“
Reinventing what you consider Tech-Trance ” - Andre
8/10
Claudia is likely one of the most popular female trance producer/dj in modern history, and it’s with good reason! Her sound has been evolving over the past years, and as a DJ she’s extensively toured the world. With her breakthrough release on her very own label Couture in 2007 she cemented her place among the boys atop the trance production world, and today she’s back with her follow up to the massive 2009 release, Quatrain.
Quatrain 3 kicks things off with an underspoken agenda that becomes quite clear as we enter the breakdown. Claudia has crafted a ridiculously catchy riff that belongs in a banging techno tune the likes of John Askew or Bryan Kearney might drop on any given night. I seriously had no idea what to expect out of this track and given that monster breakdown, I’m completely smitten with it. On the B Side we’ve got Quatrain 4, a track that kicks off with what sounds like a groovy tribal groove and as it moves along I’m reminded of Randy Katana, Mr Pit and Claudia’s cultivated sound. She’s created a rather unique production with this gem, and you might find it will take a few listens to finally get into it.
Read on past the break for high quality samples of these fine productions and be sure to vote for your fave!
Timmy & Tommy are no strangers to infectious, club friendly techno grooves and this latest on Oxygen Recordings is even more epic than their previous work together. This young Irish duo have had releases land on Full Tilt Recordings (their own imprint I believe), Coldharbour Recordings, Armada and now Oxygen!
Repercussions is an epic monster of a track, doing much damage with very little. Much like their previous massive club hit Full Tiltin, this track meanders through dark and grimy sounds, and it’s slower than anticipated pace truly creates an atmosphere of anticipation and anxiety. Pair that up with some industrial claps and percs and you’ve got all the trappings of a massive club smasher that would destroy an underground club!
Well, look at what we have here. Sander is a staple on MusiCritics.com, and his recent string of trance productions have left some of his older fans waiting in eager anticipation for his next peak time belter, but this time around he returns to his house roots with a new track titled Reach Out.
Details are still very, very sparse on this production, and as such, we still have no idea which label this was signed to, or when it plans on being released. Here’s what we do know: If you enjoyed most of Sander’s Supernaturalistic album from a few years back, this track will sound familiar, while remaining futuristic.
Read on past the break for a full 4 minute sample of the track and our quick rundown of why you’ll likely love the tune. Be sure to chirp in with your thoughts, we’d love to hear why you hate, or love, the latest from this dj/producer legend!
This is the third time that we’ve featured a release with Radion 6 on it on MusiCritics.com and we still have no flippin’ idea who the persons behind the mysterious name are. Whoever you are, reveal yourself. It’s not like you’re out fighting crime and need to keep your super sensitive identity a secret, or are you?
You might wonder why I’m chiming off about Radion 6 when the release is by Disfunktion, but rest assured, you’ll find out soon enough when you mosey over to the B Side of the release and find Radion 6’s storming rework of Desolee. Landing on the illustrious Doorn Records, this release is rather empty in elements at times, but it manages to create an air of excitement, the perfect sound for a big room event. I wasn’t in presence at Trance Energy, but I’m sure this gem was spun a few times.
Read on past the break if you’ve got a penchant for warped tech trance that does so much with so little. The Radion 6remix amps things up nicely, adding some much needed energy to the Original Mix. We’ve got high quality samples for each version and be sure to tell us which mix is your favorite.
It’s been a while, but Mark Norman are still going strong and they proudly present their fabulous new single entitled Fobiac. This is definitely a track that combines the best of both techno and trance.
Fobiac has a remarkable intro with an undeniable Depeche Mode sound, but once the track picks up speed you’re immediately dragged into the original Mark Norman style we all like so much. Nice, tight and ripping strings guide everyone on the dance floor to that superb first break with its hard hammering synth stabs, after which we move on to the second break that will most definitely rock every trance event. Trained DJs will even notice some genuine funk in this one.
For the trance specialists among the DJs, the San Remix has been tacked on to provide a fresh take on this sleeping beast. The all new arrangement and the additional synth and drum programming turn the original into a real ISOS cut. Fobiac by Mark Norman is a bass heavy must for all DJs of today! Read on for high quality samples!
I’ve been a fan of Ali’s work since 2005, and when I noticed his projects with Matt Smallwood, my interest was instantly renewed. These two producers have been around the scene for much longer than I have, and it seems they always manage to stay ahead of the curve with their pounding, driving and fresh takes on tech trance.
