Cloud 9: 2008
(2016 Update:
Hey look, it's me returning to that 'rip-on-trance' shtick our little website had gained a reputation for. Not that I desired a return to that, but this came out in an off-month, and me being a sucker for any sort of title that brought up old-school flashbacks, figured this might be worth a listen-over. Sure beat giving the boys at Armada another chance, though I can't say this was much better. Listening to this again, it really throws a spotlight on how directionless the trance scene had become by the late '00s, trying and adapting any trendy new sound to stay relevant; heck, I even mentioned as such in this review, though I neglecting bringing up the short-lived '8th note' micro-genre. And Bolier's mix remains the more interesting of the two, the tunes at least trying to come up with an original style, despite some of it full of fail.
I touched on Leon's career trajectory in my update of his debut album Pictures, but what of Mike Shiver? How has he held up? He jumped on that 'trouse' bandwagon along with the rest of them, including producing a track called Trouse. Look, his mix here was already filled with quickly dated trendwhoring tunes, so of course he'd keep doing the deed in the new decade. Guy's got a label to run, radio shows to promote; can't be left behind when there's bank to be made on the festival circuit.)
IN BRIEF: Now I remember...
When we were compiling our annual Worst Of TC list back in January, I was surprised by the outcome. Not the tracks themselves, as they all deserved their place in our Hall of Shame, but whereas my writing compatriots J’ and Will had a slew of dodgy epic trance in their choices, I offered none. At first I figured it had more to do with the odds, as I did review quite a range of music, exposed to material far worse than teeth-rotting trance (especially so in the ‘electro fart’ camps), but when I looked back on what I had covered, I was surprised to find mostly positive reviews of the genre. So then I thought perhaps epic melodic trance as a whole had gotten better, despite the odd sour tomato that makes its way to the top (Anthem, anyone?). Or could it be me? Had I maybe grown beyond gut distaste of this particular scene? Maybe I had achieved that mythical ‘post-jaded’ mindset.
After listening to this new double disc of trance titled Trance Mission, the real answer was given: I was just lucky. But more on that in a bit; first, some background one what exactly it is we have here.
So what we have here is the debut commercial DJ mixes of a pair of producers long time fans of melodic trance should be familiar with: Leon Bolier and Mike Shiver. I suppose the best way to describe their status in the trance echelon is ‘third tier’: both are certainly recognizable names, but neither have produced anything most would instantly be able to recall; also, in just about any popularity poll, they are typically mired in the middle of the pack. Fine if you’re content to remain at such a point in your career, but perhaps they’ve been chomping at the bit to take their careers to the next level, and doing a DJ mix for growing dance music distributor Cloud 9 certainly is a step in the right direction. Let’s find out how their first efforts are then.
Mr. Bolier gets dibs on the first disc, and takes off in fine fashion with Moonbeam’s catchy I Love Mornings. A couple pleasant trancey numbers later, and his mix takes a turn for the poppy. Very poppy. In fact... Heck, y’know friends? This is eurodance! Granted, Lange has always had an ear for that side of dance music, but just listen to what Schössow does in his remix of Beatitude (the peak after Kirsty Hawkshaw’s naff bit of singing). That bouncy hook is straight out of the big book of mid-90s euro; all that’s missing is a white ragga MC. Heh, it’d be quite interesting to see what Bolier would do with this sound if he decided to resurrect it somehow.
Instead, we are quickly courted off to the realms of decent-but-unremarkable progressive trance for a very long stretch. There’s little here I’d call awful (Jennifer Rene’s over-emoting on Invincible aside) but not much that gets the blood stirring either. Trouble is Bolier’s track sequence is quite dry, with too many unnecessary breakdowns lined up one after the other (the one in Extensions is particularly useless, not to mention Wardt’s use of glitchy percussion isn’t nearly as clever as it tries to be; nice moody tone though), with tracks that are timid in ratcheting the energy up after such downtime. About the only two that make standing impressions are Breakfast’s cascading white-noise synths in Dancing In The Moonlight, and Bolier’s own collaboration with Sied van Riel in Malibeer, an effective hard stomper (shame about the track resetting all that built-up energy at the end though).
On the other hand, perhaps this was intentional on Bolier’s part. After all, the track that lifts his set out of this middling funk is his own Ocean Drive Boulevard, an epic anthem that delivers on all fronts. And by following it up with a dark grumbler in Prominent and the energetic First Light from Bart Claessen, you have a final sequence of tracks that literally gallops with gusto towards the finish. It definitely paints his own music in a positive light, but still is a shame he didn’t dive into this material sooner, as Bolier exhibits some fine DJing sense here.
Ultimately, Leon’s a quality DJ when he bangs it out (or indulges in eurodance) but is hobbled by all the mediocre prog trance he seems insistent to play. How does Mike Shiver compare then?
Frankly, not at all, as his CD is quite different. Shiver’s delivered a set that highlights all that has gone wrong with trance this decade: the grotesque breakdowns, the insipid vocals, the melodic tripe, and, more recently, the cringe-worthy attempts at jumping on the ‘electro’ bandwagon.
For instance, what on earth is Sami Saari doing here? His lead hook is so terribly hokey, I can’t help but burst out in laughter at how much of an attitude try-hard it is. Even nu-skool breaks never came up with anything that corny; it’s like the shirtless barstar that wanders into a rave, hooped up on ecstasy and with powder on his nose, hootin’ and hollarin’ over how “phukin phat that shit is” while he tries to hump your girlfriend (and complains about the lack of PLUR when you tell him to fuck off). And Nic Chagall once again shows us how to utterly kill the momentum in a set with a remix of Cause You Know, where his limp rhythms actually have less playing time than all the nonsense he indulges in during his wank breakdowns and builds.
There’s plenty more I could rag on here, but let’s deal with the few positives instead: great bassline in Mat Zo’s remix of Music Is For Rich People; lovely remix of Helsinki Scorchin’ by Michael Cassette (an alias of two guys, for the record); solid beats in Marksun & Brian’s Saterday. These are some great moments, and I feel rather embarrassed for them to be surrounded by so much turgid fairy trance.
How there’s still a market for this Anjuna-like stuff is beyond me. The early lame ‘electro’ excursions aside, little on Shiver's disc sounds like it couldn’t have been produced during the last five years, and this sound’s always been ‘heard one, heard all’; it’s depressingly scared to shake the gravy train. Even the most over-sentimental femme-pop isn’t this sappy (the ultra-produced uplifting synths really lay it on thick). At least Bolier’s disc was mostly self-aware during its cheesier moments; here it’s far too po-faced to be any fun.
