We’ve been busy reporting on the tracks on John Askew’s upcoming artist album (sampler 1 and sampler 2) and if the last two samplers deliver the same ass kicking goodness as these first two, lord help us. I mean, seriously.  This much epic has never before been contained in one release before, and when this album lands in 2 parts; The first of which includes 24 unmixed remixes and the second which is a 70 minute continuous DJ mix, I’ll be partying for hours. Just me and my headphones.

And not the ones to be selfish, we at MusiCritics.com have arranged to giveaway 1 copy of  John Askew’s Rediscovered Album to 2 lucky winners!  This two CD Album and DJ Mix pack is every trance lover’s dream and to get your grubby hands on a copy simply leave a comment below.  We’ll be drawing two winners once the Album is released on May 31st, so be sure to get your entry in!  And please, only one entry per email address.

Be sure to check out our prior ReDiscovered reviews and come back for our full album feature in the coming weeks!

Touching down in new cities is almost as much a part of being a DJ as working the turntables themselves – a fact that’s never been lost on one of the world’s biggest DJs, Markus Schulz. In the last five years alone his always-rolling World Tour has taken him to more of them than many will see in a lifetime. It’s this ever-transforming melting pot of sound, sight and musical taste that fed his desire to capture them musically. And in 2005 that’s what he started to do…

Since then they have shuttled us between some of the most iconic and best known clubbing metropolises in the world; Miami & Ibiza and Amsterdam & Toronto have all had their clubbing credos encapsulated in mix form. Markus, himself explains further: “Many people say that you see great differences moving between countries – that’s natural. I actually think though that you experience some fairly major ones just going from one country’s city to the next. That’s long been a source of fascination to me. The City compilations are a great way for me to document a place through music, by picking out and turning the spotlight on exactly which tracks & sub-styles are working particularly well in specific cities that I’ve played & loved. ”

Now at the start of the new decade, for the next instalment of his audio-travelogue, Markus is dedicating the ‘10 edition to a place not only increasingly close to his heart, but one that resonates with hundreds of thousands of clubbers worldwide… Las Vegas.

Read on for more details on this exquisitely crafted 2 disc compilation!

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What a difference a year makes… 12 months ago Garuda was but a word and a concept in the mind of a DJ/Producer. Now it’s a record label, a club night and a rapidly crystallizing sound in its own right. Much the same can be said of its creator, Gareth Emery. This time last year he was a challenger, No.23 in DJ Magazine’s Top 100 chart and starting to put pressure on the established trance hierarchy. This year he’s there, ushered through the door and into the inner sanctum of the world’s Top 10 DJs.

Though not out on shelves yet, I’ve had the pleasure, and privilege to review a press copy of the album, and to say that I loved every minute of it would be the understatement of the year. CD1 features tracks from Ashley Wallbridge, Tritonal, David Forbes, Activa and Gareth himself, including a few exclusive reworks made specifically for this album.  CD2 takes the same route as the first, featuring tracks from Robbie Buri, Rex Mundi, GNX, Marco V, Cosmic Gate and others.

Each CD tells a slightly different story, as disc one is titled 2010 and disc two, 2009.  I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions as to their meaning.  Overall, the track selection is impeccable, if I were behind the wheels of steel for this comp, I’d have not chosen a single different track to include. The mixing, is as expected, top notch, and leveling throughout is pristine.

Read on past the break for my breakdown of each CD,  and for the full track list, as well as details on the 2XCD set! I’d love to post samples, but for the time being, you’ll have to hum along with me as I describe the mixes…

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Swordtail Records is an outfit that consistently produces quality progressive house, and this release, the 34th to date, provides a well rounded package with 4 tracks from 4 completely different producers!

Things kick off in style with Timebomb by Simon Firth, a dubbed out tech house beast that sleeps quietly until morphing into a roadtrip destined breaks track. Next up is Richard Sander with a deep and lush progressive house tune, Deep Forest.  Listening to this track truly does evoke a serene and peaceful emotion within me, almost like I’m alone deep in a dense forest.

DJ Jack5on does the next honors with his track titled Domain Controller.  To those in the IT field, this term will seem very familiar, and it leaves me wondering what Active Directory might have to do with music?!? I’m kind of reminded of deadmau5 while listening to this track, and with a breakdown worthy of a progressive trance tune, this track is a must listen! Rounding things out is FreddySlav with Night Rain, a track that is progressive house in nature, and pushes things along with a rolling groove.

