April. I'd have thought a NYTF statement would fit quite well with that, in terms of having time for trailers and hype and all the rest of it. In all honesty, I'd like to know – especially about S9 being the end – as soon as possible. It'll take away one source of pointless arguments!
Definitely time I got back to these things! I was reminded by a couple of anniversaries that occurred this week, although they're from 2012: both "Loyalty" and The Living Tombstone's remix of "Discord" turned seven in the last few days. I don't quite remember those coming out, but it still makes me feel old! Anyway, back to 2011 now...
Impressive how Omnipony (now OMNI) got Dashie to record so many samples for this, isn't it? ;) Although he hasn't made MLP music for years, Omnipony is still fairly well known in the fandom, and this isn't the least of his early efforts. A Spike song inspired by "Secret of My Excess", which may mean you're surprised by the Rainbow Dash chops from "Winter Wrap Up". I was – if I'm honest, I'm not sure what relation the song has to its title. I'm told this is melodic dubstep (maybe; I don't know!) and that means you get a drop about halfway through. I can't find an HQ version sadly; the Bandcamp link in the video description leads nowhere.
This is the very first Pony song on WoodenToaster's account – it was uploaded on 28 May 2011, making it one of the earliest enduring brony tracks I know of. (Not quite the earliest, as we'll see in a later edition.) As you might expect from such an old song, this isn't the most complex of pieces, consisting mostly of those trademark distorted synths and a repeated snatch of lyrics from the "Laughter Song" from the S1 premiere. It's catchy, but not the most memorable of experiences. Again, I haven't been able to find a link for this track in HQ. Sorry!
No. 31 is another track being skipped for not meeting the criteria.
Makkon is a musician that those who were around the fandom in its early days tend to wax lyrical about. As with Omnipony, he hasn't been active for many years, but at least he left us tracks like this. A largely orchestral piece with just a high vocal accompaniment, this is in a different league to a lot of 2011 brony music. My touchstone for orchestral fandom music is Evening Star, and I'd suggest that if you like ES you'll probably enjoy Makkon's piece, which has a similar epic, filmic quality. Want an HQ listen? There's a working Mediafire link to a 256kbps MP3 in the video description.
Next time, the songs I feature will include one of the most famous show song remixes ever made.
Tenuously seguing from one of last week's fics, I watched a quite entertaining BBC documentary about Fleetwood Mac the other day. It was an hour long, so only had time for about 1% of the FM story, but what was unusual was that it played several full songs (from live performances) rather than the usual 30-second clips. Admittedly some of the talking heads were, er, talking over bits, but it was still refreshing.
Read it Later story count: 278 (-7)
This week, I have the following four fics for you to enjoy. Or not enjoy. Or not read at all. Or completely ignore and go out to buy some courgettes or something. Look, you make your own mind up. I'm not your mother. No puns in my reviews as terrible glorious as last week's, I'm afraid.
The Awfully Repetitive Vengeance of Ahuizotl the Terrible-ish by thesecret1 Hay Loft by Inky Swirl My Friend by KnightMysterio Them Bones by A Hoof-ful of Dust
★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0 Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.
Yes, I know I forgot the ruler for scale. Silly me
These reviews get ever more thrilling, don't they? What? Oh, please yourself. Anyway, just a quickie this time around. I picked up these sheets of licensed My Little Pony wrapping paper quite some while back in The Entertainer in Birmingham, where they were on sale for £1.50 per pack. I'm not sure what the RRP is, since I only ever buy them when they're reduced! Toys R Us used to sell them too, but of course that's no longer an option.
Both tags had Twilight designs, at least in my pack
There's not a lot to say, really. The design appears to be a rather early one, given the old pink MLP logo and the vector of unicorn Twilight. Those vectors aren't great, but they are at least different from the ones most of us have seen a thousand times. All six Mane mares make it on, which is nice, and Applejack has her hat, which is also nice. Oh, and the paper is pink. The quality is acceptable and it does its job well. At £1.50, this is a three-star product.
A few days ago, this article in Canada's National Post newspaper was published. It's a fairly in-depth look at how our fandom is faring as the FiM era draws to a close. Maura Forrest's piece seems a decently researched article on the whole – for example, she acknowledges 4chan's place at the very beginning of the fandom's story. She also makes the fair point that, eight years in, it's hard for many/most fans to sustain the initial rush of excitement that being a brony brought.
