Throwback Thursday – Sander van Doorn Essential Mix 2009

Hello friends, I hope you all are enjoying the new year so far. For today, let’s go back to 2009 for an Essential Mix put together by Sander van Doorn. I believe 2009-2010 were the last couple of years in which Sander played mostly techy tunes before he changed up his style. He has always been known for playing quality stuff regardless of the genre, however recently it seems like he has been bitten by the electro bug as his sets feature considerably more electro-house. I prefer his older style more, but you can’t blame a guy for diversifying his sound. This mix has 5 SvD productions/remixes, including the very hot Bliksem made under his revived Purple Haze alias. The SvD remix of The Killers’ Spaceman was also another big jam in 2009, as was Bastillon towards the end of the year. Some other favorites of mine are Sasha’s remix of Jetstream and Marco V’s Digital Enemy. Markus’ Chinook was another monster and the Simmons & Machiavelli remix of Omen is another wild one. 2009 was also the breakthrough year for Ummet Ozcan, a talented Doorn Records producer, and his mix of Ronald van Gelderen’s Backstabberzz can be found at the end of the show. You will find Sander’s usual crisp and flawless mixing throughout this set as he starts with house and ends with trance. It’s a good thing we still have these older SvD mixes to fall back on because the tracklists are money and the performances are exceptional. Take a listen below to hear a great mix from one of my favorite DJs.

Sander van Doorn – Essential Mix (June 19, 2009)
01 BoomCardona & Smokers Area – The Game [Milton Channels Remix – Intro Edit] (Overline)
02 Paul Harris, Dave Spoon, Sam Obernik – Baditude [Mark Mendes Remix] (Toolroom)
03 Olav Basoski & DJ Erick E – Don’t Turn Your Back [Sander van Doorn Remix] (Work)
04 Jesse Garcia – Let Me Hear You Go (Stealth)
05 East &Young – Reveal (Spinnin’)
06 Patrick Hagenaar feat Jon Junior – We Feel The Same [H-Unit Dub vs Michael Woods Club Mix] [SVD Edit] (White)
07 Riktam and Bansi – Bass Master Zorro [Jerome Isma Ae Remix] (Iboga)
08 B-Cult – Uni Tunes (Believe Electro)
09 Doves – Jetstream [Sasha Remix][SVD Edit] (White)
10 Dakota – Chinook (Coldharbour)
11 Alex O’Rion – Like A Box Of Fluffy Ducks [Original Mix] (Terminal 4)
12 Sander van Doorn pres. Purple Haze – Bliksem (Doorn)
13 Patrick Plaice – Falling Out (Blackhole)
14 Randy Katana – You & I (Spinnin’)
15 The Prodigy – Omen [Simmons & Machiavelli Remix] (White)
16 Smart Apes ft. Kate Miles – Smile [Original Mix] (Blackhole)
17 The Killers – Spaceman [Sander van Doorn Remix Part 2] (Universal)
18 Radion 6 – Starlight (Oxygen)
19 Marco V – Digital Enemy (In Charge)
20 Robert Gitelman – Rockless [Eddie Sender Remix] (High Contrast Nu Breed)
21 Pascal Feliz-Smack my 2core Up (Be Yourself)
22 Marcel Woods – Inside Me (High Contrast)
23 Oryon – Rocket Science [Original Mix] (Spinnin’)
24 Robbert Burian – Poker (Reset)
25 David Forbes & William Daniel – Illuminatus (Captivating Sounds)
26 Mallorca Lee – Krunch (Be Yourself)
27 Ronald van Gelderen – Backstabberzz [Ummet Ozcan Mix] (Spinnin’)
28 Sander van Doorn –Bastillon (White)
29 Depeche Mode – Peace [Sander van Doorn Remix] (EMI)

Download the set here

Flashback Friday – Markus Schulz Live at Together As One (NYE 2009)

