Latest News

A State of Trance 550 Review

Armin's ASOT 550 tour continues trotting around the globe and I happened to get in on his latest stop at Ministry of Sound in London. This was my first MOS experience and I came in with absolutely no expectations, despite the impressive line-up. In my review, I consider a number of factors, including price, crowd, music and venue. Was this latest tour stop a success? Read on and find out!

NIGHT: ASOT 550
VENUE: MINISTRY OF SOUND LONDON
REVIEWED: 27/3/12


Armin's ASOT 550 tour continues trotting around the globe and I happened to get in on his latest stop at Ministry of Sound in London. This was my first MOS experience and I came in with absolutely no expectations, despite the impressive line-up. As the Launch party for ASOT it had a great line up.

It started with a charity special (which we had no tickets for but sweet-talked our way into it). The line-up was Tom Fall, Max Graham, Paul Oakenfold, Armin Van Buren, Lange & Solarstone.

SCORES:

5 = Perfect
4 = Great
3 = Good
2 = Average
1 = Poor
0 = Terrible

COST – 5

For what dj's where on that night, £16 inc book fee early bird special tickets i thought was more than reasonable. Drinks were £4 beer. Similar price for smirnoff ice .

CROWD – 4

I like to throw shapes. I danced close to the furry-boot glow stick brigade and had a great night. Everyone seemed to be dancing. It was very difficult not to as the music was excellent. When "Glow in the Dark" came on, the room exploded. I expected a tame, happy-clapping crowd but everyone came alive. We stomped, threw shapes and continued to do so all night. Even though the room was packed the people around me didn't mind the odd bump and neither did I.

MUSIC – 5

With it being an Armin event i expected it to be quite middle of the road. It was not. Tom Fall's opening didn't hang around at all and he set the tempo and vibe spot on. Max Graham was on it too, despite having some volume issues. Everyone had beat match problems during the night. Paul Oakenfold set was amazing with high BPM's from the outset .Exactly where i hoped he would go! "Bullet From a Gun" and PPK blew the room to bits, but to hear "Glow in the Dark" and "Full Moon Party" made my night. The lazers, the vibe, the throwback to acids and clean crisp concise trance and the banging tunes made him my man of the night. We all wondered how Armin was going to handle the hand over (thinking he was going to take it down and build it up) but no, he carried it on. What a night. Not to many sing along moments, but "Burned with Desire" got us all hand 'in the air' holding with the random person next you and singing as loud as possible. Armin was really good, my favorites being "Communication", "Stresstest" and "Brute". Lange was decent, throwing a bizarre but enjoyable Ratty "Sunrise" and Solarstone was on top form too. It was a night of high-quality tunes from top flight DJ's playing trance not house. If you get a chance to listen to the replay of this event you will not have wasted your time. At least, in my opinion!

VENUE – 4

Upon entering the 1st real room, you are greeted long bar with TV screens above . This is where a feed was showing Armin playing his radio show "live'. The atmosphere was fairly stagnant as the sound system was of poor quality. Most people were just watching the screens. However, in the main room the sound system and lighting was good. The room was of a decent size. Not super-club Ibiza quality but pretty good. Toilets were clean and usable, the bar staff fairly quick and the door staff were fairly laid-back as well. There is a VIP room upstairs and a small den room that was closed. If you need to cool down or go outside for a ciggy, there is a open space at the front of the venue. This also has seating and a snack wagon for food.

OVERALL – 18

For my 1st outing to Ministry, it was a fantastic night. Not too expensive, 6 top DJ's who stuck to trance. Decent people who danced all night. What more could I ask for?

Read story →    0 comments   

Above & Beyond - Brixton O2 Review

NIGHT. ABOVE AND BEYOND GROUP THERAPY
VENUE. BRIXTON O2
REVIEWED 07/04/12

This is my first time attending the Brixton Academy but not at an Above and Beyond gig. The line up was Oliver Smith , Jaytech , Above and Beyond and Arty.