It's nice that Forrest's article doesn't take the easy route of either assuming every brony is the stereotypical unemployed "neckbeard" or overplaying it the other way and making out we're all the CEOs of FTSE 100 companies. There's due regard paid to our tendency to buy custom merch (eg plushies) in preference to Hasbro's, too. There are a few little slips, such as the implication that there was a consensus among fans to hate Twilight's ascension, which wasn't true even in 2013. Not many, though.
Forrest touches on some of the modern grumbles, such as the ever-growing cast meaning less of a focus on the Mane Six, the quality of today's episode writing and those leaks from late 2017. There's also the fair comment that a fandom based around a single TV show, which was always going to end sometime, does have something of an "expiry date" built in. On the positive side, there's a bit about VanHoover being built in the wake of BronyCAN's expiry in 2017.
The subject of conventions is one that could fill articles by itself, and here in the UK the situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that our largest Pony con isn't just about one show but rather about the My Little Pony franchise as a whole. But I think that point I mentioned in my first paragraph plays a large role: it's been eight years and the shine was always going to wear off a bit for many people. Whatever your thoughts, I do recommend the National Post article to every fan with a reasonably open mind.
If you need an introduction to this one, then you're either new to the fandom or someone with very odd musical tastes! Although later eclipsed in popularity by The Living Tombstone's remix, it's the artist now known as Odyssey Eurobeat who brought us "Discord" in early October 2011. When this song appeared, "The Return of Harmony" was the most recent show episode, so it's impressive that the artist got such a catchy and memorable tune together so quickly. It's slightly slower-paced than that remix, but perhaps actually more coherent as a result. It certainly deserves its proper place rather than being overshadowed by you-know-what. If you fancy owning an HQ copy, head for the artist's Bandcamp and name your price!
Ah, Friendship is Witchcraft. Its star has perhaps faded a little in recent years, but I stubbornly continue to love it. And even those less enamoured of this abridged series than I am tend to appreciate two things: one is Sweetie Bot, who originated in FiW. The other is its original music. This one by Sherclop Pones (Griffin Lewis and Jenny Nicholson) was the series' first fully original song, and it's fantastic. Pinkie's singing is deceptively cheery and light-hearted in tone. But listen to the words and you'll realise it's a tale of gypsy magic and heartbreak. Sadly, the Dropbox download links provided are now dead. Just like Pinkie's parents.
37: MIU – WANT IT NEED IT
Yes, all caps. This track by MIU, only a small portion of whose music is Pony, is a very creepy one. That's not surprising, as it's inspired by Twilight's descent into madness in "Lesson Zero". This is actually a remix of Jeffthestrider's original, which is a bit harder-edged. The style of MIU's remix is apparently inspired by When They Cry visual novels, about which I know nothing. Still, I like the song anyway; unsurprising, as I like the episode and have a soft spot for piano-heavy tracks. You can pick up an HQ version on a name-your-price basis on MIU's Bandcamp.
"Flutterwonder" is the track most people will name when they think of "So Many Wonders" remixes, but Jackle App produced this nice alternative. It was made in just four hours, which says a fair bit about the guy's abilities. The song sounds very suitable for Fluttershy, with a relaxing feel that speaks of nature and the calmness of the quiet countryside. Don't be fooled by the "HQ Download" Mediafire link – it's just a 128k MP3. That's a shame, as Jackle App's Bandcamp doesn't stock this song either, so you'll be stuck with YouTube quality. Still worth it, though.
Well, in one of today's fics, at least. There's a lot of stressful stuff going on in the real world at the moment, and it's also raining outside as I type this, so I think it's time for us to get away from that for a bit. Instead, we're off to the magical land of Equestria once again.
Read it Later story count: 285 (+1)
Only the three fics this week, though in my defence one of them is (a bit) longer than the average for these posts. Today's trio are:
I wasn't expecting this quite yet, but over on the UK PonyCon forums, committee member Guiding Breeze has announced that the 2019 theme will be Ocean Adventure! From what I've seen so far, this will be a popular choice, with plenty of scope for cosplay. I thoroughly approve, too! As the forum post mentions, there should be plenty of "shoo be doo" around the place when the convention opens later in the year! Seaponies look set to be much in evidence, though I'd love to see someone go all-out with a Steven Magnet cosplay! :D
Since negotiations aren't yet finalised with regard to dates and venue, those aren't yet public. I would be very surprised if the con wasn't in the autumn as usual, though. As for where... well, there's been a lot of speculation already that the theme suggests a maritime location. If so, Southampton is probably the bookies' favourite at this point. (Not that we're betting on it, I hasten to add!) Brighton has also been mentioned, as has Newcastle – and even Blackpool! Liverpool, which might otherwise be among the favourites, may be a bit of an outsider because Griffish Isles in May will be just 30 miles away in Manchester.