As for Mike Shiver: The DJ, there really isn’t much to be said. His set’s perfunctory and lacking in surprises (Saterday being a clear exception); he’s essentially an Anjuna promo-bot, as nothing here stands out from all the other Anjuna/Armada/etc. DJs, although the ‘electro’ at the beginning suggests he’s perhaps recently dipped into the blow as well (and come away none the better for it).
So yes, I was indeed lucky in the year of 2007. Producers like Stephen J. Kroos and DJs like Menno de Jong had me believing the epic melodic side of trance was showing potential redemption in the wider world of club culture, and so long as guys like them continue to push ahead in their own way, it does. With tracks like Prominent and Saterday, Trance Mission itself offers glimpses of such too. However, Bolier and especially Shiver have also shown the genre still has a long way to go before all credibility is restored.
Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2008. © All rights reserved.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Sunday, July 10, 2016
EDM Weekly World News, December 2013
Little behind in my TRANCE! journey, so here's another classic bit of gossipy news reporting, filled with commentary, thinkpieces, and debates on the state of the scene. Only the most detailed analysis with this rag, by g'ar.
Seriously, are we still on this shit?
Seriously, are we still on this shit?
Friday, July 8, 2016
Ambelion - Trance Experience
JRC/Offshoot Records: 2006/2016
When Psychonavigation Records promises electronic music on a retro bent, I’d never have believed that’d include honest-to-God ‘90s trance. Who even makes this stuff anymore? None of the so-called vanguards of the genre, that’s for sure. This isn’t one of those ‘neo-trance’ things either, where a techno producer makes techno with looping, hypnotic arps and minor-key pads. Ambelion’s crafted a collection of tracks with sounds straight from the vaults of Paul van Dyk, from the exhibits of Eye-Q, from the museum of MFS, and nothing form the ditches of Dutchiness. This album is such a throwback, I think my spinal column snapped.
From the opening track Cyber Sky, if your old-school nostalgia triggers aren’t flashing from hearing that off-beat bassline and vintage Lieb klaxon call, you may as well skip out on Trance Experience altogether. No, wait, come back here damn it; you’re gonna’ get yourself some knowledge, son. Second track Your Flower is more of a techno cut with Balearic soundscapes, but such was enough to get the trance tag on any number of compilations back in the day, so it’s all good. Third cut Space Work comes straight from the lab of Ima-era BT, while fourth jam Effects Of Stars gets in on that uptempo van Dyk business. Boy, am I breezing through these tracks so fast. I know my detailing of music’s grown concise over the years, but this is as though each cut is super short or something. Oh indeed they are, seldom breaking even the five minute mark! What kind of trance lasts only four minutes?
Radio edits for one, but these don’t come off like that. Rather, each tune gets right to the action, doesn’t dawdle with DJ friendly intros or outros, and only uses breakdowns as a lull, forgoing the use of build-ups altogether. Wow, this really is retro trance! Unfortunately, this also leads to a very bite-sized experience of an album, running barely forty minutes long. Once it becomes apparent these tracks aren’t gonna’ develop much beyond their base components, the nostalgia wears thin and I feel the need to reach for a lengthy Spicelab excursion for a proper meal. The feel is definitely there, but ultimately Trance Experience is but an appetizer of the genre.
Still, gotta’ give some credit to Ambelion for having a stab at something like this, and especially Psychonavigation Records for even giving a throwback trance album a chance. What else has this Aleksandr Kovalenko done? *does the Discogs Digging Dance – it’s highly effective* Oh, wow, Ambelion’s made quite a few albums these past fifteen years, of all sorts of genres across at least a half-dozen labels. House, ambient, acid techno, including an ongoing series called Retro View. Seems this excursion into trance was just a one-off lark for Ambelion though, a lone entry on the Ukrainian print JRC… from 2006. Wait, Trance Experience is a ten year old album of twenty year old trance? Of all the obscure reissues Psychonavigation’s done, this one beats all.
When Psychonavigation Records promises electronic music on a retro bent, I’d never have believed that’d include honest-to-God ‘90s trance. Who even makes this stuff anymore? None of the so-called vanguards of the genre, that’s for sure. This isn’t one of those ‘neo-trance’ things either, where a techno producer makes techno with looping, hypnotic arps and minor-key pads. Ambelion’s crafted a collection of tracks with sounds straight from the vaults of Paul van Dyk, from the exhibits of Eye-Q, from the museum of MFS, and nothing form the ditches of Dutchiness. This album is such a throwback, I think my spinal column snapped.
From the opening track Cyber Sky, if your old-school nostalgia triggers aren’t flashing from hearing that off-beat bassline and vintage Lieb klaxon call, you may as well skip out on Trance Experience altogether. No, wait, come back here damn it; you’re gonna’ get yourself some knowledge, son. Second track Your Flower is more of a techno cut with Balearic soundscapes, but such was enough to get the trance tag on any number of compilations back in the day, so it’s all good. Third cut Space Work comes straight from the lab of Ima-era BT, while fourth jam Effects Of Stars gets in on that uptempo van Dyk business. Boy, am I breezing through these tracks so fast. I know my detailing of music’s grown concise over the years, but this is as though each cut is super short or something. Oh indeed they are, seldom breaking even the five minute mark! What kind of trance lasts only four minutes?
Radio edits for one, but these don’t come off like that. Rather, each tune gets right to the action, doesn’t dawdle with DJ friendly intros or outros, and only uses breakdowns as a lull, forgoing the use of build-ups altogether. Wow, this really is retro trance! Unfortunately, this also leads to a very bite-sized experience of an album, running barely forty minutes long. Once it becomes apparent these tracks aren’t gonna’ develop much beyond their base components, the nostalgia wears thin and I feel the need to reach for a lengthy Spicelab excursion for a proper meal. The feel is definitely there, but ultimately Trance Experience is but an appetizer of the genre.
