Various - Influence 2.2: A Hardtrance Experience (Original TC Review)

Hypnotic Records: Cat. # 95452
Released 1995

Track List:
1. Phasis - Welcome (5:52)
2. Phoenixx - The Mongolian Rider (7:48)
3. Analog Communications - Atmospheric Forces
4. Unknown Control - Heaven (6:22)
5. Bionic Crew - Final Entrance (4:35)
6. Retroflex - Family Nightmare (6:26)
7. Monks - Monks Too (6:44)
8. Omnicron - The Bushmen (6:10)
9. Argon X - Little Gamma's Adventure (6:45)
10. Influid - We're Always Behind You (5:40)
11. Influence Megamix V2.0 (8:45)

(2010 Update: Ugly review. I wouldn't be surprised if I turned away a few folks with this one. To save you the trouble of reading it ever again (even if it's for the first time), check out tracks 2,5,6,9, and 10. They're the good ones.)

IN BRIEF: Hard trance cleans up its act a bit.

Influence Recordings started out quite raw and dark in their releases, which actually helped them gain an edge over the blossoming hard trance and techno sound of the early 90s. By drawing upon industrial themes, many of the Influence artists created some true gems that time still hasn't managed to dilute, if anything because many hard trance acts these days don't delve into the sinister side of music as often anymore (unless they think using the Menacing Voice makes their tracks sinister enough -as if), preferring to let the realm of hardcore handle those themes.

While Influence had a raw beginning, even the artists on the label made use of more refined production equipment as the years went by. This second compilation of Influence tracks brought to us by Hypnotic (bless their hearts for bringing it over to us poor North Americans at a domestic price) gives us an inclining of the changing tides. The first Influence compilation from Cleopatra (Hypnotic had yet to be established as the EDM sub-label of Cleopatra when it was released) was quite gritty and menacing. This one has a little more polish on the production side but that distinctive, menacing Influence sound is still lingering.

Opening track Welcome is brought to us by Norman Feller under his Phasis guise. I've enjoyed many of Feller's works but I have to admit this one doesn't quite measure up to his other releases. The foundation is strong, of course, as the use of energetic rhythms and crisp, quick synth melodies does create a good source of punch. And the use of spacey pads midway through to complement the main leads is a welcome addition. So what's the problem here? Hearing the Menacing Voice intoning "Welcome!" way more than is necessary, especially towards the end when you hear it every eight bars, gets pretty redundant soon. Also, to be honest, the leads used aren't really the best I've heard from Feller. Sure, I can't expect the guy to come up with gold every time but it just sounds like he's going through the motions here. Still, Welcome is a serviceable track to begin the compilation with despite the fact it probably won't turn many heads either.

Fortunately, The Mongolian Rider by Phoenixx brings things up to speed. Starting out rather mellow with pads, bubbly effects and a brief vocal chant that will serve as the basis for most of the melody to follow, the song shifts into high gear a minute later with brisk, driving rhythms and a simple, punchy, fuzzy synth. Layers of percussion are gradually added, eventually bringing the opening themes into the fray. One more added melodic bit to harmonize with the pads and vocal is introduced some three minutes later and this track is well under way. Patches get shuffled around, allowing them to alternate between rhythmic and melodic sections as the pace tends to dictate. Really, the arrangement is quite simple, but that was one of the defining trademarks of these early trance tunes coming out of Germany at the time: infectious melodies using a variety of sound sources looping repeatedly to suck you into your mind. It may be simple but it's still highly effective.

The moody, acidy Atmospheric Forces by Analog Communications is a nice follow-up for about three minutes. After that, you start to realize most of the good ideas were used up in the opening of this track. This turn into mediocrity is mainly chalked up to the weak rhythms. Granted, the kick is effective but the rest of the percussion is quite bland. A shame, considering the moody promise hinted at by the start of the track.

Still, at least some of the elements worked. With Unknown Control's Heaven, almost all of the sounds used really don't mix well. The arrangement of them is fine but limp rhythms, weak leads (that sound very under-produced, I might add) and a silly vocal sample fail to grab your attention and hold it. I suppose this could just be a case of a lack of better equipment, as you can hear some decent ideas lurking in the patterns. It's a shame these guys weren't producing in the Cracked Studio Software era, eh?

