2 Unlimited - Do What's Good For Me (Original TC Review)

Popular Records: Cat. # PR2 3008
Released 1996

Track List:
1. Do What's Good For Me (Edit) (3:49)
2. Do What's Good For Me (Extended) (6:03)
3. Do What's Good For Me (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)
4. Do What's Good For Me (X-Out Remix) (5:22)
5. Do What's Good For Me (Aural Pleasure Mix)(8:58)
6. Club Megamix (9:34)


(2010 Update:)
I didn't realize it at the time, but Dobre & Jamez would go on to see some success as Trancesetters. So now you know.)


IN BRIEF: 2 Unlimited go old school.

1996 was a year of transition for many following EDM. Most of the sounds that had defined the early rave era had begun to fade away as newer, improved gear and software replaced it. Genres that had proved immensely popular before were growing stagnant as ideas continuously were recycled with great redundancy, causing many fans of certain niches to search out different styles of music.

Probably the style most heavily affected was euro house. Just a scant two years before, the music was on top of the EDM world, and even making an impact on general music as well in typically anti-electronic regions. However, as with all things that catch onto the mainstream, many imitators began to flood the market as well. Every week there were new acts featuring some bird on choruses, some bloke on rap verses, and producers hiding in their studios providing the musical backdrop. Where innovative takes on the sound once kept it afloat, ideas seemed to dry up towards the end of 1995, and completely burn right out in '96.

Possibly affected the most by this trend was euro powerhouse 2 Unlimited. Not only was this group one of the original acts to bring the euro sound to giant heights of popularity, they also managed to keep themselves relevant in the following years, knocking down almost all of their competition with their always catchy riffs and excellent rhythms -those that did manage to have bigger hit singles than the group never managed to have as many hits as 2 Unlimited did. The Dutch euro act was, without a doubt, one of the best.

Unfortunately, even they could not stop the coming change in popular tastes. Trance music was on her way to overtaking euro as the dominant EDM genre of choice (although the media would attempt the electronica take-over before that) and there would be no place for quirky raps, catchy melodies, and belting divas (at least initially -it seems everything but the raps were eventually integrated into trance anyways, but that’s another topic). What was 2 Unlimited to do?

Go back to their roots, it would seem.

Do What's Good For Me sees Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster taking away the once glossy polish of their previous albums work and relying on the house sounds that had remained nestled in the underground clubs while euro held the limelight. Sure enough, you have a bouncier rhythm and that high octave string note during the minor builds and fills. Of interesting note, however, is the main riff. Like many of their earlier sounds, this one has an unproduced tone to it. Sure, the actual sound used is quite typical of many early 90's house songs but, even with the most piddling of stereos, you can hear a distinctive distortion to it, especially when it pitches up to higher tones. I'm glad to hear that edge Wilde and de Coster held over their contemporaries with unique sounds for their hooks is still evident even at this late stage of euro's game.

Ray and Anita provide some lyrics that seem to indicate they were also aware of the changing climate of dance music. It's no secret that around this time they were expressing interest in leaving the group to pursue their own careers. I guess this was their subtle way of letting their fans know that they were going to “do what's good for [them]”, and perhaps for the 2 Unlimited legacy as well by going out on top of their game like so many of the best pop acts in history (The Beatles, The Police, etc.) before they fade off into irrelevance and obscurity.

Or maybe I'm reading too deeply into it and Do What's Good For Me really is just a good old fashioned 'take matters into my own hands' 90s rallying call. We may never know.

Visnadi returns on this single to give the track another one of his sexy Alex Party mixes. The structure remains the same but the rhythm makes use of snaps instead of snares to give it a little more punch. And by replacing the main riff with a more subdued take using a deep organ, this mix grooves along nicely.

As usual, Andy 'X-Out' Janssens provides a more dancefloor friendly take as well, doing away with most of the main ingredients to use one of his typically peppier riffs this time with big organ chords.

The Aural Pleasure Mix (done by Dobre & Jamez) is something of a surprise. The way a bubbly bass line slowly emerges as Anita's "If it's good enough" continuously loops with slight echoes is unlike any 2 Unlimited remix or song I've ever heard. Minimal looping layers of percussion and pitch bending acid gradually appear as well and what do you know! We actually have ourselves a trance track here (classic trance that is). Once all the building elements peak midway through, all but the rhythm recedes to allow a deep synth reverb to slide about for a while until all the elements are progressively built back up again. The song peaks once more and fades off with voice echoes and the barest of rhythm. While not anything groundbreaking, the Aural Pleasure Mix certainly strays from the 2 Unlimited norm and would definitely turn heads of trainspotters.

Included on this particular single is a club megamix of 2 Unlimited hits. While there have been countless of these done (heck, it was a 2 Unlimited megamix that initially got me more interested in the group beyond just a few hits), this one easily stands out from the pack.

Why? Simply put, the versions of the songs used here are mostly remixes instead of the better known ones. Get Ready For This gets treated to a more refined house sound by capitalizing on the dreamy chorus; Twilight Zone replaces the familiar Wooo! with a gentler aaah.; Tribal Dance remains the same but the sexier Alex Party Mix of Here I Go gets used instead; The Real Thing's energetic take on the famous Bach organs is retained, mixing quite nicely into the wonderful Automatic Breakbeat of No Limit, capping the megamix off with apocalyptic choirs. All in all, it's a fun collection.

As for the rest of this single, it's a decent enough effort. Had the group not split shortly after this, it would have been interesting to see where their music would have taken them if they followed this more non-mainstream route.

Sadly, the 2 Unlimited legacy was nearing its end after a hugely successful four year run. Their time had passed and, if anything, Do What's Good For Me's back-to-basics mentality is as fitting a way to come full circle.


Score: 8/10


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

2 Unlimited - Here I Go (Original TC Review)

Quality Music & Video: Cat. # QCDS 7122
Released 1995

Track List: 1. Here I Go (Radio Edit) (3:16)
2. Here I Go (X-Out Edit) (3:30)
3. Here I Go (Dub Down Below) (7:36)
4. Here I Go (X-Out In Club) (5:29)
5. Here I Go (Alex Party Remix) (4:40)

(2010 Update:
Kind of a silly review, this. I swear I don't sound that far removed from an over-enthusiastic fanboy, spitting out "ya, will my favorite group accomplished this and this!" -ism throughout. Actually, I think I was just eager to plow through all these 2 Unlimited singles, and didn't give much thought to it. Oh well. At least it's good for a laugh these days.)

IN BRIEF: More dance fun from the Dutch phenomenon.

Pop quiz time:

What do Abba, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and The Bee Gees all have in common?

Answer: They are in a very small club of musicians that have had at least twelve consecutive top ten singles, a feat that is quite remarkable given the music industry's tendency to see chart topping acts fade soon after their first couple big singles.

With Here I Go, 2 Unlimited became a member of this club. Not too shabby for a four year old act.

How could a mere 'techno' group achieve something hundreds of musicians and producers haven't managed no matter how hard they try? Well, there are several answers to this but the simplest one is this: Phil Wilde, Jean-Paul de Coster, Ray Slijngaard, and Anita Dels stumbled upon (okay, took from The KLF) a formula that would equal chart topping success and managed to keep that formula relevant in the following years -no easy task considering pop music's constantly shifting tastes.

Here I Go is 2 Unlimited during their full euro sound. The raw, ravey riffs are gone, replaced with finely produced synths that are just as unique and catchy but don't leap out as much as before. Instead, we have lyrics that contain more substance than straight-ahead crowd hyping. As usual, the excellent drum programming and embellishing effects that have always given Wilde and de Coster an edge over their many, many competitors of the time are in full effect, adding depth to the tracks already driving energy.

This is definitely one of their most polished songs, and leaps and bounds above the hundreds of imitators. Hmm... I guess they were trying to retain their thunder after many more euro acts began to steal their limelight. The fact Here I Go kept their chart topping streak intact proves they succeeded in this regard. Good work, boys (and girl).