Still, gotta’ give some credit to Ambelion for having a stab at something like this, and especially Psychonavigation Records for even giving a throwback trance album a chance. What else has this Aleksandr Kovalenko done? *does the Discogs Digging Dance – it’s highly effective* Oh, wow, Ambelion’s made quite a few albums these past fifteen years, of all sorts of genres across at least a half-dozen labels. House, ambient, acid techno, including an ongoing series called Retro View. Seems this excursion into trance was just a one-off lark for Ambelion though, a lone entry on the Ukrainian print JRC… from 2006. Wait, Trance Experience is a ten year old album of twenty year old trance? Of all the obscure reissues Psychonavigation’s done, this one beats all.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Various - Trance Europe 2.0
Cleopatra: 1994
I’ve mentioned this CD in passing before, how it was a transformative disc in the development of my musical tastes. Why, you might even say it was… trance-morphing! Or even- no, that’s all I got. Obviously timing was a critical factor, Trance Europe 2.0 finding its way to my ears just as I grew bored of generic euro dance of the day. Here was something a bit similar (all those hard German beats!), but with an edge to it; trippier, energetic, delicious acid sounds and galloping choir pads. The general lack of vocals didn’t hurt either, Teenage Sykonee having grown quite tired of trite pop lyrics.
Still, plenty CDs of the mid-‘90s could have given me a similar knowledge drop; heck, this wasn’t even my first collection of trance. What Trance Europe 2.0 did, however, was convince my impressionable young mind of what trance could be, what sort of scene the genre was cultivating across the Atlantic. You mean to say this spacey, hypnotic dance music is enjoyed by bizarre, hedonistic individuals painting themselves in elaborate costumes while consuming mind-bending love drugs? Holy shit, screw the guido clubs ‘techno’ was catering to, sign me up for that! While Sven Väth’s parties at Omen were reportedly of similar stock, I doubt Cleopatra had that in mind, rather going with the ‘techno-goth’ theme many of their early CDs ran with. You do you, Cleo’.
All of which has little bearing on whether Trance Europe 2.0 is worth your time here in the dire year of 2016 (God, just end it already). Probably not, most of the memorable tunes easily found elsewhere. Komakino’s big breakout hit Outface (G60 Mix) kicks things off, but the exact same track kicked off their album Energy Trancemission too. Beyond Your Dreams is also on here, another track from the Outface single. Their Final Fantasy alias also crops up with the track Sometimes, a blistering slice of German acid. And in case that wasn’t enough Fritsch and Hastik action, they also get a producer’s credit on the Shorty Bone cut Trancemission. Oh man, this track’s bonkers, hard trance with a clunky, tribal techno rhythm; sounds like an early Influid tune.
A few tracks on the obscure side round things out. Tranceformer was more known for cheese-ball vocal tunes, but their instrumental b-sides were surprisingly decent in their simplicity, two of which grace Trance Europe 2.0 (Hypnotized and Magic Mushrooms). Morpheus 7 had but one single, the fluffy, happy cut Follow Me Into My World (Orgy-Nal) receiving the nod here. Ravesign by Vector was also a one-off, yet got a little more compilation duty than others (including an appearance on a Techno Trax, apparently). Sweep! was more of a rave-house guy, but Glowflow is trancey enough for this CD. And Norman Feller makes a requisite appearance with old-timey track Drift Away from his Trance-House single. And yes, I adore all these tunes! It wouldn’t be such a seminal, taste-changing CD for yours truly if I didn't, yo’.
I’ve mentioned this CD in passing before, how it was a transformative disc in the development of my musical tastes. Why, you might even say it was… trance-morphing! Or even- no, that’s all I got. Obviously timing was a critical factor, Trance Europe 2.0 finding its way to my ears just as I grew bored of generic euro dance of the day. Here was something a bit similar (all those hard German beats!), but with an edge to it; trippier, energetic, delicious acid sounds and galloping choir pads. The general lack of vocals didn’t hurt either, Teenage Sykonee having grown quite tired of trite pop lyrics.
Still, plenty CDs of the mid-‘90s could have given me a similar knowledge drop; heck, this wasn’t even my first collection of trance. What Trance Europe 2.0 did, however, was convince my impressionable young mind of what trance could be, what sort of scene the genre was cultivating across the Atlantic. You mean to say this spacey, hypnotic dance music is enjoyed by bizarre, hedonistic individuals painting themselves in elaborate costumes while consuming mind-bending love drugs? Holy shit, screw the guido clubs ‘techno’ was catering to, sign me up for that! While Sven Väth’s parties at Omen were reportedly of similar stock, I doubt Cleopatra had that in mind, rather going with the ‘techno-goth’ theme many of their early CDs ran with. You do you, Cleo’.
All of which has little bearing on whether Trance Europe 2.0 is worth your time here in the dire year of 2016 (God, just end it already). Probably not, most of the memorable tunes easily found elsewhere. Komakino’s big breakout hit Outface (G60 Mix) kicks things off, but the exact same track kicked off their album Energy Trancemission too. Beyond Your Dreams is also on here, another track from the Outface single. Their Final Fantasy alias also crops up with the track Sometimes, a blistering slice of German acid. And in case that wasn’t enough Fritsch and Hastik action, they also get a producer’s credit on the Shorty Bone cut Trancemission. Oh man, this track’s bonkers, hard trance with a clunky, tribal techno rhythm; sounds like an early Influid tune.
A few tracks on the obscure side round things out. Tranceformer was more known for cheese-ball vocal tunes, but their instrumental b-sides were surprisingly decent in their simplicity, two of which grace Trance Europe 2.0 (Hypnotized and Magic Mushrooms). Morpheus 7 had but one single, the fluffy, happy cut Follow Me Into My World (Orgy-Nal) receiving the nod here. Ravesign by Vector was also a one-off, yet got a little more compilation duty than others (including an appearance on a Techno Trax, apparently). Sweep! was more of a rave-house guy, but Glowflow is trancey enough for this CD. And Norman Feller makes a requisite appearance with old-timey track Drift Away from his Trance-House single. And yes, I adore all these tunes! It wouldn’t be such a seminal, taste-changing CD for yours truly if I didn't, yo’.
Labels:
1994,
Cleopatra,
Compilation,
hard trance,
trance
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Various - Trance Divas 2 (2016 Update)
Water Music Dance: 2005
(Click here to read a bunch of silly metaphors for love.)
