Album Review: Anjunabeats Worldwide 04 Mixed by Maor Levi and Nitrous Oxide

Just recently released is Anjunabeats Worldwide04 - the next installment to the series and this time we get mixes from my personal favourite, young Isareli producer Maor Levi and Polish producer Nitrous Oxide. Two new excellent mixes but of distinct style. It features tracks and mixes from Mat Zo, Super8 & Tab, Nitrous Oxide, and Heatbeat. 

I am very enthusiastic about this compilation as one of the most unique and brilliant producers, Maor Levi, is gracing to mix the first disc. I first heard of Maor in 2008 on Tiësto's In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza record with his track Reflect and in 2010 on Above & Beyond's Anjunabeats Volume 8 with this track Chasing Love. I love how his songs incorporate reverberated snippets of vocals rather than just singing. Working and uniquely foregrounding generous amounts of delay, reverbs, and smartly placed loops creates the airy/misty and pipe-wind-like texture in his music which is just so breathtaking. I can see the distinct differences between his music and someone like Armin van Buuren's which makes him both brilliant and rare, to almost unique. He applied this technique in mixing the compilation and to be honest, almost all--if not all--tracks are note worthy. 

The first disc is classic Anjuna--full of swirling, twirling, trickling melodies that can completely fill a room while still managing to sound like they’re coming from far away. The second disc, is a reminder that for all of trance’s beauty, the genre is still very much about wicked beats.

Again, it’s always difficult to listen to a trance album out of context. Trance, more than any other EDM subgenre, lends itself to spectacle--to theatrical, majestic synths; dramatic, existential track titles; and massive, happy crowds. When I close my eyes, it’s very easy to imagine a sea of blissful ravers losing themselves in the lights and the sounds and the inevitable smiles in an event. Music like this requires patience and a genuine love for trance music. This is not an album to convert the non-believers, or worse - posers.

Tracklist:
Disc One - Mixed By Maor Levi

01. Breakfast pres. Keyworth – Splitting
02. Maor Levi – Won’t Say No
03. Tate & Diamond feat. Nicolai – Electrified (Mat Zo Remix)
04. Mat Zo – It’s Yours
05. Inpetto – No More Serious Faces
06. Boom Jinx feat. Justine Suissa – Phoenix From The Flames (Maor Levi Remix)
07. 3rd Planet – Sevas
08. Norin & Rad – Pistol Whip
09. Super8 – Alba (Maor Levi Remix)
10. Bluestone – Namaste
11. Genix – Aura
12. Ost & Meyer – Safari (Maor Levi Remix)
13. Kyau & Albert – This Love
14. Parker & Hanson – Afterthought (Heatbeat Remix)
15. Breakfast pres. Keyworth – Median (Keyworth Remix)

Disc Two - Mixed By Nitrous Oxide

01. Andrew Bayer & Matt Lange feat. Kerry Leva – In And Out Of Phase (Norin & Rad Remix)
02. Mike Koglin vs. Genix – Helion (Norin & Rad Remix)
03. Nitrous Oxide & Dan Stone – Nautica
04. Adam Kancerski – Orion
05. Edu & Cramp – Human Turbines (Beat Service Remix)
06. Ost & Meyer – Antalya
07. Craig Connelly – Manchester AM (2012 Club Mix)
08. Sunny Lax – Contrast (Nitrous Oxide Remix)
09. Nitrous Oxide – Gr8!
10. Ost & Meyer – Scarlet Heaven (Dan Stone Remix)
11. Nitrous Oxide & Space RockerZ – Energize
12. Boom Jinx & Daniel Kandi – Azzura
13. Super8 & Tab – Awakenings
14. Nitrous Oxide – Tiburon
15. Cramp – Andromeda


Do you agree?

We Are The EXCEPTION

When I got this news I got so excited that finally, my country, The Philippines will get to have our own Ultra Music Festival or Creamfields!

So here's the press release with it's accompanying promotional video.

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Exception Music Festival Manila, Philippines, November 2012

Make way for Exception, the Philippines’ first electronic music festival.

(Manila, Philippines) Elsewhere around the globe, world-famous DJs share the stage with fellow superstars, music fans band together in endless thousands, and a spirit of no-holds-barred fun powers the entire scene. This is what an electronic music festival is all about, and this is what the Philippines has yet to witness.

To take the Philippines into the Next and higher level we proudly presents Exception Music Festival, an event that brings together different music stars, with different music Genres both foreign and local, in one massive event.

