After his previous release Second Chance EP on the In Trance We Trust label, Slovenian producer Reconceal presents his new single entitled Recon6 EP. Prepare yourself for two percussive, high energy trance cuts that would fit perfectly on an ITWT mix compilation and of course in your own big room live set. This release follows the massively successful Always EP by Jason van Wyk, and it continues a string of tracks that are successfully re-invigorating the ITWT sound!

After Love is a lovely symphonic cut that still has all the ingredients of that classic trance sound of the early days in it, but is definitely produced as a state of the art slammer. The beautiful break allows everyone to catch their breath a bit while it steadily moves towards a staggering climax. Easy Way Out is definitely more techy and houses an absolutely earth shattering break. When that super fat and loud synth bass sets in, it might even cause walls to come down and tear up your bass bins! I know my techs have just taken a beating!

Reconceal’s Recon6 EP is definitely a necessity for every trance jock, and I’m sure this is one of those tracks you heard while vacationing in Miami…it most likely left you wondering what it was! Well, here it is, complete with high quality samples and a voting booth. Check it!

Reconceal – After Love

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Reconceal – Easy Way Out

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The Verdict

Reconceal has been on my radar for years now and this latest effort puts him dead center of my map for months to come.  This release is fresh, smooth and has just enough attitude to allow it to develop, listen after listen.  Be sure to give these tracks a few spins, they deserve at least that.

Score: 9/10

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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After being launched in 2003, RR Record went on to release tracks by Ron van den Beuken (under a few guises), Pascal Feliz, Nenes, Sam Sharp (aka Sander van Doorn), Tatana and many others! After being dropped off in 2005, the label made a triumphant return in 2009 with 10 releases, many of which featured the label head once again, but included a packed roster of producers, much like Maarten de Jong!

After a collab on this label in 2009 these two return with yet another 3 track pack that features a growling bassline, noteworthy hook and lead and some chilling breakdowns that are sure to cater to many of you! For some reason, there is a MdJ Dub Mix along with the MdJ and Trance mixes, but none of them feature any semblance of a vocal track.  Regardless, each mix is banging with MdJ’s version packing a little more gusto than the Original, while the Trance mix makes it a little more peak time worthy.

Read on past the break for high quality samples of each version and be sure to add this one to your crate, especially the Trance mix if you’re a sucker for piano breakdowns.

Ron van den Beuken vs Maarten de Jong – Lost (MdJ  Remix)

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Ron van den Beuken vs Maarten de Jong – Lost (MdJ’s Dub Mix)

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Ron van den Beuken vs Maarten de Jong – Lost (Trance Mix)

[See post to listen to audio]

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Towards the end of 2009 Activa released his debut artist album “This World”. The producer who less than a year before had been described by Paul Van Dyk as the “Best Producer of 2008″ duly delivered one of the best dance albums of 2009 and cemented his place amongst dance music’s production elite.

One of the features of the album was a series of collaborations with some of Activa’s favourite producers and it is his collaboration with Vandit superstar Giuseppe Ottaviani that is the backbone of Discover’s latest release which includes the original album version and a fresh new remix from Giuseppe. If that wasn’t enough Discover have also included Activa’s brand new “club” version of the album track “Don’t Leave Me” which brings the release home in suitably uplifting style!

Read on past the break for some high quality samples of each track!

Activa – Long Way Back (Original Mix)

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Activa – Long Way Back (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)

[See post to listen to audio]

Activa – Don’t Leave Me (Club Mix)

[See post to listen to audio]

The Verdict

Each track in this package is truly unique, there is literally no overlap!  Massive props to Rob and Giuseppe for putting effort into crafting these tracks.  While Activa’s Club Edit of Long Way Back is a perfect balance of track, melodics and techy elements, Giuseppe kicks things into overdrive with his version, adding even more attitude to the Album version. However, Don’t Leave Me steals the show with it’s epic lead and hook!

Score: 8/10

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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!

Read on past the break for a high quality sample!

Ali Wilson & Matt Smallwood – Muze

[See post to listen to audio]

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For this beautiful new title, the two Russian producers of Moonbeam teamed up with Tyler Michaud. The result is the absolutely captivating “Openhearted”, which features the vocals of the fabulous Tiff Lacey. Her vocals have taken so many productions to the highest regions of the charts and that will most certainly happen with this one. This is truly a well crafted club friendly, trance purist, top 40 loving hybrid tune that we’re sure you’ll love it!

Together with Tyler Michaud, Moonbeam have established a warm, soothing and deep vocal trance production that will send shivers down your spine; one that’s absolutely tailor made for the upcoming spring and summer festivals. You won’t be able to forget the chorus for the entire season! Swen Weber was tasked with reworking the original and turned it into a brand new cut that’s rougher, louder and perfect for the big sets that kick off at midnight. “Openhearted”, a stunningly beautiful floor filler!