The Together As One party thrown by GoVentures has become a staple New Year’s eve party here in Southern California. At the end of 2009, on a night that featured music from David Guetta, John Digweed, Dubfire, Marcus Schossow, Kaskade, and Sander Kleinenberg, Markus Schulz’ set was easily one of the better ones. Here is the recording of his performance from Los Angeles, played on a world tour episode of the Global DJ Broadcast. Markus plays plenty of hits from 2009, including some of my favorites like his reconstruction of Stranger to Stability, Brace Yourself, Pong, and Mainstage. Big parties like these usually call for a lot of crowd favorites, and I’m sure many people were pleased to hear the mashups On a Metropolis Day and Lost Vocal Connection. I wasn’t there for that this party, but many of my friends told me Markus played the best set. Check out the official video underneath the music.

Markus Schulz – GBDJB World Tour Together As One NYE (December 31 2009)
01 U2 – New Year’s Day (Markus Schulz Intro Mix)
02 Mr. Sam Featuring T4L – Rydem Koba
03 Tritonal – Suede (Stoneface & Terminal Remix)
04 Ali Wilson – Boombox
05 Paul van Dyk Featuring Hemstock & Jennings – Nothing But You (Super8 & Tab Remix)
06 Gareth Emery vs. OceanLab – On a Metropolis Day (Myon & Shane 54 Mashup)
07 Wippenberg – Pong (Markus Schulz Edit)
08 Dustin Zahn – Stranger To Stability (Len Faki Podium Mix / Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
09 Jochen Miller – Brace Yourself
10 Skytech – Cardboard Box (Markus Schulz Edit)
11 Dirty South & Sebastian Ingrosso vs. Julie Thompson – Falling Meich (Markus Schulz Mashup)
12 Faithless – Insomnia (Dean Newton & Huggy 2009 Remix)
13 Jochen Miller – Red One
14 Skytech – Comet
15 John O’Callaghan Featuring Sarah Howells – Find Yourself (Cosmic Gate Remix)
16 Dr. Willis Meets David Forbes – Magic Carpet Ride
17 W&W – Mainstage
18 Jochen Miller vs. Armin van Buuren – Lost Vocal Connection (Markus Schulz Mashup)
19 Above & Beyond – No One on Earth (Gabriel & Dresden Remix / Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
20 Midway – Monkey Forest (Original Mix / Jonas Stenberg Remix)
21 Markus Schulz – The New World
22 Marco V vs. Rex Mundi Featuring Susana – Unprepared for Nothing at All (Markus Schulz Mashup)
23 Calvin Harris – I’m Not Alone (Remix)
24 Markus Schulz – Do You Dream (Uplifting Vocal Mix)

Download the set here

Official GoVentures video from the event:

Global DJ Broadcast World Tour Ruby Skye NYE 2010

Flashback Friday – Global DJ Broadcast Classics 2011

It has been an excellent month for the Global DJ Broadcast and there is no better way to end it than with the annual Classics episode. 2011 was a hot year for Markus Schulz, and he concludes it with this special show. In this mix you will find a true collection of throwbacks, with the majority of the songs produced in the 90’s (only 8 songs in here were made after 2000). Jam & Spoon’s Odyssey to Anyoona goes all the way back to 1994, and the intro track Paladian Dawn was produced over 16 years ago in 1995. Similar to the 2005 Classics showcase, this episode contains vintage oldies like Matt Darey’s Game Master, Remember Magnetic North, and Tilt’s Courtyard rework of Robert Miles’ Children. This year’s show also includes Sasha’s Xpander and the Nalin & Kane remix of Lustral’s Everytime, except in the 2005 episode these two were mashed up together splendidly. Of course Probspot’s Blueberry made it into the tracklist again, further cementing it as one of the greatest progressive tunes of all time. My favorite segment is when Markus mixes from First Time into Xpander and then into Blueberry, what an awesome three song combo. Silver Bath and Remember when Oakenfold produced Skin on Skin while he was in the group Grace, or when Ferry Corsten released Galaxia under the Moonman alias? If you do, you will certainly enjoy the following set as Markus skillfully brings us back to the late 90’s.