The forum post suggests that the UKPC team hope to be able to announce all the important details in February. That would be earlier than last year, which I think everyone would be impressed by. Wherever it is, I'll at least explore the possibility of going. Well, unless it's in Belfast or Inverness, which would probably be just too expensive and awkward for me to manage. I do have a backup plan just in case, though, which is that I might take the opportunity to do Griffish Isles for the first time instead. Okay, unless that con suddenly moved to Lerwick. That might be a bit tricky. :P
At least, by the time this post goes up it should be. As I write, it's not available yet, but apparently 11th January is the ETA. I must admit that I've been a bit inconsistent with the first season of these shorts. If they'd been FiM I'd have been all over them, but as much as I've warmed to EqG over the last few years it's still not quite at the same level. I mostly just watch the specials, with a few exceptions (like "So Much More to Me"!)
Kudos to Hasbro for making things easy by publishing direct to YouTube, though. That damn "Discovery Go app first" approach they used last year was a real pain in the rump, especially for the CYOA shorts. The app isn't available to those of us in the UK, so we had to wait until some kind soul uploaded the videos and hope they didn't get blocked before we got to see them. I'm glad this isn't going to be an issue any more, and it might even get me watching them all!
I'm pretty close now to deciding that yes, I will be doing an equivalent "Sounds of 2012" series – partly for the nostalgia value, as that was the year I entered this fandom. However, as I mentioned a while back, the format will change a bit. Basically, it will be more concentrated. I'll probably pack around ten tunes into each post until I get to the upper reaches of the chart. (So yes, I'll actually use page breaks for those!) I'll work the precise details out when I get to it. For now, though, it's Everfree Radio 2011 Top 100 time again!
I've said this before, but Hasbro's canonisation of Steven Magnet's name must be the strangest bit of Ascended Fanon, considering its provenance. Still, back in 2011 "Slice of Life" was far in the future, and instead we had this immensely catchy bit of electronic fun from Alex S., complete with Steven's voice samples from the S1 premiere. While the artist himself moved on from this sort of thing, in 2015 he gave us all an official archive channel, where this song now resides. Thank you, sir! There's a 320kbps MP3 for download (via Mediafire) in the video description.
This, right here, is the personal favourite I mentioned at the end of the last edition of this series. Scootaloo is my second-favourite pony (after 'Shy, of course) and this is a Scoots song I really love, telling the story of Best Filly's determination to prove herself. Embedded here is the original 2011 version, on MandoPony's channel, and its technical quality is a bit lacking; it sounds pretty tinny. Thankfully, the following year there was a much better-produced redone version, hosted on the AcoustiMandoBrony channel. I'd recommend that one if you're not bothered about its 2012 date.
You can also find the original on AcousticBrony's Soundcloud, but that site no longer has a download button. The 2012 update, though, is easy: there's a 320k MP3 link in that video's description. I've been lucky enough to have heard Acoustic Brony play this song live twice: in an acoustic version at BUCK 2013, then electrically at the same convention the following year. It sent a shiver down my spine both times, and even now I have very fond memories. It may not be the subtlest track ever, but I don't care. I'll always love this.
Time now for another entry in the once-popular "show theme remix" subgenre, this time by the guy now listed as Mumble Etc. This one does exactly what it says on the tin, being a mixture of Octavia-inspired orchestral notes and some harder, heavier electronic stuff from Vinyl Scratch's side of things; unsurprisingly for this artist, there's a lot more of Vinyl here than there is of Tavi. Still, any track which features a Flutteryay can't be all bad. Two options if you want higher quality: there's a free Mediafire MP3 download in the video description, or for WAV'n'FLAC you can splash out 50p on Mumble's Bandcamp.
Not the last time we'll be seeing the title "Nightmare Night" in this countdown, but this song isn't a remix of the song everyone knows. Instead, it's a remix of background music from "Luna Eclipsed"! StormWolf later changed his name to JoshLohMusic, but nothing's been added to the account for five years now. Apparently this may strictly be electrostep rather than electro-dubstep. Um. No idea. It's a fun piece and makes for pretty good background music, but this track seems to have been almost entirely forgotten by the fandom now. The only place I can find a 320k MP3 is on pony.fm.