So these CDs. I’m not sure why I kept a copy of them. Almost all the dance pop I reviewed for TranceCritic was quickly deleted from my harddrive, yet I still burned me some Trance Divas 2, even printed up the cover art. Considering how expensive ink jet cartridges run, that’s all sorts of daft for a pair of discs containing music I spent more time mocking than enjoying. Did I have some left-over need from my AudioGalaxy days of burning everything I could to CD? Might that desire for a big-yuuge show-off collection have clouded my impeccable musical judgment? Nah, most likely I felt having a back-up copy of Trance Divas 2 prudent for future reference, and as my computer of the time had a whopping 2.3 GB of memory, I sure as shit couldn’t keep it there. Little did I know I’d have to listen to these again for review, eleven years in the future. (holy cow…!)
That old review finds me soapboxing about ‘bad trance vocals’ and how they ruined the genre and a bunch of other dumb-ass nonsense that gives me serious cringes, folding me up into a fetal position of shame. Still, despite the rambling, my point remains that vocal trance – at least as found on Trance Divas 2 - is essentially where euro-dance of the ‘90s evolved to. The fact this compilation has equal shares of pure euro pop fluff with the ‘serious’ anthems from Very Important producers like Above & Beyond, Kyau & Albert, and ATB (*chortle*) only confirms the theory. And lo’, we even hear sprinklings of euro pop’s next evolutionary morph on here, that of the hardstyle knock-off genre ‘hands up’. Haha, I’m right, I win, Sykonee rules! *inexplicably drives off cliff*
Hey, here’s something I never talked about in that original TranceCritic review, the history of Trance Divas, the series! For instance, did you know there was a volume before this compilation came out? ‘Tis true, Water Music Dance releasing a first one just the year prior – how did 2005 Sykonee not mention that? The style of music is mostly the same, ‘serious’ vocal trance anthems mixed in with euro pop parading in eurotrance clothing. Quite a different roster of names in the track list though, including BT, Milk Inc., Matt Darey, Soda Club, Sinéad O'Connor, and Delerium. Yeah, Silence is on there, because of course it would be. Tiësto shows up twice more too, including his remix of Lost Witness’ Did I Dream, and his own track 643 (Love’s On Fire), the latter coming with a rub from… Oliver Lieb? On Trance Divas!? My head hath a’sploded!!
In case you care, a third volume of Trance Divas also made its way to the stores. This features such famous trance producers as Fabio Nobile, Paul Richard, Dutch Agency, Chris Nasty, and Rene Ablaze, and has no entry within Lord Discogs’ archives. Clearly no one wants to admit they own a wretched compilation like Trance Divas 3. Haha, hah.
(Click here to read a bunch of silly metaphors for love.)
So these CDs. I’m not sure why I kept a copy of them. Almost all the dance pop I reviewed for TranceCritic was quickly deleted from my harddrive, yet I still burned me some Trance Divas 2, even printed up the cover art. Considering how expensive ink jet cartridges run, that’s all sorts of daft for a pair of discs containing music I spent more time mocking than enjoying. Did I have some left-over need from my AudioGalaxy days of burning everything I could to CD? Might that desire for a big-yuuge show-off collection have clouded my impeccable musical judgment? Nah, most likely I felt having a back-up copy of Trance Divas 2 prudent for future reference, and as my computer of the time had a whopping 2.3 GB of memory, I sure as shit couldn’t keep it there. Little did I know I’d have to listen to these again for review, eleven years in the future. (holy cow…!)
That old review finds me soapboxing about ‘bad trance vocals’ and how they ruined the genre and a bunch of other dumb-ass nonsense that gives me serious cringes, folding me up into a fetal position of shame. Still, despite the rambling, my point remains that vocal trance – at least as found on Trance Divas 2 - is essentially where euro-dance of the ‘90s evolved to. The fact this compilation has equal shares of pure euro pop fluff with the ‘serious’ anthems from Very Important producers like Above & Beyond, Kyau & Albert, and ATB (*chortle*) only confirms the theory. And lo’, we even hear sprinklings of euro pop’s next evolutionary morph on here, that of the hardstyle knock-off genre ‘hands up’. Haha, I’m right, I win, Sykonee rules! *inexplicably drives off cliff*
Hey, here’s something I never talked about in that original TranceCritic review, the history of Trance Divas, the series! For instance, did you know there was a volume before this compilation came out? ‘Tis true, Water Music Dance releasing a first one just the year prior – how did 2005 Sykonee not mention that? The style of music is mostly the same, ‘serious’ vocal trance anthems mixed in with euro pop parading in eurotrance clothing. Quite a different roster of names in the track list though, including BT, Milk Inc., Matt Darey, Soda Club, Sinéad O'Connor, and Delerium. Yeah, Silence is on there, because of course it would be. Tiësto shows up twice more too, including his remix of Lost Witness’ Did I Dream, and his own track 643 (Love’s On Fire), the latter coming with a rub from… Oliver Lieb? On Trance Divas!? My head hath a’sploded!!
In case you care, a third volume of Trance Divas also made its way to the stores. This features such famous trance producers as Fabio Nobile, Paul Richard, Dutch Agency, Chris Nasty, and Rene Ablaze, and has no entry within Lord Discogs’ archives. Clearly no one wants to admit they own a wretched compilation like Trance Divas 3. Haha, hah.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Various - Muzik Presents Trance Classics
Muzik Magazine: 2002
Yet another trance classics CD, but wait, not all is as it seems! This was a free CD from Muzik Magazine, whom at this late point in the rag’s lifespan was among the UK’s biggest shittalkers regarding the genre. They believed in trance, once upon a time, singing the praises of the hypnotic, melodic side of techno back when so few other prints gave it attention. They promoted the hell out of Dragonfly Records, Platipus Records, Hook Records, and maybe even a mainland Europe label or two. They wrote charming articles regarding the ‘ABCs Of Trance’, and shot a critical eye in the direction of the ‘Crasher Kids phenomenon, sensing the ensuing rot that would bloat the scene to ridiculous levels of caricature. As the year 2002 came to a close, Muzik Magazine realized the battle was lost, their once underdog genre now an entirely different beast, filled with laser-soaked gurning punters with no recollection or care of trance’s history prior to the year 1998. They only had small measures of joy taking snarky potshots at the latest bit of bilge floating about their office for review.
No, wait, that’s not right. In this very same issue, they respectfully give props to Lasgo, marking them as one of the frontline shock-troopers of ‘ecstasy pop’; aka: vocal trance. They just can’t deny the kids like it, eh? Damn it though, they outta’ learn some of that history, so here’s a cheeky free disc of ‘proper’ trance classics that they can listen to while reading up on that Lasgo interview. Clever bastards.
