Every once in a while, I come across a song I simply can't take off repeat. Darkhalo's "2 forces" not only belongs on this list, but shines as one of the absolute best. On my first playthrough, I was hooked from the moment the song began until the very last beat. Even after countless playthroughs, I'm still amazed. The style is not one usually seen as a module -- drum'n'bass with a lustrous, refined sound. Between the fast beats and the spooky piano leads, one can easily imagine the 'setting': dark, brooding, yet somehow beautiful. I've never heard a tune quite like this, and needless to say I've been captured by its magnificence.
Technique, Arrangement, Composition (10/10)
As one can expect from such a refined sound, Darkhalo is a master marksman of the tracking method. "2 forces" uses no resonant filters, VST effects, or insane arpeggio sequences, and to put it simply, it doesn't need to. The song's seemingly-simple style succeeds in achieving perfect balance. Echoes are used nicely, transitions are smooth, and the drumloops are varied constantly to avoid the usual repetitiveness that comes from a song in this genre. What impresses me the most, however, are the samples. The meat of the song consists of custom-recorded sequences from the artist's own JV30, and not only are these samples used well, but they're tuned perfectly and are in perfect time with the music. I've heard far too many potentially good songs ruined by "gaps" in the sound that result from choppy 'megasamples' and poor tempo management, but "2 forces" avoids this problem completely. Not many artists can lay claim to this, and Darkhalo has proved his worth time and time again in this one simple package.
Development (8/10)
Your average run-of-the-mill drum'n'bass song usually lacks in this department, usually preferring to substitute heavy, grinding sounds insteady of catchy melodies. Darkhalo has not only broken this tradition, but shattered it to pieces. The song itself is a beautiful mix of "darkness and light", the eerie ambient piano sequences fitting strangely well with the deep bass and driving beats. Although no clear melody line is present, the song doesn't need one. The piano itself leads the listener on a wild ride, and one would be hard-pressed to find any fault in such a thing.
Creativity (10/10)
Aah, how can I say it? The style speaks for itself. Never before have I heard a song quite like this, blending the two forces of "dark and light" together in such a way that makes the title so fitting. The music takes a few unexpected twists along the way, leading the listener on a musical journey like no other. Don't take it from me either... listen to the song yourself and let your imagination roam free.
Enjoyment (9/10)
I, for one, find it a difficult task to take "2 forces" off repeat! Not only does it have an addicting, driving beat, spooky-yet-lustrous melodies, and beautiful composition, but Darkhalo has also managed to defeat the fatal force of repetitiveness by intertwining themes and ideas to keep the sound fresh no matter how long one listens. Not many modules can claim this, even today.
2 forces - dh_2forces.xm
Review Score: 9/10
Overall Impression (9/10)
Every once in a while, I come across a song I simply can't take off repeat. Darkhalo's "2 forces" not only belongs on this list, but shines as one of the absolute best. On my first playthrough, I was hooked from the moment the song began until the very last beat. Even after countless playthroughs, I'm still amazed. The style is not one usually seen as a module -- drum'n'bass with a lustrous, refined sound. Between the fast beats and the spooky piano leads, one can easily imagine the 'setting': dark, brooding, yet somehow beautiful. I've never heard a tune quite like this, and needless to say I've been captured by its magnificence.