If Heaven was an example of good arrangements with weak sounds, then Bionic Crew's Final Entrance is just the opposite. With warbly acid lines, spacey pads, and a simple, effective lead, this track starts out quite promising. Unfortunately, not much is really done with it. This isn't so much a problem of meandering too much (like Atmospheric Forces did) but ending a bit short. Okay, perhaps I've been spoiled by a number of trance tracks of various styles averaging the seven minutes mark and am being a bit selfish. After hearing a pair of weaker tracks, though, I wouldn't mind something that hooks me in instantly to go on for a little longer than just four and a half minutes. Ah, well moving on.

We're halfway through this disc now and that trademark sinister Influence sound has only cropped up sparingly. Family Nightmare by Retroflex aims to fix that with a rude awakening of throbbing gabber beats. I know a number of folk out there can't stand these, so you might as well skip past these next two paragraphs.

Okay, the brave (or foolish, depending on whom you ask) still with me? Good. Now, I'm sure you're wondering what a gabber track is doing on a compilation that clearly claims this is a "hardtrance [sic] experience" on the cover. Fact of the matter is when this was released, folks weren't as nitpicky about genres. Especially since trance was still a relatively new kid on the block, the criteria for what was and wasn't trance was considered quite broad. In general, so long as there was an element of entrancing sounds, you could get away with some very diverse compilations.

Family Nightmare makes use of those spacey voice notes that was quite dominate in a lot of early German trance. With a brisk, ominous melody striking in time to the fast, throbbing beats, this track is quite fun actually. A sped-up vocal sample gets thrown in at various points; although I can't quite figure out what it says (animation chips?) it certainly fits the tone of this track. Other fun items of note: a harpsichord-like sound replaces the spacey voice notes at one point, giving the track a tongue-in-cheek epic feeling; as was a common gabber cliché, the song pitches down right to a crawl towards the end before pitching back up to even faster speeds to climax out; the additional "Let's go!" vocal samples are nice little bursts of nitro at the end of rhythmic pauses. Really, the only glaring problem with this track is the use of some sort of low Atari bleeping sound that doesn't always sync up with the rhythm; it can really throw one's attention off and wasn't really needed in my opinion. And, I suppose, this being gabber it isn't going to become a classic track anytime soon, plus I highly doubt this particular track will change the mind of gabber's detractors. Still, it's a rollicking good time so their loss.

If you’re just joining us now after skipping past the last track (sorry if you missed the fun) this track by Monks may put you off yet again. Monks Too is hardly trancey at all. In fact, this is pretty much a fast techno track, and a rather boring one at that. Aside from a fun bit of bass and a tiny bit of experimental sounds that don't get nearly intuitive enough, there's nothing of real interest here. The feeble attempt at any kind of melody with laughable bell tones is just pathetic. Sorry if I just sound harsh here but this track is barely worthy of a being filler. I suppose it is a respite from the intensity of Family Nightmare but surely there was something better in the Influence back catalog that Hypnotic could have used.

I've already covered what goes on with Omnicron's The Bushmen in a previous review so I'll just mention it still fails to raise above the role of filler even after following a track that doesn't even accomplish that. Moving on.

I suppose you're wondering if there is anything worth keeping on this disc by this point now. Aside from a couple decent tracks, there hasn't been much that has really catapulted this compilation to the rating I gave, has there? Well, it seems Hypnotic saved the best for the last.

Little Gamma's Adventure by Argon X is one of those old trance tracks that I absolutely adore. Using a little whispering, echoing effect to start out, it begins dropping in pitch every few bars, bringing out some actual melody. As rhythms are progressively added, you start to realize this is actual the main lead and, once it settles into a much lower pitch, the guttural sounds are quite menacing. It's an ingenious method of introducing a hook but things get better.