Right, of course all that above is supposition, though makes for a fun little narrative when put in context of Muzik’s history. What more likely happened is Trance Classics comes from an aborted project that was intended for storewide distribution. Remember that [Genre] Muzik Classics series? In conjunction with Beechwood Records, the magazine released a few volumes highlighting the best/important tracks of major genres/scenes, including techno, d’n’b, and, erm, ‘Ibiza’. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had a Trance Muzik Classics in the works before cutting ties with the dodgy print, but man, what to do with all those licensed tunes you got? Save ‘em for later, I guess; maybe a free CD down the road.
As Trance Classics was curated by a British magazine, you’re damn right this is su-u-u-per biased to their homegrown talents. Simon Berry gets three tracks alone (you know which ones), while Enervate and 1998 (Binary Finary Remix) make their requisite appearances. Germany does get a look in with Metal Master’s Spectrum (Hoffmann and Väth), plus Paul van Dyk’s rub of Qattara’s Come With Me. At the harder end of the trance stadium, a lesser-known Chris Cowie hit crops up with X-Cabs’ Infectious, while Trade anthems Shinny from Elevator and Are Am Eye? from Commander Tom round things out. And finally, no Dutch nonsense, which makes this Trance Classics a zillion times better than ten volumes of A State Of Trance Classics.
Yet another trance classics CD, but wait, not all is as it seems! This was a free CD from Muzik Magazine, whom at this late point in the rag’s lifespan was among the UK’s biggest shittalkers regarding the genre. They believed in trance, once upon a time, singing the praises of the hypnotic, melodic side of techno back when so few other prints gave it attention. They promoted the hell out of Dragonfly Records, Platipus Records, Hook Records, and maybe even a mainland Europe label or two. They wrote charming articles regarding the ‘ABCs Of Trance’, and shot a critical eye in the direction of the ‘Crasher Kids phenomenon, sensing the ensuing rot that would bloat the scene to ridiculous levels of caricature. As the year 2002 came to a close, Muzik Magazine realized the battle was lost, their once underdog genre now an entirely different beast, filled with laser-soaked gurning punters with no recollection or care of trance’s history prior to the year 1998. They only had small measures of joy taking snarky potshots at the latest bit of bilge floating about their office for review.
No, wait, that’s not right. In this very same issue, they respectfully give props to Lasgo, marking them as one of the frontline shock-troopers of ‘ecstasy pop’; aka: vocal trance. They just can’t deny the kids like it, eh? Damn it though, they outta’ learn some of that history, so here’s a cheeky free disc of ‘proper’ trance classics that they can listen to while reading up on that Lasgo interview. Clever bastards.
Right, of course all that above is supposition, though makes for a fun little narrative when put in context of Muzik’s history. What more likely happened is Trance Classics comes from an aborted project that was intended for storewide distribution. Remember that [Genre] Muzik Classics series? In conjunction with Beechwood Records, the magazine released a few volumes highlighting the best/important tracks of major genres/scenes, including techno, d’n’b, and, erm, ‘Ibiza’. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had a Trance Muzik Classics in the works before cutting ties with the dodgy print, but man, what to do with all those licensed tunes you got? Save ‘em for later, I guess; maybe a free CD down the road.
As Trance Classics was curated by a British magazine, you’re damn right this is su-u-u-per biased to their homegrown talents. Simon Berry gets three tracks alone (you know which ones), while Enervate and 1998 (Binary Finary Remix) make their requisite appearances. Germany does get a look in with Metal Master’s Spectrum (Hoffmann and Väth), plus Paul van Dyk’s rub of Qattara’s Come With Me. At the harder end of the trance stadium, a lesser-known Chris Cowie hit crops up with X-Cabs’ Infectious, while Trade anthems Shinny from Elevator and Are Am Eye? from Commander Tom round things out. And finally, no Dutch nonsense, which makes this Trance Classics a zillion times better than ten volumes of A State Of Trance Classics.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Various - Trance Central - Return To The Classics Vol. 4: Jørn Stenzel
Planetary Consciousness: 2002
We’re flooded with ‘trance classics’ collections these days, but at the turn of the millennium… eh, they were still common. Any popular genre with enough history will have scores of tracks available for easy licensing, and with a solid decade of action behind it, trance was no less filled with handy tunes for quick cash-ins. Most often this was handled by major labels with financial clout raiding labels for their CDs, but you were lucky if such a release had a curator who put some actual thought into it. Who’s got time for carefully considered representations of a genre when the easiest path is regurgitating the same ol’ anthems everyone’s familiar with, amirite?
Seems the folks behind short-lived German print Planetary Consciousness thought differently, aiming at a DJ mix series that properly delivered on its byline of ‘returning to the classics’. Helmed by label everyman Hardy Heller, Trance Central – Return To The Classics promised no modern anthems, strictly tunes that defined trance in its early years, no matter how liberal you could go with the definition. Yeah, there was just as much progressive house and techno on these as anything else, but so it went in those days, hard borders still fuzzy in the early genre wars. Mr. HH also only did three CDs worth of mixes before moving on, after which one Jørn Stenzel took the reins for a fourth before Planetary Consciousness was swept into Daredo Music.
Okay, enough blah blah, yakkity bore about details. D’eez jams, then! How dope be this trance classics set when you got names like FSOL, Spicelab, Resistance D, Jam & Spoon, and Nikolai on it? Ah, it’s pretty fine, though not without its issues either. The CD opens with The Age Of Love, because I haven’t heard that song enough already. Then we go through DHS’ techno chant House Of God (“the house of God, God… house of God...”), Rejuvination’s groovy piano house Requiem (Part II), and pseudo-EBM cut Running from Tyrell Corp., another early alias from the Abfahrt posse. It’s about as rough a run of tracks as you’d expect from such early records, more a showcase of overlooked tunes than an actual piece of set construction. Nay, this CD doesn’t really take off until Satoshii Tomiie’s prog rub of Papua New Guinea. Oh, did I mention Stenzel occasionally uses (then) modern remixes of classic tracks? Some might call that cheating, but Human ‘98 is great regardless, and hearing Eternal Basement take Stella down such a sinister route gives some extra life in the old girl.
