tranceREVIEWS Alexander Popov
Moscow Subway Armind 6.0
Alexander’s regulation top-notch production punch can’t disguise the general lack of features to ‘Moscow Subway’. Dub/trance-step-isms, a minimal (not to mention mournful) lead-line and so-so female vocals do not a good track make.
Calvin Logue Mark Pledger
One Eye Open Melodika Music
8.5
Something of a lost art over the last few years, progressive- trance numbers seem to be growing in 2013. They don’t come much purer (and better) than Pledger’s latest either. ‘One Eye Open’ simmers, broods and then thuds and thunders with dark atmospheric noir. Shuffling its echoing reverberating FX, LFO boom and gated female choral harmonies around like a card shark, it never dips below thrilling.
Andy Duguid & Audrey Gallagher
In This Moment Black Hole Recordings 8.0
Duguid’s always been a martinet for doin’-things-different. The ‘Original Mix’ takes a funkier than average approach, adeptly twinning ‘This Moment’’s hooky rolling house riff with melodic trance chords and the intrigue of Audrey’s somewhat enigmatic vocal. Karanda get some trancestep grunge and distortion on board their mix, while Philippe El Sisi’s ramps things up at the euphoric end.
Bobina
Miami Echoes/Lovin’ Lies Magik Muzik 8.0
‘Miami Echoes’ has a distinct pro- gressive house (2.0) cut to it. Its sug- ar-coated SHM-ish synths are a touch too sweet for my tastes, though. As the most ‘serious’ trancer from the ‘Same Difference’ album, ‘Lovin’ Lies’ makes a curious EP bedfellow for it. Understated, it strangely becomes all the more re-listenable for it. Oh, and the piano in the break will frankly leave a big, fat lump in your throat.
070
djmag.com JFK & Craig Bradley
I Found Love De:Va Recordings 7.0
Consciously or otherwise, ‘I Found Love’ owes quite a debt to Fierce Ruling Diva’s evergreen ‘Rubb It In’. Sporting a near identical organ-like synth and note arrangement, it channels further through its three- word spoken vocal. A competing lifty synth riff offers a shaft of originality, but if you approach this track know- ing it’s fairly reactionary it should still give you a kick.
Jonathan van Atom
In Color Kill The Lights 5.0
With its melodic trance formula tweaked by some housier drums and percussion, production-wise ‘In Color’ is not bad. The vocal, though, is an issue. Lyrically its verses set it on an even keel. The chorus, though, sees it capsize. Wedging — seem- ingly at any cost — its “no point in going out/our love has left the building” lyrical line over a music sequence it clearly doesn’t fit, the track sadly bottoms up.
Stuart Miller
Forever This ITWT 6.0
Miller’s latest is a touch easier to miss than recent offerings and conspicuously takes a few more rotations to engage. That’s chiefly down to its progressive (as opposed to melodic) trance angle. While comparatively slower in the build (and perhaps not quite as clean as some productions), when the synth floodgates do finally open, it hits the mark.
Woody van Eyden
Nangulan Future Sound Of Egypt 8.0
Woody van Eyden hasn’t been as pro- digious studio-side of late, but while the quantity may have dipped the quality remains resolute. ‘Nangulan’ develops multiple infectious sub- riffs throughout its extended build. With a potency that will lift the most flagging of club floors, the positively thermobaric lead line blows them all out of the water, though. True trance-floor dynamite.
Ørjan Nilsen
XIING Armind 8.0
Call ‘em what you like, just don’t call ‘em boring! Ørjan lets his imagina- tion off the leash on ‘XIING’. He front-loads the track with military- grade drums, bellicose FX, microbial harmonies and blink ‘n’ miss Eastern instrumentation. Break-side and things go from harsh to the acerbic, and that’s all before the bagpiping lead-line joins the fray. Not easy on the ears, but inescapably visceral and exciting club music.
Raneem
Ray Of Sunshine High Contrast 6.5
Raneem’s latest comes as a bit of a mixed bag. The ride to the break rocks — smartly packed with steely, rhythmic conviction and cultured sub-melodies. The unwieldy pitch- bent sequence out the other side though — a bit hmm.
BOBINAMAGIK MUZIK 01. BOBINA WITH ANDREW RAYEL ‘Sacramentum (Megadrive vs.
Aether Mash-up)’ Armind “A special mash-up version I did together with Andrew. Includes both mixes, so two for the price of one!”
02. SANDER VAN DOORN ‘Neon’ DOORN Recordings “A tougher one to programme into my sets, but I like the record and the music
video is nice too.”
03. BOBINA WITH ANA CRIADO ‘For Who I Am’ Magik Muzik “One of the vocal tracks from my latest album ‘Same Difference’. I play it every
set — people just love Ana’s voice. Destined to be a single soon.”
04. ARMIN VAN BUUREN ‘Beautiful Life’ Armind “New single by Armin. Have to say it’s my favorite record from his album and
the ‘Original Mix’ is all I’ll ever need.” 05. ILAN BLUESTONE & JEROME ISMA-AE ‘Under My Skin’ An-
junabeats “Great collab. I’m a big fan of Jerome’s music — and this one comes less minimal than usual.”
06. A.R.D.I. ‘Mystery’ ASOT “Some pure trance in my chart! Great melody in this track.”
07. WOODY VAN EYDEN ‘Nangulan’ Future Sound of Egypt “Classic, inspired uplifting trance. I like to work this in at the end of my sets.”
08. D-MAD & ARSTON ‘Match Point’ CR2 “Russia + Belarus! Mostly Arston’s sound in this one. Definitely my thing!”
09. MARKUS SCHULZ FEAT SARAH HOWELLS ‘Tempted’ Coldharbour
Recordings “This one gets an amazing reaction on my Russia Goes Clubbing radio show.”
10. DASH BERLIN & ALEXANDER POPOV FEAT JONATHAN
MENDELSOHN ‘Steal You Away’ Aropa “New collab by Dash and my Russian buddy Alexander Popov. I’m really feeling the vocals and main melody in this tune.”
Helter Skelter Mental Asylum 7.0
Say sayonara to your sanity, here comes another from Mental Asylum. Blisteringly fast tempo, daisycutting synths and all-round double-hard- trance are the order of the day. While not quite up to the standard of recent releases, ‘Helter Skelter’ is far from a duffer.
Black Hole Garuda 8.0
Inevitably (if unfairly) every Christina Novelli vocalled track will be judged against ‘Concrete Angel’. It’s the burden of your vocal debut coinciding with a trance track of the year. As such, props to Craig for hitting the eights here!
Laker
Hurricane Crystal Source Recordings 7.0
There’s something of a Laurent Veronnez/ Planisphere vibe to Alexey Kryuchkin’s latest Laker production. Skyward- gazing trance, and rather lovely with it.
TIM STARK QUICKIES
Craig Connelly & Christina Novelli
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104