Twas the night before Christmas and not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… Well, except you, who is very shortly going to be smashing some trance. Yep, I have another crop of the best tunes of 2011 to warm your cockles this Christmas Eve. Last week’s part 1 was good, no doubt, but this part contains 4 of my 5 top tunes of 2011. You’re in for a treat.
For more info on the format, check out last week’s blog.
Let’s get on with it shall we….
THE BEST OF 2011
Following on from my more general review of the year last week, and in addition to the actual Year Mixes themselves, here are just a few personal awards for 2011. This may seem a little self-indulgent (in fact, both review journals are pretty much that), but it’s nicely in keeping with the review journals I used to post on last.fm.
Best House Tunes Of 2011
3. Tiësto & Hardwell - Zero 76
2. Roger Sanchez feat. Mobin Master & MC Flipside - Worldwide (Adrian Lux & Blende Remix)
1. Dada Life – White Noise / Red Meat
Best Trance Album Of 2011
3. Tritonal – Piercing The Quiet
2. Above & Beyond – Group Therapy
1. Orjan Nilsen – In My Opinion
Best Trance/Progressive Producer of 2011
3. Sander Van Doorn
2. Dennis Sheperd
1. Orjan Nilsen
Best Trance/Progressive Label Of 2011
3. Soundpiercing
2. Anjunabeats
1. Enhanced Recordings
Best Podcast/Radio Show Of 2011
3. International Departures with Myon & Shane 54
2. Identity with Sander Van Doorn
1. Trance Around The World with Above & Beyond
Best Set Of 2011
3. Cosmic Gate @ Eden, Ibiza (August)
2. Armin Van Buuren @ Brixton Academy, London (April)
1. Gareth Emery @ Space, Ibiza (August)
Clubbing Highlights Of 2011
3. tyDi playing Arty’s remix of Cosmic Gate - Back To Earth @ Ministry Of Sound, London (February)
2. Armin Van Buuren playing Chris Schweizer’s bootleg of Zombie Nation – Kernkraft 400 @ Brixton Academy (April)
1. Above & Beyond playing Arty & Mat Zo – Mozart @ Nation, Liverpool (October)
Personal Highlight Of 2011
Meeting Tony McGuiness of Above & Beyond @ The Group Therapy Boat Party, Ibiza
“One To Watch” In 2012
Chris Schweizer
THE BEST & WORST OF THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 2011
Since I’m here reviewing the year, I thought I’d also take a moment to look back on my podcast’s first year. Overall, it’s been a promising start and, as I hoped it would, it’s really helped hone my skills and push my DJing forward. Here are my own personal highs and lows in the 23 episodes I managed in 2011.
The Best Episode:
On the face of it, my third Ibiza Special, Requests Of The Villa Guests, would seem like an obvious choice. Compared to most other episodes it got significantly more plays and downloads and it was, in Marc Griffin’s own words, ‘Fucking EPIC!’ (And Marc’s an accountant and we all know how difficult they are to excite.) I was slightly worried when putting together that mix that getting 6 friends to independently pick 3 favourites each might make it disjointed or anodyne. I was especially worried when one person chose a track that was 127 BPM and another chose one that was 146 BPM. But in the end, it did fit together fantastically well and it was amazing to see everyone on that holiday sharing in the joy of that set’s interactivity. There are some fantastic memories built into that episode for me now and I can’t wait to do it again next summer. But the memories don’t make it technically the best set.
The episode I’m actually choosing as the best of 2011 was the episode before that one. Episode 13 – unlucky for some but not for The Phil-Harmonic Podcast. It was my Poolside Progressive episode, the second of my Ibiza Specials in August. I’ve never before (or since) had such a clear idea in my head of where I wanted a set to go and what effect I wanted it to have on an audience. And as a musical translation of a clear idea in my head into a flowing mix that fully achieves the mood I intended to set, it’s my best work to date. By some distance. It’s a mix completely unhindered or restrained by any desire to satisfy anyone else other than myself, as the tracks I chose were specifically the tracks I thought would best create the sunny, hangover cure I wanted. Listening to it again recently, it struck me how smooth and effortless it sounded. The pace is steady and unchallenging and despite deliberate moments of melancholy, it’s relentlessly melodic. I especially love the way that, from a very deep, melancholic start, it builds very quickly to a peak but then moves very very slowly the other way. For some reason, it works. It’s exactly what I wanted to put together and couldn’t have hoped to execute it better.