Longtime 2 Unlimited remixer Andy 'X-Out' Janssens gives us a pair of re-rubs on this single. The club mix mellows the song out a little more by using pianos at points and stripping the rhythms down to simpler patterns. The main riff is gone as well, replaced by a stuttering synth harmonizing with string pads playing the same melody. Aside from that, it's essentially the same song. His Dub Down Below mix, however, is remarkably different.

This mix starts out with thick, deep bass rhythms, grumbling along as little effects burble in unison. Layers of percussion are gradually added as vocal snippets from Ray and Anita fill out the edges. High octave string notes and funky, juicy hooks enter the fray nearly two minutes in, continuously building upon loops until a breakdown another two minutes later. Synth washes and pianos mellow things out, allowing Anita to gently sing part of the chorus (really, just the "here I go" part). Once this respite plays out for half a minute, we're right back into the grumbling rhythms earlier established to carry us out.

It's quite interesting to listen to but I'm not so sure it's the most dancefloor friendly remix on here. For that, you have to go with the Alex Party Remix.

If you thought the Dub Down Below mix was deep, then this remix takes you down to pressure crushing depths. By stripping the rhythm to the bare essentials and letting Ray intone, "Now let it flow; Deep down below" throughout as throbbing bass pulses along, you can't help but move your body to this infectious combination. During the main leads, a thick synth played at a very low octave adds to the driving rhythm while a simple little riff harmonizes along. Granted, you aren't going to have any euphoric rushes with this mix but that really isn't the point here. I'd be more inclined to grab a nice lady and do a little bump and grind than raise my arms in adulation if I heard this at a club. Heh, who says euro didn't ever get nasty?

As fine as a pop song Here I Go is, the down and dirty remixes on this single are the real treats to be had. Highly recommended.

Score: 9/10

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

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.

Various - Trance Divas 2 (Original TC Review)

Water Music Records: Cat. # 302 060 535-2
Released March 22, 2005

Track List:
Disc 1
1. Jessy - How Long (Vandoren & Vanhoyland Remix) (8:25)
2. Lange featuring Leah - Don't Think It (Feel It) (7:50)
3. Freeloader - Two Become One (3:39)
4. Skye - Venice Freaks (4:01)
5. ATB - Marrakech (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Synthetic Empire Remix) (9:05)
6. Taybe - Sarah Said (Fragma Remix) (5:16)
7. Antonia - This Night's Forever (4:02)
8. DJ Tatana featuring Jaël - Always On My Mind (Ronski Speed Edit) (3:52)
9. Matanka featuring Sheryl Deane - Near Me (7:02)
10. Marc et Claude featuring Maria Nayler - Free Spirit (7:13)
11. Aven - All I Wanna Do (Ferry Corsten Remix) (9:05)

Disc 2
1. Kyau vs. Albert featuring Julie - Not With You (Ronski Speed Radio Edit) (3:53)
2. Kate Ryan - The Promise You Made (Extended Mix) (5:59)
3. Above & Beyond featuring Zoë Johnston - No One On Earth (Gabriel & Dresden Mix)
4. Michael Splint featuring Sasja - Secrets Broke My Heart (Radio Extended Mix) (4:31)
5. Rock Ryders - Don't You Know (Full On Vocal Mix) (6:40)
6. Sun Decade - I'm Alone (Mirco de Govia Vocal Mix) (7:56)
7. Damae featuring Londonbeat - I've Been Thinking About You (Extended Vocal Mix) (6:41)
8. Galimar - Sunshine On A Rainy Day (Radio Mix) (3:33)
9. Novaspace - Time After Time (Novaspace Mix) (6:05)
10. Van Eyden featuring Susanne Webb - The 1 (Danny Wild vs. Peewee Vocal Remix) (7:08)
11. D:Fuse - Living The Dream (8:58)


(2010 Update:
This could have been a really hilarious review, had I been more confident in my quips at the time. Instead, I kept things rather objective and straight-forward, resulting in yet another wordy, track-by-track, dry review. Man, is it ever painful reading some of these again. Breeze through it for the jokes about vocal trance lyrics.)


IN BRIEF: At times fun, but ultimately unremarkable.

Trance divas. Just say that to yourself for a moment. Trance... divas…

Something about it doesn't quite sound right, does it -don't worry, there's a pretty good reason for it. You see trance, in the traditional sense, isn't something that aims to be the center of attention (we'll ignore the commercialization of it for the moment). When you are in a trance, all you are aware of is yourself; the music helps achieve this state of consciousness. In contrast, divas are the exact opposite. They demand your attention be turned to them because they are the center of the world. And, in most cases, they have the vocal skills to back up their outlandish claims and attitudes, which is why they often get a pass for their behavior.

So, when you try to combine music that lets you focus on yourself with vocals that force you to focus on them, you have a clashing of ideologies where one aspect has to give. In most cases, it's the vocalists that suffer.

Firstly, most trance singers just don't carry the same presence most singers do. For instance, whereas a house diva will belt out her lyrics with just as much soul as a black church choir (indeed, many were raised as such), a trance gal tends to drone along, attempting to either sound ethereal or euphoric, essentially trying to complement the music rather than draw attention from it. Unfortunately, this can lead to another problem.

It seems with most trance that use vocals these days there also has to be big synths to hit you with a rush of energy. When these synths are so loud and pronounced, hogging the spotlight at the peak of climaxes, the poor girl providing lyrics gets so overshadowed that whatever she had to say becomes inconsequential. The whole purpose of the track is no longer the lyrical content but the synth climax. She could either be singing about love or quantum physics; it really wouldn't make a difference.

Now, I'll grant there are a few vocal trance tracks that find a decent equilibrium (most famously the one that spearheaded the whole movement, DJ Tiësto's remix of Silence) but they do remain few and far between. For a form of music that relies more on the melodies than the lyrics, vocal trance is a hit and miss genre if you take it literally.

That all said, Trance Divas is an incredibly misleading title for a compilation. For one thing, you'll find no divas on here. Pretty much all the gals on offer have neither the voice nor the presence of a typical diva. Second of all, not everything here is trance -which is actually fine with me, really. The last thing I'd want to have to endure is two discs worth of poor-man's Silence-es. Sure, a number of these use Ferry Corsten pre-sets as their sound base, but that in itself does not make a track fit into a typical genre. If so, then one of these would actually be heavy metal! (Dont worry; you'll see what I mean).

Anyhow, enough ranting from me, as I have two discs to get through here. As such, this may not be as detailed as most of my reviews but, trust me, if I was that detailed, I'd end up becoming more repetitive than a Daft Punk track.

This first track by Jessy is a perfect example of the trouble with I find with a lot of vocal trance. Most of the lyrics (either about a jalapeno that hasn't quite digested from the day before, or love) are relegated to the opening few minutes. After that, the song focuses almost entirely on a melody introduced in a breakdown for the duration of the track, with a few returns to the two-line chorus. As a slice of moody anthem trance á la Silence, this is actually quite nice but the vocals are hardly needed, and tend to get drowned out when the melody is in play.

Lange and Leah provide a better offering with Don't Think It (Feel It). Leah's singing is suitable for the theme of finding a lost pet (or love), and Lange is smart enough to not overdo it with the main synth melody, finding a nice balance between the two. Okay, there is a pretty useless breakdown a third of the way through to introduce the melody (since when did everything else have to stop just to have melody start in a dance song?) but I can overlook that nitpick as Leah actually gets her second verse on the other side of it. It's a nice change of pace from your typical Silence wanna-be.

Freeloaders' Two Become One, a touching story of two water drops forming into a single drop (or love), may at first glance seem cheesy to trance lovers but might I remind you that not everything on here is trance. Really, this is a euro song, which is a nice change of pace after going through two typical trancers. As such, almost all the emphasis is on vocals and no major hooks at all. Sure, there're some little pianos and string pads, but none of these get major prominence and none are required for a short pop song such as this.

