2 Unlimited - No One (Original TC Review)

Quality Music & Video: Cat. # QCDS 7073
Released 1994

Track List:
1. No One (Radio Edit) (3:27)
2. No One (Unlimited RMX Extended) (5:27)
3. No One (X-Out Remix) (6:19)
4. No One (X-Out In Dub Remix) (5:45)
5. No One (Doc Baron Mix) (6:58)
6. No One (The It Goes Underground) (6:36)

(2010 Update:
So it isn't The It, but rather some group called The Allen Street Crew taking on Larry Heard's moniker. Still an unremarkable remix though. Stick to the originals.)

IN BRIEF: Euro gets thoughtful.

2 Unlimited were on top of the euro house movement at the time of this release. Oh, sure, there were a number of one hit wonders floating about in '94 that have created more enduring tracks through time, but none had managed to string together more than a couple hit singles. No One was 2 Unlimited's eleventh in a row and, despite a stark contrast to their earlier hits, the quality of their pop dance music had not diminished one bit.

Leaving behind the more abrasive sounds of their ravey beginnings, producers Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster seemed to embrace the commercial aspects of euro music to remain relevant in the exploding scene. Thus, this single has a remarkably polished feel to it. The rhythm casually bobs along rather than energizes you and the main riff is barely noticeable, instead allowing the lyrics to carry the song.

And lyrically, this is probably some of 2 Unlimited’s best work. No anthem-like chants by Ray to urge the crowd on with this one. Rather, he is given three verses (normally he only has two) to provide some fairly introspective words. With Anita adding a gentle chorus rather than her usual belting voice, the tone of No One is quite pleasant. I can see why this one was one of the more popular radio hits at the time.

The Unlimited RMX provides the original with a more bouncy rhythm to make it more dancefloor friendly and adds a new riff to the fray to give it some driving energy. However, it is essentially the same song throughout. Even the added fills of Ray and Anitas typical, ah, MCing ('"C'mon, c'mon!", "Yeah-ya!", and so on) don't dilute from the overall pleasant atmosphere of No One.

Andy 'X-Out' Janssens gives the song some thick rhythms to move it along more effectively in his remixes (the dub is practically identical, just with a few less vocal fills). Complementing the heavy bass is, um, a triangle? Hmm, well, the use of a light piece of percussion amongst so many deeper elements does work, I suppose. He also makes use of his own added riff to supplement the main one, although it isn't nearly as catchy.

The last two remixes offered here are also quite similar in structure, which isn't too surprising considering they were both from artists on the old (garage house legend) David Morales label, 80 Proof Music; the first is done by Doc Baron, a name I'm not really familiar with. Stripping things down to the groove, only one line of Anita's chorus is retained and looped throughout as a thick, low-BPM, skittery beat chugs along with a simple old house riff. One of those classic high-octave string notes gets thrown in at points as well and we have a track that is very different than the original.

The second 80 Proof remix of No One is done by The It. Wait a moment... Not The It, as in (another house legend) Larry Heard; aka Mr. Fingers? How about that, eh? As for this remix, it could very well be just a dub version of the Doc Baron Remix, as it places even more emphasis on the thick rhythms and fades back most of the more melodic elements of the remix (of which were quite few to begin with anyways). It's interesting to listen to, and probably highly effective as a transitional track in the deepest of deep house sets, but those looking for something more akin to the original version will undoubtedly be turned off.

In fact, for a single that was quite popular for the radio, I'm surprised none of these remixes were really able to do much with No One aside from giving the song heavier, thicker rhythms. I suppose the lack of any driving big melodies didn't give the remixers much to work with. Such is the price 2 Unlimited had to pay for making a thoughtful song into a chart topper, it seems.

Score: 6/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

2 Unlimited - No Limit (Original TC Review)

Quality Music & Video: Cat. # QCDS 7012
Released 1993

Track List:
1. No Limit (Rap Mix) (3:30)
2. No Limit (Extended Mix) (5:42)
3. No Limit (Extended Rap Mix) (5:55)
4. No Limit (Rio & Le Jean Mix) (3:57)
5. No Limit (Automatic Remix) (4:59)
6. No Limit (Automatic Breakbeat) (4:48)

(2010 Update:
The first in a series of 2 Unlimited singles I reviewed for TranceCritic. I knew it was important to fill the website's archives with material quickly, and, being a fan of the group, knew I could churn these out in rapid fashion. I'll admit the euro dance info is very Canadian biased, however.)