As soon as the track seems well under way, a brief breakdown gives way to some paranoid bells and benign synth pads, completely changing the dynamic of this song. Once the main lead is brought back in, it creates a perfect contrast of yin and yang. The aggressive lead taps into your primal senses while the gentle pads tingle those warm emotions nestled inside. If I may be so bold to say it, Little Gamma's Adventure tells an effective little good vs. evil story, with the malignant beginning, leading to the benign second stanza before the two clash midway through. And, while the aggressive lead gets more intense following this confrontation, it is eventually pushed aside by the melodic elements to finish the song off as a pleasant little piano melody plays to finish off, hinting that good does triumph over evil. Not to be outdone, however, a brief return of that menacing riff pokes its head at the very end, leaving an air of uncertainty as the song finishes.

If Little Gamma's Adventure was a clashing of good and evil, Influid's We're Always Behind You dispenses with any notion of hope right off the bat. Produced by one of the early trance powerhouse teams of Ralph Fritsch and Detlef Hastik (best known for their work as Komakino), it sounds like they rip the ominous voices that was in the soundtrack to the Demi Moore movie The Seventh Sign and utilized them to great effect. This creates an incredibly gothic atmosphere as you can picture the thick beats bouncing off the cold granite of giant, cavernous cathedral halls. A creepy vocal sample whispers, "He's here; A finger-touch away. He's always behind you." as brief, intense drum rolls (one thousand bpm, methinks) grind in the background. Not really too interested in being too danceable, We're Always Behind You is quite content to take many pauses to envelope you within its sinister environment. You can literally feel yourself being consumed in murkiness with a good sound system. Adding to the menace is a creepy little melody introduced midway through, something that can have one nervously looking over their shoulder should they let their imagination drift to this foreboding track. It's certain to be a hit with every graver (gothic raver) who comes across it. The last track here is a megamix of assorted Influence hits. Of course, a megamix tends to only be as good as the tracks you are familiar with, relying more on trainspotting moments than anything else. Fortunately, I'm familiar with a large number of these so I quite enjoy it. To give this megamix an extra edge, however, producer Vernon Baur (whom was a partner with Talla 2XLC for a while, actually) throws in a huge assortment of battle tool samples and frenetic beats to keep this sucker in high gear. At some points the kicks are flying everywhere with mayhem as the backing song grooves along. It can get quite hectic but it's fun nonetheless. As for what's included on this megamix, let's see if I can put my trainspotter abilities to their test: Marble Cybos' I'd Rather Get Fucked By A Vibrator, Influid's We're Always Behind You (a bit funny hearing it again so soon, but it's such a good track I don't mind), Vene's Pain, The Postman's Elysium, two I'm not sure of, Phasis' Moonwalk, Reel X's Feels Good, and The Abeyance's Unit 99. Hmm seven out of nine isn't bad.

All in all, this release as a whole seems to be quite typical of most Hypnotic compilations: some great tracks, some decent tracks, and a few forgettable fillers. Of course, the ones worth having do make up for some of the drudge you have to sift through in this case so, if you are interested in some older trance, give it a go. I just wish Hypnotic could have trimmed the fat a little better when compiling this. I'm sure there had to be more in the Influence catalogue that could have made this an excellent compilation.

Score: 7/10

ACE TRACKS:
Argon X - Little Gamma's Adventure
Influid - We're Always Behind You

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

Afrika Bambaataa - Dark Matter Moving At The Speed Of Light (Original TC Review)

Tommy Boy Entertainment: Cat. # TB1601
Released 2004

Track List:
1. Got That Vibe featuring King Kamonzi (4:07)
2. Metal featuring Gary Numan & MC Chatterbox (4:58)
3. Dark Matter featuring King Kamonzi (3:55)
4. Take You Back (3:57)
5. Soul Makossa (5:02)
6. Just A Smoke featuring Mustafa Akbar (3:42)
7. 2137 featuring Alien Ness (3:50)
8. Almighty Ra featuring TC Izlam (5:13)
9. Touch & Go featuring Muriel Fowler (5:40)
10. Shake 'n' Pop Roll featuring Aghi Spirits (5:05)
11. Ain't Takin No Shhh (4:32)
12. Pick Up On This (4:39)
13. No Dope Fiends On The Floor (4:51)
14. Electro Salsa (1:21)
15. B More Shake (1:17)
16. Meet Me At The Party (3:46)
17. Sally featuring King Kamonzi (5:19)
18. Zulu Chant No. 5 (1:14)


(2010 Update:
Still too wordy, but definitely getting better. At least I wasn't nearly as dry as I used to be, managing to throw in recurring jokes in the bulk of reviews, should you be brave enough to sift through it all to find them.)


