TRANCE REVIEWS
TIM STARK PO Box 272, Oxford, OX3 8FJ
QUICKIES
Driftmoon
Howl At the Moon
Pure Trance
7.5
Opening the score sheet for
Solarstone's new imprint, a now
conspicuously on-the-march
Driftmoon locks his studio dial to
pure trance. To be fair his output is
already very much in the vicinity,
but on 'Howl At the Moon' those
keystone components come evermore
accentuated. On his 'Retouch
Mix' Solarstone adds his running/
pummelling b-line hallmark and
further beefs up the payoff. All in all,
an impressive opener.
FKN
Triton/Stormtrooper
VANDIT Records
8.0
Frode Kambo Nilsen doesn't make
them very often, but when he does
they tend to be well worth checking.
With plenty of quick-flip drops
and extended prog sequences,
'Triton' is the cooler of the two. It
builds the tone at a demonstrably
leisurely pace before finally hitting
you with a striking lead line in the
third act. Far quicker to the punch
is 'Stormtrooper', whose tight tech
sub riffs quickly peel away to reveal
euphoric intent.
MONEY
Ad Brown & Shawn
Mitiska
SHOT!
8.0
A lesser-seen instrumental from
the usually very vocal Ad Brown
here, possibly down to Shawn
Mitiska’s influence. ‘Pulse’
develops into a cool, chugging,
borderline austere prog-trancer
that leans heavily and confidently
on the panned, phased sweeps
of its minimal lead line. If it’s all
too stripped down for you, Ali
Wilson’s ‘TEKELEC Remix’ gives it
one hefty shove in the direction of
the main room.
Ilan Bluestone
Spheres
Anjunabeats
9.0
Front-end, ‘Spheres’ chops and
flits schizophrenically between
goosepimply melodic glimmer and
thrusting distorted structures.
Inevitably it draws the two together,
before blooming into a drop that’s
alive with gauzy harmonics. Where on
the melodic-to-hard scale the leadline
will fall is hard to predict, and indeed
it keeps you guessing right up to the
cusp of the break. It’s actually closer
to the former than the latter, but with
just enough accentuated bleep to give
it spike.
090 djmag.com.au
Dark Warrior
Armind
7.0
Check your cerebrum at the
door for another whistlestop tour of the Ministry of
Mad Noises. All but useless
for the at-home listen, but
club-side, ignition is all but
guaranteed.
Harmonic Rush
Salvia
Monster Digital
7.0
Into the New Year and the
exponential resurgence of
Psy/Goa in 2013 shows no
signs of abating. 'Salvia'
from UAE-based producer
Milad Maleki is but one of
dozens of this month's crop
that draws inspiration from
the East.
Johnny Yono
Exodus
Lange Recordings
7.0
One of those tracks that
lies in wait, doing not very
much at all, before clocking
you over the back of the head
with one huge moment.
When it comes, it's more
than worth the wait.
Phase Difference
Utopia
Saturate Audio
9.0
Saturate Audio doing what
Saturate Audio do best.
Dark, sinuous, brilliantly
contoured, hyperatmospheric and ever
engaging.
Zaxx
Illusion
VANDIT Records
8.0
Sporting a fully cohesive,
brilliantly primed set
of beats, bass and perc
loops, South Africa's
Zaxx gathers a storm.
Cranking the tension,
mid-break it swallows a
box of fireworks… with
predictable end results.
QUICKIES
Argy
Off The Wall (ACTI
Remix)
Subground
8.0
As the Subground sound
continues to cross the
boundaries between
hardstyle and house,
this label is very much
at the forefront, with
Acti delivering a sterling
remix of Argy's new
single.
Rescue & Keyes
Outta Space
GTYM
8.0
Cheeky UK hardcore
cover of this Prodigy
classic, keeping things
very much in line
with the powerstomp
sound sweeping the
UK hardcore scene this
year. Doesn't give you
any time to catch your
Astrobass
Astrobass
Ideal
breath and goes in hard
from the start.
Deorro
Yee (LNY TNZ
Remix)
CDR
8.0
Bouncy jump vibes on
this one from one of the
acts I'm tipping for big
success this year. The
classic vocal will get
hands up every time.
Malfunction V
Beamer
Atlantis
CDR
7.0
North Scotland
representing on this
one. Underground hard
dance beats, hardstyle
screeches and sidechain kicks and bass,
with a nostalgic trance
classic on the break.
Two To One
Enhanced Recordings
7.5
Sat amongst the rest of the early
2014 crop, the first thing you'll notice
abo ut Szabo, Vilborg & Norberg's coop is just how exactingly produced it
is. With fantastic division between its
sonic layers, immaculate sequencing
of its parts and a sensational mixdown, it booms like few others. With
Norberg's vocal hitting emotive,
authentic notes throughout, this will
work most floors at most times of
the night.