Next up is, um, er... What on earth is this? I think the lyrics have something to do with a race of Mr. Hydes living in Venice (or love) but, with singing this saccharine and what appears to be some sort of brand new genre I'll tentatively call 'happy hardstyle' (and yes, it really is as bad as it sounds), Skye's Venice Freaks is completely skippable. Okay, if they were going for something stupid, I can't really fault it. It doesn't mean I have to like it either.

Fortunately, ATB's Marrakech (with Alex M.O.R.P.H. providing the re-rub here) gives us something a little more grimy to clean us of that cheese. The baseline is a wonderfully grumbling, pulsing sucker that works nicely in setting a sinister mood. Mind, this is still more of a melodic track than a vocal track but when the lyrics are almost rendered unintelligible by effects (my guess is it's about love), you aren't really going to be paying much attention to them in the first place, are you.

Sarah Said by Trybe is also quite a cheesy little thing (well, what did you expect from a Fragma remix?) but it's kind of goofy fun too. The synths suck but I do like the lyrics, with their psuedo-lesbian indulgence. No, I'm serious! This might be a cover of another song but whether this was initially sung by a guy or not does not matter. There's a gal singing here now (and one with a cute voice, I might add) so, when she starts singing about falling in love with a girl named Sarah, what else could it be about?

This next track reminds me quite a bit of many a euro song from back in the glory years of the genre. This Night's Forever is a fairly straightforward dance track that uses a more typical verse/chorus structure, a simple synth riff, and lyrics sung by Antonia that are quite catchy without being annoyingly so. And, when the topic of your song is about the end of the Earth after the suns light has been extinguished as it goes nova (or love), the slightly more moody atmosphere feels quite appropriate.

Ronski Speed gives DJ Tatana and Jaël's Always On My Mind the Silence treatment here but, even in this edit, I just can't get excited about it. Jaël doesn't sound all that interested in singing about having lost something (probably love) and the big, euphoric climax is quite boring. Everything's just on a muddy cruise control, really. Thank god this is just an edit; I'd hate to have to sit through a typical eight minutes of this.

Things are now starting to get into anthem territory with Matanka's Near Me. Featuring the vocal talents of Sheryl Deane (of The Thrillseakers' Synaesthesia fame), the gal holds her own against the peppy synth builds and breakdowns, supplying decent enough oohs and aahs during the fills while singing something about trying to grab a hold of the air around her (or the love around her) when given the chance sparingly. It's just a shame the melody is too hokey to be taken all that serious. Yeah, I know it wants to be an uplifting, euphoric anthem like the great ones of yore, but if you need to use two bloody breakdowns and two bloody builds to hammer the idea home, you are just trying too hard, my friends. Besides, the hook isn't all that interesting. Moving on.

Marc et Claude may have cut their teeth on the harder side of trance but they seem to be getting softer in their old age. Here, they tap the lyrical talents of one Maria Nayler (most famously doing the lyrics for Robert Miles' One & One) to give us a slice of syrupy dance pop with useless breakdowns, builds, and bad synths. On the plus side, Nayler's innocently sweet, soothing vocals are pleasant when she gets a chance to sing about fireflies (or love). Free Spirit is one of the rare instances when the vocalist actually outshines the synths in their competition for attention.

Finishing off the first disc is Aven's All I Wanna Do with Ferry Corsten doing, well, Ferry Corsten. This is pretty much Corsten trance at its most basic really, with a catchy, rhythmic opening that eventually moves into by-the-numbers Corsten breakdowns, builds, synths, and riffs. Fine enough if you are new to it but, having heard it for over half a decade from him and countless copycats without much variation, I'll pass, thank you very much. On the plus side for all you fans of this type of trance, there are hardly any vocals utilized to get in the way of all those bright, finely produced arpeggiating synths. Of what's sung, it may be something about a woman's enjoyment of her vibrator, or about love. Does it really matter? Well, maybe if the Corsten synths weren't so prominent, it might.

Disc two picks up right where disc one left off as Kyau and Albert's Not With You gets yet another useless synthy breakdown less than a minute in. Don't worry, though, as it only lasts half a minute and we are treated to a decent slice of euro on the other side of it for the rest of the track. Julie definitely has a good voice to carry this song about more love.

Kate Ryan seems to have a slowly rising star at the moment and, if The Promise You Made is any indication, it is justifiable. Yet another decent slice of euro, little guitar strums and synth washes make up the musical bulk but plays second fiddle as Ms. Ryan carries this track on the strength of her vocals. A rather mellow song, she doesn't have to belt out anything and is able to nicely croon along to the theme of the devil coming for an unfortunate soul who made a deal with him (or love).

In Gabriel & Dresden's remix of Above & Beyond's No One On Earth, the boys rip off, er, pay tribute to many a classic EyeQ trance track by utilizing that wonderfully sounding distorted pad that producers such as Oliver Lieb and A.C. Boutsen used to great effect back in the day. I don't even mind it being introduced in a standard breakdown, as it really is great to hear on its own. Sadly, Zoë Johnston's vocals leave something to be desired. The theme of it, a serenade to an alien abductor (or just love in general), isn't bad but Johnston just comes off sounding like a poor-woman's Sarah McLachlan. I've heard her do some fine stuff in the past but she completely misses the mark here, sounding woefully off-key I'm afraid. Maybe it's just her lyrics don't quite match up to what Gabriel & Dresden are trying to do in this case. In any event, this one is not a strong vocal outing.

Secrets (Broke My Heart) by Michael Splint is another fun little slice of hi-nrg euro. Tapping Sasja for some vocal duty as she sings about crooked, lying politicians (or just a lying lover), a nice balance between lyrics and synths is met. Okay, the synths aren't all that great sounding, but there's a low-fi quality to them I find quite nostalgic.

Ah, now here's where those metal guitars I mentioned way before, finally make an appearance. Rock Ryders' Don't You Know is pretty much a tame hardstyle track that, I have to admit, is some good stupid fun. All of the lyrics are dealt with in a breakdown, and thusly rendered pretty much a non-issue since the track would work with or without them. No, as with most hardstyle, the following big synth build and peak is the main attraction. With its march-a-long theme you can't take it all that seriously, but when the track has some chunky power chords playing at the beginning and end, I doubt that's really the point. Sure to be a guilty pleasure for many.

For a change of pace from all the love themes (assuming that's what all these previous songs have been about), Sun Decade gives us something a little more, well, serious. I'm Alone seems to be about suicide, of all things. It's not really a topic touched upon by most epic trancers, and for good reason, as epic trance likes to be uplifting rather than introspective. In this sense, I'm Alone works wonderfully as a trance song. Even the requisite clichés like breakdowns and synthy builds don't feel obtrusive. This is probably mostly the work of Mirco de Govia's remix, though, as the man knows how to craft a decent tune.

Damae (of Fragma fame) does a cover of the Londonbeat euro classic I've Been Thinking About You, which isn't too bad at all. I quite like the idea of throwing bits of the original into this instead of just doing a weak dance cover and, coming off the emotional I'm Alone, it's nice to hear something fun. Aside from that, without much deviation from the original there's not much else to comment on. After all, we've all heard it played on our local radios for ages now.

Galimar returns us to euro territory with Sunshine On A Rainy Day, making use of many a supersaw to try and convince us this is actually trance. Who do they think they are kidding? Hey, I don't mind Euro one bit, especially when it's an ode to the good folk of my hometown, Prince Rupert (or just a metaphor for love). But, as I've said before, using a Corsten pre-set does not make your track trance. It just means you've used a Corsten pre-set.

Covering Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time is Novaspace here, doing a rather boring job of it. They only use a couple lines of chorus and repeat them sparingly throughout the track, the rest of it used up by weak synth chords and halting breakdowns. Plenty of rhythm intro and outro, though, for all your DJing needs.

Van Eyden gets Susanne Webb to sing an ode to Neo of The Matrix (or an ode to love) but her vocals aren't really important in this case, as most of this track gets used up with some horribly out-of-tune synths. I guess they were trying to go for something sinister sounding but really missed the target here. No energy is built up during this song, which isn't a good thing considering you have a breakdown mid-way through to allow some more trivial lyrics to play out before returning to the fray. How can they expect to maintain our interest while no rhythm is playing?