High quality samples after the break!

Moonbeam & Tyler Michaud – Openhearted (Original Mix)

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Moonbeam & Tyler Michaud – Openhearted (Swen Weber Remix)

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More Info:
www.myspace.com/tylermichaud
www.myspace.com/moonbeamru
www.myspace.com/tifflacey

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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!

“Vegas has undergone nothing short of a revolution over the last 4 years; one that’s been driven, as much as anything by the casinos”, say Markus. “I don’t think it’s overstating it to say that it’s becoming – or maybe has already become – a new world clubbing Mecca. >From the outside looking in, people previously perceived that Las Vegas has been all bright lights, ‘bling, bling’ & lane upon lane of slots. Through leading nights like Rain at Fabulous and Moon at the Palms (to name just two), that’s changing very fast. For people who are seriously minded about music and clubbing, it’s going to become a place they have to say they’ve been. Hedonism has never been in short supply there – it’s why they call it Sin City! Come this new decade it might very well start to put the squeeze on Ibiza.”

From the first electrostatic sizzle of the opening seconds of Clinch’s elegy to Rain, ‘Las Vegas’10’, clips the city under the microscope and begins its DNA decode. Interwoven in its genes is the deep, house-ish overture of Dakota’s ‘Sin City’ (its title self-explanatory); the skittering electro squall of Arnej’s ‘They Need Us’, the super-fluid melodica of Rex Mundi’s ‘Opera of Northern Ocean’ and the attacking, rapacious bass of Phynn’s remix of Mike Foyle & Statica’s ‘Deadly Nightshade’. Each track that comes to ‘Las Vegas’10’ discs has either been successfully test-fired by Markus in L.V. or comes with the awareness of a man who knows exactly what will find the centre of the dancefloor there.

Las Vegas ‘10’ is out on the 22^nd of February and will be available from the Armada website and all good retailers.

Tracklist:

Disc 1

01 Clinch – Rain

02 Torin Schmitt feat. Ryan Merchant – Follow

03 ElSandro – Style Fusion (Jessus Progressivo Mix)

04 Dakota – Chinook (Afterhours Mix)

05 Rex Mundi – Opera Of Northern Ocean

06 Mike Foyle presents Statica – Blossom

07 Veselin Tasev – Pacific Waves (Evgeny Bardyuzha Remix)

08 Mr. Pit – Simplicity

09 Karanda – On Hold

10 Arnej – Ping Pong

11 Phynn presents Binary Star – The Halo Effect

12 Norin & Rad – Always A New Day

13 Thomas Cresine – Daimyo

14 Anton Firtich feat. Victoria Mazze – Meant To Be Free

Disc 2

01 Dakota – Sin City (Intro Mix)

02 Skytech – Comet

03 Julian Vincent feat. Cathy Burton – Here For Me (Mark Otten Extended Mix)

04 Re-Ward vs Dr Willis – Maaybe (tyDi’s Stadium Mix)

05 David Forbes – Katsu

06 Arnej – They Need Us

07 Max Graham feat. Neev Kennedy – Sun In The Winter

08 Trilucid – Departures (Yuri Kane Remix)

09 Robert Burian feat. Zdenka Predna – You (Club Mix)

10 Mr. Pit – This Room Is Not Big Enough

11 Wilson, Smallwood & Ingram – Koko

12 Ummet Ozcan – Next Phase (Phase 1 Mix)

13 Mike Foyle presents Statica – Deadly Nightshade (Phynn Remix)

14 Beatservice meets Tucandeo feat. Manon Polare – Waiting For The Sun

15 Shogun – Connected

More info on Markus Schulz can be obtained through the links below…

For the music – www.myspace.com/markusschulz
For the gossip – www.twitter.com/markusschulz

For the pictures – www.facebook.com/markusschulz

For the video – www.youtube.com/markusschulz

For The Palms – www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOE0PsIGWwk

For everything – www.markusschulz.com

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This release landed on my desk by happenstance and I was pleasantly delighted to get a chance to finally review a Moussa Clarke remix pack that features one of my favorite trance producers of recent years, Vadim Soloviev! Slammin Muzik in Germany are re-releasing Moussa’a track Love Key this year, featuring lovely sultry vocals from the rather talented Karen Fisher from California, with a massive package of new mixes.

