Sounds of 2013, nos. 10 to 7

We return you now to Everfree Radio's Top 100 of 2013, as voted for by its listeners seven years ago. Herewith a quick reminder of the criteria I use to determine whether a song should be included – though you can take it as read that something that made the top ten qualifies under Rule 3 regardless of anything else.

Rule 1: Still available in the same or (1b) similar form direct from the artist
Rule 2: Available from a third party, with reason to believe the artist is fine with this
Rule 3: So famous that it would be plain silly to leave it out
Rule 4: Being unlisted is not, on its own, grounds for exclusion

Only four instalments of this series left now! Four songs today, then three, two and one for the remaining editions. Here's today's mixture:

10: BlackGryph0n & Baasik – Faster Than You Know
09: Aviators – Equestria Girls (Helping Twilight Win the Crown) [remix]
08: AcoustiMandoBrony – Kindness
07: SlyphStorm – Castle of Shadows

YouTube embeds, rambling and in some cases links to HQ downloads follow after the break. Meanwhile... here is some music!

10: BlackGryph0n & Baasik – Faster Than You Know

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 28 Sep 2013

BlackGryph0n has been one of the biggest names in fandom music for years, and in late 2013 he was probably at the height of his fame. He collaborated a number of times with Baasik, and although this song may not today be the best known result of that teaming up, that may be in part because the event it commemorates – Twilight's ascension – is now just another part of history, rather than the epochal, fandom-shaking event it was seven years ago. The song itself? In truth it's a little on the bland side, a well produced and performed pop song that I could imagine hearing on the radio. Quite interesting to listen to in the light of the closing events of S9, though! You can get this in HQ for 99 US cents on BlackGryph0n's Bandcamp.

09: Aviators – Equestria Girls (Helping Twilight Win the Crown) [remix]

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 27 Jul 2013

Talking of things that were really big in 2013, I'm told there was some film or other which featured teenagers dancing in a school cafeteria. But seriously, the original of this track was most people's highlight of the first Equestria Girls film, and for me at least this Aviators banger is the best remix of that song in existence. He said it was his highlight of the movie too, and that enthusiasm does come through in the remix. It doesn't mess around with the underlying song too much, it doesn't rely on screaming or distortion... but it does add a slightly stronger beat and some excellent synthy instrumentals. Want it in HQ? Of course you do. It's on the Equestrian Revolution III album, for which you may name your price on Aviators' Bandcamp.

08: AcoustiMandoBrony –Kindness

Rule 1: original uploaded to YouTube 13 Jan 2013

Well, would you look at that? Yet another of the "Elements" collaborations between Acoustic Brony (now Re:Make) and MandoPony, and naturally this is Fluttershy's song. It's not as famous as "Loyalty", but it may be the second best known of the four (five if you count the unfinished "Honesty"). It doesn't go the expected route for a Fluttershy song, being fairly bold rather than quiet and meek. I think it works, and where 'Shy is concerned I am somewhat demanding! One possibly apocryphal snippet: I've read that this song was played on a Christian radio station for a while as being fitting for Jesus, until someone took exception to the line "Almost as if you're actually real." 320k MP3 download in the video description.

07: SlyphStorm – Castle of Shadows

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 30 Nov 2013

If you've been wondering whether SlyphStorm would feature in this list, then wonder no more! This is one of my favourite songs in the entire Top 100, and I'm actually a little surprised it's become relatively unknown in recent years. Perhaps it's the rapping that does it, though even as someone with very little in rap I appreciate this. What really grabs me, though, is the wonderful string-heavy instrumental intro that then becomes a continuing theme. And if you're an old-school enough gamer to be wondering... yes, this song about the Mane Six's battle against Nightmare Moon is intended to have a Castlevania feel. To get the full effect, you can purchase the track in HQ for $1 on SlyphStorm's Bandcamp.