Overall, Stenzel’s set has two major highlights. First, the transition from Peyote’s (re: Dance 2 Trance) ode to Chief Josesph’s stirring “I will fight no more forever” speech into B-Zet’s rub of Dissidenten’s Jungle Book Part Two. It’s positively stirring, your heart breaking at hearing those words melt into the melancholic, floating space chords of the latter. Second, Spice Is A Fulltime Occupation is glorious old-school Oliver Lieb unleashed. They definitely don’t make ‘em like that anymore!
We’re flooded with ‘trance classics’ collections these days, but at the turn of the millennium… eh, they were still common. Any popular genre with enough history will have scores of tracks available for easy licensing, and with a solid decade of action behind it, trance was no less filled with handy tunes for quick cash-ins. Most often this was handled by major labels with financial clout raiding labels for their CDs, but you were lucky if such a release had a curator who put some actual thought into it. Who’s got time for carefully considered representations of a genre when the easiest path is regurgitating the same ol’ anthems everyone’s familiar with, amirite?
Seems the folks behind short-lived German print Planetary Consciousness thought differently, aiming at a DJ mix series that properly delivered on its byline of ‘returning to the classics’. Helmed by label everyman Hardy Heller, Trance Central – Return To The Classics promised no modern anthems, strictly tunes that defined trance in its early years, no matter how liberal you could go with the definition. Yeah, there was just as much progressive house and techno on these as anything else, but so it went in those days, hard borders still fuzzy in the early genre wars. Mr. HH also only did three CDs worth of mixes before moving on, after which one Jørn Stenzel took the reins for a fourth before Planetary Consciousness was swept into Daredo Music.
Okay, enough blah blah, yakkity bore about details. D’eez jams, then! How dope be this trance classics set when you got names like FSOL, Spicelab, Resistance D, Jam & Spoon, and Nikolai on it? Ah, it’s pretty fine, though not without its issues either. The CD opens with The Age Of Love, because I haven’t heard that song enough already. Then we go through DHS’ techno chant House Of God (“the house of God, God… house of God...”), Rejuvination’s groovy piano house Requiem (Part II), and pseudo-EBM cut Running from Tyrell Corp., another early alias from the Abfahrt posse. It’s about as rough a run of tracks as you’d expect from such early records, more a showcase of overlooked tunes than an actual piece of set construction. Nay, this CD doesn’t really take off until Satoshii Tomiie’s prog rub of Papua New Guinea. Oh, did I mention Stenzel occasionally uses (then) modern remixes of classic tracks? Some might call that cheating, but Human ‘98 is great regardless, and hearing Eternal Basement take Stella down such a sinister route gives some extra life in the old girl.
Overall, Stenzel’s set has two major highlights. First, the transition from Peyote’s (re: Dance 2 Trance) ode to Chief Josesph’s stirring “I will fight no more forever” speech into B-Zet’s rub of Dissidenten’s Jungle Book Part Two. It’s positively stirring, your heart breaking at hearing those words melt into the melancholic, floating space chords of the latter. Second, Spice Is A Fulltime Occupation is glorious old-school Oliver Lieb unleashed. They definitely don’t make ‘em like that anymore!
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Chris Fortier - Trance America (2016 Update)
Engine Recordings: 2000
(Click here to read a bunch of hyperbolic gushing passing itself off as 'jurnarlizm'.)
So this CD. It’s still one of the best prog mixes I’ve heard, especially for such an obscure release. The label it came out on, Engine Recordings, has but three entries in Lord Discogs’ archives. This includes a DJ mix from Mr. C called Subterrain 100% Unreleased, and the Stateside copy of Layo & Bushwacka!’s debut Low Life. Lord Discogs also informs this print was a subsidiary of Will Records, which apparently mostly dealt with indie rock. If Will was taking a chance on that trendy ‘electronica’ at the turn of the century, they sure didn’t bother sticking with it for long. How Chris Fortier got involved with the label for a ‘prog’ mix titled Trance America is anyone’s guess; except for Chris, because obviously he knows firsthand. He did put out a ‘trancey breaks’ mix a couple years prior on StreetBeat Records, a print that got its start peddling that Miami bass business. Maybe Mr. Fortier just enjoyed bucking convention? No, that can’t be right. He’s behind Fade Records, the label that practically defined ‘prog’ before it became Bedrock’s genre du jour. Was there any style of dance music that sounded more conventionally traditional than ‘prog’? Whee, oxymoron!
See, 2004 Sykonee, see? That’s how you’re supposed to do a review. None of this ultra-long anecdotal nonsense about Trance America being “trance’s redemption”. A few actual nuggets of information goes a long way, especially when dealing with something as obscure as this CD. Not that it’s difficult to find on the used market, nor does it command a high price. Nay, its obscurity lies in how overlooked Trance America remains, an easily missed release due to its awfully generic title. Plus, despite his skill behind the decks and the acclaim he earned before and since the year 2000, Mr. Fortier never broke free of the scene that nurtured his career, forever just another DJ and producer that Sasha & Digweed liked. Hey, that’s not such a bad distinction, not at all!
If you’re a prog completist, Trance America does feature a number of one-offs in its tracklist. Hyper-X never released anything else, not that it matters since its Steve Porter’s remix that gets the glory here. Tranceiver didn’t do much else either, while Memnon and Devol faded a couple years after. 3 Monkeys only had the mint single Crazy People, though its members – Anthony Pappa, Alan Bremner, and Barry Gilbey – were incredibly prolific with other projects (Brothers In Rhythm, Mara, superstar DJing, etc.). And we all know the fates of Steve Porter and Max Graham, early progressive trance darlings that went in completely different directions once ‘prog’ fell out of favor.
Not that 2004 Sykonee knew much of this. Discogs was still skint in its early info’, still becoming a Lord That Knows All. Plus, who’d have thought ‘prog’ would completely die so soon, its tastemakers scurrying to the safety of trendier genres? Certainly not I back when. Maybe exhaustingly detailing the music was for the best. Yeah, no.
(Click here to read a bunch of hyperbolic gushing passing itself off as 'jurnarlizm'.)