IN BRIEF: Zulu Nation keeps partying like it's 1980 and 2180.

Respect. It's a wonderful thing to have in the music industry, isn't it? Most bands, singers, and producers gain respect by pioneering a musical standard and sustaining or building upon it in the following years, a most difficult task as numerous happenstances may interfere (products of their time, creative blocks, fads that fade, etc.); one slip up might raise a few eyebrows and another could leave you forgotten for the rest of your career. However, if such musicians can maintain the respect they've earned, they create a dedicated following of fans who will support your artistic endeavors and win critical admiration from your peers.

One such man is Afrika Bambaataa, one of the groundbreaking artists who helped build a fledgling hip-hop scene into something larger. With his group of friends and followers, the Zulu Nation, hip hop and breakbeat music grew into prominence as the entire culture of turntablism, MCing, breakdancing, and graffiti art was cultivated by him and similar minded artists. Even if hip hop and breaks took radical paths away from each other and even mutated into something far removed from its original intents, Bambaataa's influence has never been forgotten and remains an important figure to this day, held with the utmost respect for his accomplishments.

Always one to defy convention, Afrika's sound quite often borrowed heavily from the futuristic sounds that early electronic music pioneers created. As such, he has never come across as dated, in fact light years ahead of your normal players. However, now that technology has allowed hip-hop producers to catch up, does the Godfather of Hip Hop still have what it takes to remain relevant?

Instead of trying to beat the new breed of rappers at their own games of beefing, battles, and one-upmanship, Bambaataa sticks to his strengths of inventive beats (featuring a whole slew of unique producers) and fun, positive lyrics.

Openers Got That Vibe and Metal gives us a taste of the eclecticism we can expect to hear on this release. Egyptian instruments and atmosphere dominate the former with simple breakbeats and bubbly bass rounding out the rest. King Kamonzi provides most of the verses while Bambaataa hangs out in the background with shout-out MCing to pump the listener up. It's a fun little ditty to start out with but the paranoid, new wave sounds of Metal leap out at you in stark contrast. A cover of a Gary Numan song (with Numan actually returning on vocals along with Bambaataa), the electro sounds of digital beats, sci-fi effects, and robotic voices is like leaping into the urban squalor of Bladerunner.

One would think going from ancient Egypt in one song to a choking, future metropolis in the next would throw this album's flow completely out of sync but it doesn't. Why? Because this is the Amen Ra of Universal Hip Hop Culture we are listening to here. This kind of willful, contrasting diversity is what we've come to expect from him. What kind of sound will he come up with next? What musical avenue will he take us from here? Of course, Bambaataa doesn't disappoint.

Title track Dark Matter returns us to the streets of the Bronx in the early 80s for its grooves, recalling some of the big funk band sounds (trumpets, early organs, and so on) getting thrown into hip hop beats. King Kamonzi again provides most of the verses of street knowledge while Bambaataa hangs back to get the crowd energized. But not to be outshined on his own album, the Founder of Zulu Nation gets a chance to take center stage in the even funkier Take You Back. He doesn't really do much more than give you crowd hyping chants and shout-outs to the nations of the world but, as always, they are filled with zest and sound great with filtered disco loops and wah guitars slapping about.

The Fort Knox Five have provided the production for most of these tracks so far (the Paul Daley produced Metal excluded) but Bambaataa taps Überzone to help do a cover of Soul Makossa. Mostly an instrumental affair with Bambaataa supplying a wide assortment of backing chants, Überzone's unique blend of digital breakbeats sounds incredible as splashes of guitar and saxophone fill out the rest -a top notch, energetic track all around.