SCORES
5 = Perfect
4 = Great
3 = Good
2 = Average
1 = Poor
0 = Terrible

COST = 2

£20 (Early bird) + £3 book fee.
Drinks Just shy of £5 for a bottle of low quality VK or pint of Lager / Cider. Top heavy prices.

CROWD = 3

Good but not great. Attitude and unthoughtful dancing etiquette meant we moved quite a few times. Some people throwing bottles / cups . Many decent people of all ages enjoying themselves too. Was a very tight squeeze as the gig was sold out. This was not a problem but it did mean it was difficult to throw shapes.

MUSIC = 3

I thought i knew what to expect here . As in a big Group Therapy album tour which i guess to a certain degree it was. However the line up set times where wrong. Oliver Smith warmed up with 1 hour Anjunadeep / proggy playlist with a laid back tempo . This was ok , but then followed by 90 minutes of much of the same from Jaytech was too much. Again more Anjunadeep style but really long tracks that were just repetitive,It did not go anywhere. At the end of Jaytech's set we were now 2.5 hours in and it was so dull. Anjunadeep for me is home listening on a Sunday afternoon Or a long journey music NOT a home coming Group Therapy tour. This was compounded with the lack of lighting. I really tried to dance my way into it but it just didn't happen. Above and Beyond did exactly what i expected, Excellent lighting (finally it had been turned on), A&B ticker tape , the "journey" in words written on the big screen. The jellyfish , spaceman and other videos playing on the screen. Big tunes like You Got To Go , Thing Called Love , On My Way To Heaven , Prelude , Sun & Moon , Love Is Not Eenough , Sirens Of The Sea and Air For Life 2012 , were played. THIS is what i was waiting for.Unfortunately, I was not in the zone. The poor build up left me trying to have a good night rather than having one naturally. "It's not you, it's me" springs to mind as every review i have read states it was the best moment in people's lives. I think we must have been at different gigs. Not wishing to be too down on the guys, It was a good sing along , a few new tunes were unveiled and right at the end they finished with a very heartfelt "On A Good Day", the really laid-back vocal only version. The whole place was alive in song. Very very nice. Lovely way to say goodbye from the lads. This was followed up with Tony taking a running jump into the crowd for a spot of crowd surfing!. So i guess this is what i came for and what i got. Strangely the real highlight of the night was Arty. These are words i never thought i would say. Arty's London debut was the top act. 4 deck mixing , strobes and lazers flashing , mixing it up , much higher bpm's and short stabs of music. If Arty had been in Jaytech's slot my night would have been completely different. He only had 1 hr so really put a lot of effort into it, shame he wasn't given a longer slot.

VENUE = 3

The venue is an old theater with a quite impressive stage surrounding. The sloping floor makes it easier for you to get a good view of the stage. Many small bars scattered around the main hall and out in the entrance lobby. Many toilets. Cloakroom. You are allowed out the front to a smoking area. There is a seated terrace area upstairs overlooking the stage. Plenty of Taxis are available after the gig. Alcohol served till 4am.

OVERALL = 11

Reading back my review it should have been an epic night. For me it just didn't work. Took too long to get going.

Read story →    0 comments   

Markus Schulz - Los Angeles '12

Another year, another mix compilation from Markus Schulz. Every year, these compilations usually set the standard for Coldharbour releases, so let's see if this year will be a flop with just noisy big roomers, or mega hits.



[Disc 1]

01. San Andreas Soundlab - Hollywood Boulevard - Always love the intros and this is no exception. All the little effects and sounds make you feel as if you actually know what the city atmosphere is like.