So this CD. It’s still one of the best prog mixes I’ve heard, especially for such an obscure release. The label it came out on, Engine Recordings, has but three entries in Lord Discogs’ archives. This includes a DJ mix from Mr. C called Subterrain 100% Unreleased, and the Stateside copy of Layo & Bushwacka!’s debut Low Life. Lord Discogs also informs this print was a subsidiary of Will Records, which apparently mostly dealt with indie rock. If Will was taking a chance on that trendy ‘electronica’ at the turn of the century, they sure didn’t bother sticking with it for long. How Chris Fortier got involved with the label for a ‘prog’ mix titled Trance America is anyone’s guess; except for Chris, because obviously he knows firsthand. He did put out a ‘trancey breaks’ mix a couple years prior on StreetBeat Records, a print that got its start peddling that Miami bass business. Maybe Mr. Fortier just enjoyed bucking convention? No, that can’t be right. He’s behind Fade Records, the label that practically defined ‘prog’ before it became Bedrock’s genre du jour. Was there any style of dance music that sounded more conventionally traditional than ‘prog’? Whee, oxymoron!
See, 2004 Sykonee, see? That’s how you’re supposed to do a review. None of this ultra-long anecdotal nonsense about Trance America being “trance’s redemption”. A few actual nuggets of information goes a long way, especially when dealing with something as obscure as this CD. Not that it’s difficult to find on the used market, nor does it command a high price. Nay, its obscurity lies in how overlooked Trance America remains, an easily missed release due to its awfully generic title. Plus, despite his skill behind the decks and the acclaim he earned before and since the year 2000, Mr. Fortier never broke free of the scene that nurtured his career, forever just another DJ and producer that Sasha & Digweed liked. Hey, that’s not such a bad distinction, not at all!
If you’re a prog completist, Trance America does feature a number of one-offs in its tracklist. Hyper-X never released anything else, not that it matters since its Steve Porter’s remix that gets the glory here. Tranceiver didn’t do much else either, while Memnon and Devol faded a couple years after. 3 Monkeys only had the mint single Crazy People, though its members – Anthony Pappa, Alan Bremner, and Barry Gilbey – were incredibly prolific with other projects (Brothers In Rhythm, Mara, superstar DJing, etc.). And we all know the fates of Steve Porter and Max Graham, early progressive trance darlings that went in completely different directions once ‘prog’ fell out of favor.
Not that 2004 Sykonee knew much of this. Discogs was still skint in its early info’, still becoming a Lord That Knows All. Plus, who’d have thought ‘prog’ would completely die so soon, its tastemakers scurrying to the safety of trendier genres? Certainly not I back when. Maybe exhaustingly detailing the music was for the best. Yeah, no.
Friday, July 1, 2016
ACE TRACKS: June 2016
Guess what! I’ve reached the ‘Tr’s of my epic, endless journey through music I own, so you know what that means: it’s time to kick off a Summer Of Trance! Okay, ‘summer’ is pushing it some, but at least a July’s worth, especially if we include items through ‘trans’. Finally though, all of my trancecracker glories and fails will come to light, everything I own that’s trance. Except for the releases that started with ‘Goa’ or ‘Psy’. And all those In Trance We Trust mixes too, I guess. Plus anything that had ‘trance’ in its title, just not the start, come to think of it. Hell, even some releases that didn’t have ‘trance’ at all, like A Day On Our Planet or Dreamland or Ideas From the Pond or Rendezvous In Outer Space. Fine, this upcoming bundle of trance is but a fraction of the total amount floating about my stores of CDs. Trust me though, after a month of this, you’ll be begging for variety. Gangsta rap, psychedelic rock, minimal derp-haus, anything! Or hey, whatever’s on this ACE TRACKS playlist for June 2016. Yes, nailed the segueway!
Full track list here.
MISSING ALBUMS:
Various - Toronto Mix Sessions: Kenny Glasgow
Various - Trade: Past Present Future
Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 2%
Percentage of Rock: 34%
Most “WTF?” Track: The Archies - Sugar, Sugar (how do I suddenly have diabetes after listening to this song!?? …but seriously, another Dronny Darko piece is the answer)
Not quite as eclectic as these past couple months, as I mostly spent June wrapping up backlog before carrying on with ‘T’ albums. Heavier on the folky, alternative, and indie rock than anything else, but also got into familiar territory again with trip-hop, d’n’b, techno, and Neil Young. Really not much else to say about this playlist, because TRANCE is coming, man! TRANCE!
Full track list here.
MISSING ALBUMS:
Various - Toronto Mix Sessions: Kenny Glasgow
Various - Trade: Past Present Future
Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 2%
Percentage of Rock: 34%
Most “WTF?” Track: The Archies - Sugar, Sugar (how do I suddenly have diabetes after listening to this song!?? …but seriously, another Dronny Darko piece is the answer)
Not quite as eclectic as these past couple months, as I mostly spent June wrapping up backlog before carrying on with ‘T’ albums. Heavier on the folky, alternative, and indie rock than anything else, but also got into familiar territory again with trip-hop, d’n’b, techno, and Neil Young. Really not much else to say about this playlist, because TRANCE is coming, man! TRANCE!
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Various - Trade: Past Present Future
Beechwood Music: 2000
More than just another UK superclub, Trade’s legacy will forever be as important as Warehouse, Paradise Garage, and other early gay clubs championing that house sound. While there was no shortage of such venues at the turn of the ‘90s, they were still subject to standard clubbing curfews, leaving patrons with little more to do than wander streets and parks as they kept the party vibes going the morning after. Thanks to some wheelin’ and dealin’ by founder Laurence Malice, however, an afterhours slot at Turnmills was secured, one of the first ever in the UK. With an ad campaign specifically offering a safer alternative for post-clubbing all-night benders, Trade quickly flourished, becoming one of the UK’s dance music institutions, and launching the careers of many notable DJs (Tony de Vit, Tall Paul, Fergie).
And like any successful clubnight with a brand reaching global status, Trade got in on that DJ mix CD market too. Its first series of double-discers came out in the mid-‘90s on EMI offshoot Feverpitch, successfully promoting a hard house stylee the club was growing famous for. When the label folded after a mere two years, Trade eventually found a new home on Beechwood Music, kicking off with Past Present Future, two CDs supplying all the sounds you might hear at an all-nighter in Turnmills.
