On a Trance-Mission: Episode 01 (The Ambient Set)
Off to a Journey into Trance.. and if I am not delusional the first port of call is a good one..
Dust off the glow sticks, the furry boots, the neon T-shirts, the lycra leggings, the kandi, the beads necklaces, the multi pocket flarry pants, the lasers and get ready for minor keys!
In the next few weeks, across several uploads, I will attempt to take you back to those memorable days with (mostly) current productions. I am attempting to find a modern. adult, progressive Trance vibe..
I have been burning with the desire to build one of those journeys for a while. It is a slow process and I usually give up! This time, in the next 4 uploads, I have set myself the challenge to take you there..
I usually stop midway either for lack of good current material or because once the higher bpm region (130 to 140 bpm) are reached, I find that frenzy aspect of Trance possibly too hard to stomach or probably just not something I would know when and how to appreciate.
Yet, as far as EDM is concerned, Trance was my first love and nothing, NOTHING can replace the memories of a great Trance journey.
So here we are... at the onset of the Journey!
Episode One: The Ambient Set
We will be crossing over from Progressive to Ambient, Down-Tempo, Deep, Trance, even some classical and opera. One common thread to the set: all tracks have a balearic vibe..
Starting very tame but those with keen ears and kindred spirit will regognize that, without a shred of doubt, we are on a trance journey! It will pick up in the next sets!
If you do not dig Trance, this episode will be bearable but as we progress you may want to zone out for a little bit. I will slot a soulful one somewhere to keep you interested !
The only rule I gave myself for this project was to restrict the number of old Trance classics to only 2 per set, to mix them 100% live to have a real journey feel, and finally to allow myself as many edits as I wanted in order to keep my interest fresh until this project is finished.
Playlist:
- Intro Warp Journey Intro (Space Chor Mix). Alexander Metzger
- 2014 Believe in You (Original Mix) [Xtian Otraz Vez Edit] . Magic Surfer
- 2002 Saltwater (Thrillseekers Ambient Mix). Chicane feat. Moya Brennan
- 2014 Mystic Beach Bridge [Xtian Original Come With Me Re-Edit]. Alexander Metzger
- 2014 The Velorian Can’t Stop (MS Original Mix vs KOT Can’t Stop ) [Xtian Mash-up) Magic Surfer, KOT feat. Rae and Xtian
- 2014 Still Here (Original Mix). Envotion
- 2104 Be Strong (Katrin Souza Remix). 1Touch
- 2014 Believe in You (Aerobatics One Remix. Magic Surfer
- 2104 Tusindfryd (Original Mix) [Xtian Power of Music Edit]. Morten Granau
- 2014 Coeur De La Nuit (Sascha Cawa Dirty Doering vs Extended Remix) [Xtian Canon Deep Down Edit feat Mike Dunn]. Ferdinand Dreyssig & Marvin Hey
- 2014 Darling (Original Mix) [Xtian Soul of a DJ Edit]. Simone Vitullo feat. Lady Vale, Roland Clark
- 2014 Fugaz (Original Mix) ) [Xtian Soul of a DJ Edit].Th Moy
- 2013 Viewpoint (Kevin Vega Remix) [Xtian Pieces Edit feat Flasmob]. Blufeld
- 2014 Egoiste (Original Mix) [Xtian The Phuture Edit feat Akabu]. Sebastian Weikum, The Vehicle
- 2009 Poppiholla (5AM Album Mix). Chicane
- 2014 Beat Organ (Original Mix) [Xtian God is a DJ Edit]. 16 Bit Lolitas
- 2014 Track to Infinity (Philip Aniskin Mix). DJ Sveta feat. Alexsandra Mell
Highlights:
Another VERY European set! There are great things coming from the States but they tend to have a bit of mechanical electro for the radio plays.. pity..
(jump direct to "Coeur de la Nuit" at 00:38:19 if you want to hear something VERY special..)
The all important first track: “Believe in You” from Magic Surfer. Loving it so much I actually doubled it throughout the set.. I obviously did not realize it at the time and being live it is too late now to take it off. The artist name is Anton from Lipetsk, Russia. I could listen to the production, the vocals, the vibe all day long..