02. Danilo Ercole - A Man with Two Names - Nice little fade into a progressive track with a nice intro and breakdown. After, it becomes a bit repetitive, but not so much where you want to skip the track. Overall a nice starter, just needs something extra for it to be great. 8/10

03. Wellenrausch - Million Miles to Run - First thing I want to mention is that, for me, being more of a fan of instrumental tracks, the lack of vocal tracks is definitely a plus. That being said, the vocal tracks on this compilation are pretty quality, such as this one. They blend in well, and aren't overpowering the tune. Nice one. 8/10

04. Klauss Goulart - Sweet Little Pepper - Had zero expectations for this track given how much of a horrible producer this man was last year. Surprisingly, I find it to be nice, in that it's unique to a certain extent. The middle part of the song is a bit unexpected, but in general the track adds a bit of character to the compilation already. Hopefully this is a sign that his pitch trance days are over. 7.5/10

05. Rebels Without a Cause & York - Red Violin - Lovely little filler. Fits pretty well with where it is in the compilation. Nothing outstanding, but the cool little arpeggios are a nice touch. 7.5/10

06. Basil O'Glue - Doublespeak Effects- Easily my favourite track from the compilaton so far. Bigroom sounds used effectively alongside a dark atmosphere. This along with a great drop just add to the quality. 9/10

07. Nifra - Dark Harbour - This track has the "typical modern coldharbour sound" with the distortion, and while many may detest it, I think it works pretty well. Like some other tracks so far, it's not mind blowing, but a good club track nonetheless. 7/10

08. Erick Strong vs. Dart Rayne - Shamballa - Tune has a lot of potential if it's ever remixed. The lead and structure of the track are pretty much the same as a million other tunes out there, which take away from the uniqueness. Otherwise, I like the melody and I'd like to think it would work well in a club. 7.5/10

09. Mark Otten - Hyperfocus - Another favourite from this CD. It's this type of music that I think Markus should be supporting instead of recent "producers". Track itself uses a similar sounds from his other productions such as his remixes for Certainty and Here for Me, and it still sounds fresh as ever combined with the little voice samples and effects here and there. Awesome. 9/10

10. Danilo Ercole - Quasar - There is pretty much nothing unique about this one. It's basically a nice filler, since the compilation can certainly do without it, but having it in here isn't bad either. The only thing that puts me off is parts of the breakdown where there's some random effect that seems like my speakers/headphones are malfunctioning. 7/10

11. Beat Service - Fortuna - I'm probably one of the few who thinks this, but what an absolute stormer! Like other Big Room tracks, it's repetitive to no limit, but I can just see myself and anyone around me going crazy when this is dropped. 9/10

12. Styller - Quantum Mechanics - Of course a new Schulz compilation isn't complete with a pitch-trance type track. Nice big room sounds used right; doesn’t lose much of the energy the previous track had. 8.5/10

13. Markus Schulz - Bolandish - Was really curious to hear this after his blog in January. While it's certainly not horrible, it's nothing amazing at all, and leaves me a bit disappointed as it's one of my lesser favourites on the album. I just can't get into these one finger melodies so many artists are using nowadays. Hopefully his other singles sound better. 7/10


The first disc is what I would call a successful compilation, filled with some amazing tracks (three 9/10's), smooth transitions and mixing abilities, and the fact that you can sense an atmosphere being created after every track. Well done Markus.

Overall Verdict of CD1 – 8.5/10


[Disc 2]

01. San Andreas Soundlab - Avalon - Great intro, same description as above.

02. Arnej - We Unite - An obvous follow-up to They Need Us (choon!). This one feels a bit rushed, and kind of like it was made for people with a smaller attention span who just want to have a blast on the dancefloor. While that isn't bad, this tune feels like it's missing a proper buildup that leads into something big. 7.5/10

03. KhoMha - Mind Gamer - The better of the two KhoMha tracks on this disc. The breakdowns are more suited for the pitch-ey parts, which I think are becoming old news. 7/10

04. Rex Mundi - Shocking Blue - Rex Mundi tracks that debut on these city compilations are usually huge if we look back at Sandstone and the amazing Opera of the Northern Ocean. Shocking Blue is shockingly bad compared to its predecessors and feels like it just mashed a ton of his previous work with the latest trends of EDM (a la Tiesto's new engineers). 5/10

05. Styller - All That Remains (Basil O'Glue Remix) - Another stormer from O'Glue. I really love the darker elements he adds to his productions that make a track stand out. Absolutely awesome, possibly another favourite along with Hyperfocus. 9/10