This latest effort on powerhouse label Reset Records is a dark and dreamy tech beast that slowly awakens to shake your core. Geez, was that a powerful enough analogy? But I digress…
Muze is a funky little tribal number that tosses in heaps of groovy funk, a growling bassline and a downright infectious in the breakdown that is reminiscent of Marco V’s Automanual. This track slowly creeps up on you and by the end of the track you’re left jonesing for more, but it looks the gents have decided to leave it at this. Here’s hoping we see some remixes in the near future!
Well, as we all know very well, no classic trance tune is safe from the 2010 treatment, and it’s always a wonder how they manage to revive these and turn them into effective crowd pleasers….but time and time again, they do. Don’t get me wrong, often times they don’t, and this latest package does!
Marco V teamed up with Benjamin Bates way back in 1998 to release Luvstruck under the Southside Spinners guise. It was their only track together under that moniker, and for the past few years it seemed the track had been finally laid to rest as a defining trance classic of the late 90s. It turns out this wasn’t what the gents had in mind and in 2010 they’ve recruited a fresh batch of producers to rework the monster into a beast.
In this 6 remix pack are reworks from Marco V himself, Cliff Coenraad, Benny Royal, Filthy Rich, My Digital Enemy and Prok & Fitch. Marco’s version is undoudtedly Marco V a la 2010. Cliff’s version is MASSIVE beyond beliefe and steals the show. The other versions are utter garbage, wavering somewhere between confused tech house and confused electro.
Read on past the break for high quality samples of each mix!
“
Lexar is to Memory as Peanut Butter is to Mouth... ” - Andre
8/10
Fris! is one of my favorite progressive labels, and that’s due entirely to the presence of the venerable Ad Brown, and these two producers, Whelan & Di Scala. This time around Fris! drops an absolutely storm of a release with Whelan & Di Scala’s latest effort, Lexar.
If you’re a photog junkie like myself (here’s my flickr page) you’ll instantly recognize the name Lexar, and I’m guessing these blokes must know the name too, as it’s really the only reference to the name I can find. Regardless, this track is a storming beast that kicks things off with a very understated tech groove (as do most their productions), but by the midsection we’re floating in symphonic trance bliss.
Once you hear the melody in the breakdown, you’ll instantly fall in love with the track. On remix duties is Beat Service, a young Estonian producer who caught my attention last year with his remix of Nothing Less on Real Music Recordings. His version is a little more techy, a little more 4 to the floor and not quite as powerful as the original, but banging nonetheless.
Read on past the break for high quality samples of each version!
The dynamic dance duo from Deutschland are back at it again! With massive recent hits in 2009, these two have been busy touring the world and appearing in just about everyone’s live (and radio) sets. 2009 saw them release to much fanfare, a stellar artist album that included massive tracks like Flatline, Not Enough Time, Sign of the Times and Under Your Spell. I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that IT was the stand out trance album of the year.
This new single entitled Barra once again confirms their professionalism and continuous drive to deliver outstanding quality. Barra is one of those fantastic big room tracks that will certainly warrant many ch00n signs. The track kicks off with a growling bassline that’s slowly morphed into a euphoric soundscape that you simply cannot escape. Try as you might, you’re getting sucked into this one for the full 7 minutes. Attached to the original is an edit that clocks in at under 4 minutes, and makes me wonder if this is really a radio edit disguised as a plain edit…
Read on past the break for a high quality sample of the Original Mix, you don’t need to waste time on the edit.
Time to dive back into proggy and electric waters, with this very refreshing EP, by the mysterious UNKNOWN1234567890 (looks like we’ve got a few mysterious producers lately…).
We start with the summery vibe of the hybrid CAT4, which gives away a glimpse of its theme straight from the beginning. Progressive arrangement, though electric sounds and distortion are the key elements that come in to play with a gorgeous melodic arrangement.
As the track evolves through 4/4 and broken beats, we hear classic house stabs, as well as glitchy voices serving as a bed to the melodic plucks, driving the track into its massive climax with strings stabs.
The simple but effective TIME 000 is on the flip. Again, we can taste a little bit of that summery vibe from Cat4, but this time it’s all about butt-shaking groove. With a housey vibe, on a progressive tone, the track keeps building up over and over, through stabs and plucks. A very interesting EP, impossible to define due to its hybrid nature: progressive, techno, house, trance… there’s a little bit of everything on each second, of each track!
Read on past the break for some high quality samples and if anyone knows who the hell UNKNOWN1234567890 is, please, do let us know in the comments!
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Claudia is likely one of the most popular female trance producer/dj in modern history, and it’s with good reason! Her sound has been evolving over the past years, and as a DJ she’s extensively toured the world. With her breakthrough release on her very own label Couture in 2007 she cemented her place among the boys atop the trance production world, and today she’s back with her follow up to the massive 2009 release, Quatrain.
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