Finally, at the end of these two discs, we come to a bit of deep house, of all things. Well, maybe not pure deep house, but it's certainly more that than any kind of trance I've heard, as D:Fuse focuses far more on rhythm and vocals (about a DJ's girlfriend, I think, but maybe not, and no, he doesn't sing them) than melodies. The breakdown is pure vocal and chilled out piano; nothing uplifting or euphoric at all. I can see folks wanting the more energetic trance and euro offered on this compilation being mightily turned off from Living The Dream but it's their loss as this is a nice, mellow track to finish a night off.

And, having come to the end of this compilation, I have to say this has been a relatively middling affair. While some of these were fun in their own right, there really isn't anything on offer that I'd deem memorable either. A few of the hooks did manage to stick but not for very long. I can't see a single one of these tracks being thought of a year from now, much less becoming a classic. Sure, a couple of the more moving trancers may find their way into a DJ's bag but since they are so similar sounding to much of what else is out there, they'll hardly stick out from the pack either.

I will say this, however. It is so refreshing to come across a compilation that has the word 'trance' in the title (even if only half of it could even sparingly be considered trance) and isn't mixed by some DJ -although the diva part would then make more sense if it were. After all, aren't the real divas of the trance world the DJs?


Score: 5/10

ACE TRACKS:
Sun Decade - I'm Alone (Mirco de Govia Vocal Mix)


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

Armin van Buuren - A State Of Trance 2004 (Original TC Review)

Ultra Records: Cat. # UL 1202-2
Released April 10, 2004

Track List:
DISC 1
1. Mark Otten - Tranquility (7:10)
2. Solid Globe - Sahara (5:48)
3. Whirlpool - Under The Sun (Solar Stone Remix) (7:18)
4. Three Drives - Signs From The Universe (4:14)
5. Airwave - Lady Blue (Original Beat) (5:53)
6. Kyau vs. Albert - Velvet Morning (Aalto Remix) (5:01)
7. Fictivision vs. Phynn - Escape (Phynn Mix) (5:36)
8. Perpetuous Dreamer - Future Funland (Astura Remix) (5:00)
9. Active Sight - The Search For Freedom (6:01)
10. Super 8 - Alba (6:00)
11. Oceanlab - Satellite (Original Above & Beyond Remix) (5:45)
12. Robert Nickson - Spiral (6:54)
13. Armin van Buuren featuring Justine Suissa - Burned With Desire (Rising Star Remix) (7:07)

DISC 2
1. Perry O'Neil - Kubik (8:06)
2. Valentino - Flying (Sultan & The Greek Remix) (5:37)
3. Michael Burns - The Ambience (4:35)
4. Anthanasia - Perfect Wave (6:43)
5. St. John vs. Locust - Mind Circles (Perry O'Neil Remix) (4:47)
6. Remy & Roland Klinkenberg - Fearless (5:42)
7. Scott Bond vs Solar Stone - Naked Angel (6:07)
8. Fascinated - Totally Fascinated (6:18)
9. Mono - Rise (5:37)
10. Envio - Time To Say Goodbye (Passiva Remix) (6:04)
11. True From - Forbidden Colours (7:28)
12. Artic Quest - Offbeat (5:31)
13. Water Planet - Introspection (John Askew Mix) (5:06)


(2010 Update:
Pretty benign here, I must admit. I'll grant I didn't have the highest opinion of Armin but the second CD of this was quite good, so I could see the potential of an excellent trance DJ, and even buy into some of the hype a number of his fanboys were gushing on about. You can't help but wonder what would have happened to his career if he'd followed CD2's style instead of the cheesier CD1.

By the way, does anyone know what the hell I was going on about in the Brief? I wrote that, and even I don't have a clue.)


IN BRIEF: One of the world's most popular DJs shows us two sides of the same face.

Is there any point in doing a brief background on Armin van Buuren and his A State Of Trance radio show? Any passing fan of trance will have heard of it after spending a short time around online trance communities. Between acquiring massive amounts of admirers and massive amounts of detractors, there's been a tidy niche carved out for Armin in the genre.

However, for as many people who've listened to his radio show (thanks in large part to online feeds), there are probably far more who haven't checked out what the big fuss was about, whether due to technological limits, time limits, or flat out apathy.

Truth be told, I was one of those folk.

It's not so much the curiosity wasn't there; fact of the matter was as A State Of Trance was starting out, I was putting my interest in trance on the backburner when the overdose of anthems had sent me fleeing to the wonderful, back-to-basics vibe of electroclash and disco punk. By the time I'd come back to the fold, the Sashas, Digweeds, and Oakenfolds had been replaced by a flurry of new cats as trance's movers and shakers -oddly enough, almost all of them Dutch.

At the time of its release, A State Of Trance 2004 held some of the most recent hits of Armin's show. Looking to find out just what the current 'state of trance' was (ho ho!), I figured this would be as good as any place to check out what I'd missed in the previous two years.

Judging from the first disc, things have gotten a lot mellower. This isn't to say trance didn't have a mellow side to it before; it's always kind of lurked about while the heavier tracks held the limelight for the first decade or so. But by the turn of the century, you could see that Ibizan atmosphere starting to emerge from the background when acts like ATB were dominating pop charts. It would appear that aspect of trance has now completely taken over.

The first three tracks are quite similar in this respect with their use of gentle guitar strums and light pad work. Solid Globe's Sahara stands out a bit more than the others, though not for the better. Instead of relying on the strums to carry it, they use a rather goofy sounding cousin of the ATB Hawaiian guitar. You can tell Sahara so desperately wants to be the Next Big Anthem but with a flaccid hook like that, it'll probably receive a mere token footnote in trance's history.

Anyways, we briefly leave the Ibizan fronts with Three Drives' Signs Of The Universe, then make a return as we head into the quite lovely synth pads of Airwave's Lady Blue. Seems a bit odd to arrange tracks like that but I'll give it a pass this early on -compilations of this sort can be troublesome to arrange into a flowing, continuous mix sometimes.

Things start to get more energetic as we move into Velvet Morning, at least until the song breaks down for a minute and a half to let a few sung lyrics and mild breakbeats play out. This isn't too bad, though, as the breakdown does help change the tone of this mix, leading to a wonderful payoff.

Oh, not in Velvet Morning (although it's not too bad in that song). Rather, Fictivision & Phynn's Escape completely leaps out at you with energy, thanks in large part to one major factor: bass. Sure, there's been bass on this mix so far, but for the most part it plays second, even third, fiddle to the more melodic elements the former songs were intent on providing. Escape's bottom end instead fills out the low frequencies as it rolls along to some energetic rhythms. Pair this up with simple, effective synth arpeggios and melodies, and this mix seems about ready to be taken to the next level.

Whoops! Looks like I spoke too soon.

Um, Armin, what are you doing here? You do not give your audience a song that has just as much ass shaking goodness as hands in the air vibes, only to follow it up with a track that is almost completely devoid of bass that can match pace. Without that extra emphasis on the rhythm being maintained, you're going to lose your momentum.

Any hope of seeing that energetic charge created by Escape carry over is lost instantly with Future Funland, and Active Sight's The Search For Freedom doesn't get any better when a ninety second breakdown slows things right down to a crawl. Sorry, but as fine as these tracks are, coming off the heels of Escape just makes them sound inconsequential.

Alba by Super 8 passes us by without much fanfare and we're now into one of the most notorious tracks of 2004: Above & Beyond's remix of Satellite.

Why is it notorious? Well, it seems to have gained a reputation for polarizing more epic trance fans than any other track. Either you absolutely love it for Suissa's vocals, sputtering supersaws, and grandiose build, or hate it for those exact same reasons.

How could such a simple song have such an effect? Well, it probably has to do with the fact this track bares more than a passing similarity to DJ Tiësto's seminal remix for Delerium's Silence. The fact Satellite really is nothing more than a carbon copy of it will please those who couldn't get enough of Silence, and chase off those who were sick and tired of the endless wanna-bes that followed in the wake of the remix's success.