By this point in Trade’s lifespan, the clubnight had grown large enough for a second room playing funkier house music, from which production duo The Sharp Boys were instrumental in running. CD1 mostly focuses on their sound, and they definitely run the gamut. Groovy garage opens things up, loopy disco escalates the tempo (yep, Loleatta Holloway still going strong), and you can’t have such a set without a soul-sista’ monolog (Antoine Clamaran’s Get Up). The Boys take a turn for the tribal (X-Press 2), offer some bouncy house (DJ Antoine’s Do It has a donk on it), hit you with a little tech-house action (Smoking Schoolboy’s Tell Me (Detention Mix)), finally unleashing an unabashed anthem in Bryon Stingily’s Stand Up Right. Oh, and they finish off with an Armin & Tiësto collab’ of Eternity. Because clearly a club catering to hard house heads crave that Dutch cheese, absolutely.
With so much genre hopping, CD1’s an erratic set at best, and hardly indicative of the pummeling sound Trade’s all-nighters were built around. Step up to CD2 then, where ‘future’ representative Gonzalo Santiago hits you with a full mix of NRG! The beats come hard, some tracks have hoovers, others have acid, and build-ups are blessedly brief. I don’t have much else to say about it, my knowledge of NRG severely lacking. It’s fun for the time I play it, but I don’t want to play it much after. Not even that Baby Doc rub of Praga Khan’s Injected With A Poison.
A bonus third CD is a ten-minute snapshot of Tony de Vit rinsing out on New Year’s Eve, 1996. A touching tribute to one of Trade’s true legends, taken away far too soon.
More than just another UK superclub, Trade’s legacy will forever be as important as Warehouse, Paradise Garage, and other early gay clubs championing that house sound. While there was no shortage of such venues at the turn of the ‘90s, they were still subject to standard clubbing curfews, leaving patrons with little more to do than wander streets and parks as they kept the party vibes going the morning after. Thanks to some wheelin’ and dealin’ by founder Laurence Malice, however, an afterhours slot at Turnmills was secured, one of the first ever in the UK. With an ad campaign specifically offering a safer alternative for post-clubbing all-night benders, Trade quickly flourished, becoming one of the UK’s dance music institutions, and launching the careers of many notable DJs (Tony de Vit, Tall Paul, Fergie).
And like any successful clubnight with a brand reaching global status, Trade got in on that DJ mix CD market too. Its first series of double-discers came out in the mid-‘90s on EMI offshoot Feverpitch, successfully promoting a hard house stylee the club was growing famous for. When the label folded after a mere two years, Trade eventually found a new home on Beechwood Music, kicking off with Past Present Future, two CDs supplying all the sounds you might hear at an all-nighter in Turnmills.
By this point in Trade’s lifespan, the clubnight had grown large enough for a second room playing funkier house music, from which production duo The Sharp Boys were instrumental in running. CD1 mostly focuses on their sound, and they definitely run the gamut. Groovy garage opens things up, loopy disco escalates the tempo (yep, Loleatta Holloway still going strong), and you can’t have such a set without a soul-sista’ monolog (Antoine Clamaran’s Get Up). The Boys take a turn for the tribal (X-Press 2), offer some bouncy house (DJ Antoine’s Do It has a donk on it), hit you with a little tech-house action (Smoking Schoolboy’s Tell Me (Detention Mix)), finally unleashing an unabashed anthem in Bryon Stingily’s Stand Up Right. Oh, and they finish off with an Armin & Tiësto collab’ of Eternity. Because clearly a club catering to hard house heads crave that Dutch cheese, absolutely.
With so much genre hopping, CD1’s an erratic set at best, and hardly indicative of the pummeling sound Trade’s all-nighters were built around. Step up to CD2 then, where ‘future’ representative Gonzalo Santiago hits you with a full mix of NRG! The beats come hard, some tracks have hoovers, others have acid, and build-ups are blessedly brief. I don’t have much else to say about it, my knowledge of NRG severely lacking. It’s fun for the time I play it, but I don’t want to play it much after. Not even that Baby Doc rub of Praga Khan’s Injected With A Poison.
A bonus third CD is a ten-minute snapshot of Tony de Vit rinsing out on New Year’s Eve, 1996. A touching tribute to one of Trade’s true legends, taken away far too soon.
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Transient Records
trap
Trax Records
Trend
Trentemøller
Tresor
tribal
Tricky
Triloka Records
trip-hop
Triquetra
Trishula Records
Tristan
Troum
Troy Pierce
TRS Records
Tru Thoughts
Tsuba Records
Tsubasa Records
Tuff Gong
Tunnel Records
Turbo Recordings
turntablism
TUU
TVT Records
Twisted Records
Type O Negative
Týr
U-God
U-Recken
U2
U4IC DJs
Ãœberzone
Ugasanie
UK acid house
UK Garage
UK Hard House
Ultimae Records
Ultra Records
Umbra
Underworld
Union Jack
United Dairies
United DJs Of America
United Recordings
Universal Motown
Universal Music
Universal Records
Universal Republic Records
UNKLE
Unknown Tone Records
Unusual Cosmic Process
UOVI
Upstream Records
Urban Icon Records
Urban Meditation
Utada Hikaru
V2
Vagrant Records
Valanx
Valiska
Valley Of The Sun
Vangelis
Vap
VAST
Vector Lovers
Venetian Snares
Venonza Records
Vermont
Vernon
Versatile Records
Verus Records
Verve Records
VGM
Vibrant Music
Vice Records
Victor Calderone
Victor Entertainment
Vidna Obmana
Viking metal
Vince DiCola
Vinyl Cafe Productions
Virgin
Virtual Vault
Virus Recordings
Visionquest
Visions
Vitalic
vocal trance
Vortex
Voxxov Records
Voyage
Wagram Music
Waki
Wanderwelle
Warmth
Warner Bros. Records
Warp Records
Warren G
Water Music Dance
Wave Recordings
Wave Records
Waveform
Waveform Records
Wax Trax Records
Way Out West
WC
WEA
Wednesday Campanella
Weekend Players
Weekly Mini-Review
Werk Discs
Werkstatt Recordings
WestBam
Westside Connection
White Cloud
White Swan Records
Wichita
Wiggle
Will Saul
William Orbit
Willie Nelson
Wintersun
world beat
world music
writing reflections
Wrong Records
Wu-Tang Clan
Wurrm
Wyatt Keusch
Xerxes The Dark
XL Recordings
XTT Recordings
Yahgan
Yamaoka
Yello
Yes
Ylid
Youth
Youtube
YoYo Records
Yul Records
zakè
Zenith
ZerO One
Zoharum
Zomby
Zoo Entertainment
ZTT
Zyron
ZYX Music
µ-Ziq