Review: Malefic Form- Video Game Dreams EP (2011)

Band: Malefic Form

Release: Video Game Dreams EP

Genre: Instrumental/Hip-Hop/NEScore

Members: C.J. Miller

Label: Unsigned

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MaleficForm

Download for free here: http://maleficform.bandcamp.com

Tracklist:

1. Starting Screen

2. Lucid Fantasy

3. Fairy Kisses

4. Green Chill Zone (EP Mix)

5. Spiraling Downward

Review: 8.4/10

Malefic Form is someone which I used to work with back in my R&B Records days. Back then, he was in the group Surrah and they made… digitized screaming over noise… anyways, Malefic Form is an instrumental hip-hop beat artist. I first heard his Squirt Gun EP not giving it much hope, but it blew me away at how good it was. Now that EP didn’t really have any video game influence, but this one is built around familiar video game tunes.

Starting Screen is built around the intro music for Pokemon, but tweaked with for a softer, chime infused beat. Coupled with snare drum, soft bass and hi hat, it makes an ideal instrumental that doesn’t need any vocals. Lucid Fantasy is sampled from the Final Fantasy title screen and is one of the best on the EP. It has a different pitch (as it seems to me) than any of the FF games, with the addition of bass and steady snares that I could see this being a beat for a fast rap artist. Fairy Kisses is sampled from the fairy pond music of Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past. It doesn’t actually really function as a beat like the rest of the album, it’s basically just the original music with added elements such as a snare with echo and a soft hi-hat. Green Hill Zone is, you guessed it, sampled from Sonic The Hedgehog. This is different than the single that was released before the EP. This mix has a heavy overlying reverb that I feel really bogs it down compared to the original. If an artist were to use this song, I could see it being used with a R&B or indie singer instead of a rapper.

I do like this EP, but it’s not his best. I feel that he could’ve made another hip-hop instrumental beat album with the game samples instead. I look forward to hearing more of his releases and, in my opinion, is MUCH better than anything Surrah ever came out with. Although I can see this EP capturing the “dream” part, as it’s echo-filled soundscape sounds like something that would be in a dream.