Global DJ Broadcast – Classics Episode 2011
01 Sunday Club – Paladian Dawn (Markus Schulz Intro Edit)
02 Grace – Skin on Skin (Orange Mix)
03 Dollshead – It’s Over, It’s Under (Brothers in Rhythm Remix)
04 Jam and Spoon – Odyssey to Anyoona
05 Audioholics – External Key
06 Johnny Shaker – Pearl River (Instrumental Mix)
07 Lustral – Everytime (Nalin and Kane Remix)
08 Chicane – Offshore (Disco Citizens Remix)
09 BT vs. Sasha – Remember Magnetic North
10 Markus Schulz – First Time (Funabashi Remix)
11 Sasha – Xpander
12 Probspot – Blueberry
13 Alex Whitcombe and Big C – Ice Rain (Heliotropic’s Epic Vocal)
14 Plastic Boy – Silver Bath
15 B.B.E. – Seven Days and One Week
16 Space Brothers – Shine (Full Vocal Mix)
17 Three Drives – Greece 2000 (Markus Schulz Big Room Remix)
18 Above and Beyond vs. Andy Moor – Air for Life (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
19 Dogzilla – Without You (Dogzilla Dub)
20 AMbassador – The Fade (Fade Mix)
21 Lost Tribe – Gamemaster
22 Ferry Corsten – Galaxia
23 C.M. – Dream Universe
24 Markus Schulz and Departure with Gabriel and Dresden – Without You Near (Coldharbour Mix)
25 Tilt – Children (Tilt’s Courtyard Mix)

Download the episode here

More GBDJ Classics episodes:
2005
2009
2010

Throwback Thursday – Armin van Buuren ASOT 182 (2004 Yearmix)

It’s almost that time of the year for the annual ASOT yearmix. These mixes are broadcasted as a special episode of A State of Trance, where Armin mixes and mashes a shitload of songs into the two hour time frame. Dedicated to the release of this year’s show, I have uploaded the 2004 yearmix, which is one of the best ASOT episodes of all time. There are several reasons why this one is special. For one, this is the very first yearmix that he made, and it set the bar high for all yearly compilations. Secondly, this was Armin’s first ASOT episode produced on Ableton. It took him 4 weeks to plan the tracklist, make his edits, and mix everything down. I guess he really liked this approach because all consequent ASOT episodes have been made using Ableton. Thirdly, if you are searching for an example of excellent mixing, there’s no need to look any further. You can tell a lot of thought went into the layout of the tracklist because the harmonics match up perfectly and the flow is impeccable. Last but not least, the track selection is off the charts. 2004 was an awesome year for trance, and most of my favorite deep, spacey progressive tracks can be found in here. This was the last show broadcasted on ID&T radio, and it was also the last one to be presented in Dutch. If you ever stop trancing out for a long period of time, listening to these yearmixes is the easiest way to get back into it. Take a listen below to the greatest songs from 2004, mixed together by one of the most experienced set builders.

