Preview, Trance | Dash Berlin Ft. Chris Madin – Fool For Life (Dash Berlin 4AM Remix)
Posted by Mach on February 11, 2013
“#musicislife” is by far my favorite album of 2012. Since its release, the question on my mind has been, which track will Dash Berlin create a 4am remix of? I am happy that they chose “Fool For Life.” It is definitely one of my top 5 favorites from the album, but I feel it has more versatility for a remix than the other tracks do. Only having heard this preview of the remix, I have to say I enjoy Dash Berlin’s piano and synth progression much more than the original. The drop is something different than most Trance listeners are use to hearing. It has a little bit of a breakbeat vibe to it but still has that progressive flow anyone can fall in love with. This remix makes me even more excited to soak in ASOT at UMF this year. This remix is set to release on Aropa Records on February 28th.
Trance | Suncatcher – Simplicity
Posted by Spice on February 11, 2013
Who’s afraid of 138? Trance may have taken a turn for the house-ish in recent years, but take a gander at Suncatcher’s insane soundscapes in “Simplicity” and tell me you’re not a convert to the genre’s faster and more musically complex roots. This track is warm and stirring without feeling cliched; thanks to lush synths and a driving theme, it’s pure uplifting gold. With releases like this, it’s easy to see why Suncatcher has already seen heavy support from titans like Armin van Buuren, Aly & Fila, Above & Beyond and Roger Shah — it’s clear that the young Romanian producer is one to keep an eye on in 2013.
Beatport: Suncatcher – Simplicity
Trance | Armin van Buuren vs. Arty – Nehalennia
Posted by Spice on February 11, 2013
Up next in this week’s epic batch of releases is Armin van Buuren and Arty’s stunning collaboration (which nobody knew was coming prior to its preview on ASOT 598, amiright). From the melancholic piano riffs to the floaty, chopped vocals, “Nehalennia” is a gorgeous trance journey from start to finish, befitting of the goddess it is named for. Small wonder that it’s slated as the opening track on Armin’s A State of Trance 2013 compilation, which is set to drop on Valentine’s Day.
On a related note: swaggy kicks in that artwork, Armin.
Beatport: Armin van Buuren vs. Arty – Nehalennia
Trance | Ferry Corsten – Kudawudashuda
Posted by Spice on February 11, 2013
Kicking off an absolutely massive week of releases is Ferry Corsten with “Kudawudashuda,” and I couldn’t be more excited. The hook is catchy and dramatic, the vibe is dark and spacey, and the synthwork is top of the line (I’m a huge sucker for those staccato plucks). This is a song to lose your mind to; it’s the song that’s playing at 4 am when you’ve made it to the tail end of a deep set and time has lost all meaning. Ferry will be joining Armin van Buuren and the whole team on several legs of the ASOT 600 world tour (which launches in Madrid this Thursday), so expect to hear much of this track in the coming weeks. It’s out now on Beatport via Ferry’s own Flashover Recordings and is set to drop on iTunes on February 25.
Beatport: Ferry Corsten – Kudawudashuda
Trance | Nitrous Oxide pres. N2O – K.O.
Posted by Middy on February 4, 2013
Anjunabeats has been a tear leading up to the release on Anjunabeats Volume 10 with one huge track after another each week. Following up tracks like Ost & Meyer’s “Here We Go“, ilan Bluestone’s “Sinai” and Audien’s “Wayfarer“, Anjunabeats regular, Nitrous Oxide returns with his single “K.O.”. Atmospheric synths, a grinding low end and quick key play pervade throughout while a minimal electro trance drop gives the track power for the live venue. This track shows the continued covergence of trance and house into what was once dubbed “trance 2.0” and as Armin van Buuren launches his “Are You Afraid of 138” campaign, it shows the widening difference in how trance is being perceived and produced in 2013.
Electro-House, Trance | W&W & Ummet Ozcan – The Code
Posted by Middy on February 4, 2013
If you are sitting down, it may be tough to stay there. Coming off of their very poignant single “Lift Off“, W&W tab Ummet Ozcan of recent “The Box” fame to come together on “The Code”, another powerful electro trance track sure to be heard pounding around the arenas as the ASOT 600 circuit commences in under 2 weeks. Opposing big room builds with a heavy kick, electro growls and pulsing synths, the trio masterfully weave together elements of various genres, leaving behind the ideas of what one is expected to do and craft an outstanding track that will have lasting impacts on their discography’s and sets for many months to come.
Beatport: W&W & Ommet Ozcan – The Code
Trance | Armin van Buuren – Communication Part 3 (Remixes)
Posted by Spice on February 4, 2013
Armin van Buuren’s 1999 hit “Communication” is undoubtedly one of the most iconic tracks in trance. Its dark, haunting melody has stood the test of time, and while it certainly has a classic, late 90’s vibe it also still sounds amazing in 2013. Over the years it has seen two major remakes (Part 2 in 2000 and Part 3 in 2007), and now, in what is perhaps a long overdue move from Armada Music, it’s getting the full remix treatment (from four of trance’s brightest stars, no less).
All of these remixes are excellent in their own right. John Askew — a genre purist who recently took to Facebook to decry the amount of electro house currently being passed off as trance (#respek) — puts out a techy and monstrously hard-hitting rework at 140 bpm. Faruk Sabanci’s rendering enhances the airy piano theme and retools the main hook into a big, dramatic, and utterly riveting cascade of synths. Expect to hear a lot of his remix now that we’re getting into ASOT 600 season. James Dymond folds orchestral strings and choral bursts on top of some relentless kicks, while Thomas Heredia gives the track sawtoothy, electro-tinged heft. On the whole, all four producers did an absolutely fantastic job reinterpreting a rather unimpeachable classic. Listen to Armin’s original version at the top, and then check out the finished products below.