The Worst Episode:
Looking back at the year’s episodes, the weakest episode had to be one of the ‘classics’ episodes I did – Episodes 2, 6 and 17. That may seem surprising. Why would a series of sets littered with a DJ’s so-called quintessential trance records be considered weak by that DJ himself? Don’t get me wrong – the tracks in those sets really are amongst my favourites of all-time. There were many euphoric mind-benders in those sets. But all of them started too fast too early and Episode 2 in particular stayed at the same 140 tempo for far too long. As someone rightly pointed out on the comments for Episode 17, those sets were perfect as ‘end of the night’ club music; as 2 hours podcasts for listening at home, the office, the car or even the gym they don’t necessarily work.
And Episode 2 was the weakest of the 3 – simply because the beatmatching was most wayward, it contained the most mistakes and it stayed at 140 BPM for the vast majority of the set. In the end, I decided not to do anymore of those sets as part of the podcast after Episode 17. These are the kinds of sets I will save for the day when a brave club owner trusts me with the closing set at their trance night – because in those circumstances I would smash the place up. I can but dream.
Remember, all of these mixes are still available to download. Either use the rapidshare links at the bottom of each blog entry or click below to subscribe through iTunes.
Now… on with the tuneage!
THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 023 – THAT WAS 2011 – PART 2
[February / Anjunabeats]
Chosen By: Ben Collier [Room 1ne Sessions]
I honestly hope he doesn’t mind me seeing it this way, but I look at Ben Collier’s monthly trance podcast as something of a bigger brother to my own. Ben’s own selection for 2011 is maybe reflective of the slightly different approach our periodic rides through EDM take, but believe me; every DJ needs their own unique slant on things. EDU & Cramp open up part 2 of these Year Mixes with an idyllic, down-tempo feel that TPHP has often lacked in 2011.
2. Sander Van Doorn presents Purple Haze feat. Frederick – Timezone
[July / Doorn Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #2
Pushing Broken Down very very close for ‘vocal of the year’, this outdid Broken Down on the grounds of originality and an immersive overall mood. Like a fusion of the dark ambience of Bliksem from 2009 and the vocal prowess of the album Elev11's other great single, Love Is Darkness, I essentially sat on YouTube for hours with this on repeat.
3. Ticon – Balkan Tourist
[March / Iboga Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8
Position in Top 40: #39
Probably my most left-of-field and most tongue-in-cheek choice of 2011. Going back to Iboga looking for some deeper grooves for Episode 8 of the podcast, I found this gem from Swedish stalwarts, Ticon. Slightly bizarre maybe, but rhythmically addictive.
4. Lee Osborne – Flex
[May / Slinky Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8
Position in Top 40: #36
One of those big nasty tunes I like to get my teeth into every so often. This has a riff that absolutely knocks you off your feet and, despite the slow pace, is a definite nod to the nasty, demonic hard house that was once so popular in the UK.
5. Chris Schweizer – Error 404
[September / Dub Tech Recordings (Istmo Music)]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 19
Position in Top 40: #38
Chris Schweizer was a name I first encountered last year but little did I know that his productions in 2011 would become staple, big room records for all the top jocks. The riff in this one on its own is enough, but I love the way the bass goes up a notch in intensity after the riff finishes - makes it a joy to mix with.
6. Leibo – Phantomania (Lee Haslam Remix)
[March / Slinky Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 5 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #23
Sometimes a tune just nails it in terms of rhythms and percussion and this one does exactly that. The main hook is a dark, apocalyptic hair raiser, but the rolling, almost seesawing, drums and clicks in this Lee Haslam remix are what made it Tune Of The Episode for TPHP 5.