06. DNS Project - Recapture - Another awful track from the compilation. I usually don't complain about farty basslines, but this is a bit too much, and it just ruins what CD1 had created. 4/10

07. Mr. Pit - Pole Position - At this point, at least you can admire the fact that Markus can create a compilation with a diverse range of tracks if he wants. What is puzzling to say the least is that I don't really have a good idea where this mix is headed. Does it want to be bigroom/dark/melodic? Track itself is a major step up from what Mr. Pit made last year though, so good for him. 7/10

08. Aaron Camz - Aqwa - Has the usual bassline we're used to from him and the guys from Tucandeo. Nice track if you're into the big room sounds, and I definitely am in the case of this track. 8/10

09. Omnia & Ira - The Fusion - Aaaand the mix takes a complete 180^o turn again. This tune basically defines why I dislike Omnia and his "producing" abilities. Back when The Blzzard's basslines and synth work were popular, he ripped off their style and now it seems he's just copying whatever is famous, which would be Emery's recent success, Tokyo. Track itself is pretty boring, and the only redeeming quality about it are the vocal chops and the fact that the dubstep parts are eliminated. Side note: I'm almost sure there are samples from Emery's This is That in here too. 3/10

10. KhoMha - Artemis - I can't tell if this track is trying too hard to pleasing everyone's taste or it's all over the place. Regardless, I think it works, but this style, again, is becoming old, with the pitch-ey buildups and the sudden melodic breaks. I am happy that these tracks are growing rarer though. 6/10

11. Rex Mundi - Opaque - Now this is the Rex Mundi I love. Punchy and driving, and it has an aggressive melody on top. 9/10

12. Elevation vs. Grube & Hovsepian - City of Angels - Buildup is a bit annoying, but other than that, fantastic melody and has an epic feel to it that is very club friendly. 8.5/10

13. Ercola featuring Annie - Follow Me (Rex Mundi Remix) - I'm a huge sucker for these basslines. The lyrics of this track aren't filled with standard cheese which is always a plus and add to the production of the track itself with the cool effects. Great work by Rex Mundi, and my favourite production of him on this compilation. 9/10

14. Mr. Pit - River of Hearts (Outro Mix) - Nice way to finish off the compilation. Not the biggest fan of the main synth, but I still welcome this new style from Mr. Pit over his other productions any day. 8/10

The second CD unfortunately is all over the place in terms of what direction or path it wanted to take or what type of atmosphere it wanted to create until the ending tracks where the mood somewhat stabilizes. There are a few big ones on this CD as well, but unfortunately the current trendy tracks take their toll, with the biggest flop, “The Fusion” being the cherry on top and completely derailing the CD’s path. The lack of direction is saved a bit by Markus’ smooth transitions though.

Overall verdict of CD 2 – 6.5/10



[Closing Thoughts]
This compilation had major potential to be amazing, but unfortunately CD2 was marred with the "new age" tracks Markus hammers in his live sets that are just poor productions overall and add nothing new or innovative to Coldharbour's sound. Even with this, CD 1 is definitely an awesome mix and both CDs have very smooth mixing overall. If I am to describe my feeling for Los Angeles '12 in one word it would be: Satisfied.

OVERALL VERDICT - 7.5/10

Read story →    0 comments   

OTR @ Plug SHEFFIELD 2012.01.20

REF: #244
NIGHT: OTR 20/01/2012
VENUE: Plug SHEFFIELD
REVIEWED: 21/01/2012


Certainly an interesting start to the night. A broken down train further down the line meant that I didn’t arrive in Sheffield until after 1am, which in turn led to a pretty unique set of circumstances where I ended up talking about fudge, ticket whores and snakes on a train on Facebook. Finally got into Sheffield train station with Jan Johnson “Calling Your Name” playing on the iPod. In hindsight I really should have taken my iPhone travel charger. But anyway.

What is there to say? Classics night, and one over the road from the old Gatecrasher site no less. Did the whole hand-on-the-fence thing. Walk in; coat off; hands up; here we go.