A State of Trance 182 (2004 Yearmix)
01 Intro: 24 – The Longest Day (The Story Of 2004)
02 Origene – Sanctuary (Harry Lemon Remix) [Bandung]
03 Starsign – Taurus (Instrumental Mix) [Captivating Sounds]
04 A.Matsumoto & DJ Yoshi – Dreamer (Luke Chable Remix) [Precinct]
05 Hammer & Bennett – Language [Electronic Elements]
06 Departure – She Turns (Markus Schulz Remix) [Electronic Elements]
07 Ozgur Can ft. Nick Beman – Not Even Winds [Electronic Elements]
08 Max Graham ft. Jessica Riddle – Gone [CDR]
09 Rio Addicts – Crossroads [Electronic Elements]
10 Lolo – Why? [Bonzai Trance Progressive]
11 Synergy – Hello Strings [Silver Planet]
12 Tilt – The World Doesn’t Kow [Lost Language]
13 Markus Schulz presents Elevation – Largo [Electronic Elements]
14 Ridgewalkers ft. El – Find (Andy Moor Remix) [Baroque]
15 Sarah McLachlan – World On Fire (Junkie XL Remix) [Arista]
16 Markus Schulz presents Elevation – Somewhere (Clear Blue) [A State Of Trance]
17 Markus Schulz presents Elevation – Clear Blue [Electronic Elements]
18 Oceanlab ft. Justine Suissa – Satellite (Markus Schulz Coldharbour Remix) [Euphonic]
19 Bakke & Ljungqvist – Fanatic [Electronic Elements]
20 Mark Otten – Tranquility [Armind]
21 Solid Globe – Sahara [Fundamental]
22 Deepsky ft. Jes Brieden – Talk Like A Stranger (Markus Schulz Return To Coldharbour Remix) [Yo]
23 St. John vs. Locust – Mind Circles (Perry O’Neil Remix) [ASOT Whitelabel]
24 Probspot – Foreplay [Lost Language]
25 Perry O’Neil – Wave Force [Electronic Elements]
26 Roland Klinkenberg – Monday Groove [Electronic Elements]
27 Gabriel & Dresden – Arcadia (Swing 2 Funk Mix) [Nettwerk]
28 Interstate – I Found U [Armada]
29 Dido – Sand In My Shoes (Above & Beyond’s UV Mix) [BMG]
30 True Form – Forbidden Colours [A State Of Trance]
31 Endre – Kallocain (Robert Nickson Remix) [Anjunabeats]
32 Filterheadz – Yimanya [ID&T]
33 Peter Martin presents Anthanasia – Perfect Wave [Electronic Elements]
34 Dréas & Björn present Havannah – Havannah [TRR]
35 Vadim Zhukov – Exit (Robert Nickson Remix) [Captivating Sounds]
36 Active Sight – Out Of Our Lives [Captivating Sounds]
37 EnMass – CQ (Seek You) [A State Of Trance]
38 Alt + F4 – Alt + F4 [Anjunabeats]
39 Scott Bond vs. Solar Stone – Naked Angel [ID&T]
40 Fractal Structure – Lost Sequence [Somatic Sense]
41 Armin van Buuren – Blue Fear 2004 [Nebula]
42 Mark Norman – Phantom Manor [Magik Muzik]
43 The Mystery – Fever [RR]
44 Armin van Buuren ft. Justine Suissa – Burned With Desire (Vocals) [Dedicated]
45 Gate 42 – Flow (John O’Callaghan Remix) [Discover]
46 DJ Tiësto vs. Ray Wilson – Yet Another Suburban Train (AvB Edit) [CDR]
47 U-Turn – One Way [ID&T]
48 Ernesto vs. Bastian – The Darkside Of The Moon [ID&T]
49 Kyau vs. Albert – Made Of Sun (KvA Hard Dub) [Euphonic]
50 Robert Gitelman – Children Of The Sun [ID&T]
51 Robert Nickson – Spiral [A State Of Trance]
52 Delerium ft. Sarah McLachlan – Silence (Above & Beyond’s 21st Century Remix) [Nettwerk]
53 Adam White – Ballerina [Darey Products]
54 Bossanova – Stone Cold [Purple Eye]
55 Nickelson – Yin (Solid Globe Remix) [Fundamental]
56 Armin van Buuren presents 24 – The Longest Day (Vocal Mix) [Nebula]
57 Mojado ft. Mr. Sam – Naranja (Dimitri Andreas Vision) [Magik Muzik]
58 Mannix – Mercury [A State Of Trance]
59 Carl B – All Day [Somatic Sense]
60 Young Parisians ft. Ben Lost – Jump The Next Train (Kyau vs. Albert Remix) [Euphonic]
61 Ton T.B. – Dream Machine [Black Hole]
62 Mirco de Govia – Voller Sterne (Super8 Remix) [Euphonic]
63 Tranquility Base – Surrender [Anjunabeats]
64 White Room – The White Room [Liquid Asset]
65 Above & Beyond – No One Earth (Gabriel & Dresden Remix) [Anjunabeats]
66 Armin van Buuren – Communication Part 3 [Armada]
67 Marcos – Cosmicstring [Vandit]
68 Active Sight – The Search For Freedom [Captivating Sounds]
69 Armin vs. M.I.K.E. – Pound [Armind]
70 Dogzilla – Your Eyes [Maelstrom]
71 Marco V. – Automanual [ID&T]
72 F Massif – Somebody (Ferry Corsten Remix) [Purple Eye]
73 Sander van Doorn – Punk’d (SVD Mix) [Oxygen]
74 The Thrillseekers – Synaesthesia (Ferry Corsten Remix) [Adjusted]
75 Reflekt ft. Delline Bass – Need To Feel Loved (The Thrillseekers Remix) [Positiva]
76 Randy Katana – In Silence (Txitxarro Remix) [Reset]
77 Signum – The Timelord [A State Of Trance]
78 8 Wonders – The Morning After (The Thrillseekers Remix) [Somatic Sense]
79 Tiësto – Adagio For Strings [Magik Muzik]
80 Armin vs. M.I.K.E. – Intruder [Armind]