Okay, the fact I've spent the last two paragraphs going on about one song's reputation instead of how it actually sounds kind of shows how much interest in this mix I have left. Sure, the remaining songs are fine (quite wonderful if you have someone to tenderly embrace, I might add, so cynics of lamour may want to stay away) but when I still have those infectious rhythms of Escape lingering in my head even after six other songs have played, there is a serious problem here.

As a test, I started the disc at Future Funland, just to see if it might be something to do with the tracks themselves. Without Escape's rhythms so recently in my mind, the second half of the disc sounded much better. Granted, there were still a couple of nitpicks I could point out but, for the most part, the flow of the tracks made more sense and, most importantly, I did not feel as though the momentum took a huge dive (it didn't exactly gain any either, but steady momentum is much preferable to a drop). Had Escape been left out of this mix, it would have been a pleasant enough listen. Instead, we are given a rather substantial tease to something bigger only to have it cruelly snatched away, the remaining tracks sounding like nothing more than filler as a result.

Anyhow, enough moaning about woulda-coulda-shouldas, as I still have another CD to listen to here.

The second disc starts out much like the first in terms of atmosphere. However, there are grooving prog rhythms at work instead, allowing you to be swept up in their hypnotic patterns. Relying more on soundscapes than melodies, the opening stanza of this mix manages to do in its first two tracks what the first one couldn't even manage in its entirety namely, allow my mind to drift with the music. Sultan & The Greek's remix of Valentino's Flying perfectly captures that hypnotic feeling with its eerie pads and grooving bass.

The Ambience by Michael Burns keeps the mellow tone going, tiding us over nicely into the subtly stuttering chords of Peter Martin's Perfect Wave. As these chords gently get tweaked with pitch effects, the mind is taken on an entrancing sojourn. Additional synth pads join in some four minutes in, bringing with it a wave of bliss.

It's strange how these four opening tracks have managed to move me more physically and mentally than all but one of the first disc's tracks (no prize for guessing which one, I'm afraid). I get the impression that Armin was allowed to get a little more creative in track selection for this second disc than the first, creating a mix with excellent flow. I'm quite impressed by this turn of events but I'll hold off on full praise for the moment; I've been let down by strong openings before.

The rhythm gets a little heavier with Mind Circles, and the mood gets deeper with Fearless, taking this mix into darker pastures. Taking its cue from these tracks is Solar Stone's and Scott Bond's offering of Naked Angel. This song hits all the right notes with driving rhythms, ghostly pads, and heavenly female voices. A mild breakdown over halfway through adds a simple piano melody to create a wonderfully benign vibe over the song.

As such, using M.I.K.E.'s Totally Fascinated (under the Fascinated guise) is a great contrast to follow with. Borrowing more than just the habit of using tons of aliases from Oliver Lieb, this track has much in common with many a Lieb produced release. In what may be the most inhuman song on this entire two-disc set, the electronic heritage of trance is given a chance to show off sinister sounds as subtle, synthesized melodies pulse and meander in the background. The climax to this song adds hauntingly ominous effects to the fray with superb skill, ending it with a rush of primal energy.

Feeding off that rush, the busier rhythm of Rise by Mono works brilliantly in keeping this mix on a steady upward climb of excellence. While the main melody may sound a little whiny in other mixes, it plays remarkably well as a follow up to the comparatively unmelodic Totally Fascinated. As fine it is that tech-trance can hypnotically draw you deep within your psyche, having a little melody thrown in for good measure at points can help accentuate points.

With Envio's Time To Say Goodbye, things start to slow down a bit. Actually, they slow down drastically as this song uses a breakdown and build that lasts over two and a half minutes. Good lord, but does this ever go on. Considering how good this mix has been thus far, I normally wouldn't be too annoyed by such a long interlude, especially since this track has an air of wrapping things up soon. However, there's a rather weak, er, 'melody' used in the breakdown that doesn't add anything at all. The fact we have to endure it for so long quickly takes us out of that trancey state of mind everything else before it had expertly put us in. "Reality's on her way..."

Anyhow, the climax of Time To Say Goodbye manages to recover a bit but it's quite apparent Armin's changed lanes now. With True Form's Forbidden Colours, he takes a complete one-eighty. With its peppy synth arpeggios, this is a stark contrast to much of what's already been played but not a bad offering, really. I guess it's quite nice to go out on this album with an uplifting note.

Oh, wait, Armin's not done yet. He takes another one-eighty with Artic Quest's Offbeat. Returning to the more ominous, darker textures of much of this mix, there is a wonderfully mysterious little melody introduced in a breakdown, building subtly into some tech-trance rhythms. Never overdoing it, this is a great way to go out on an enigmatic note.

Oh, wait, Armin's still not done yet. Geez, these last two tracks certainly had an air of finality to them; it's quite disconcerting to keep having another track follow it up. Still, Introspection by Water Planet is a pleasant enough excursion. Nothing too fancy here with some bright melodies, mellow pads, and stomping rhythms, this kind of encapsulates most of the elements heard throughout this mix. This is probably the honest-to-god best method to end the mix on; a nice way to go out on a summarized note (for real this time).
And now, I am stuck with a dilemma.

The first disc really sounds more like a compilation of big trance tunes put into a continuous mix, mainly because of the lack of any type of consistent momentum. Like any compilation, you are given a selection of tracks to enjoy, but very little in terms of that proverbial journey to follow; much like a typical radio show, actually.

The second disc sounds more like a DJ mix, as the flow is more logical and actually builds towards something. Despite the final act of it sounding more like a random mish-mash of leftover tunes Armin wanted to include on this release (but was unable to find any logical place to include them without things sounding even more jarring at points), everything else up to that point is quite enjoyable.

So what's the dilemma? In a nutshell, do I rate this as a DJ mix release, or as a compilation release?

Actually, it isn't too hard to choose as my answer lies in the front cover. The fact the DJ's name is in big, bold letters with a photo of his face (albeit slightly hidden) leads me to believe the marketing team expect folks would be after this for the DJ rather than the material. As such, how do I rate Armin van Buuren, the DJ?

Well, he can beatmatch the percussive lead-outs and lead-ins of each track. That's about it, really. There aren't any other fancy DJ tricks to be had here so it boils down to track selection. As I bemoaned at length already, the track selection for the first disc is very off kilter for a DJ set, with very little in terms of surprises to be had (most of the tracks follow the melodic theme, with a slight increase in energy towards the end) a two star rating from me in most cases. On the other hand, the second disc's choice of music for a DJ mix has much better flow and diversity, creating a far more pleasent excursion into trance, a four star rating from me in most cases.

I guess this leaves this release smack in the middle: three stars. There is enough enjoyable material to keep me interested in the more popular forms of trance at present but I hope things show a little more innovation in the near future than what is on offer here. I'd imagine trance could get even more mundane than after the anthem boom of yore if this melodic form dominates for too long.


Score: 6/10

ACE TRACKS/MIXES:
Fictivision vs. Phynn - Escape (Phynn Mix)
Anthanasia - Perfect Wave
Fascinated - Totally Fascinated


Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.