Dave Leyrock
High Stakes
#138
6.5
To the rapidly burgeoning traditional
trance tempo label convention
comes Infrasonic's contender,
#138. Leyrock's intro is competent
if largely uneventful. We can forgive
him that, as the meat of the track
is more impressive. The lead riff's
intuitive note arrangement is well
developed and with a precisely timed
filter release, it lands with quite some
impact at the apex of the drop.
The Motive EP
Coldharbour Recordings
7.0
Triple-pack EP from M.I.K.E. on his
first outing for Coldharbour. Packing
in some great analogue sub-riffs at
its front end, 'The Motive' ups the
echo on its lead and even gets a bit
of electro squelch into the bargain.
Carrying a hint of synthy '80s
Moroder-ism in its break, 'Spacesuit'
frays, distorts and FXs its lead line
with equal drama. 'Mass Freedom'
is the most classically M.I.K.E. of
the three, with some cool melodies,
no small degree of 303 and a right
whacker of a payoff.
Gearbox Digital
7.5
This label has really been leading
the way in UK hard dance sounds,
delivering consistent and diverse
releases covering the full spectrum
of hard dance. This new release
features a remix from south Wales
UK hardstyle act Tranz-Linquants,
who delivers a very clever mix
of euphoric, classic early 2000s
European hard trance in the
breakdowns and hardstyle in the
drops.
8.0
7.0
M.I.K.E.
Oblivion (Tranz-Linquants
Remix)
TiLLT Recordings
Discover Dark
Club owners: looking for something
to strip the old paint job from your
sound emporium? This should do
it. Bellicose bass, marching drums,
erupting acid (sulphuric, probably)
and a scorching tempo — it's all
here. Wrapped around a spoken vocal
(Game of Thrones, at a guess), this
falls somewhere between sinister
and outright scary. Somewhere in
amongst this is Steve Morley (of early
semi-classic 'Reincarnations' fame)
on the remix.
Danny V & Arhetium_R
Messenger Of Death
White Walkers
Adam Szabo & Johan
Vilborg feat Johnny
Norberg
8.0
Side project from Ideal frontman
Sam Townend and melody genius
Technikal, who strips things back
from his usual energetic hard
trance sound for this project
featuring a funky electro bassline,
chopped-up hard house vocals
and lots of clever twists and fills to
keep you on your toes throughout
— and, of course, a cheeky main
hoover drop.
Caine
Johann Stone
Pulse
Black Hole Recordings
Andrew Rayel
HARD DANCE / HARDCORE REVIEWS
DJ KUTSKI [email protected]
MAX ENFORCER LOSE CONTROL
MYON & SHANE 54 [RIDE] RECORDINGS
01. LANA DEL REY ‘Young & Beautiful (Myon & Shane 54 Summer
of Love Mix)’ Universal
“Our first bootleg that in the end became an official remix. It was a proud
moment.”
02. KERRY LEVA ‘Proud (Juventa Remix)’ Enhanced Recordings
“Jordin Post is on fire — his remixes are simply off the hook!”
03. COLE PLANTE WITH MYON & SHANE 54 FEAT KOKO
LAROO ‘Lie To Me (Juventa Remix)’ Hollywood Records
“Our first Billboard top five single. Juventa’s remix is a real festival bomb.”
01. MAX ENFORCER ‘Lost In Paradise’ Lose Control Music
“My latest release. The amount of support and positive messages around this
track is simply amazing.”
02. HEADHUNTERZ FEAT TATU ‘Colors’ HardwithStyle
“A guaranteed floor-filler. This melody will be stuck in your head for days
once you listen to it.”
03. NOISECONTROLLERS & WILDSTYLEZ ‘Jets, Cats &
Breaks’ Lose Control Music
“A true display of forward-thinking by these great minds. When I listen to this
track I picture myself looking across an apocalyptic planet, equipped with a
lightsabre, ready to take on whatever comes my way.”
“At the end of the day, it’s more fun to remix stuff that already sounds good.”
07. WRECHISKI ‘Séance’ [RIDE]
“This guy from Brazil is unbelievable. Taken from our soon-to-come mix
compilation.”
08. LTN & KOKAI ‘Cruisin’’ LowRide
“One of Mario’s closest friends made a fantastic track that evolved into this
house banger with Indonesia’s very own LTN.”
09. ABOVE & BEYOND ‘Marianna Trench’ Anjunabeats
“They still can do club bangers. This one is the proof of that.”
10. SEVEN LIONS WITH MYON & SHANE 54 FEAT TOVE
LO ‘Strangers’ White
“Without a doubt the biggest track of the year for us, it went so much further
than we ever anticipated it.”
