Trance | John O’Callaghan & Full Tilt – Breathe (feat. Karen Kelly)
Posted by Spice on February 18, 2013
Trance maven John O’Callaghan teams up with fellow Irish producers Full Tilt on “Breathe,” featured on Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance 2013 compilation and out today as a single on Armada’s Captivating Sounds imprint. Combining warm vocals from Karen Kelly, a driving bassline, and JOC’s trademark adrenaline-baiting sound, it’s a surefire hit and one that will undoubtedly be making the rounds now that ASOT 600 has officially kicked off.
Beatport: John O’Callaghan & Full Tilt – Breathe (feat. Karen Kelly)
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 | Rank 1 vs. M.I.K.E. – Elements of Nature
Posted by Spice on January 29, 2013
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
Trance | Armin van Buuren & Markus Schulz – The Expedition (A State of Trance 600 Anthem)
Posted by Spice on January 28, 2013
We’re about two weeks out from the launch of Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance 600 world tour, so it’s only appropriate that the official theme song — which premiered a few weeks ago on ASOT — got a Beatport release earlier today. ASOT theme songs are always a bit of a marketing ploy — by design, they’re meant to drum up excitement for the tour — but they’re also frequently great in their own right. Armin and Markus’s “The Expedition” (which in some ways recalls the ASOT 550 theme, W&W’s “Invasion”) is no exception. A dark and dramatic vibe, punchy synth riffs, and a slightly higher bpm (133) ensure that this is something we’ll be hearing plenty of in the coming weeks. For more details on A State of Trance 600 and to see if Armin and the gang will be coming to a city near you, head to the official website.
In other trance news, look for Armin’s upcoming A State of Trance 2013 compilation to drop on Valentine’s Day. (Note: apparently it will feature a new Gaia track. Goodie!) This compilation is the 10 year anniversary edition and will likely (hopefully) be filled with a lot of great material. He’s also in the process of wrapping his next artist album, so, as always, many things to look forward to in the coming weeks and months.
Beatport: Armin van Buuren & Markus Schulz – The Expedition (A State of Trance 600 Anthem)
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.
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.