7. Stacker & RJ Van Xetten - Digital Andromeda (Sergio Maldonado Remix)
[July / Dub Tech Recordings (Istmo Music)]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #34
Was a big fan of Sergio Maldonado’s Back To Square One last year and this remix for one of Heatbeat’s aliases took my appreciation for this guy’s productions onto another level. Actually quite soft and delicate in the breakdown, this remix contrasted that with a devastating electro trouse kick back.
8. Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston - You Got To Go (Kyau & Albert Remix)
[October / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 19
Position in Top 40: #33
As amazing as A Thing Called Love and Prelude are, You Got To Go is actually my personal favourite from the album, Group Therapy. In many ways similar to their great remix of Armin’s Down To Love, Kyau & Albert added a really euphoric hook to an already blinding ‘sing-along’ tune, something that could not be said for the mind-numbingly dull Club Mix.
9. Signalrunners feat. Julie Thompson – These Shoulders (Andy Moor Remix)
[January / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 1
Position in Top 40: #26
Amongst all the recent hullaballoo surrounding the 400th episode of Trance Around The World, it’s easy to forget that Anjunabeats celebrated the even more impressive milestone of 10 years as a label in January 2011. This was my favourite of the commemorative remixes that were released, Andy Moor breathing new life into a vocal track that had, to be quite honest, completely passed me by in 2008.
10. Orjan Nilsen – Down The Line
[October / Armada Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 19 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #14
Between The Rays aside, everyone has their own personal favourites from the album In My Opinion – some it seems may even prefer the fabulous Viking. But, from the super-cool main riff down to the cheeky ‘Audio Bullys’-esque sound effect in the percussion, it was Down The Line that did it for me.
11. Heatbeat – Ask The Cat
[July / Soundpiercing]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #11
Another one of those fantastic tunes from Episode 15 that could so easily have taken the Tune Of The Episode crown had it not been featured on the same podcast as Timezone. Heatbeat seem to love doing these very ominous, menacing piano-laden tunes, but, as the name would suggest, there was a distantly playful side to this one – aggressive and malevolent yet funky and fun all at the same time.
12. Matias Faint – Casino Fire (Kent & Gian Remix)
[September / Soundpiercing]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 18 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #28
More electro-tech magic from Soundpiercing in the summer of 2011. A very simple tune in many ways, and a tune that showed that if you do have a simple melody you can still make it work by executing it in the right fashion. A constantly looping punchy bassline, some expert layering of sounds and a huge electro kick back made this a big big hit for me.
13. Andy Moor feat. Sue McLaren – Fight The Fire
[September / AVA Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 16
Position in Top 40: #5
After initially being pretty underwhelmed by this Andy Moor single, it suddenly grew on me by mammoth proportions. A lot of people may prefer the electro stabs and drops of the Norin & Rad remix – I did love that remix too but the way the original handles that chorus in the breakdown is truly spellbinding and spectacular.
14. Arty & Mat Zo – Rebound
[April / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Chosen By: Sam Hind [Underground Selections]
Another one that I wasn’t so sure about at first and I know for a fact that a number of my fellow trance-heads remain unconvinced, despite the heavyweight nature of the artist’s involved. But I think it was after Armin Van Buuren played this in his 4 hour set at Brixton Academy at Easter that I fully appreciated how powerful that drop was.
15. Mat Zo – Back In Time
[January / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 3
Position in Top 40: #15
Mat Zo, as budding a producer as he is, doesn’t normally pull out records that are this euphoric. Those chord combinations are something special.
16. Zombie Nation – Kernkraft 400 (Chris Schweizer Bootleg Mix)
[May / CDR]
***PHIL’S TUNE OF 2011***
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #1
Eventually given away as a free download by the man himself, this was Chris Schweizer well and truly raising the bar for all ‘electro tech trouse’ producers around the world. Kernkraft 400 by Zombie Nation was one of the first records I ever bought as a teenager so this one already has strong emotional ties for me. But what Schweizer has done to it is nothing short of remarkable. The build up after the first break is just like being beaten in the face with a sledgehammer of pure rhythmic pleasure. Heard in Armin’s set at Brixton and Gareth Emery’s set at Space Ibiza, these were clubbing highlights of epic magnitudes.