“The Velorian Can’t Stop” I am VERY VERY VERY happy of this mash-up.. Luck or talent, most probably the former, but it works! The original track is called “The Velorian” from the same Magic Surfer as the intro track. Definitively, someone to follow, here is the link to his SoundCloud page (https://soundcloud.com/magic-surfer-music). (Track starts at 00:12:00 Mash-Upstarts at 00:12:33)
“Still Here” from Envotion, a Dutch trio. Production without compromise, a perfect male vocalist from their progressive sound. A very pleasing and driving track.
"Tusindfryd" .. If it were not for the next track “Coeur de la Nuit” this would be the track of the set.. I love the very subtle guitar and back percussions. I love the ethereal vocals. The well dropped synths. The classical build, which reminds me of J.S. Bach, the flute... I love everything. It is up there with the best of Chicane... I even think my edit is OK!
From the great Dane Morten Granau. Morten , who started in Trance and progressed to Psy-Trance. To paraphrase his Beatport profile, he eventually matured to the joy of adult sounds with Progressive Trance.. His production is intricate, melodic, deep and fully deserves the label of Classic Progressive Trance.
(http://www.beatport.com/artist/morten-granau/100602),
In fact if my current project steers to anything, it is to find that modern but adult progressive Trance sound..
And now for the piece de resistance… GREAT TUNE ALERT !!
“Coeur de la Nuit” from Ferdinand Dreyssig & Marvin Hey.. Once a year do I discover something I rate this highly..
Church Choral music all under a TRIBAL and Trance vibe.. Now, that is interesting!! And very much the sort of track, which drew me to Trance when I became interested in EDM! (Track starts at 00:38:27)
Duo from Berlin, started in Hip-Hop, I cannot wait to discover what else they have produced.
Given the church dimension of the track, my absolute love of Choral music, I tried to edit it like a canon, mashing two different remixes starting at 8 and 4 measures apart and shifting the key to a third and a fifth to create new harmonies.. To sum it up I had fun. Result is so, so but if you miss it, you are missing a great piece of original music!
“Darling” from Simone Vitullo an innovative modern producer from Italy, check the percussions and the bassline. Would love to have the stems of those! Very soft and classical composition. And one of those voices I could listen to all day..
“Fugaz” from Th Moy. A great Catalan remixer with a tune I would describe with the following words: smooth purity, depth and grace. Xtian just had to add the ad-lib to what was a perfect tune.. Just can’t help it..
Another track build J.S. Bach's fugue like with contrapuntal themes, shifting keys ever so slowly throughout the track and in the back.. a great classical vocalist, not in your face, just when and where the track needs her.. Brilliant! the last time I checked the set I counted 7 different percussions in the track.. Respect!
“Egoiste” from Sebastian Weikum & The Vehicle. Polish, supported by AVB, A&B and PVD :0! Mixing Trance and Progressive, on point for the vibe I am aiming for. I sang along to that one and hope you will as well. Same classical vibe as Fugaz..
“Beat Organ” from the Dutch duo 16 Bit Lolitas. I have been using a lot of their music lately.. Very talented! Five chords that's all it took them to write a great tune! I so could dance to a track like that.. My type of groove for the ones who know what gets me going..
Finally to close the set, “Track to Infinity” from DJ Sveta feat. Alexsandra Mell. Do NOT miss!
Currently the best female DJ in Russia, where, incidentally, a lot of good Progressive Trance is coming from. Classic trance build but very subtle production avoiding the traps of the genre and consequently serving what Trance can uniquely give: Transcendence.
Loving this one.. Female Trance/Prog such as the Swiss Tatjana, Sveta and to a certain extend Maya Janes Coles are my favourites..
I am not mentioning the Chicane tracks, you know them well. They are only included as a tribute to the genre and to Nick Bracegirdle and to make sure that some older listeners make the effort to stream the whole set and rcognize something.
I hope you enjoy this episode! By the length of the blog part, you can guess I am pretty taken with it.. I spent a lot of time in post-production, making sure there was anything obvious which could be corrected. One of the very few uploadds I know I will listen to with pleasure again. You are even getting a 320 kps of this one.. Sorry for the size but those tracks are simply too good to be compressed to the max..
The next one is almost ready. Slowly but surely the tempo is going up..
A bientôt
Xtian
P.S.: The ratio of good tunes to bad tunes in Trance is about 1 to 100! I am not exaggerating. Please bear a thought for what I have had to endure.. Hence the fact that I will finish this project for it will take a monstruous effort before I muster the courage to go through this hell again!