We are uniting everyone under one massive REAL Music festival, Taking a cue from the biggest dance festivals worldwide like Creamfields and Global Gathering in the UK and Ultra and Electric Daisy Carnival in the US, Exception will gather hordes of party-goers in one gigantic outdoor location, its ground set to shake with a whole day’s succession of trance, house, progressive, electro, pop, rock, and a madcap mixture of all of the above. And in the tradition of those same festivals, rules will be gleefully thrown to the wind in the name of fun. That’s Why its Called EXCEPTION, as you know there is an EXCEPTION for everything. 

On its first year, Exception will boast three different stages. The House Stage: that will feature house music maestros and the biggest brands: Ministry of sound, Hedkandi, Housexy  will electrify the audience. Meanwhile, The LIVE Stage acts such as Live Pop – Rock bands ( local & international, Live performance, Tribal, Live PA and More are bound to set the second stage on fire. The third stage ( MAIN STAGE ) will be a stadium-sized spectacle starring the event’s headliners of the Biggest Names in Trance & Progressive : Line to be announced soon Each stage will be mounted with state-of-the-art light and sound systems, and the entire venue will be bedecked with cheeky paraphernalia in true clubbing and Music fashion.

Exception is a trailblazing concept in the Philippines, as it aims to debut the country to the global dance community as a new festival destination. Besides uniting Manila’s electronic music fans into one cheering, hollering congregation, it will draw in dance denizens from all over the country and even all the way abroad.

Be part of the first Exception Music Festival on NOVEMBER 2012 , where the music is never-ending and the rules are nonexistent. For this event, make an exception: dress however you want, act however you want, and be as foolish as your fearless young souls desire.

WARNING:

DON’T YOU EVER THINK ABOUT MISSING THIS

http://exceptionmusicfestival.com

Goodbye Donna Summer

Earlier this year, the music industry was saddened with the sudden passing of Whitney Houston. Today, another legend and icon leaves us.

Donna Summer aka The Queen of Disco has lost her battle with breast cancer. She died on 17 May 2012.

Another dark day for music. Today I and for the next coming weeks, I just want to bump Donna Summer tunes to reminisce my childhood days. My parents, especially my mum drew particular interest with Donna. My mum was the one who introduced me to her music. Being very young in the 80's I just tend to listen whatever's being played on the radio and by whomever is manning the stereo. It wasn't hard to fall in love with Donna's music. The Giorgio Moroder signature 70s disco beats is how I will always remember this disco diva. She has inspired the likes of Madonna and Kylie Minogue to build and nurture their musical careers on this particular genre. 

So for now, I'ma be like, tsup tsup, beep beep! #BadGirls.

Do you like Donna Summer? Share your thoughts...

Album Review: Dash Berlin - Music Is Life

One of the fastest rising EDM acts and one of Armada's best recruits, Dash Berlin, releases his second artist album Music Is Life. He has been tweeting #MusicIsLife which gave his fans and followers a clue of what his next album title would be.

The record contains signature hits such as Disarm Yourself, which features the angelic vocals of Australian singer Emma Hewitt, Better Half Of Me & World Falls Apart the epic duology with top vocalist Jonathan Mendelsohn, the magical team up with German DJ superstar ATB on Apollo Road and of course exciting new collaborations with artists such as Shogun, Kate Walsh, Shanokee, Chris Madin, Hoyaa, and Sarah Howells.

On my first few listens, I do not think it surpasses his debut artist album The New Daylight, but quality-wise of the tunes produced, they very much bear the DB mark on them. The record contains very promising uplifting and vocal tunes like his collab with the ever-angelic voice Emma Hewitt - Disarm Yourself, another track that caught my attention is his collab with ATB - Apollo Road, and finally, Aviation - I love instrumentals!

Track list:

01. Better Half Of Me (feat. Jonathan Mendelsohn)

02. Disarm Yourself (feat. Emma Hewitt)

03. Silence In Your Heart (feat. Chris Madin)

04. Apollo Road (Dash Berlin with ATB) 

05. Go It Alone (feat. Sarah Howells)

06. Like Spinning Plates (feat. Emma Hewitt)

07. When You Were Around (feat. Kate Walsh)

08. Fool For Life (feat. Chris Madin)

09. Callisto (Dash Berlin with Shogun)

10. World Falls Apart (feat. Jonathan Mendelsohn)

11. Surrender (feat. Shanokee)

12. Aviation (feat. Hoyaa)

13. Man On The Skyfire (Dash Berlin with Cerf, Mitiska & Jaren vs Shogun) 

What do you think?