Russia’s Vadim Soloviev (Ava Recordings) delivers a main-room progressive monster while showing off his considerable production skills.  This is a rework you will not want to miss! Albania’s Adam Reeves & Arbre Blass (Wormland Black) take it slightly deeper for a mix which has been shaking the foundations of Adam’s Lollipop Club residency in Tirana. Spain’s Peter Brown steps in with a sun-soaked tribal workout which will provide the perfect beachside sonic backdrop from Dubai to Barcelona to Florianopolis to Kazantip, and last but not least the USA’s Peter Haze goes for a big room electronic vibe that will rock your body to the core.

Moussa Clarke ft Fisher – Love Key (Vadim Soloviev Remix)

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Moussa Clarke ft Fisher – Love Key (Peter Brown Barcelona Remix)

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Moussa Clarke ft Fisher – Love Key (Arbre Blass & Adam Reeves Remix)

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Moussa Clarke ft Fisher – Love Key (Peter Haze Remix)

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The Verdict

A truly lovely release, and I mean that in many ways.  The original was one of my favorite vocal tracks when it was released in 2007 and these 2010 reworks do the track justice. You’ll find something for the progressive trance lover in Vadim’s remix, a Gabriel & Dresden-like progressive house number from Peter Brown, a deep and techy club monster from Arbre Blass & Adam Reeves and a smooth and sexy proggy rework from Peter Haze.

Score: 9/10

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This track was first flagged by Robert Burian (aka Robbie Buri) nearly two weeks ago and since then it’s found its way into my hands.  Robert, thanks for pointing this gem out and to Oxygen Records, thanks for thinking of us here at MusiCritics.com!

So, who exactly is Radion 6? No one seems to know, and that’s just the way the producer(s) and label heads want it.  This isn’t Radion 6’s first release, with The Serengeti finding its way onto Oxygen Records last year.  This follow up, Bomberman, is a well crafted sleeper tech/electro trancer that seems to have its roots in Sander van Doorn’s trance of 2005 (especially his massive hit Adrenaline under his Purple Haze guise). With a massive room sound, a crisp kick and bassline combo, this track is destined to become the perfect trance warm up track, or transition track of WMC.

Read on past the break for a high quality sample and be our guest at guessing who this producer is! Also, I wasn’t much of a Bomberman video game fan in my youth, is the melody in this track anything like the game’s?

Radion 6 – Bomberman

[See post to listen to audio]

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Fresh off their remixes on Outstanding and Pacha Recordings, The House Moguls kick start 2010 with yet another prime time original. “Only One”, featuring vocals from new diva on the scene, Bekah is another dynamic approach from The Moguls. Fusing techy drums with progressive synth lines and string arrangements, your sure to find yourself engulfed in the emotion of this track.

On remix detail The Moguls selected a batch of talented & respected producers. Hot off his WMC Anthem, Dj Chuckie & LMFAO “Miami Bitch” remix, Inphinity drops a rugged late night stomper, while electro pimp Kyle Watson brings his signature electro funk fusion. Also on the bill are heavyweights Dumb Dan, Paul Damixie, Paul Deighton, Alexander Orue, and Australian Idiot House Heads Acid Jacks!

Stop over at Beatport.com today to check the tracks out, sample and them, and ultimately, buy them!

Link: www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/214838/only_one#

Preview on SoundCloud
www.soundcloud.com/thehousemoguls

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Twas but only yesterday that I covered Reset’s latest EP from Robbie Buri (what a beast that was), and today I return with yet another amazing upcoming release from this supreme Spinnin’ sublabel.  Ummet’s been on my radar for the past two years now and he’s essentially become my new Randy Katana meets Abel Ramos meets 2005 Jochen Miller.  He’s my dream producer, hands down, and his massive 2009 hit Timewave Zero was my #1 pick of last year.

This latest, Next Phase, is a two part track, with both tracks/mixes aptly titled Phase 1 and Phase 2. If you’ve listened to any of Ummet’s previous productions, you’ll likely be taken aback a bit at first when listening to these two trancers. Mr Ozcan (which sounds awfully like Ozgur Can, lol) has a pretty defined style, and that style is a no holds-barred approach to tech trance with some massive builds, memorable riffs and infectious leads.

Though these two mixes pack memorable moments, they certainly aren’t as ‘in-your-face’ as some of his previous work.  A sign of things to come? Though I’m thoroughly enjoying these two mixes, and that breakdown is pure Ummet, I sure hope this isn’t where he’s taking his sound.  Phase 1 and Phase 2 are rather similar, both mixes feature a strange and exotic vocals sample, a face melting breakdown (with an unforgettable synthline), and a build up that could elevate even the mood of a rock.

Read on past the break for samples of the latest in Ummet’s string of hits, this is the perfect followup to Shamballa!

Ummet Ozcan – Next Phase (Phase 1 Mix)

[See post to listen to audio]

Ummet Ozcan – Next Phase (Phase 2 Mix)

[See post to listen to audio]

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