Various - Tunnel Trance Force Vol. 30 (Original TC Review)

Sony Music Media: Cat. # SMT 517977 2
Released August 30, 2004

TRACK LIST:
Disc 1
1. DJ Tiësto - Adagio For Strings
2. Paul van Dyk - Crush (PvD Remix)
3. Nature One Inc. - The Golden 10 (Festival Mix TTForce 30 Edit)
4. Cosmic Gate - Tomorrow
5. DuMonde - Kalt (Original Mix)
6. Kindervater - FTP://013.07.974
7. 4 Clubbers - Sonar (Club Mix)
8. Age Of Love - The Age Of Love (Marc Et Claude Remix)
9. Niels van Gogh - One Way Out (Oliver 'Reloop' Klitzing Remix)
10. Danny C vs. John Moon - No Way Out (Danny C Mix)
11. Abel Ramos - Aquarius (Randy Katana Remix)
12. Mike Dragon - Orange Song (Alex Megane Remix)
13. Sensorica - Few Days Away (Nostrum Remix)
14. Marty van Nilson - The Fear
15. CreamTeam - Samurai
16. Derler & Klitzing - Dedicated
17. Accuface - The Change (Reworked 04)
18. High Power - Hypnosis (DJ K-Van Remix)
19. Krid Kid - Another Dimension
20. Hunter And Lauks - Everything I Want

Disc 2
1. Special D - Dust To Dust
2. DJ Ornator - Next Life (DJ Ornator Remix)
3. Rocco - One, Two, Three
4. Crash 'N' Burn - Sunrise
5. Axel Coon - Lamenting City (Lacoon Remix)
6. Dynamic Ds - Rock Da Floor (Arena Mix)
7. Mission Control - Standby 2004 (89-er's Remix)
8. Mario Lopez - Sound Of The City (Nature 2.4) (Mario's Club Mix)
9. Calderone Inc. - Maximum Power (Mike Nero Remix)
10. Angel Beats meets DJ Merlin - Power To The People
11. Busted - Bitches (Paranoid Remix)
12. Modern Art - Let There Be Light (DJ CID Remix)
13. DJ Greenhead - In The Name Of Love (Dave Joy Remix)
14. Sa.Vee.Oh - Nohacker.exe (Original Mix)
15. Lagoon - Beam Of Love
16. M.U.M.M.S. - Up To Find My Mind (Late Night Mix)
17. DJ Enjoy vs. Punisher - No Rules (Club Mix)
18. DJ Shane vs. Waveliner - Connected
19. JFS - The Raider
20. Voodoo & Serano - This Is Entertainment (Club Mix)

(2010 Update:
As mediocre as this release was, it was actually quite significant as far as my early writing goes: it marked the first time I realized the ridiculousness and futility of detailing every single track. I just couldn't bring myself to do it, as it seemed pointless when all the tracks did the same damned thing. Of course, it'd be a while before I actually abandoned track-by-track writing altogether but at least I'd gotten the hint.

Can you believe this CD goes for nearly $60 on Amazon today?)

IN BRIEF: Energetic, but my neck gets sore after half an hour.

Believe it or not, despite having followed trance music since, well, damned near the beginning, this is my first foray into the Tunnel Trance Force series. Apparently Tunnel Records has been doing these compilations for as long as I've been listening to this branch of EDM so it feels kind of weird that I should take a gander at one of their many, many, many compilations so late in the game.

However, if this volume is any indication, it doesn't seem like I've been missing much. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a bad release but it certainly leaves a lot to be desired.

The trouble here is the fact there are twenty tracks to get through on each disc and only eighty minutes to work with at the most. That leaves an average of four minutes per track, which wouldn't be so bad if but for one problem: the incessant need for so much trance these days to use breakdowns and builds that can last from a minute to nearly three minutes. It doesn't leave much room for any kind of momentum to get going when there is more 'stop and go' than a traffic jam in L.A.

The opening twenty minutes of the first disc is a prime example of what I'm talking about here.

Things start fine enough with Tiësto's own interpretation of Samuel Barber's Adagio For Strings. While I feel Adagio has been played out and covered enough by other acts, Tiësto does manage to do a few interesting things with those familiar opening string chords by playing them with several different sounds, including chunky distorted acid, symphonic strings, ethereal pads, voice pads, synth pads, space pads, rocket pads, parachute pads, pillow pads, yo' momma pads, and so on. Coupled with heavy rhythm that cranks and pummels the bass to ten on the dial, and we're off to a good start here. The breakdowns that occur along the way are fine, as opening tracks can often use them to set melodic tones for the rest of a mixed CD.

The mix into Paul van Dyk's Crush is brief and functional (as will be the rest of the mixes on these discs, really, so there's no need to bring up DJ Dean's mixing from here on out). However, it mixes right into a breakdown of the song and, while the synth stabs keep some semblance of momentum going from before, it does go on for a while. By the time the song builds back up into fast driving rhythms again, the song is already mixing into Nature One Inc.'s offering of The Golden 10. Not even a minute later, we're right back into another breakdown, this one even more halting than the previous as the rhythm disappears altogether to allow some synth pads to play while one of those Menacing Voice vocals goes on for some time. It's nearly two minutes before any kind of rhythm returns and, while the thundering kicks cranked to eleven are energetic, we only get a minute of it before we're quickly mixed into Cosmic Gate's Tomorrow.

I'd carry on but I'll just end up repeating myself. This cycle continues for half the disc's playing time: quick mix into the next song, maybe a minute at the most of opening rhythm (with the kicks still pummeling at twelve on the dial), followed by a breakdown that slows things right down for a time directly proportional to the amount of time there was rhythm previous to it. Stop, go, stop, go; it never feels like we're going anywhere.

The second half of the first disc isn't quite as bad with the overuse of breakdowns and builds but it wrecks havoc with another aspect here that makes it such a chore to listen through: the overuse of the same bloody screaming synths. Aside from a few exceptions (Mike Dragon's Orange Song, which opts for a plinking sound for half its duration, and Accuface's, The Change, which uses some synth washes at points instead), you'd swear you were going in circles; barely any song changes much. And, although Hunter & Lauks's Everything I Want makes some improvement with an entirely different crunchy synth coupled with the screaming synths, it's too little and too late since it's the last track of this disc.

Now, I'm not faulting the individual tracks themselves. There are some truly exceptional tracks to be had here like DuMonde's Kalt, Marc Et Claude's remix of The Age Of Love, and the aforementioned Everything I Want. Additionally, the rest would hold their own in a mix or compilation with more variety but that's the problem here. Since all of these hard trance tracks bare so much similarity to each other, and they don't have time to really do much beyond give you their main screaming synth melody before being shoved aside by the next track, nothing stands out from the rest.

The second disc fares somewhat better, though. Hardstyle's the name of the game here, which means whereas the first disc had its beats cranked to thirteen, they get turned all the way up to fourteen here. Also, for a good chunk of this disc, the momentum is kept going at a very steady pace.

Okay, so it opens up with Special D's Dust To Dust, a track that's almost malicious in its use of false builds (click here for more details on my thoughts of it) but it works, mainly because it's at the very beginning of the disc. With no momentum yet built, you aren't really killing it either.

When the quick mix into DJ Ornator's Next Life occurs, it is into another breakdown as well but this stands out and remains interesting for the simple reason that the plinky little melody and benign pads are different from the sounds used in the previous track; it isn't treading the same ground already covered, unlike the first disc which was guilty of doing so. With this unique element, the screeching synths that come back at the peak of a build don't become superfluous, instead harmonizing quite nicely (well, as best as hardstyle can harmonize, I guess).

The trend continues into One, Two, Three by Rocco and Sunrise by Crash 'N' Burn, always keeping things interesting with distinctive synth melodies accompanying the screaming synths and intense rhythms cranked to fifteen. Axel Coon's Lamenting City really stands out from the rest thanks to some female operatic samples providing a wonderful contrast.

Things take a slight dip with Dynamic D's Rock Da Floor, though, partially because the Menacing Voice makes a return here to try to pump the crowd up (he's never really had much appeal to me) but mainly because compared to the previous five tracks, this one's just kind of monotonous. It can't be that difficult to keep the diversity going, can it?

Standby 2004 by Mission Control (with a remix done by The 89-ers) helps rebound a bit thanks to a melody that's admittedly catchy but then Mario Lopez's Sound Of The City drags us down again due to a breakdown that just had to use that other annoying voice, the Mother Gaia. She goes on about how man and nature have to come together or some other damned thing but do we really want to hear this now? This is hardstyle, man. We want to get off our tits with beats cranked to sixteen pummeling us! Go away, y'tart!

Calderone Inc. returns us to form quite nicely with a screeching synth melody that is infectious in how it sticks to the mind, setting us up for the next track which is, put simply, incredibly energetic. I may have ragged on DJ Merlin's collaboration with NXP as being trite but working with DJ Dean (using the Angel Beats alias here) seems to have helped both of them in making a stomper of a track.

