Author: Spice
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Trance | Audien – Wayfarer
Posted by Spice on January 14, 2013
With his second full Anjunabeats release (inspired by the sunglasses of the same name), Audien proves that he is without question someone to keep an eye on in 2013. “Wayfarer” premiered on the first episode of Above & Beyond Group Therapy — when Jono, Paavo and Tony dropped it live in Bangalore — and it’s easy to see why they chose it as their opening song. Bright gated synths and a groovy hook make this an indisputable feel-good jam, along the lines of what we’d expect to see from Arty or Sunny Lax. Audien may be a newcomer to the scene but I am definitely already loving his sound.
Beatport: Audien – Wayfarer
Preview, Trance | Ferry Corsten – Kudawudashuda [Preview]
Posted by Spice on January 10, 2013
Ferry Corsten returns to his roots in his latest track — a play on “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda” — which premiered to much fanfare on the New Year’s edition of Corsten’s Countdown. This is solid gold non-vocal trance that features a mesmerizing hook, heavy kicks, and incredible builds; aside from the retrofits of older tracks he’s been working up with Markus Schulz, “Kudawudashuda” is easily one of the best things I’ve heard from Ferry lately. It’s the kind of track that gets dropped at 4:30 a.m. when the club is still packed but things are starting to get weird and you’re moving without thinking and are utterly in the zone.
On a more general note, Ferry is one of the heaviest hitters in the game and a true master of the genre, and I am hopeful that this is an indication of the kind of trance we can expect to see in 2013 (I’m likewise encouraged by Armin’s “Who’s Afraid of 138?” campaign). No word yet on an official release date yet but look it for it to drop soon on Flashover Recordings.
Mashups, Progressive House | Kaskade vs. Hard Rock Sofa & Swanky Tunes – Surrender Apogee (Kaskade Mash Up)
Posted by Spice on January 7, 2013
It’s Kaskade Mashup Monday (#KMM) and you know what to do. Great vocals, driving bass and a huge build make this latest installment a mandatory addition to your music collection. Get the free download below — and if you’re still not satisfied, check out the rest of Kaskade’s awesome bootlegs on his Soundcloud.
Free Download: Kaskade vs. Hard Rock Sofa & Swanky Tunes – Surrender Apogee (Kaskade Mash Up)
Progressive House, Trance | Armin van Buuren’s 2012 Yearmix
Posted by Spice on January 7, 2013
For some reason I’m only just getting to the magnificent feat of editing and mixing that is Armin van Buuren’s 2012 Yearmix. Armin spent close to a month chopping and refashioning 101 of the year’s top trance tunes into one blissful, continuous two hour mix that aired on A State of Trance at the end of December. Diehards will have already heard this in its entirety, but I’m calling your attention to it now in the event that it got lost in the holiday shuffle because it’s not something to miss. Not only does it provide an excellent and diverse cross section of the year in trance, but Armin’s unparalleled technical mastery is on display to the fullest extent (I cannot stress enough how agile, seamless, and creative his transitions are — if you have any sort of familiarity with these tracks, he’ll have you in total awe in about three minutes). Check it out below and be sure to take a look at the full track list after the jump.
Drum & Bass, Trance | Spice’s Top 12 of 2012
Posted by Spice on January 5, 2013
Less than a week into 2013, here are the songs that continue to have the strongest possible association for me with the crazy year that was 2012. Note: heavy on the trance.
Albums | Skrillex – Leaving EP
Posted by Spice on January 3, 2013
For those of you who have been lamenting the lack of new Sonny Moore material in recent months, the wait is now over: we’ve got a brand spankin’ new EP from The Little Guy to blast, compare to his past productions, and generally over analyze (“But why doesn’t this sound more like ‘Reptile?’ Ugh, I hate the direction he’s going in now.”) The only catch? To download it, you have to sign up for The Nest, OWSLA’s recently announced digital subscription service that gives you access to early downloads, VIPs, unreleased material, and much more from Team OWSLA.
The EP itself is short but quite diverse. It opens on its most high energy note with “The Reason,” a hard and catchy four minutes of electro house that make heavy use of those trademark choppy vocals. We also get a funky, midtempo trap-influenced breakdown — since trap is officially the most ubiquitous thing happening in electronic music at the moment. From there, it’s onto “Scary Bolly Dub,” a dub reboot of “Scary Monsters” which will be immediately familiar to anyone who’s caught Skrillex live in the past few months. Finally, the title track, which is restrained, darkly melodic, and downtempo; thanks to garage-influenced breakbeats, it’s illustrative of Skrillex’s range as a producer. Yes, to gain access to this EP you must take on the monthly subscription fee to The Nest, but if you’re a serious fan of OWSLA’s work it will be a small price to pay.
Download via The Nest: Skrillex – Leaving EP
Stream on YouTube: Skrillex – Leaving EP
Progressive House | Kaskade & Deadmau5 vs. Swanky Tunes & Matisse & Sadko – Move For Me The Legend (Kaskade Mash Up)
Posted by Spice on December 18, 2012
In this latest installment of Kaskade Mash-Up Mondays (yes, it’s Tuesday…who’s counting), the man/myth/legend that is Ryan Raddon brings you the literal definition of an auto-download. “Move For Me” is one of the most recognizable and well-loved tracks in recent EDM memory. “The Legend” is progressive house at its riveting, melodic best. What happens when you merge the two? Nothing short of amazing. Props to Kaskade for continually identifying some of the most compelling track combinations out there. Jump on the free download now — or be square.
Free Download: Kaskade & Deadmau5 vs. Swanky Tunes & Matisse & Sadko – Move For Me The Legend (Kaskade Mash Up)