9.0
Operation Blade (xKore
Bootleg)
05. COONE & WILDSTYLEZ FEAT CIMO FRANKEL ‘This Is
Mix)’ White
Rige
09. MAX ENFORCER ‘Journey’ Lose Control Music
05. TRITONAL ‘Electric Glow’ Air Up There
06. DEMI LOVATO ‘Neon Lights (Myon & Shane 54 Summer of Love
Ready To Pump (DJ Paul
Early Rave Mix)
08. NOISECONTROLLERS & WAVERIDER ‘Have You’ CDR
04. MAX ENFORCER ‘Gold (Qlimax Refix)’ Gold Records
“This one is a great song in a classical songwriting sense. The crowd loves
chanting it. So do we.”
Paul Elstak
Featuring on the hardcore
legend's latest artist album,
'Ready To Pump' is a nostalgic
nod to Paul Elstak's roots, and
the early '90s hardcore sound.
Bouncy kicks, off-beat percussion
and pitched rap vocals bring all
the good vibes of the happier
Dutch sound of yesteryear, before
the drop into classic Fugees track
'Ready Or Not'. This track is an
old skool kick-back that doesn't
sound out of place in an upfront
playlist. Set finisher for me for the
foreseeable future.
04. ARTIFICIAL ‘Prototype’ Anjunabeats
“Anjunabeats’ supergroup consisting of Andrew Bayer and Norin & Rad. You
can’t go wrong with that.”
With a title like this, it was never
going to be a cheery affair! Heading
down the raw-style route, this
sinister hardstyle release makes
great use out of the twisted pitchgliding pads in the main breakdown
and ferocious stab sounds, before
building to drop with serious power
and nasty raw kicks. Not one for the
faint-hearted.
“A special remake of my track ‘Gold’. New kicks and upgraded synths took the
already great drive of this track to the next level.”
Home’ DIM MAK/DirtyWorks
“A great collaboration with a great result. Vocalist Cimo Frankel did a great
topline here that complements the music.”
06. TUNEBOY ‘Six’ Titanic
“Again a great track in the ‘XY’ style by this Italian maestro. Tuneboy has
been a cornerstone for hardstyle since the very beginning.”
07. D-BLOCK & S-TE-FAN ‘Takin’ Off ’ Evolution
“A supercool track that combines a cool melody with a fierce drop. Euphoric
and raw-style in one track. I love it!”
“I really love this track. Both artists’ styles are heard, making it a great collab. Catchy vocals and edits combined with an uplifting melody, devastating
kicks and stabs. Greatness!”
“One of my new tracks. Finishing it as I’m writing this.”
10. WILDSTYLEZ ‘Timeless (Vocal Mix)’ Q-Dance
“It’s amazing how music can fit together sometimes. Goosebumps.”
Public Domain
CDR
9.5
One of the UK's hottest exports
Armin van
Buuren
Shivers (Frontliner
Remix)
Armada
at the moment, xKore is tearing
up dancefloors around the world
with his fusion of electro, trap and
dubstep — with a harder twist. His
latest project is a rework of the
seminal millennium rave classic
from Public Domain. This track
clocks in at a slower tempo than
most hard dance music, but with
such a brutally pounding kick will
more than compliment a hard
dance DJ's track collection. Then
the curveball trap drop towards
the end will destroy whatever is
left of the dancefloor. Massive
tune for me at the moment.
The Pitcher
Gotta Feel
Fusion Records
8.5
Known for his vocal hardstyle
anthems, The Pitcher is back on
Fusion delivering another big
hitter for the winter months, with
an infectious pitched-up vocal
and catchy melody in the main
break and drop. Adding some
euphoric sounds on this very dark
raw label but steering clear of
being too obvious in the intro and
outro sections compliments the
breakdown well.
The Prophet
The Bizz
Scantraxx
8.5
The head don of Scantraxx
Records and all-round legend
The Prophet returns with another
strong single on his Scantraxx
label, taking the sound of the
label away from its usual melodic
uplifting hardstyle with some
heavier, darker beats. Featuring
great use of the chopped-up
10
It's always great to see the
cross-pollination of styles in
dance music, and the current
interest in hardstyle remixes from
house to hardcore is testament
to how influential the hardstyle
sound has become. One of the
most high-profile examples of
this is Armin van Buuren asking
Frontliner to remix his classic
'Shivers'. Keeping all the elegant
charm of the trance anthem in
the break, this remix gives you
the hands-in-the-air euphoria,
before the brutal hard drop
with Frontliner's trademark
impeccable production, that will
only cut deeper the bigger the
soundsystem it is exposed on. A
truly awesome clash of styles.
vocal sample, screechy stabs and
seriously pounding kick drums, this
is going to pick up a lot of plays.
Toneshifterz
Leap of Faith
We R
8.5
After recently announcing
they will be parting ways as two
separate acts going forward, this
is the first release from Tonshifterz
with just Ellie at the controls. Still
keeping the trademark high-energy
sound, this track has an almost
religious, Baptist-style vocal before
unleashing a brutal-yet-minimal
kick and bass mid intro. The
breakdown is all about hands-inthe-air good vibes followed by
pitched kicks on the drop. Great
release to reassure the fans that the
Toneshifterz sound is here to stay.
djmag.com.au 091