Another funk-fuelled Fort Knox Five-produced party jam in Just A Smoke passes us by and we are plunged back into the future with a pair of electro tracks produced by Sharaz. 2137 provides a utopian outlook by way of self-education as rapped by Alien Ness through a filter effect while the Father of the Electro Funk Sound gives his usual support. Robotic chants of "Afrika Bambaataa" and "Zulu Nation" get thrown in for good measure as the digital bass and beats keep the funk going. Almighty Ra gets a little more paranoid with strangling string pads (most reminiscent of Planet Rock) and thicker breakbeats. Again, robotic chants add to the futuristic soundscapes while bass pulses penetrate the funky rhythms. Both tracks are certain to get the current generation of b-boys at parties busting out their most skilled moves; best to have a chiropractor handy.

Steven Boogie Brown gets to have a turn at providing Bambaataa with the musical backdrop for the next couple tracks. Leaving the future, Brown takes us into the sweaty clubs of the southern states for the setting. Touch & Go may start out sounding like a bit of typical diva freestyle (with Muriel Fowler giving her vocal chords a decent workout) but mid-way through, a filtered disco house loop interrupts the proceedings as Bambaataa joins the party. Soon enough, the beats are laid on thicker and Fowler really cuts loose as the Purveyor of Elaborate Headdresses urges her on enthusiastically. Touches of raw synths fill out the song at the end to finish off this slice of house.

In case all that soul sista’ style in Touch & Go was too much for the guys, Shake 'N' Pop Roll gives the boys a chance to get crunky with it. Droning sirens, breakbeats, and vigorous raps provided by Bambaataa and guest Aghi Spirits hit you hard and fierce, generating a good deal of wild energy for the guys on the floor to get rowdy with (yes, even us white folk).

From here, unfortunately, the grooves lose their steam. The next three tracks, while fun party tracks, just don't have the same kind of diversity the beats on the first half of this album contained. In contrast, they're quite boring and, unfortunately, Bambaataa's crowd hyping MCing doesn't do much to improve them. Even when he gets a little more innovative with content on No Dope Fiends On The Floor, the rhythms are so limp and repetitive, you could skip past it after hearing a mere forty-five seconds worth and not miss much. After these, however, you then have to sit through two interludes that are nothing more than brief drum loops (although B More Shake is a little better). Were these really necessary to include? I wouldn't even consider these battle tools.

At least Meet Me At The Party brings this album back up to speed, even if it's almost four tracks overdue. Another Überzone produced track, we are treated to a little slice of Zapp-influenced funk. Even the Grand Poobah of Funky Vox (okay, I made that one up) is more lyrically diverse than his usual fare here, singing verses and choruses rather than just hyping the crowd. The big question is why couldn't we have had this song five tracks ago instead of stumbling through a bunch of mediocre tunes? The flow of this album would have been far smoother.

Sally is a bit of an oddity. No party vibe here, my friends. Instead, we are given a story about a woman of less than reputable stock. With the grimy, simple beats lying underneath, it's not a very optimistic song, and is extremely stark in contrast to the overall feel of Dark Matter. Sure, there've been a few menacing sounding tracks thrown about such as Metal and Almighty Ra, but they still had an air of keenness to them. Sally is just depressing, which is the point I suppose, but I don't see how it relates to the rest of this album. I guess that's why it was lumped at the very end. Well, not the very end, really. Zulu Chant No. 5 is the last track but it's pretty much self-explanatory, that one.

In the end, you have yourself two-thirds of a great album. The post Shake 'N' Pop Roll string of tracks (Meet Me At The Party excluded) aren't nearly as good as the first half of Dark Matter, but they aren't flat out bad either. Perhaps if the arrangement of the tracks mixed them up a little more, there wouldn't be quite the apparent dip in quality.

Still, Bambaataa has proved (as if he really needed to) he can still provide the party vibe when called upon. The legacy remains intact.


Score: 7/10

ACE TRACKS:
Metal
Soul Makossa
Almighty Ra


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

2 Unlimited - Jump For Joy (Original TC Review)

Popular Records: Cat. # PR2S 3050
Released 1996

Track List:
1. Jump For Joy (Edit) (3:42)
2. Jump For Joy (Digidance Happy Hardcore Edit) (3:19)
3. Jump For Joy (Armand's Dutch Touch Mix) (7:51)
4. Jump For Joy (Itty-Bitty-Boozy-Woozy's Dub 4 Joy) (5:25)
5. MTV Partyzone Megamix (4:55)

(2010 Update:
How can you tell I'm still in "be objective" mode here? The Klubbheads are mentioned, and there's nary a snarky snipe to be had. Seems to be a very rare single now, as the only copy available on Amazon goes for $40. Hah!)