SCORES:

5 = Perfect
4 = Great
3 = Good
2 = Average
1 = Poor
0 = Terrible

COST – 5

£7 to get in, and very reasonable bar prices. A pint of Peroni is £4, but after that train ride I earned it! And Peroni on draft is never something to turn your nose up at.

CROWD – 5

My main complaint with crowds at trance nights these days is that they just...don’t...MOVE. Last night’s crowd was going for it throughout the evening, and even managed to pick up the pace as the evening went on! Even when I had to leave to get the train home at 5am they were still going nuts! Brilliant, brilliant crowd! Friendly bunch as well.

MUSIC – 5

It’s a rare thing to be surprised by the tunes played at a classics night, but last night got the kind of reactions out of me that you would have seen when the tracks were new. I’d never heard Kyau vs Albert “Falling Anywhere” in a club before last night, and when Hiddenagenda played it my jaw almost hit the floor. Up until that point I was taking it easy nursing a leg injury, but within seconds all cares were gone and I was throwing myself around the place like a feather in a hurricane. The look on my face must have been a classic in itself. Other highlights included Goldenscan “Halcyon”, Coast 2 Coast “Home”, POS “Remember” and, surprisingly, Scot Project “O (Overdrive)”! My only real complaint was the inclusion of Delerium “Silence” – there were other tunes in 2000 you know. But to gripe about that is like getting a delicious meal and then complaining about the font used on the menu.

VENUE – 5

Having now experienced both of Plug’s rooms, this is definitely the best one. Toilets, bar and dance floor are all reasonably spaced, there are no bottlenecks and the place is very easy to navigate. Sound quality is good, and the door staff are on top without being over the top. Plus it’s near a hotel and, even more relevant, is up the road from the old Gatecrasher site. Critics may say there’s nothing there in the way of visuals, but if the music is up to scratch why do you need to distract yourself with visuals?

OVERALL – 20

This OTR was in many ways a perfect tribute to Gatecrasher. A great night that was easy for the wallet and rewarding for the senses. Full of energy, some great tunes and some great people to share them with. People ask me why I like trance. This is why.

Read story →    1 comments   

Solis & Sean Truby - All We Have (Infrasonic)

http://www.beatport....-we-have/821837

Infrasonic Recordings has exploded in the last two years, gaining both a wide artist catalogue and a plethora of supporting DJs worldwide. Their latest release comes in the form of a collaboration between label head Solis (a.k.a. Michael Smith) and resident producer Sean Truby. Both have already been recognized for the previous collaborations “Empathy” and “Loaded,” demonstrating their versatility and creativity as producers.

This new release follows the typical path of Infrasonic’s releases, but don’t be fooled, it gives much more back in return. The original starts with a strong synth buildup coupled with a rolling bass line. The tune then softens into an evocative breakdown with a triumphant, out-there feeling. A lovely melodic lead brings the tune to a very uplifting climax that any fan of driving trance will enjoy. Though it is not the most original work of trance ever released, it is nonetheless a fresh and highly enjoyable musical ride to boot.

5 / 5

Two relatively new progressive artists, Ost & Meyer, offer their own interpretation of the record to round out the package. At first, the tune appears to offer a danceable, funky prog trance sound. The drop and breakdown in this mix is impeccably made, perhaps ever more so than the original, combining a surreal synth lead with ethereal vocal chops. However, once the breakdown comes to a close and the beat comes back in, the track seems to loose a lot of the energy which it teases us with in the breakdown. The melody does eventually come back in, but never seems to reach the potential that it had before. Overall, a mix that almost makes it, but could have been so much more.

3 / 5

As a DJ, I could recommend both depending on the type of music one wants to play. However, for personal listening and overall enjoyment, the original is a top-notch record, and one that any EDM fan should add to their collection. Overall, a very strong and admirable original, with a remix that almost works, but comes up a bit short.

4.5 / 5

Read story →    0 comments   

UnjunaForum Hub

Welcome to the UnjunaForum Hub, this page is currently under construction, but will be our new homepage. You can access the forums via the navigation above. Feel free to have a look around and post in the appropriate threads if you have any questions!

Read story →    0 comments