IN BRIEF: One of the biggest EDM singles ever. 'Nuff said.

As hard as it may be for the younger generation of EDM lovers to believe, there was a time when dance music had mass appeal even in the typically 'dance sux' realm of North America. Despite grunge music grabbing all the headlines as 'the greatest form of music to emerge in ages' (hmm, whatever happened to that?), another form of music had begun to take stage as well. Not only did it offer a more upbeat spin on music to counter the dreary rock of the time, it also held crazy, catchy synth riffs, diva-esque choruses, and 4/4 rhythms that made them effective for dancing. The populace became enthralled with it, claiming it was the revival of disco's glory years. It held a larger limelight than hip-hop. Music videos for the major hits would routinely circulate on television. Oodles and oodles of compilations flooded the market. Kids in passing cars would blast this form of music from their stereos and sports events would use it to supercharge the spectators. Concerts for some of the music's biggest acts would pack people in by the tens of thousands.

This new music was known as 'techno'.

Okay, the official term for it ten years later became euro (dance, house, etc), partly because the followers of real techno made a big fuss about such a poppy form of music utilizing their precious underground name, but namely because most of it was produced in Europe. However, the fact it is probably the only form of EDM to make such a deep impact into the normally difficult, anti-EDM American pop music charts is a testament to its versatility. No other form of EDM has come close to euro's success in the United States; not trance, and certainly not, er, 'electronica' (whatever that is).

And while purists may bemoan about how it diluted EDM's integrity from that point on, it's best to just ignore them and enjoy euro for what it is: quality pop music with novel synths.

Which leads us to this single.

2 Unlimited's success with their two previous hits (Get Ready For This and Twilight Zone) had made them bonafide stars. They could have easily rested on those laurels since they couldn't possibly top those classic cuts. Could they?

Determined to prove they weren't any one-hit wonder, producers Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster, rapper Raymond Slijngaard, and singer Anita Dels set out to top their previous efforts. The result? One of the most heavily played EDM tracks in history.

No Limit smashed all kinds of expectations, hitting number one in thirty-five countries. By the time the group had disbanded three years later, over 2.5 million copies worldwide had been sold. Not bad for a sophomore effort.

However, the bigger question is whether this chart-topper still holds up over a decade since it first hit the airwaves. What a silly question. Of course it does.

Wilde and de Coster knew what they were doing when they created this track. The main riff is instantly likeable, leaping out at you with heavy, punchy beats amplifying its effectiveness at clinging to your mind and never letting go. Sure, it can seem redundant after the tenth time it plays in the track (and that's just the shorter Rap Mix version; the extended mixes go on for even longer) but Wilde and de Coster keep it interesting with the percussion in support. It's subtle but when the cymbal crashes are never repeating the same pattern, things remain musically diverse throughout.

However, this wasn't 2 Unlimited's best lyrical effort. Anita is mostly reduced to singing, "No, no" repeatedly during the fills and Ray's "Techno, techno, techno, techno!" fill in the extended mixes has been lambasted by everyone, their dogs, and their dogs' fleas. Still, they knew No Limit's real strength was in its dancefloor (and sports stadium, as things turned out) energy so the lack of anything substantial for lyrics is understandable; folks don't pay as much attention to words when getting their groove on in most cases. I will mention, though, the chorus is quite effective and Ray does seem to take a firm stand when he says, "You try to diss me 'cause I sell out; I'm making techno and I am proud!" It's almost as though he suspected there would be a major backlash to this song (and there was -from purists), but was resolute in his convictions that he was doing what he enjoyed: making music for the masses.

The first three mixes are mostly identical to each other. The Rap Mix is the most commonly heard one, with the Extended Rap Mix adding more space for riff fills, drum fills, and a minor intro. The Extended Mix is the same, just sans Ray's two verses.

The Rio & Le Jean Mix (Wilde and de Coster under pseudonyms) strips things down to a less produced sound. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this was an early test demo. However, it's remarkably effective in making the riffs even punchier, replacing the cymbal crashes with snare snaps instead. In addition, they use a cowbell in the percussion as well! Haha, it's quite amusing hearing that thing clonking in the background as the song plays. Still, this would probably be even more effective on a dancefloor than the Rap Mix thanks to the direct nature of it.

