Album Review: Trance Nation 2013 (Remixed by Lange)

Recognized as one of the most influential Trance artists of the past decade, Ministry of Sound welcomes scene-wide legend and genre-founding father Lange to the mix of the acclaimed Trance Nation series. 

Joining its esteemed compilation mixing DJ legion (which to-date has included luminaries such as Above & Beyond, Cosmic Gate, Andy Moor, and Rank 1), I say that Stuart Lange’s mixes have delivered a new high for Trance Nation. Drawing on more than a decade’s knowledge of ahead-of-the-curve sounds & styles, catalysed by exacting drops and epic lifts, Lange brings his inimitable and distinctive take on the genre to two sun-summoning Trance Nation mixes. Characterising the lifeblood of trance in 2013, it sees Lange innately compile and harmonically mix music from across its broad stylistic range.

On his Trance Nation compilation, Lange said: It’s an honour to have been invited to mix this album. For over a decade the Ministry of Sound Trance Nation series has become legendary, a snapshot of our ever-evolving scene, and I follow in the footsteps of some of it’s most respected artists. 

It features music from Ferry Corsten, Arty, Cosmic Gate, Andy Moor, Orjan Nilsen, Bobina, Shogun, and a lot of others. It also includes 5 massive exclusives, hot from the desk of Lange’s own studio and Lange Recordings label.   

Now as I am listening on hi-def earphones while typing on this space, here's my sort-of blow-by-blow take on this latest TN Mix from 'Langend'....

The first mix embarks on the vocal gleam and shimmer of Yahel & Liya’s I Dive, Passenger 75’s Contact, and Kyau & Albert with Stoneface & Terminal’s We Own The Night – all wowing the opening minutes. Conscripting filmic strings, vibrant drums, and dreamscape harmonics, they form the gateway to an uplifting atmospher. The tech-ish recoil of Arty’s Believe In Me, Rank 1’s electro-grinding Floorlifter, and the hyper-uplift of The Way You Want from flying Finns Super 8 & Tab creates lyrical captivation from Betsie Larkin. As Lange’s skilled hand master-crafts the tone, the pulse rate spikes again as Alchemist from Tomas Heredia and Rikkaz’s The Great Migration shape its climactic minutes.

Naturally, Lange’s TranceNation comes fully loaded with a wealth of his own exclusive, purpose built production and remix material. In and amongst the trance highways and progressive byways of the mixes are his 2013 rebuild of Follow Me, as well as the smash Destination Anywhere, and IMO, a future massive tune Unfamiliar Truth.

Nearly over sixty minutes had passed and the second half of the remix picks up on the tech-ier side of trance. It marks another launch point as The Man Who’ll Save The Earth’ from Alexx Rave, ilan Bluestone & Jerome Isma-Ae’s infectious collab Under My Skin, and Mark Eteson’s Aventus blaze the trail. The shattered stabs and riffs Heatbeat’s #BOOM live up to its title, while Ferry Corsten's F The Bull$h1t  is the shit and no definitely no B.S., and LNG's downright ballistic Harmony Will Kick You In The Ass spy the stratosphere. Rex Mundi’s Seek & Destroy intermixes a more minimalistic prog-trance sort-of to the flow, before hitting the final straight. Orjan Nilsen’s heat-seeking Violetta, Hold That Sucker Down, and the sublime mash-up of Supernova and Afterglow (merging Shogun and Ana Criado & Ronski Speed’s latest productions) see to it this second mix breaks into the upper atmosphere.

Personally, these mixes meet my hunger for a familiar and genuine yet a not-so commercial sound of my beloved sub-genre of dance music. The second disc mix, in particular, made me feel I was an astronaut embarking on my first trip to space. As I take off the ground and break into the atmosphere, it leaves me high and floating in space with the rest of the heavenly bodies so majestic yet seemingly tranquil - just like how trance makes me feel as always.

Track list:

Disc: 1

1. I Dive - Yahel & Liya

2. Contact - Passenger 75

3. We Own the Night - Kyau & Albert with Stoneface & Terminal

4. Our Brief Time in the Sun - Lange

5. All Around You (Feat. Myon & Shane 54 & Aruna) (Alexander Popov Remix) - Cosmic Gate

6. The Way You Want - Super8 & Tab

7. Floorlifter - Rank 1

8. Believe in Me - Arty

9. Crossroads (Feat. Stine Grove) (Estiva Remix) - Lange

10. Love Again (Andrew Rayel Radio Edit) - Andy Moor & Betsie Larkin

11. Unfamiliar Truth (TN Edit) - Lange

12. No Substitute for You (Andy Duguid Remix) - Bobina & Betsie Larkin

13. Alchemist - Tomas Heredia

14. Destination Anywhere - Lange

15. The Great Migration - Rikkaz

16. Absolute ResuRection (Lange Mashup) - Planet Perfecto Knights vs Craig Connelly

17. Follow Me (Feat. The Morrighan (2013 Rework) - Lange

Disc: 2

1. Man Who'll Save the Earth - Alexx Rave

2. Omega - Tangle & Matuesz

3. Sirio (Feat. Simona Barbieri) - Lele Troniq

4. Sirio - ilan Bluestone & Jerome Isma-Ae

5. Aventus - Mark Eteson

6. Mars One - Stephen Kirkwood

7. Leave Me Behind (Feat. Invi Tado) - Alex Larichev

8. #BOOM - Heatbeat

9. F the Bull$h1t - Ferry Corsten

10. Storm Chaser - Cosmic Gate

11. Seek & Destroy - Rex Mundi

12. Harmony Will Kick You in the Ass (Chris Schweizer Remix) - Lange presents LNG

13. Arigatou - Daniel Kandi & Jack Rowan

14. Supernova Afterglow (SaF Mashup - Lange Edit) - Shogun vs Ana Criado & Ronski Speed

15. Violetta - Orjan Nilsen

16. Downtime - Stuart Mclellan

17. Hold That Sucker Down - Lange

What do you think???

Album Review: Anjunadeep 05 Mixed by James Grant and Jody Wisternoff

Anjunadeep 05 has finally arrived after a few release date push backs!   I have been eagerly anticipating this album for quite some time, and have now had a few weeks to listen, re-listen, and assess this massive compilation. 

For those that don’t know, Anjunadeep 05 is the fifth installment in a series of compilation albums; these are done more or less annually by both Anjunadeep and its parent label, Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats.  This year, putting together the two mixes are none other than Anjunadeep label boss James Grant and the legendary Jody Wisternoff, who debuts as an Anjunadeep compilation mixer with this beautiful outing.

Since this is a fairly lengthy album, with the two mixes clocking in at a combined two hours and forty minutes, I decided to stick with my usual style of writing -- it is best and most fun if I would just throw on the mixes non-stop and basically commit to writing a running commentary about the music as it progresses over the 29 tracks. 

James Grant's mix officially takes off with this fourth track in the mix called Back To Love from Bekwith feat. Catherine Porter. Porter’s infectious vocal addition on top of an anything but boring melody really ups the tempo of the mix in a traditional deep house way: with a dark yet energetic groove. The mix then goes into a very liquid-groove for a few minutes, with songs blending together to form a musical fusion that lulls your mind into serenity. Dusky's Nobody Else, an absolute favourite on this compilation, is a massive deep house track that is bordering minimal yet still melodic in nature. With several weeks as the #1 song on Beatport’s deep house chart, it is no surprise it has made it’s way onto this compilation. Between this track and the previous Bekwith offering, Anjunadeep 05 is starting to fire on all cylinders. Fifty five minutes through this thing and WYV AUW CHU has become another favorite on the mix. Tom Middleton's catchy track title is an attention-getter and boy, it is worth the time you will give it. The tune is slick, and the vocal usage is interesting when compared to the name of the track (WYV AUW CHU = without you, duh!), and the groove is just intoxicating.

Andrew Bayer, obviously is one of my absolute personal favourite dj/producers. His It’s Cool remix sees Bayer join forces with the man behind this entire mix, label boss James Grant. The song is extraordinary - or it could possibly be that I am just biased. The vocals are infectious and really set the tone of the track, along with those powerful piano chords behind it. The track has been featured on Group Therapy numerous times in the past month, and I have been in love with it ever since hearing it for the first time several weeks ago. 

Suddenly, the first half of the mix concludes. I noticed that I was too zoned out to say much about the Solarity (Dusky is at it again! The duo used to go by the name of Solarity, and they dusted off one of their older tracks specifically for this album) track; all I know is that the mix ended beautifully, and I couldn't wait to get into the second half.

And then suddenly it's time for the second half, on which Jody Wisternoff has reshaped/retouched/edited almost every single track. The only thing I am aware of going into this side is that the reworked Alchemy will be one of my favorite tracks, no exceptions. I know that this is very biased, again. But trust me, you'll listen to what I'll play and you'll love it - that's all you need to believe in. 

As the last tune from the James Grant mix fades out, it's now time for the legendary Jody Wisternoff. I've been a fan of his works - I only follow a few acts on the deep, melodic house sub-genre and Jody's one of them. I am just thrilled he is debuting as a contributor on this slick collection. 

His mix kicks off with his remix of Ich Lass ́Dich Nicht Zurück from The Peacemaker Project act. The opening track is definitely solid! The saxophone melody later on really reminds of mild James Zabiela tracks, which are amazing for just that reason. This Jody Wistermoff edit of Lane 8′s Be Mine is one that fans of Anjunadeep will be quite familiar with, as it was showcased in a minimix preview some time in June. The dubby fun Wisternoff describes as being his edition to the track is indeed wonderful, and is a key highlight to the range of sound that can be found on Anjunadeep.