Download the mix here

Flashback Friday – Armin van Buuren Live at Red City 2005

In 2005 Armin van Buuren released his 2nd artist album Shivers and his A State of Trance radio program was well underway to becoming what it is today, the #1 source of trance music available to the general public.  Below is a nice set from the same year, recorded from the annual Red City music festival held on a beach in Eilat, Israel. This mix features several songs from his Shivers album, including the classic balearic tune Zocalo as the intro track. What I like about this set is the way Armin builds it up from start to finish, which is something I haven’t heard from him in a while. The first ten tracks or so are very low-key and progessive, the middle of the set gets pretty techy, and then the uplifting tunes are brought in at the end. I love this formula for planning sets, and I wish all DJ’s would follow this more often. One possible reason why Armin doesn’t do this anymore is because he is always the main act and usually has to play with more energy, or it could be due to the changing shift in audience expectations. It seems like nowadays most DJ’s like to play one banger after another, and that is what the crowd has come to expect. Has building sets become a lost art? I sure don’t hope so, but at least we have these older mixes to fall back on.

Armin van Buuren – Live at Red City (Eilat, Israel) on April 8, 2005
01 Armin van Buuren feat. Gabriel & Dresden – Zocalo
02 D-Formation – Signs & Portents (Original BF’s Version)
03 Andy Moor – Halcyon
04 Matthew Dekay – Digifruitella
05 Eye Wall – Bad Deal (Remy & Roland Klinkenberg Remix)
06 Matthew Dekay vs. Proluctors – Bad
07 ID – ID
08 Alex Stealthy – Able To Forget
09 Eluna – Severance (Markus Schulz & Elevation Remix)
10 Blank & Jones – Perfect Silence (E-Craig Remix)
11 Randy Katana – Pleasure Island (Dub Mix)
12 Scott Mac – Damager 02 (Mac Zimms Remix)
13 Mr. Sam – Lyteo (Rank 1 Remix)
14 B&W – Mistaken (Fictivision Remix)
15 Armin van Buuren – Communication (Part 3) (Midor & Six4Eight Remix)
16 Police – Message In A Bottle (Sander van Doorn Remix)
17 Hammer & Bennett – Language (Santiago Nino Dub Tech Mix)
18 Armin van Buuren – Shivers (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Dub Mix)
19 Inertia – The Chamber
20 Bart Claessen – Playmo
21 Robert Gitelman – Children Of The Sun
22 Marcel Woods – Cherry Blossom
23 Daniel B – God’s Keyboard (Coldware Remix)
24 Rank 1 – Top Gear
25 TDR – Squelch (SVD Remix)
26 Out Of The Past – Mystery (Fred Baker vs. Vincent Gozack Mix)
27 Armin van Buuren feat. Jan Vayne – Serenity (Signum Remix)
28 Armin van Buuren – Shivers (Original Mix)