DJ Automatic provides a couple of remixes to this single as well. While his first one is somewhat interesting in its play of the main riff, it kind of lacks in overall focus. There's a real feeling of never gaining any ground throughout. The breakbeat remix, however, is an absolute gem.

Briefly opening up with some breakbeats as a small preview of what's to come, they quickly retreat to allow a nice spacey pad play for a bit. Soon enough, the familiar No Limit riff starts up but, what's this? It isn't quite the same this time. Instead of its usual 4/4 pattern, it gets the breakbeat treatment instead with skillful pauses in the rendition. Once the percussion returns, a heavy kick that pummels you is added and plays wonderfully with this new take on the riff.

Alternating between the riffs and vocal fills keeps the energy going strong until at three minutes in we're treated to an apocalyptic choir fill! Wow, who'd have seen that coming? I love it! On the other side of this fill, the riff gets a little playful with an octave climb for a few measures, followed by the rhythm subsiding back to allow the spacey pads to play as Anita's chorus is sung. Then, the apocalyptic choir returns to end the song off. Haha! Great stuff.

No Limit is definitely a nostalgic trip for those of us who were there when EDM was at heights previously and since never achieved. However, it is certainly a product of its time. While this might have been a huge hit back in the early 90s, I couldn't imagine those thick beats and juicy synths sitting on top of the charts in this day in age. I'm sure many of the newer cats would wonder how something like this could ever have achieved such a following. While it may be a common phrase from us old timers, it suits the situation: You had to have been there.

Score: 8/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

Erik Vee - Sacred/Iron Eden (Original TC Review)

Dropout: Cat. # DROP 0456-6
Released Nov. 1, 2004

Track List:
A. Sacred (Club Mix) (6:16)
B. Iron Eden (Club Mix) (7:35)

(2010 Update:
So much for really being an 'instant fan'. Granted, Erik didn't release much after this but it's not like I bothered to follow his career either. 'Tis funny how enthusiasm can be so fickle in dance music.)

IN BRIEF: Erik Vee's standing remains firm.

The trouble with becoming an instant fan of an artist's work after hearing just one of their songs is the expectation level on subsequent releases tends to be higher. I'll grant that such expectations are ridiculous but, truthfully, if the artist was good enough to draw you in with just one song, you kind of expect them to be able to produce something of at least equal quality.

This does not mean they have to copy the same formula. In fact, I'd be a bit disappointed if they did. I'd rather hear their musical talent put to use exploring other ideas instead of rehashing the same ones.

So it is with welcome relief to see that Erik Vee continues to keep things interesting on this EP. While no I Am Free, the two tracks on offer here still manage to deliver to some degree.

Sacred is a gimmick-free hard trancer, aiming straight for the floor with punchy percussion. Nothing fancy here -just four-to-the-floor rhythms and crunchy synth riffs for the opening two minutes. A brief breakdown gives us a thirty-seconds breather before the established elements are built back up. Once everything's moving along again, the synth gets a little more melodic as background pads harmonize with it.

It's a solid enough affair but perhaps more could have been done with it. I get this feeling Sacred is lacking that extra touch of ingenuity that would raise it above the level of other hard trance tracks. As such, it remains firmly in the middle of the pack.

Iron Eden is apparently a cover of a song by The Gate done in 1998. I'm not really familiar with the original but the melody does ring a distant bell, perhaps due to a striking similarity to much of the trance melodies that were coming out at the time. It's quite possible I heard it at a party back then. But enough dwelling on the past. How is Erik Vee's rendition, you ask?

Like Sacred, this is fairly straightforward in presentation but the similarities end there. Even though the track does contain some thumping rhythms, they're at a slightly lower BPM and less punchy. Really, it's merely there to service the main meat of Iron Eden, a somewhat distorted synth played on every kick. For the most part, this synth is played throughout the track, casually mixing things up between terse and harmonizing melodic notes as the pacing dictates. It's rather catchy and, thankfully, Vee allows it to carry the song without relying on any big builds or overlong breakdowns (there's a brief one some four and a half minutes in but it's more of a brief pause in momentum than anything obtrusive). By stripping this song to the basics of trance music, we can easily be drawn into the hypnotic nature of it.

Plus, Vee uses that wonderfully nostalgic ting, ting, ting hi-hat that Jam & Spoon quite often used way back in the genre's infancy -kudos for that.