Read on past the break for some high quality samples and don’t forget to support the artists!

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I’m not going to lie, this review has been sitting on my back burner for months now (since july!) and I’ve been afraid to tackle it simply because it includes 22 tracks. The entire album’s size is so daunting that I’ve had to take it in, bit by bit, until I was finally able to properly voice my opinion. It appears that day has come.

The entire album spans quite a wide spectrum, everything from dubbed and tripped out tech house, deep and soulful house and some club worthy progressive bangers! I’ll be highlighting some of my favorites and if you’re looking for some truly unique and amazing house productions, be sure to hit up the read more link!

I’ll be discussing the highlights, including high quality samples and provide you with all the juicy details about the album!

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If you’re a Conspiracy Records aficionado then this won’t be news to you, but the label is releasing their very first Mixed compilation in the form of a 2 Disc player compiled by none other than label head Jon O’Bir!  To celebrate this we’re giving away one copy of the compilation to a lucky winner. If you’re wondering what the mix is like, check out our review here.

You might be wondering how you could win yourself a copy….it’s rather simple.  Simply leave us a comment in the comments section, and be sure to fill in your email address.  Don’t worry, we won’t share it with anyone.

The contest ends in exactly two weeks, at which point we’ll be announcing the winner!  Cheers and good luck! More details after the jump!

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In case you haven’t noticed already, we’re huge supporters of everything Recover World related, and although Conspiracy Recordings aren’t formally attached, their label heads have graced the covers of many a Discover release in the past.

A little more than three years from the labels inception, Conspiracy Recordings are proud to bring you Introspection, compiled and mixed by label head man, Jon O’Bir. The milestone comes after a string of successful releases by the likes of Tom Colontonio, Sunshade, Underwater, Peter Martijn Wijnea, Niklas Grosswald and label heads, Jon O’Bir and Activa; All of which are featured on this compilation.

This latest 2 Disc compilation landed on my desk and instantly I  started to prepare for it. I’ve heard many people mention in passing that the biggest drawback to the ‘Discover’ sound is the ‘Discover’ sound, but it is my opinion that this sound exemplifies exactly what is great about trance nowadays. (A quick distinction: The Conspiracy Recordings sound not entirely the ‘Discover’ sound, but draws some very similar parallels.)

This compilation, which packs 30 tracks onto 2 full CDs, is a testament to a pure trance style that is often times hard to find.

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Electronic music tends to move at the speed of insanity, and even in this turmoil it is quite retrospective and full-circle…You see new remixes of old tracks cropping up all the time, but this is a different kind of retrospect. Simon Berry (Better known as Art of Trance) has come a long way from starting up the now-legendary Platipus label, starting out as a humble acid trance purveyor, and now ending up as the guy who has brought us all sorts of greatness, via his productions, collaborations, and well, his label, the label that unleashed Madagascar, Calling Your Name, Air, The Fade, and countless others upon the world.

Now Simon pauses for a moment to show us where he is coming from, re-mastering his two artist albums, and cooking up a DJ mix. Three discs of quirky samples, acid grooves, and plenty of epic to go along. Read on!

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Yes, this is a review for two releases. Dare I say, I’m doubling your pleasure!

Why, just a couple of weeks ago, Leon Bolier’s newest mix compilation hit the shelves and internet for your listening pleasure. This 2 disc beauty was inspired by his debut in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and while at first glance many will shrug, in actuality this tracklist is chock full of unreleased(as of yet) and a bit of unknown talent. And so here are two samplers that are out now, containing some of that goodness. Sampler 1 showcases some progressive/tech house talent from Leon, Smartminds, Poze, and MuseArtic, and Sampler 2 shows off some more Leon, Marcus Schössow, and Storyteller (Remixing Chantola). You have seen many of these guys round these parts, so curb your curiosity and hop in!

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...Wheres the elevator?

It’s been a while since I posted, it looks like! Well I suppose this will make up for that.

Electronic Architecture! This is the newest compilation from UK trance talent Solarstone (Nowadays, Solarstone is the moniker of Rich Mowatt)…You get a smattering of progressive house and progressive trance across two discs…But if that didn’t catch your eye, you’ll want to see that a vast majority of the tracks on this compilation are by new and lesser known artists. Combine that with great artwork, and meticulous reconstructions. A very bold move indeed! There is not much else to say…So hop on in!

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