Using a very familiar vocal sample, Power To The People makes use of supersaw synths to great effect. Normally, I'm a bit of a detractor of the supersaw synth but that's normally due to their overabundance in many trance sets. Being the only use of such in this two disc'r, their big punchy notes stand out wonderfully from the usual barrage of screeching synths. A breakbeat breakdown with the title's vocal sample getting time stretched gives us a breather while still keeping things pumping. A brief build-up later, and the synths are blasting with gusto to the thick kicks. This is energetic EDM on overdrive -outstanding work here.

Where can you go from this peak? Only down, it seems.

Busted's track here brings things to quite the crawl, actually. Sure, the beats are still cranked to seventeen but there just isn't any intensity carried over from Power To The People. Rather, we seem to be starting over again, which makes some sense, as we're already halfway through the second disc.

Unfortunately, this disc suffers from the same thing the first one did with its second half: too much of the same thing over and over, namely overuse of overlong breakdowns and builds that lead to screaming synths. There's only so much of the same thing one can take before it gets redundant. Where did the diversity from the first half go?

The breakdowns here are really long, with the wait for those thundering kicks that are cranked to eighteen lasting up to three minutes sometimes, and the intensity hardstyle is known for is severely lacking because of it. Without the energy to keep us pumped, the tracks at the end here just come across as tired; the leftover scraps of a DJ's vinyl bag that is only played to those who are still jacked up on amphetamines. What a shame.

Wait a moment! What's this? Bitchy vocals? Low-fi analogue synths? Could it be?

Oh, YES! Disco punk! ...or at least the hard trance equivalent of it. Where did this come from? Ah, who cares. Voodoo & Serano's This Is Entertainment certainly is coming out of leftfield considering what's come before it but it's a breath of fresh air after the rather mundane run of tracks that filled up the latter half of this disc. It's a shame it has to come at the end of the disc. It would have been an interesting tangent for DJ Dean to follow had it been used after Power To The People.

All in all, if you are looking for a primer of sorts to the hard trance scene, Tunnel Trance Force 30 would probably do; you certainly get a lot of songs for your dollar here.

Unfortunately, dedicated fans of this style of music will probably be left wanting. Despite some fleeting moments, this release doesn't have much going for it to raise it above the majority of trance compilations out there. Most of the standout tracks are available on other discs, and either in their full incarnation or in mixes that complement them better. Best to seek those out instead if your funds are limited.

Note: To hardcore/gabber fans whom felt I was giving hard trance too much benefit with the intensity of their pummeling kicks, your beats are cranked to mother-fing five hundred!

Score: 5/10

ACE TRACKS/MIXES:
Angel Beats Meets DJ Merlin - Power To The People
Voodoo & Serano - This Is Entertainment (Club Mix)

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

Eat Static - Abduction (Original TC Review)

Mammoth Records: Cat. # MR 118-2
Released 1995 (1993 in the UK)

Track List:
1. Prana (7:24)
2. Gulf Breeze (6:33)
3. Kalika (6:50)
4. Splitting World (8:44)
5. Kinetic Flow (6:44)
6. Forgotten Rites (8:13)
7. Abduction (8:00)
8. Intruder (6:11)
9. Xenomorph (6:32)
10. Inner Peace (6:08)

(2010 Update:
Another thing I wanted to do for TranceCritic to differentiate the website from all the other trance sites of the time was ample coverage of older releases, specifically from the genre's infancy. Browsing through several forums of the time, I was quite dismayed by the utter lack of knowledge regarding the genre's history. It seems things have managed to turn around in recent years, as there's more looking back going on now than there ever was in 2004. Not that I'm saying TC was responsible for the shift, but hey, at least I can claim to be ahead of the curve, right? Er, maybe if I'd written a better review for this.)

IN BRIEF: It's Eat Static... before the aliens abducted them.

Longtime mainstays in the psy trance scene, Eat Static (Joie Hinton and Merv Pepler of Ozric Tentacles) may have become associated with all things alien but their music wasn't always so. In fact, some of their earliest work was more in vein with what much of the initial goa tunes thematically tried to capture, namely the vibe of outdoor dance parties and tribal gatherings. It wasn't long before the extra-terrestrial soundscapes of trance music had an influence, though, and Abduction seems like as fitting a title for this debut as it gets.

How so? Let's dive into this release and I'll show you.

Granted, the opener on this release, Prana, has its fair share of sci-fi bleeps, samples, and effects. However, for most of its duration the emphasis is placed more on the rhythm as acid and subtle electronic sounds meander throughout. Don't go looking for any clear-cut leads in this song; you won't find them. Instead, just let the rhythm take hold and bob your head or feet along.

Gulf Breeze may have gained fame more due to Sasha's remix of the track but the original here is worth a look as well. Starting quite deep with thick, grumbling bass and pulsing electronic effects, various melodies come and go throughout. Some, like arpeggiating sounds and mechanical pads, come off quite interesting. Others, like chanting samples, come across as a bit redundant. Still, the good outweigh the bad here.

Keeping things still on Earth is Kalika, a track which easily exemplifies goa trance. Plenty of Indian sounds, both percussive and melodic, are used throughout and easily conjure up images of beach parties held in Goa under the stars. Compared to the last two tracks, this one is quite mellow. Sure, there is still some speed to it but the rhythm doesn't dominate quite as much, allowing the sounds of India to let the mind wander.

With Splitting World, we get to hear Eat Static's real strength at work. Always more of a live act, Joie and Merv have a tendency to embellish with numerous patches throughout their songs. The former tracks already presented on this release used this to some degree but with fewer patches so you'd hear familiar sounds coming and going. Splitting World has all sorts running through it, keeping things shifting and unpredictable.

For instance, after four minutes of leisurely rhythms and stuttering native chants, the song changes gears into a breakbeat with mechanical sounds and synths. Former and latter patches switch up and intermesh for the rest of the track as even more elements come and go. Much like jazz or prog rock, this embellishing is amazingly coherent. Great stuff.

However, throughout this whole album, the alien influences that Eat Static is known for still have yet to surface. Kinetic Flow gets a little more spacey with bright electronic sounds and effects fluttering about in a rather light-hearted track but it remains somewhat insubstantial. What follows, however, is dripping with imagery.

Oh, not aliens. Forgotten Rites instead takes us back to the beginning -that is, the beginning of humanity's association with dance. This is overflowing with primal energy. Starting with eerie effects as organic percussion is progressively added, the tension is gradually built for three minutes before the main kick hits. For the next two minutes we are treated to some fierce tribal rhythms as dark sounds weave about, conjuring up shaman bonfires at twilight.

But all this is just building us to the heart and glory of this track: a bright, sputtering synth that tickles at your consciousness as your feet keep moving to the heavy rhythms. You want to know how trance got its name? This track is a perfect example. Once everything comes together for a rousing finish, you are absolutely enraptured by the sounds on display here.

Forgotten Rites is probably the most human sounding track on this release, so it makes a great deal of sense to follow it up with the aptly titled Abduction. It is here that the aliens of Eat Static finally make their presence felt. After a lengthy intro of creepy starship sounds, we are treated to a bit of a mellow excursion of bizarre noises and peculiar effects. There are some melodic moments thrown in for good measure as well but this is mostly a chance for Joie and Merv to musically indulge with quirky sounds.

Having let the aliens snatch them from Earth, Eat Static take us into the cosmos with Intruder. Spacey synth pads soar in a minute long intro, eventually fading back as arpeggiating electronic effects and acidy, tribal rhythms take over. During a brief pause in the momentum of this track, we are treated to some mechanical sounds and spoken samples -one repeatedly utters, "Consciousness expanding." When the synth pads return to the fray, I'm inclined to agree.