Once more the mix takes off on an understandable lull, which is in no way a bad thing. Jody is taking us now on a journey with this mix, and part of that is including tracks that perhaps blend a little more into the background of the experience, as opposed to popping out. It’s ridiculous how many layers every song has. This sentence is being typed after a re-listen of the second side.  So many little bits and pieces pop out at me after running through this again.  Small, almost pad like percussions that rattle through This Way went unnoticed during listen one, but now pop out at me and envelope the track in an entire new layer of sensations. We Are Heroes is enticing and infectious. The first time I heard of this track, and Pete Josef commands a soulful and sultry voice that is just slick and polished.  The bassline and drum pattern are dirty. Again, the mix takes off -- some form of Dusky is everywhere on this compilation, and Kuza by Alfred Taylor is just another example of the strong production coming from one or both of that duo (FYI -- Alfie is one half of Dusky).

Finally, here comes Alchemy. I have looked forward to hearing Jody's take on this rather heart wrenching, earth-staggering A&B original. It receives a deep house rework that does the original justice in every way. Jody gives the classic track a darker undertone that still perfectly highlights Zoe Johnston’s beautifully haunting verse. The trancey feel of the original is completely replaced with a deep house vibe that even takes on a dubbish tinge in its synth usage halfway through. It’s glorious and easily one of the crowning tracks of this compilation. 

As it looks, I glazed over some, paid way too much attention to others, zoned out here and there, but in the end, I came up with the conclusion that this is one of the best albums of the year in terms of enjoyability. Whether or not you are into this sort of style/sound of house music, I guarantee you will find the compilation generally pleasing at the very least.  If you dig deep style intertwining with melodic beats and piano chords, this compilation is for you. 

The negatives against this compilation are very  few and far between, and they mostly center around the fact that deep house simply isn’t a genre for everyone. There are lulls in the mix. Some tracks on a 29 track outing are simply going to be less interesting than others.  On the other hand, I am quite confident that music fans from every background can find tunes that they absolutely love here.  And this is the brilliance of Anjunadeep; some variation of the deep house sounds found on this album will resonate with people from all walks of taste.  

Noteworthy tracks include

Track list:

CD 1 / James Grant

1. Croquet Club "Cardigan" 

2. Vincenzo & Aram "Let Go"

3. Andrew Bayer & James Grant "Living"

4. Beckwith feat. Catherine Porter "Back To Love"

5. Universal Solution "Yukon"

6. Universal Solution "Osheen"

7. DAVI "The Time Has Come"

8. Jody Wisternoff & Jonathan Mendelsohn "Out Of Reach" (Alfred Taylor Remix)

9. Dusky "Nobody Else"

10. DAVI "The Bay 6"

11. Tom Middleton "WYV AUW CHU" 

12. Dusky "Mr Man"

13. Matt Lange feat. Tania Zygar "Way You Know"

14. The Presets "It's Cool" (Andrew Bayer & James Grant Remix)

15. Solarity "Symbols" 

CD 2 / Jody Wisternoff

1. The Peacemaker Project "Ich Lass´ Dich Nicht Zurück" (Jody Wisternoff Remix)

2. Lane 8 "Be Mine" (Jody Wisternoff's Deep 05 Reshape)

3. Skanna vs. Jody Wisternoff "This Way"

4. Jody Wisternoff feat. Pete Josef "We Are Heroes" 

5. Alfred Taylor "Kuza"

6. Beckwith "Townsend Sling"

7. Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston "Alchemy" (Jody Wisternoff Remix)

8. Rashid Ajami "Coming For You" (Jody Wisternoff Remix)

9. Kahwe "Driving Me Wild" (Jody Wisternoff's Deep 05 Reshape)

10. Leftwing & Kody "Deep In" (Jody Wisternoffs Deep 05 Reshape)

11. Meramek "Feeling"

12. Jody Wisternoff "Macbeth"

13. Matt Lange "Only You"

14. Andre Sobota "Move Into Tokyo Dawn" (Jody Wisternoff's Deep 05 Blend) 

Comments appreciated....

Trance 'til Dawn and Twelve presents: United Under Dance featuring Andrew Rayel

Trance 'Til Dawn & TWELVE Malaysia: UNITED UNDER DANCE featuring ANDREW RAYEL! Catch the new Armin van Buuren and Top DJ #77 at TIME in Manila on SEPTEMBER 14!

Win a Free Pass + Meet & Greet + Loudbasstard Amplifier Signed by Andrew Rayel!

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Trance 'Til Dawn & T W E L V E Malaysia present UNITED UNDER DANCE featuring Andrew Rayel

Often called "the new Armin van Buuren", catch the Modern-Day Mozart of Trance at TIME in Manila, SEPTEMBER 14.

Along with TTD DJs Nampu Kawamoto, John Odin B2B Cammy V in the main room; and Nomad Massive at The Roof. SMS 09167777229 for inquiries.

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