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: Above & Beyond - Anjunabeats Volume 10

Mental is probably the best word to describe Anjunabeats Volume 10. It was mixed by Above & Beyond features 30 exclusive tracks from Arty, Andrew Bayer, Norin & Rad, Jaytech, Super8 & Tab, Maor Levi, and many more, as well as the brand new instrumental anthem from the trio - Walter White.

As we all know, Anjunabeats is one of the strongest dance music labels in the world today and all their compilations can be taken as proofs why is it so, that they belong to one of the most respected music companies. We probably wouldn’t find too many similarities between the original Anjunabeats Volume 1 and this year’s Volume 10, but how could we? Music has changed so much during the last 10 years, yet Above & Beyond still keep up the pace and may it be them as DJs/producers or the whole Anjuna label, it’s really something to bow to!

Disc one kicks off in a more emotional way with A&B’s own Small Moments, beautiful instrumental track which takes you completely off this world, especially when you combine it with a deep video or those visualizers on Windows Media Player. What comes next, is a favorite of mine for 2013 so far and I’m talking about Audien and his Wayfarer. It is something that puts a smile on your face from the first beats, throwing your hands up in the air spontaneously and of course a bass line that will get you up from your chair. What surprised me at first but insured me when I looked at the track list was track 7. Jaytech comes in with a new banger Inception. Usually a contributor for the Anjuna's deep house sister recording company, it's refreshing for this artist to finally break through the trance side of his genre.

Above & Beyond came up with a new track for this compilation as well. Walter White shows us how a deep and emotional breakdown should look like. However, the rest of the track is a bit strange. I understand that everyone is changing thanks to the scene, but I don’t think this is the right way for A&B. However if there is someone who definitely goes hand in hand with the scene today, I believe that Maor Levi is having the best time of his career. Having a track on this compilation is a great honor for any producer, but Maor has three tracks on this disc and that definitely proves that he delivers! ALWAYS! May it be in the calmer sounds of ethereal progressive or a bit rougher league of bass lines, this guy produces only the best - all these are worth listening: his collab with Boom Jinx and my fave female trance vocalist Ashley Tomberlin When You Loved Me; the remix on Liquid Love which is a great rework from the Tri-state album; and the ever-emotional Holding On. If someone asked me what I liked the best about disc 1, I would have to say that it is this track along with Ronski Speed and Syntrobic's tune called Pink Skye where it features the haunting voice of Renee Stahl.

  

Disc 2 and the half second half of the compilation is picked up by Andrew Bayer with his new tune called England. I’m not really sure how to feel about this one, though it sounds very housey yet even a bit commercial it still brings originality with itself and many other good factors as well. Knowing that Bayer has two sides of his artistry - the more commercial ones we hear on the Anjunabeats collection and the more artistic side which is what his artist album is about. L.A. by Super8 & Tab could be my favorite track off of tdisc 2.  It sounds a lot like their older more progressive stuff like Helsinki Scorchin.  The use of the small vocal synth in this track is mesmerizing.  It accompanies the bass lines and uplifting melodies perfectly.  Then after building for over two minutes the main bass lines kicks and L.A. is taken to new heights.  Aldo by Norin & Rad is another new track we are able to listen to.  It is a more up tempo trance track featuring some heavy bass lines with euphoric drops. Sinai by Ilan Bluestone is another great track.  While not completely new, this track really stands out to me on this album.  Ilan Bluestone is still an artist on the rise globally and this track is what I think can break him through to the next level.  Sinai is an amazing euphoric track with an incredible use of percussion along with vocals. May it be the exotic vocals, melodic synths or the piano parts.  is a beauty that deserves to be heard more than one time.

Nitrous Oxide teams up with 7 Skies to create something very magical together. “Right On“ is a perfect combination of strong synths we all wish to hear on a good party and a pure melody created on a piano. The instant changes in this track between the heavy parts of great beats, strong synths, and the emotional piano parts, emotions backed up by a massive drive, yes, definitely a great tune!

Next up is a track that is truly beautiful in it’s album mix, but on the contrary gets a completely different coat in the club mix. Black Room Boy from A&B is the track I’m talking about. While repetitively listening to it, I somehow discovered that the bass line is a complete floor killer and started singing along with the track in a matter of seconds. I always thought of myself as a Black Room Boy - if you get my drift.

I would like to say that Anjunabeats Volume 10 is one of those compilations that shouldn’t be thrown away by trance crowd for not being a clear trance album. My opinion is that this compilation is a very special piece that has to be heard with a calm mind, good mood, and most of all, if you want to listen to it and feel happy, you should forget about the never-ending 'war' of styles which is going on in the scene. Just sit back, press play and enjoy the music.

What do you think????

Album Review: Lange - Harmonic Motion

There are albums that come and go, talents that fade quicker than their one-hit wonders and then there are the ones who cement themselves in the music world. Lange is here for the long run and Harmonic Motion is proof of that.

No rookie to the scene, Lange has proved time and time again why he’s monumental in the EDM world. Whether it’s his performance on the decks, his repertoir of hit remixes, original productions, and now 2 artist albums, he’s shown quality sustainability.

The album features an array of genres and to characterize it mainly as a trance album would be doing it an injustice. Lange exhibits an incredible ability to break genre boundaries without losing his trademark touch along the way; it is the creation of a man who thought outside the box and brought new meaning to the word originality. He created something wonderfully unexpected and that, to us, is the definition of an artist.

The album features vocals by Emma Hewitt on the hit single Live Forever (a personal favourite), Sarah Howells on Fireworks and Let It All Out, Betsie Larkin’s tenderness on All Around Me, The Hall of Mirrors on Angel, Alexander Klaus’ moving voice on Strong Believer, and Sarah Ozelle on Clouds Across The Sun. Lange gave these incredible vocalists a canvas and together they painted timeless masterpieces.

How Long made me want to sprint through a finish line and then take over the world in slow motion. It deserves to be a film score for a ground-breaking Academy Award-winning movie James Cameron hasn’t thought of yet.

Regardless of the genre you’re comfortably into, if you appreciate genuinely great music, Harmonic Motion is a must-have.

Tracklist:


01. Harmonic Motion
02. High Noon
03. Live Forever (Ft. Emma Hewitt)
04. How Long
05. All Around Me (Ft. Betsie Larkin)
06. Wie Komme Ich Am Besten Zum Bahnhof Bitte
07. Let It All Out (Ft. Sarah Howells)
08. Angel (Ft. The Hall Of Mirrors)
09. Fireworks (Ft. Sarah Howells)
10. Sci-Fi Hero
11. Strong Believer (Ft. Alexander Klaus)
12. Clouds Across The Sun (Ft. Sarah Ozelle)
13. All Around Me (Reprise) (Ft. Betsie Larkin)

Do you agree?