Now, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy these two tracks; like I Am Free, they really are good in their simplicity. Unfortunately, I get the impression these are just tide- overs until Vee produces more material for perhaps a full-length album or, at the very least, another big single. The production talent is still there but here's hoping for a little boundary pushing on the next release, Erik.

Score: 7/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

Erik Vee - I Am Free (Original TC Review)

Dropout: Cat. # DROP 0346-6
Released 2003

Track List:
A. I Am Free (Club Mix) (6:44)
B. I Am Free (Original Mix) (6:24)

(2010 Update:
Sometimes one will write a positive review that they may look back on and wonder, "how could I have ever liked that?" This is not one of them! Yeah, it's a cheesy tune, but everyone has a few guilty pleasures in their music collections. Still no shame.)

IN BRIEF: Italo lives!

Say what you will about Regeanomics, arena rock, and fashions that could make your hair stand on end even more than the hairspray that abounded in the decade; the 80s had a lot going for them. One such thing was the music known as italo disco, a wholly European phenomenon that time has been quite generous to.

I'm not sure if Erik Vee intentionally set out to make an italo-esque track with I Am Free (especially considering his first single, Wildside, was as straightforward a hard trancer as it gets) but that's the feeling I'm getting from this single here.

Why? Simply put, everything that made italo so much fun is abundant. The breathy vocals with a touch of reverb; the simple yet effective floating pads; the catchy, primitive synth hooks; and a bouncy rhythm that will get parts of your body moving even if you are lying inert.

And even though I Am Free does follow the typical trance format of lead, breakdown, build, etc., they don't come across as tired here, probably thanks to the lack of so many of the clichés plentiful in other tracks (mega snare rolls, gargantuan synths, overtly pretentious presentations). Everything here has a stripped down, back-to-basics feel to it.

Okay, so some might label this vocal trance but, really, vocal trance tends to come across as the offspring of euro dance, which in turn was the offspring of italo. It all ties together, guy!

If you came looking at this release for something a little more akin to Wildside, the Club Mix provided on the A side will probably be more up your alley.

This is a simple yet effective piece of trance here. The track starts out with punchier rhythm as heavy bass bobbles in the background and grating effects are thrown in about for the two and a half minutes worth of lead in. The breakdown fades things down and, wisely, this mix gives us a bit of yin to the lead-in's yang. Instead of the synth pads that were used in the original, however, we are treated to voice pads instead, lending the ambience of I Am Free to a more benign nature. Adding to that ambience is the main hook being played with a rich piano fed through a little reverb rather than primitive synths as well.

Things start moving along again at a fair pace soon enough and extra effects are utilized to play off the piano melody wonderfully. Things play out typically as the song finishes off, with the rhythm dominating the last minute's worth for all your DJing needs.

I highly recommend this release to either fans of italo or melodic trance. Both versions of I Am Free are very effective in their simplicity, and, even if you aren't exactly a fan of one of those styles of EDM, you just might become one after listening to this single.

And as for Erik Vee, count me as a new fan of his material if he continues to produce songs of this caliber. Here's looking to the future with the past firmly in tow.

Score: 9/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

Cosmic Gate - Different Concept, Part 2 (Original TC Review)

E-Cutz: Cat. # EC 2004/2
Released April 2004

TRACK LIST
A. Bilingual (8:37)
B. Monotune (9:02)

(2010 Update:
Wow, who would have thought this was going to be the end of Cosmic Gate's hard trance era. This review is definitely a product of its time, as the duo's whole change of direction isn't even touched upon here.)

IN BRIEF: More quality from the Cosmic Gate crew.

With some good, solid percussion that progressively adds layers driving the first two minutes of Bilingual, Cosmic Gate's most recent EP sets us up for quite the stomper of a track. Things calm down briefly as bass kicks begin to throb from beyond a murky veil, allowing a pulsating saw synth to slowly emerge from the background. Less than a minute later, the percussion kicks back in, the synth becoming more focused and punctual in time to the rhythm as it slides across the stereo spectrum. Soon though, things fade off again to the throbbing bass kick permeating the background. A great little piano melody fed with a bit of reverb plays out, eventually gaining momentum in itself as some synth pads join as well. This breakdown goes on for perhaps a little too long (a minute and a half) considering how driving Bilingual started out but there's enough momentum carried over into the piano melody to keep at least some part of the body moving.

