TIM STARKPO Box 272, Oxford, OX3 8FJ
BT
Skylarking Armada Music
9.5
Seeking 11 minutes of immersive lusciousness this week? Step right this way. With a runtime to rival ‘Embracing the Sunshine’, ‘Skylarking’ concerns itself less with trance-progressive and more with high season melodics. Tonally it will delight the trance family faithful. Running near twice the length of most of this month’s other releases though, floors requiring more ‘instant hit’ appeal might look elsewhere.
Aaron Camz & Alana Aldea
Lead To You Interstate 8.0
The ‘Original Mix’ of ‘Lead To You’ shows promise aplenty, but in and amongst its unblinking prog aesthetic, Alana Aldea’s vocal is left sounding a touch too plaintive. Whether intentional or not, Styller’s mix counteracts this superbly. Backlit by his harmonic riffs and clever structure, it allows more of the song’s emotion to show through. Come break’s end, we’re left with something less melancholic and more embraceable.
Abstract Vision & Elite Electronic vs. Aimoon
Galactic/Quasar Armada Music 6.0
Lead track ‘Galactic’ has plenty of oomph in the engine room, and its build to the break is spotless. At that waypoint though, the wheels start to wobble. Prime suspect is the clunky arrangement of its lynchpin riff — an orchestral string section that note-wise never goes where you imagine it will. Better is ‘Quasar’, which (while having a few more generic aspects) is more intuitively produced and handles better on the floor.
Jorn van Deynhoven
Superfly ASOT 7.5
15 months back, ASOT releases had me running for cover. These days they’re greeted arms open wide. Beefing the roster up with more established names, there’s also been a palpable rise in cross-the-board quality too. That’s exemplified by Jorn van Deynhoven’s latest. ‘Superfly’ roars
out of the speakers in euphoric, near-hyperventilating fashion and over the course of its runtime, produces one thrill after another. Mac & Monday
Here Comes the Snd Borderline 7.0
Its ‘huh?’ title aside, this is Borderline’s best in a while. Mac & Monday amp the atmosphere with a fluidly produced beats/ bass/percs and supporting FX melange. Allowing female vocal entrancements to creep in, it lays up at the drop in good form. As it releases the filter on an uprising and truly compelling synth line, it becomes clear it has all the energy, chutzpah and gusto needed to seal its deal.
Moonbeam feat Leusin
Flight Black Hole Recordings 8.0 More hyper-enigmatic deep trance absorption from the Russian duo. With all its enrapturing beguile, Leusin’s vocal does somewhat steal the show across ‘Flight’s ‘Original’ and ‘Club Mix’. Sensing an opportunity perhaps, Michael Calderone tips the tempo and tone scales in favour of a mix more playable (I suspect) by more mainline DJs. Perfectly measured, it becomes this release’s weapon of choice.
Orkidea
Pacifique Solaris Recordings 8.0
Drawn from his ‘20’ album, ‘Pacifique’ is the distillation of what maintains Orkidea as the underground’s poster boy. In less capable hands, its collage of influences — as wide as Sasha & Digweed, Vangelis and Jean Michel
Solarstone
Please Black Hole Recordings 8.0
Overhearing two ladies glowingly discuss his Pure Trance night during WMC last weekend, the gospel according to Solarstone is clearly getting out there. Fittingly, a ‘pure’ vocal mantra launches ‘Please’, which builds with the same cannoning trance bass that propelled ‘Jewel’ so effectively. With its wickedly infectious (not to mention feel-good) lead-line working at maximum efficiency, it’s the better track of the two, too.
Suncatcher
Simplicity Enhanced Recordings 7.5
A fair few Enhanced artists have been trying to integrate some Stateside-baiting trancestep touches into their melodica of late. More often than not, the results have been incongruous. Assembling a profusion of excellent parts on ‘Simplicity’, Suncatcher bucks that trend. With its hazy, dreamy centrepiece break inviting images of more clement climes, this one will warm yer cockles till summer turns up.
Will Atkinson & William Daniel
In the Rain CD-R 9.0
Sheer force of (ahem) Will power sees ‘In the Rain’ onto this month’s
www.djmag.ca KHOMHA COLDHARBOUR RECORDINGS
01. ORJAN NILSEN ‘Filthy Fandango’ Armada “Orjan with a totally fresh and energetic track.”
02. ARMIN VAN BUUREN WITH W&W ‘D # Fat’ Armada Music “Really, just the perfect combination of producers and sounds.”
03. MARKUS SCHULZ & ARMIN VAN BUUREN ‘The Expedition
(KhoMha Remix)’ Armada Music “Quite an honour for me to have had the chance to remix this song.”
04. UMMET OZCAN ‘Here and Now’ Spinnin’ “Ummet, again, with another bomb.”
05. MARK KNIGHT, UNDERWORLD & SANDER VAN
DOORN ‘Ten’ Toolroom Records “Beautiful track from three great artists.”
06. LANA DEL REY ‘Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais
Remix)’ Spinnin’ “A perfect remix accompaniment to a lovely song.”
07. JACOB VAN HAGE & SAINT LIZ ‘Voodoo’ Spinnin’ “My definition of a big room sound.”
08. KHOMHA ‘Dusk Riddles’ Coldharbour Recordings “With its giant bassline, this is one of my favourite productions yet.”
09. KHOMHA ‘Vapor’ Coldharbour Recordings “Just destroys dancefloors!”
10. KHOMHA ‘Deja Vu’ Coldharbour Recordings 067
Jarre — could become chaotic. Orkidea keeps it all running glacial- smooth, though, and ties the track off with a lead line that stays trapped in the mind for hours.
TRANCEREVIEWS QUICKIES
EDU
Drop It EP Mondo Recordings 7.5
Both this EP’s title track and ‘Keep It On Foot’ are quick to score points. Stripped back striking rhythms and thermally rising synths juxtapose — knowing when to beguile — and when to go for broke.
Jase Thirlwall
Freaked/Ram Raid Mental Asylum 7.0
Two more hard retro- trance outings from the wonderfully throwback Mental Asylum stable. Like rocket-boot- rollerskates, enormous fun, while the ride lasts.
LTN
Daylight Enhanced Progressive 8.0
The ultimate accolade you can put an artist’s way is ‘I want to hear a debut
album’, and I’m saying it here. LTN’s melodically- laced discography doesn’t have a blemish on it. ‘Daylight’ is just another example.
Moe Aly
Atlanta Perfecto Flouro 8.0
As good a summation of exactly what lifts trance arena roofs highest at major US festivals. 30 scant seconds of mix-in followed by 5:30 facing the beats and FX blast furnace. Fun.
Phil Taylor
Secret Society Fraction Records 6.5
The ‘Original’ mix is just ok, but doesn’t get stuck into any of its multiple themes with enough conviction. The ‘Subimpact Mix’ goes straight for ‘hard’ and ‘303’, bettering the ‘Original’.
MONEYSHOT!
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