The Phil-Harmonic Podcast Episode 42

Hello all,

A few things you’ll notice this week. Firstly, the podcast is landing a couple of days earlier than normally scheduled, crashing into your lives, somewhat oddly, on a Thursday evening. That is simply because I have a big, and long overdue, clubbing session coming up this weekend, as I make my first ever trip over to Manchester’s newly reopened Warehouse Project to see Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyk and Markus Schulz. A busy weekend of travelling, drinking, eating and, of course, shape-throwing planned. Really looking forward to it – as I say, it’s long overdue.

The second thing you may notice is that this week’s episode is quite long. I think I’m right in saying it’s the longest ‘regular’ episode I've ever done. I've been trying a lot of late to squeeze in 22 tracks and it’s often led to me running well over my 2 hour marker. So, a real bumper episode for you here.

What kind of episode is it?

Well, obviously, after Episode 41’s casual venture back into the sun-drenched avenues of Ibiza’s vibrant, underground house scene, this one goes back to our familiar stomping ground. ‘Tune Of The Episode’ for this outing is a rather epic little number called ‘Metamorphic’. And metamorphic is a pretty apt description of the episode as a whole, as we neatly segway our way through a myriad of styles in big room club music.

Like recent episodes, there is a bit of an aggressive ‘Markus Schulz’ vibe going on in the middle section, courtesy of tunes like Stuart McLellan’s Computer Says NO on Detox, an Raneem-Aaron Camz collab on Interstate and the deliciously fiendish Pariah on Coldharbour Red.

What makes this one fresh and different is the introduction of some sounds that have been missing for a while on TPHP – and this is 100% deliberate. We toast the dying embers of another summer gone with the softer, blissful sounds of Chicane, BT and Soundprank and, going in the other direction, we bring back some heavier, electro sounds in the shape of Norin & Rad’s DeVas, Yves V & Felguk’s big room monster WOW and the dubstep touch in Anzo’s Corridors. The aforementioned Metamorphic fuses that electro edge with a Craig Connelly-esque riff that just completes the job. First class!

Our more uplifting phase is a bit shorter this week, but there’s still room for two Solarstone numbers – the UK-based maestro teaming up with Giuseppe Ottaviani and Aly & Fila on Falcons and Fireisland respectively. There’s not been anything from either of those 3 on the podcast for a while so they make welcome returns. And, not forgetting, yet another top remix from Suncatcher who can do no wrong at the moment.

Two oldies this week – Not sure why, but I suddenly had a pining to play Armin Van Buuren’s 2005 single, Shivers, and, sure enough, it fits rather nicely into this set. Playing it back, I’d completely forgotten that the vocalist is Susana who, of course, is now a household name. Armin at his brilliant best.

We end on a really personal record for me, a record that has been a definitive favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. The name Michael Woods is one known to most today as a highly respected producer of electro and house. Back in 2002, he was producing trance belters like Heaven Sent. It’s a record that sums up everything that was great about the club music of that era. Those soft pads before the main riff drops are just, well... heaven. It was the only record Woods released under this M1 alias and, as was fairly customary at the time, it was a tune that had a vocal pointless squeezed on the top to make it more accessible. The dub original avoids all that pointlessness and keeps it real!

THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST EPISODE 42

1. Chicane & Ferry Corsten - One Thousand Suns (Disco Citizens Remix) [Modena Records]

2. BT & Arty feat. Nadia Ali - Must Be The Love [Armind]

3. Velvetine - The Great Divide (Soundprank Remix) [Anjunabeats]

4. Anzo - Corridors [Burn The Fire]

5. Yves V & Felguk - Wow [Smash The House]

6. Norin & Rad - DeVas [Anjunabeats]

7. Orjan Nilsen - PhireWorX [Armind]

8. Chris Goy - Metamorphic [Lange Recordings] <<<(Phil's Tune Of The Episode)>>>

9. Raneem & Aaron Camz - Generator [Interstate Recordings]

10. Ben Gold - Where Life Takes Us [Garuda]

11. Arnej - Pariah [Coldharbour Red]

12. Stuart McLellan - Computer Says NO [Detox Records]

13. Markus Schulz & Mr. Pit - Push The Button [Armada]

14. Bobina - The Space Track (Andrew Rayel Stadium Remix) [Magik Muzik]

15. Exostate - Easily I Fell [Enhanced Recordings]

16. Stoneface & Terminal - Green Velvet [A State Of Trance]

17. Solarstone with Giuseppe Ottaviani - Falcons (Giuseppe Ottaviani OnAir Mix) [Black Hole Recordings]

18. Armin Van Buuren feat. Susana - Shivers (Rising Star Mix) [Nebula]

19. Type 41 - Night Rush [Critical State]

20. Solarstone with Aly & Fila - Fireisland (Aly & Fila Uplifting Mix) [Black Hole Recordings]

21. Tritonal feat. Cristina Soto - Still With Me (Suncatcher Remix) [Enhanced Recordings]

22. M1 - Heaven Sent (Michael Woods Club Mix) [Inferno]

That’s all, kids. In 2 weeks I will have a report from WHP and yet more Phil-Harmonic magic. Until then!