Next time: two enduring classics will be among the selection.
In case anyone's reading who submitted a story for it, I haven't forgotten about the "Newcomers' Edition" Ponyfic Roundup that I mentioned in the autumn I was planning. I said then that early 2019 was the most likely date, and so it remains. Right now I'd expect it to come along some time in February, as I have (from memory) seven or eight fics to get through for it.
Read it Later story count: 284 (-1)
A second successive five-fic week! Yay! Shall we get started? Yes, let's get started.
It's 2019 now, so here's some more music from eight years ago. Well, actually seven-and-a-bit years ago, since none of these tracks were released in January 2011 (little enduring was), but who's counting? We're well into the forties now, yet I'm still discovering songs I knew literally nothing about until I embarked on this series. Only one of those this week, though, and that's the final track. Today's four are:
It's yet another track from Odyssey Eurobeat now. This one is based on Pinkie Pie's iffy song, "You Gotta Share" from the S1 episode "Over a Barrel", and so unsurprisingly it features honky-tonk piano sounds, twangy banjo and a little bit of hollerin' for good measure. I'm not a great fan of the spoken bits that bookend the song, and it's probably not my favourite Eurobeat Brony track, but if you want in HQ then you can have it – on a name-your-price basis from the artist's Bandcamp.
Another song based on a show episode, in this case S2's "Sisterhooves Social", this d.notive track features on his popular The Fantasy album. I'm considerably more familar with the 2012 remix by Replacer, and this original is considerably harder-edged and clubbier. It took quite some while to grow on me as a result, but if you're looking for a Sweetie Belle song to dance to, this may be it. And if you'd like to hear it in HQ, you're in luck, as it – and the whole album – are name-your-price downloads on d.notive's Bandcamp.
Now here's a song written, albeit unofficially, to go with a ponyfic! According to Robbiedez (now known as LaRaikaa), this piece was inspired by Avensis Astari's story Allegrezza, which I'm afraid I've not (yet!) read so can't comment on now. It's an electronic cello piece which in some ways seems to anticipate Octavia's canon duet with Vinyl Scratch in "Slice of Life" four years later. For such an early song, it does this rather well. You can pick up an HQ copy for $1 on the artist's Bandcamp.
One for lovers of "hard/uplifting trance" now. As the track name implies, Michael Arrelano's song is inspired by "Lesson Zero", complete with several of the show samples that were very common in those early days. Twilight goes through several different emotions during the course of the song, which prevents it from getting stuck in a rut as some trance tracks can. There's a link to a 320k MP3 in the video description. The artist links in his "About" section to his new account, where he was once known as MichaelAEDM but now produces occasional releases under the name Kal.
Next time: another of my all-time favourites – and it's one I've heard played live!
By this I don't mean that sometimes I keep an eye on Twilight, sometimes Granny Smith and sometimes Celestia. No: what I've been doing once or twice a week for a little while now is to let Random.org pick a number for me between 1 and 196 (the 195 FiM series episodes plus "Best Gift Ever") and watch whatever the Great God RNG commands. With one exception mentioned below, I don't get a second go. If it's an episode I don't remember very fondly, tough. That's kind of the point.
I do have one or two provisos. If the chosen episode is the second half of a two-parter, I'll watch both halves. And if it's one I've watched recently, I can roll again. But that's pretty much it. I've found this an interesting way of making myself question my initial assessments of Pony episodes, and sometimes I end up feeling better disposed towards ones I used to have little time for – that happened to me just yesterday when I was allotted "Boast Busters".
I recommend this as a fun approach to Pony watching. You can easily expand it to include Equestria Girls content or movies if you like, as long as you get numbering worked out before you start rolling the RNG dice. Mind you, it really only works if you're strict with yourself and stick to what you're given come what may. Otherwise you might as well just choose episodes you know you like anyway!
If you read my "2018 in Pony" post a few days ago, you may have been wondering whether I was going to look ahead to 2019. Well... not in quite the same way. After all, I covered a fair bit of it (if tangentially) in the 2018 post, and things like "Will you be going to any conventions?" can't be answered beyond "I hope so" at this point in the year. However, here's one of my New Year's Resolutions that is relevant. I repeat it here in the hope that I'll actually meet it:
In 2019, I will actually write some damn ponyfic!