Xenomorph is quite a bizarre sounding track, much in line with Eat Static's later works as they experimented with futuristic noises to make stomping dance music. Letting their alien influences completely dominate here, there is nothing human to this track at all. It can come off very disconcerting after so many tracks of ground based rhythms and melodies. That's not to say this is a bad track; in fact, it's quite a remarkable piece of work to behold considering all the unusual patches in effect here. Just be prepared for something very different than what you've heard thus far on Abduction.

To finish off the album, Inner Peace brings us back to the more familiar tribal gatherings that we bore witness to in the first half of this album. For the most part, this is a very straightforward track, with ethnic samples alternating between benign electronic sounds and string pads. While decent enough, compared to much of what's come on this album already, Inner Peace comes off as very simplistic; perhaps not the best way to end an album on as it kind of leaves you wanting for a bit more.

But for that, you'll have to seek out Eat Static's subsequent releases, as we've come to the end of Abduction. Overall, it is an enjoyable listen provided you don't come looking for aliens aplenty. While making brief appearances here and there, they tend to be lurking in the shadows of this album, lightly influencing the sounds while we mere humans have fun dancing under the stars to our own tribal sounds.

What a chilling thought.

Score: 8/10

ACE TRACKS:
Splitting World
Forgotten Rites
Intruder

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

Terra Ferma - Turtle Crossing (Original TC Review)

Platipus: Cat. # plat 30CD
Released 1997

TRACK LIST:
1. Lunar Sunrise (10:14)
2. Fire (7:44)
3. The Scream (8:13)
4. Visions (7:57)
5. The Poet (6:32)
6. Floating (9:46)
7. The Snakecharmer (10:53)
8. Planet Ogo (7:56)
9. Crazy People (7:10)

(2010 Update:
Ugh. Another meticulously detailed review. I find these read better if you just ignore the whole middle sections, as the first couple and last couple paragraphs basically sum up my thoughts. Still, if you don't mind long, dry descriptions of music, I suppose this is alright.)

IN BRIEF: Music and themes best not forgotten.

Claudio Giussani created some classic acid trance numbers with Simon Berry such as Red Herring and Two Full Moons And A Trout when they produced together as Union Jack. Their collaboration seemed to be short lived though, as Berry went on to do big things as Art Of Trance and Giussani went onto, um, not-as-big things as Terra Ferma.

Which is a shame really, because if this album is any indication, Giussani is an exceptional producer. His ability to utilize natural percussion so they co-exist with your typical trance patches - rather than stand out as gimmicky - is uncanny. Coupled with creating stirring, somber melodies being melded with fast-paced acidy rhythms, and you have some truly captivating tracks on offer here. The added bonus is Giussani manages to keep things thematic, namely drawing upon Tibetan milieus, a bit of a unique setting as far as trance tends to be concerned.

As the opener for this album, Lunar Surprise makes abundant use of such elements. After a woodwind intro, things begin to speed along quite nicely with suitable patches of dark electronic squelches and effects offset by melodic string pads and piano arpeggios while the percussion is a nice blend of the synthetic and organic. Layers are continuously added, building up to a breakdown some five minutes into the track. Here, we're introduced to some tribal chants as strings and pianos play in the background and things build back up to right where we left off with this interlude. Things play out quite typically from here: previous elements coming and going for the remainder four minutes, with extra layers of organic percussion being gradually added to a rousing climax. All and all, Lunar Surprise is a strong start to this album.

Aiming straight for the dancefloor, Fire starts out with quick kicks and acidy basslines. Layers of synth pads, acid squelches, and organic percussion are continuously added, building momentum for over three minutes into a minor breakdown. A high-pitched acid melody is introduced here and, in a surprising contrast to the darker overtones of the start of this track, it has quite the melancholic tone about it. Once Fire gets going again, the melody doesn't stick around for long, instead letting the rhythms dominate here with subtle stuttering strings taking over for the duration.

Moving away a bit from the somber melodies is The Scream, despite the use of voice pads in the beginning. That isn't to say this track is devoid of emotion, rather it's just not as important here. Darker and harder than the previous two, many pitch effects are employed on its acid and synth patches. Structurally, this song isn't all that far removed from the previous two as it follows the more traditional lead-in, mild breakdown, brief build, rush to the finish template of many trance tracks. Even with some string pad moments, the acid lines are the dominant element throughout, keeping the energy going. After all, if a sample going, "WHOOooooooo-rrrAH!" doesn't spark an adrenaline surge, I don't know what will.

Visions starts things off a little slower compared to what's come before but it too is a fairly energetic track. A deep bass line is introduced, something that, while not completely lacking, hasn't had enough attention given to thus far on this album. The main riff uses some stuttering synth stabs but it doesn't really come across as anything that hasn't been heard on the album to a varying degree yet. In fact, Visions has quite a bit that is structurally similar to everything else that has come before on this album. There are some tribal-like male chants in a breakdown but, unlike Lunar Surprise, they don't really add much to the overall texture of the song. Probably one of the most unique aspects I noticed are the hand claps in the percussion. At some point midway through (I'll let you discover where; why should I ruin all the fun?), they go from straightforward strikes every second beat to a far more energetic pattern. It's quite subtle but the energy it adds is remarkable.

On its own, Visions is quite good. However, since all the previous tracks have made use of the same structure, it doesn't seem to stand out as well as it should. There's an unfortunate feeling of 'been there, done that,' and I hope this trend doesn't continue for the rest of the albums.

With more prominent organic percussion, The Poet has more of a bouncy start to it after some acid lead-in. Don't be fooled, though, as, like those that came before, there is a somber atmosphere to this track as well. Shorter than the rest, the use of the breakdown method mid-way through isn't as prominent, serving more as a brief pause in the momentum rather than a full-out break as no new melodies are introduced. A few additional elements like pianos and extra acid come and go but, for the most part, The Poet is a subtle song compared to the rest, making it a nice respite from all the simialarily structured tracks that's come before.

Floating comes across as a collection of elements that have already been used thus far, stripped down to their very basic components. Really, this makes some sense as Floating was the first single Giussani produced as Terra Ferma. Things build quite nicely in this song as percussion meshing synthetic with organic instruments accompany melodic string pads, synth stabs, and piano solos. As with the tracks that came before, a breakdown slows things down again midway through before building back up again, peaking with stuttering voice pads. Yet another strong song but perhaps a change of scenery would benefit this album's overall effect.

As if heading the call, The Snakecharmer opens up outdoors, with a campfire and crickets chirping while a large drum beats in the distance. A woodwind and string pad intro goes on for nearly three minutes but it's quite nice to listen to after six straight songs of straightforward trance numbers. Once things get going, The Snakecharmer opts for minimal use of trance elements, foregoing organic percussion, breakdowns, and evident melodies. Granted, there are some somber moments to be had thanks to pad work and subtly stuttering acid effects but, for the most part, this is a simple, hypnotic song, entrancing you with rhythms and sight leads.

Like the light at the end of a somber tunnel, Planet Ogo has a more optimistic tone about it. With mellow strings and voice pads, this song very simply goes about its business with the usual assortment of organic percussion and acid lines that we've come to expect thus far on this album. Neither trying to outdo anything already given, this track seems to be quite aware it's nearing the end of Turtle Crossing. And to finish off, Crazy People takes us through an ambient excursion of Gregorian chants, dark synth pads, progressively layered organic percussion, piano melodies, and a long sample of 12 Monkeys. All in all, it's a nice diversion from what's come before, and a fine way to finish off the album.

Any song on Turtle Crossing could make for a strong single but there is a problem to be had with cramming your album as such. The flow of it can come off a little repetitive without something to mix it up in between. Perhaps some of the differently themed songs toward the end could have made the transitions between the songs more intuitive had they been placed in a different track order.

This niggling nitpick isn't enough to not recommend this release though. In fact, there is more than enough on here that fans of trance old or new can equally enjoy. You have acid and quick rhythms for those who prefer the more hypnotic era of the style, and nice melodies for those whom discovered trance at a later date. It's quite remarkable that Giussani managed to craft an album that crossed these two time periods of trance's short history without loosing any credibility.

Score: 8/10

ACE TRACKS:
Fire
Floating
The Snakecharmer

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