17. Markus Schulz & Jochen Miller – Rotunda
[May / Coldharbour Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #4
Admittedly, in terms of the riff itself, this track does sound suspiciously like both Gareth Emery’s Exposure and Ummet Ozcan’s Indigo, but I’m happy to surmise that this is coincidence more than anything. Rotunda though, for me, executes its riff far more effectively than both Exposure and Indigo, and has a track structure that makes it stand out from the crowd. Hearing this tune made my night on 2 separate occasions in 2011.
18. Running Man presents Fifth Dimension – Somewhere
[March / Alter Ego Pure]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #37
A track that will almost certainly have been missed by a lot of people and I guarantee a lot of people will be surprised at how euphoric it is. Very driving, very effective; another one of my more left-of-field picks.
19. Dart Rayne – Sanctum
[October / Trance All-Stars Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 18
Position in Top 40: #19
I originally had Dart Rayne’s Arctic Sunrise down to play as one of my tunes of the year, but in the end, when this came out, I had to concede it was even better. An epic, soaring melody, backed by those haunting choir stabs in the breakdown, this is once again uplifting trance at its best.
20. Aly & Fila feat. Katherine Crowe - It Will Be OK (Arctic Moon Remix)
[June / Armada Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 10
Position in Top 40: #31
Our obligatory (and they are obligatory) Arctic Moon remix for 2011. Released as part of the Rising Sun Remixes album, this was simply a great great vocal given a shot of steroids.
21. Aly & Fila feat. Jwaydan - We Control The Sunlight
[July / Future Sound Of Egypt]
Chosen By: Thanasis T & Sam Hind [Underground Selections]
More from the Egyptian duo here; the hugely popular single with vocalist Jwaydan, We Control The Sunlight. Typically powerful, driving stuff and the vocal is very nice indeed. Voted tune of the year by A State Of Trance listeners.
22. Indecent Noise – Battlestar
[February / Discover]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 4 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #22
Every year there’s always an uplifter with a really simply melody that just sends me a bit west, while everyone else wonders what I see in it. Last year it was Tweak by Mike Nichol, this year it was another route one trancer on Discover Records.
23. Philippe El Sisi – Era
[April / Future Sound Of Egypt]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #24
Another one of these big, haunting melodic tracks that I was quite big on in 2011. The difference with Era is that it has parts that are savagely aggressive, almost like hard house, a nice contrast to the poignant and stirring, if slightly drawn out, breakdown.
24. Terk Dawn - Sunburst
[August / Ask4 Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #18
I had not seen nor heard of Terk Dawn since his belting remix of Sean Tyas’s Candida in 2007. A full 4 years later he boshed out this little beauty which is just a fireball of surging melody. At this point in the mix I’m just bombarding you with melodic goodness.
25. Sean Tyas – Banshee
[January / A State Of Trance]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 1
Position in Top 40: #32
And finally, it’s fitting that we end proceedings for 2011 where it began – not just with a tune that only squeezed into 2011 by 3 days, but one that featured in the very first Episode of the Phil-Harmonic Podcast. The only track from the ‘king of uplift’ this year that followed the ‘Lift formula’ to the letter. And dare I say it; Banshee has a better kick back than Lift, Drop or Melbourne. Blasphemy, you say!
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And that’s it. TPHP is done for 2011. Musically, consider it well and truly nailed. Before I go, a big thank you to everyone who has listened to the podcast this year, particularly Ben Collier, Ally Auld, Simon Harris, Banys Giedrius, Menno Meijer, Rene Dale, Chris Newell, Sam Hind, Damilola Oni and all those that took part in choosing tracks for either That Was 2011 or Request Of The Villa Guests in August.
January is going to be a busy month for me, with Uni reunions, birthday celebrations and whatnot. It’s going to be difficult to fit in a podcast. So to save myself the panic, and to give me more time to put together something good, I’m bringing the podcast back on the 11th of February. As you can probably tell, I could do with a little break from it anyway.
So, until then, have a very Merry Christmas and trance-filled New Year. Thank you, goodnight, much love!
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