And anyways, once things do get going again, the anticipation built up to the return of the main synth lead and percussion is enough to really get you moving. Things play out quite typically from here, with the main synth lead and piano melody alternating turns in carrying the song to a brief percussion lead-out; however, when the elements used are as good as they are here, this can make for a good set piece.

Monotune on the flip gives us techy percussion to start out, setting up a respectable pace. Over two minutes later things calm down, allowing a crunchy, stuttering saw lead to emerge from the background, eventually gaining enough momentum on its own to allow the percussion to fade away for the time being. As it gains intensity, the synth smoothes itself out, becoming fuller in sound until...

Um, it just dies, actually.

After a second's pause, the synth starts up again, starting from a low tone to build in intensity as it leads into heavy, driving percussion, embellishing from Monotunes opening percussive elements. When these two ingredients feed off each other's energy, we are fed some incredibly vigorous stuff for a good minute. After we are given a chance to catch our breath with some reduced percussion, the song cycles itself over again, adding a bit of a pulsing bass and a few extra effects to mix a little diversity before capping off some eight minutes in with a simple percussion lead-out.

I rather enjoyed these two cuts from Cosmic Gate. Granted, they aren't going to re-define trance anytime soon but neither do they dilute the name either. This is solid, four-to-the-floor material that knows its role as set pieces tailor made for getting the crowd moving. The pauses in momentum are, for the most part, welcome respites from the intensity of these tracks, although I did feel Bilingual's carried on a bit longer than it really needed to. Still, this is a welcome release to any fan of hard trance's collection.

Score: 7/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

DJ Merlin & NXP - Deep In My Mind (Original TC Review)

Tunnel Records: Cat. # TR 3078
Released 2003

TRACK LIST:
A. Deep In My Mind (Extended Mix) (9:04)
B. Deep In My Mind (Barbarez Remix) (6:59)

(2010 Update:
My first 'below average' review, which stunned TranceCritic's owner quite a bit since he recommended this to me for coverage. It was pretty bad then, and the fact these guys seemed to have fallen off vindicates my early assumptions. So, hah! Take that, Jon!)

IN BRIEF: Aren't we all tired of screaming synths by now?

There's an absolutely great moment in the extended mix of Deep In My Mind, where the beats are thumping, the bass is galloping, and a subdued riff screeches inconspicuously.

Unfortunately, it comes nearly eight minutes into this track and lasts a mere twenty seconds, at a point where its role is 'lead out' from the main bulk of this song. What do you have to deal with to get to this point? Some fairly unremarkable moments, to say the least, but since I have no word count limit on the internet, I'll say more.

After some typical shuffling percussion lead in, a rather perky bassline starts up with a bleeping effect playing off it from behind. Two minutes later, we get a minor breakdown, allowing the built up percussion to be stripped away in layers as a little singing of the song's title unfolds. Soon enough, all the introduced elements are completely gone, allowing a gargantuan synth to blast forth, spurring on a breakbeat build.

A decent enough technique but for one problem: despite its zealousness, this synth sounds far too whiney. Add to this the fact the riff it plays is nothing more than straightforward boshing to go along with the thumping kicks, and, well, it's just superfluous. There'd be just as much energy to this track without it thanks to the throbbing basslines, as is evidenced at the end of this song when the synth recedes and allows a background lead to do the work.

Two builds are in this track, the second of course bigger than the first, but I'd take eight minutes of the lead out of Deep In My Mind over these builds any day.

Marty Schmidt (better known as DJ Dean but using his Barbarez alias here) seems to be aware of the main synth's lack of ability to carry the song on its shoulders so, for his remix on the flip, he adds some more elements to help it along.

The lead in is much punchier, laying the beats on fierce with chunky acid blurps and snappy percussion. Over two minutes later, things recede and allow a throbbing synth line to emerge in a minor breakdown. Crowd noise is added and, as the main synth of the original is brought in, the extra throbbing synth really brings texture. Another synth line plays off the main one, doing what needed to be done in the first place: adding depth to an otherwise basic banger of a track.

Granted, the synth still sounds whiney but at least it isn't the focus of the entire track anymore. There are whole stretches where the other synths get to show off a bit as well; disappointingly, nothing overly remarkable is done with these extra elements either. For the most part, they just thump or throb along with the kicks. Schmidt's remix is better than the original but not by a whole heck of a lot.

Despite a few things that work, these two tracks don't really bring a whole lot to the table. There's far better offerings of hard trance out there.

Score: 3/10

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.