Another ample helping of trance music for you all here. As trance music oracle, Armin Van Buuren, reaches the incredible A State Of Trance 500 milestone, I reach the somewhat more modest milestone of TPHP Episode 5.
Over the last 3 or 4 weeks there’s been plenty to think about and savour in the world of trance music, a few things that have inevitably influenced the compiling of this week’s tracklist. Most notably, and to my mind most controversially, the last few weeks have seen two big trance acts make it onto BBC Radio One’s daytime playlist. Above & Beyond’s current single, Sun & Moon, and Sander Van Doorn’s vocal collaboration with Carol Lee, Love Is Darkness (a track that opened up episode 3 of this podcast), have both been reaching out to the ears of the spoon-fed masses.
It’s something I’ve really had mixed emotions about. On the one hand it's exciting to think that the British public is finally getting to hear some dance music worth hearing, dance music with high production values and that puts emotional qualities ahead of inane quirkiness. On the other hand, hearing Above & Beyond played alongside the likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and whatever other tripe is currently fashionable somehow leaves me feeling queasy and slightly empty inside. And there’s always the danger these records will get Radio One’s fatal ‘let’s play it to death’ treatment. Those who have followed any of my old journals will know that I’ve always had a deep-rooted hatred of all things Radio One between the hours of about 6am and 6pm.
But whatever the rights and wrongs of it and however brief it turns out to be, I’ve had to pay tribute to trance’s sudden return to the BBC’s list of ‘That Which Is Cool’ by slipping both Sun & Moon and Love Is Darkness into this mix, albeit slightly tougher, less mainstream remixes of them.
And the other big thing going down over the last few weeks has been that huge milestone for A State Of Trance, marked by the recent series of epic live shows, the last of which took place in Sydney only this weekend. I can’t call myself a regular A State Of Trance listener anymore, I’m much more a Trance Around The World/Tone Diary/Identity man myself these days. But it’s quite clear that these recent shows have captured everyone’s imagination and shown just how incredibly strong and united trance music is as a sub-genre at the moment. My tribute to that has been to include the official A State Of Trance 500 Anthem, Status Excessu D, in this week’s episode. A cracker of a tune it is too. Not quite Tuvan, but still classic Armin.
What else is there?
Well, as promised, this week’s episode has a slightly darker, twisted edge to it, thanks in no small part to doubles from High Contrast Recordings and Irish producer, Matt Nagle, and remixes from Marcus Schössow, W&W and Lee Haslam. The second hour is my usual driving, uplifting trance music, including a Trance Arts remix of Running Man track, Sorrow, a new Manuel Le Saux trancer called Stinger and new material from Garry Heaney in the shape of Hitman. In fact, I must say, this week’s trancers turned out to be even better through the speakers than they looked on paper and all really blended together well.
Our ‘oldies’ this week are two uplifting trancers from 2009 - Simon Hunt’s White Island and an Activa remix of one of Sean Truby’s earliest releases, Unreal – and a fantastic 2004 favourite of mine from the duo behind Anjuna classic, Alt+F4, the official theme song of Finish club, Club Dive.
THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 005
2. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford – Sun & Moon (Dennis Sheperd Remix) [Anjunabeats]
3. Roggu - Cookie Monster (Chris Schweizer Remix) [Dangerbox Recordings]
4. Conjure One feat. Jaren - Like Ice (Marcus Schössow Remix) [Nettwerk]
5. Marcel Woods - Champagne Dreams (W&W Remix) [High Contrast Recordings]
6. Cliff Coenraad - Oh!Mega [High Contrast Recordings]
7. Abstract Vision & Elite Electronic - Theory Of God (Matthew Nagle Remix) [Neuroscience Recordings]
8. Alex Pich & Shinobi - Barcelona (Matthew Nagle Remix) [Full Tilt Recordings]
9. Leibo - Phantomania (Lee Haslam Remix) [Slinky Digital] <<<(Phil's Tune Of The Episode)>>>
10. Sander Van Doorn feat. Carol Lee - Love Is Darkness (Ummet Ozcan Remix) [Doorn Records]
11. Armin Van Buuren presents Gaia - Status Excessu D (The Official A State Of Trance 500 Anthem) [Armind]
12. Ian Booth - Enigma (Adam Brooks & Will Rees Remix) [Discover White Label]
13. Simon Hunt - White Island [Conspiracy Recordings]
14. Running Man - Sorrow (Trance Arts Remix) [Unearthed Records]
15. Garry Heaney - Hitman [Liquid Recordings]
16. Manuel Le Saux - Stinger [Digital Society Recordings]
17. Sean Truby - Unreal (Activa Remix) [Red Force Recordings]
18. Daniel Ocean - Niagara [Crystal Source Recordings]
19. Magellan Project - Dive Theme (Magellan Mix) [Asgard Records]
Well, I’m off to see Armin Van Buuren and Jochen Miller at Brixton Academy next weekend – which will be alright, I suppose. Until our next outing, take care!
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