IN BRIEF: One of the biggest euro dance acts attempts to tap into the underground. They nearly succeed, too.

The euro craze of the early 90s was at an end and one of the biggest names of that scene, 2 Unlimited, was splitting up. Before that quite happened, however, they released a greatest hits collection which included a couple new tracks that they had been working on before parting ways. One such track was this little oddity.

After the group had managed to prove they could remain afloat amongst the many imitators with their previous album, it would seem producers Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster looked back to their roots, where they would tap into the dominate underground rave sounds to use for their mainstream music. The first single to emerge was Do What's Good For Me, a simple, dirtied-up house track that may have drawn a bit of influence from the burgeoning French sound.

Another genre that was set to explode upon the mainstream was trance. Wilde undoubtedly saw potential in the sound and the result was this single: Jump For Joy.

Bear in mind though, that this is by no means anything like the form of trance that actually did go on to achieve mainstream recognition. Rather, this borrows more from the faster eurobeat style of music for its rhythms, a perky form of EDM that seems to be lost somewhere between the lands of euro and happy hardcore. Where the trance influences come into play is with its main lead. Using a sound that was quite dominant in the quicker forms of trance at the time, the synths are filtered, filled with reverb, stuttering, and oscillating with great gusto here.

Still, this is an intended mainstream dance song so you won't get any deep, thought provoking lyrics. Really, with this track's spastic speed, it'd be hard to take seriously anyways. As such, when at one point Ray raps, "Butterflies are moving fast" you can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Was this meant to be tongue-in-cheek? Perhaps. Maybe it's best to just do as Anita says and, "Jump for joy!"

The Klubbheads (going by Digidance here) were tapped for remix duties this time (What!? No X-Out?), giving us an even sillier happy hardcore version for their troubles. As can be expected, everything gets pitched up with infantile organ leads and super fast pianos playing little melodies. I have to admit it does work on a harebrained level, but then that's all happy hardcore ever set out to achieve, wasn't it? It only lasts a little over three minutes anyways so it's not like you have to endure it for long.

In case there is still a lot of leftover sugar in your mouth however, Armand van Helden is here to the rescue to provide us with a bottle of Jack Daniels straight from the ghetto to wash it out with.

Armand's Dutch Touch Mix pretty much gets rid of all the elements of Jump For Joy in favor of booty shaking house rhythms and slight melodies. Only a sample of Anita's voice either saying "Jump" or "Free" in time to the rhythms (amongst some other unintelligible things) keeps this mix tied into the original. Time to grab a fine lady and get wild.

The *deep breath* Itty-Bitty-Boozy-Woozy's Dub 4 Joy mix *exhale* (also done by the Klubbheads) is a fairly minimal affair, at least compared to what's already been offered on this single. Take some stock techno rhythms (the real stuff), add some negligible, looping sounds, and utilize even less of the vocals than Armand did, and you have this mix. It might work as a transitional track in a set but there really isn't much more worth noting.

There's also a megamix included on this single, done by the MTV Partyzone. I'm not really familiar with that program but then I'm Canadian -we had our MuchMusic X-Tendamix and Electric Circus shows to keep us up to date on dance music instead. This megamix tosses in pretty much every single 2 Unlimited hit ever released and crams it all into something of a mess that runs just under five minutes. Some pieces only get brief vocal snippets while others get portions of their main riffs played out in rather disjointed merging of others. It might have worked had they used more time to arrange the tracks better but as far as 2 Unlimited megamixes go, this one doesn't nearly stack up as well to the rest.

As one of the final singles to come from the original lineup, it's a shame this track doesn’t have nearly the catchiness to carry it as many of their earlier hits. Jump For Joy just carries far too much un-mainstream baggage from its eurobeat and trance samplings for it to have made much of an impact.

Except in Japan, perhaps.

Score: 6/10
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2005 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.

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.