My 2018 ponyfic output was feeble. My one and only completed fic was Custard Repeatedly Teleports into Starlight, a very short sequel that is generally felt (including by me) to be inferior to the story it follows. Then there's the embarrassment of The Danger Within, which has languished on hiatus since the end of February. Not good enough, especially for a fic whose writing was primarily intended to stop me doing this.
The last time I wrote what I consider a good story was The Book of Ended Lives in February 2017. Now, I'm glad that's up there of course, but... February 2017! I may not write another good story if I do write more ponyfic, but I certainly won't write another good story if my output is zero. So, here I am putting this on record: during 2019, barring personal emergencies, I will write the fic I've been mulling over since S7. It's going to happen.(2020 update: It didn't happen.)
Well, I've managed – just about! – to fulfil my hope of getting a PML entry posted by the end of the Christmas season. This one is a little newer than some, but it's one I've listened to a lot recently. Even more than the song it's based on, actually...
What? "The Pony I Want To Be (Sim Gretina Remix)"
Who? Sim Gretina, based on the original by Daniel Ingram
Which? Show song remix
When? October 2015
Why? Sim Gretina is a musician that many people still badly miss since he stopped making MLP remixes, even though that was more than three years ago now. As far as I'm aware, this track from autumn 2015 marked the end as far as this particular fandom was concerned. It's a relatively light-touch remix, which for me places it squarely in the "simple things done really well" category. It pulls off the difficult trick of giving Diamond Tiara's lament an infectious beat while still maintaining the original's emotional pull. Not a bad Pony swan song for such a deservedly popular remixer.
I'm still easing into 2019, but I'm pleased to say that Ponyfic Roundup is present and correct for the first Wednesday of the month. I had a pretty decent festive period on the whole, which included lots of food and some pleasant company. What the new year may hold for Louder Yay I don't know, but it's certainly going to hold something!
Read it Later story count: 285 (-7)
L@@K! R@R3! Genuine Five-story week! Yes, everypony, the impossible dream has come true. For the first time in almost four months, I have five fics to talk to you about today. I am actually unreasonably pleased with myself on that score. Not counting any chickens just yet, but I hope this will return to being the norm here on PR. Here's this week's collection:
Happy New Year! I thought I'd begin it by looking back at the one just gone. Here is an unashamedly personal view of the ups and downs in the show and the fandom alike over the past 12 months. If you can think of any other categories I could have included, feel free to suggest them in the comments section!
Best show event: "Best Gift Ever". This was the first ever proper FiM special, and the show team did an excellent job. It doesn't quite match "A Hearth's Warming Tail" for me, but it's not far off, with a warm-hearted feel that's entirely appropriate for the time of year it represents.
Biggest show disappointment: "Non-Compete Clause". No further explanation needed.
Biggest show surprise: The Student Six. It's a long time since characters have gone from nothing to firm favourites so quickly. I'd happily watch a spin-off.
Happiest moment: Being there as EileMonty sang "I am Octavia" at UK PonyCon, more than five years after missing her doing the same at BUCK 2013 and long after imagining I'd lost my chance for all time.
Saddest moment: Discovering just a couple of weeks ago that Ceffyl Dwr had nuked his Fimfiction account. I didn't get to read anything like as many of your fics as I'd have liked, but the ones I did read gave me a lot of enjoyment. Wherever you are now, I wish you the best and hope you're doing all right.
"I'll Never Get to Do This Again": Buying a VIP ticket for UK PonyCon. Given they sold out in 26 minutes (!) I don't think I'm going to push myself in future. It was a fun experience, though.
Personal success: Helping to keep the Worcester meetups on the road, and seeing them attract new members and some old friends return after longish absences.
Personal failure: Writing so little ponyfic. In particular, starting The Danger Within specifically as a fic I could write quickly and have fun with, and ending up sticking it on hiatus after many months un-updated.
Best YouTube discovery:The Feral Brony's G1 reactions. They're great. Give them a try! (No, I wasn't paid a vast sum, or indeed any sum, for saying this. Curses!)
Most irritating part of 2018: The interminable arguments about whether S9 of FiM will be the last. Even if (as I assume) it is, I'll be relieved when Hasbro finally makes it public and lays that silly argument to rest.
Funnest new blog feature to write: Now I've got my guidelines sorted out, "Sounds of 2011" has fascinated me and introduced me to people like Chain Algorithm I'd barely heard of before.
