Trance | Suncatcher – Simplicity

Posted by 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

Albums | Tracklist Announced for Anjunabeats Vol. 10

Posted by on January 30, 2013

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Above & Beyond’s much awaited compilation on their flagship label, Anjunabeats, has finally released the tracklist ahead of its March 4th release date. The compilation includes previously released tracks like “Wayfarer“, “Sinai“, “Isla Margarita“, “Vision“, “Here We Go” and “Small Moments”. There is a whole host of new tracks from Arty, Above & Beyond, Maor Levi, Norin & Rad, Andrew Bayer, Jaytech and many more. Some of these songs we have heard before as IDs, and many more we have not, so it will be a great treat to hear this in full on March 4th. Check out the full tracklist after the break. You can pre-order the compilation now here.

READ ON >>

Trance | Rank 1 vs. M.I.K.E. – Elements of Nature

Posted by on January 29, 2013

Rank 1 Elements of Nature

Did you listen to Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy radio show last week? If you did, you will probably remember this track from Rank 1’s amazing, dynamic guest mix. Rank 1 are titans of trance so it’s no surprise that their latest, a collaboration with fellow veteran M.I.K.E., is an absolute killer. Darkly melodic with a fast-paced and uplifting vibe, “Elements of Nature” is the kind of track that puts a fresh, 21st century spin on the genre’s more classic elements.

Beatport: Rank 1 vs. M.I.K.E. – Elements of Nature

DO SOMETHING

Trance | ilan Bluestone – Sinai

Posted by on January 28, 2013

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Israeli trance producer ilan Bluestone follows up his previous single on Anjunabeats “Capetown” with the highly anticipated “Sinai”, yet another single first premiered by Above & Beyond at Group Therapy episode 1 in Bangalore, India. Anjunabeats has been on fire lately in the lead up to the Anjunabeats Vol 10 release. “Sinai” much like his previous release is a uplifting trance track with atmospheric synths, a lush soundscape, gregorian style chants, and subtle trance styled electro stabs. A surefire name to watch in 2013, ilan Bluestone is showing us why he is quickly becoming one of the premier talents on the stacked Anjunabeats roster.

Beatport | iTunes

Featured, FYI | You, Me, and Avicii — The State of EDM in 2013

Posted by on January 24, 2013

Avicii

January 23, 2013. 12:13 p.m.

Up until five minutes ago I was having an utterly unremarkable day. In fact, had someone asked me about my day five minutes ago, I would have responded with something along the lines of, “well, you know, it’s really cold out.” Or, “I had soup for lunch.” In other words, up until five minutes ago, my day was filled with the mundane but generally inoffensive things that define the 9-to-5 hours.

But then the following tweet happened. And just like that, I became a bitter, angry person with a white-hot axe to grind against the world and everything in it:

Ugh.

For those of you who don’t follow the baby-faced Bieber of EDM, the man (boy? guy?) better known as Avicii recently launched a large scale initiative to crowdsource his next “hit single.” AVICII X YOU styles itself rather magnanimously as the first ever “global collaboration” in dance music, inviting You, The Aspiring Producer, to join forces with Tim Bergling in creating his next anthem.

Here’s how it works. You, The Aspiring Producer, dream up a melody and submit it to AVICIIXYOU.com. Then you wait on tenterhooks as everyone votes, but that’s all for show because in the end Avicii’s just going to pick his favorite. Then a bassline follows in the same manner, then percussion, then a break, and finally, on February 7th, “effects” (a truly vague delineation which I’m personally choosing to construe as more cowbell).

Thus, a song is born.

READ ON >>

Trance | Ost & Meyer – Here We Go

Posted by on January 22, 2013

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Another selection from Anjunabeats vol 10 (hope to see you guys at the launch party), Ukranian duo Nikita Bogdanov and Vadym Porotkov, better known as Ost & Meyer make their return to Above & Beyond’s powerhouse Anjunabeats label. “Here We Go” combines entrancing piano melodies, atmospheric pads and an upbeat bass line that at 128 bpm helps bridge the gap between progressive & trance. Anjunabeats continues to deliver quality tracks and with “Wayfarer” hitting Beatport trance number one, look for that trend to only continue.

Beatport | iTunes

Events | Full Lineup Announced for Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats Vol 10 Launch Party

Posted by on January 15, 2013

Selling out in only 30 minutes (we hope you got tickets), Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats Vol 10 Launch party at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City on February 16th now has the supporting cast to go along with headliner and label head Above & Beyond. A mixture of both Anjunadeep and Anjunabeats will be represented with a cast of American producers, Andrew Bayer, Norin & Rad & newcomer on Anjunadeep, Beckwith. Andrew Bayer is set to release his sophomore album this spring on Anjunadeep “If It Were You, We’d Never Leave”, so expect a new and fresh set from him. We saw both Andrew Bayer & Norin & Rad at Electric Zoo with Above & Beyond and they were outstanding and we are excited to see Beckwith for the first time. You can preorder Anjunabeats Vol 10 now here. Listen to selections from each of the supporting cast below.