Download the set here

Flashback Friday – Trance Around the World 200

I’m on an Anjunabeats roll, so let’s keep it going with this week’s throwback too. In honor of their recent TATW 400 celebration, I have uploaded the 200th episode of their radio show, which was recorded in the beginning of 2008. This megamix is jam packed with solid tunes, so enjoy it in its entirety. There are too many good songs to name, but it’s safe to say the tracklist is pretty bulletproof, and for me it brings back a lot of wonderful memories from 2007. It’s time to take a step back in time again, check out this classic 4 year old set put together by Tony, Paavo, and Jono.

Trance Around the World with Above & Beyond 200 (January 25, 2008)
01 Yilmaz Altanhan – Eighties [Anjunabeats]
02 Ridgewalkers feat. El – Find (Andy Moor Remix) [Baroque]
03 Endre – I Kill For You (Probspot Remix) [Anjunabeats]
04 Lange – Songless (Boy Hagemann Remix) [New State]
05 Andy Moor – Halcyon [Armind]
06 Tilt – The World Doesn’t Know (Original Mix) [Lost Language]
07 Sarah McLachlan – World On Fire (Junkie XL Remix) [Arista]
08 Super8 & Tab – Helsinki Scorchin’ [Anjunabeats]
09 Sufjan Stevens vs Signalrunners – Chicago
10 Above & Beyond w/ Andy Moor – Air For Life [Anjunabeats]
11 Cosmic Gate – Body Of Conflict [Blackhole]
12 Gabriel & Drsden feat Molly – Tracking Treasure Down [Organized Nature]
13 Armin Van Buuren – Control Freak (Sander Van Doorn Remix) [Armada]
14 Rob Mooney – Feelin’ Electro (Valentino Kanzyani Remix) [Punch Funk]
15 Aalto – 5 [Anjunabeats]
16 Signalrunners – Aria Epica (Bart Claessen Remix) [Anjunabeats]
17 Above & Beyond – Can’t Sleep [Anjunabeats]
18 Bob Marley – Sun Is Shining (Maori Bootleg Mix) [CDR]
19 Above & Beyond pres. Tranquility Base – Razorfish (Above & Beyond’s Progressive Mix) [Anjunabeats]
20 Cara Dillon & 2 Devine – Black Is The Colour (Coco & Green Remix) [Anjunabeats]
21 Whiteroom – Whiteroom [Liquid Asset]
22 Bolier & Coenraad – Mohawk [Intuition]
23 DT8 Project feat Roxanne Wilde – Destination (Above & Beyond Remix) [Mondo]
24 Aalto – Rush (Super8 vs Orkidea Remix) [Anjunabeats]
25 Cassandra Fox – Touch Me (Mike Koglin vs Jono Grant Remix)
26 Alt + F4 – Alt + F4 [Anjunabeats]
27 Sunny Lax – P.U.M.A. [Anjunabeats]
28 Mike Shiver – Morning Drive [Anjunabeats]
29 Kaste – Desert Eagle (Smith & Pledger Remix) [Anjunabeats]
30 Smith & Pledger – Northern Lights [Anjunabeats]
31 Nitromethane – Religion [Anjunabeats]
32 Above & Beyond vs Unkle & Petter – So Many Faces [CDR]
33 Summer Sessions – Blossom [ETCR]
34 Art Of Trance – Mongoose [Platipus]
35 Oliver Smith – Nimbus [Anjunabeats]
36 Armin vs MIKE – Intruder [Armada Music]
37 Tiesto feat JES – Everything (Cosmic Gate Remix) [Blackhole]
38 Boom Jinx feat Thomas J. Bergesen – Remember September (Duderstadt Remix) [Anjunabeats]
39 Thrillseekers – Waiting Here For You [Adjusted]
40 First State feat Anita Kelsey – Falling [Blackhole]
41 Oceanlab – Sirens Of The Sea [Anjunabeats]
42 Above & Beyond – Stealing Time (Deep Club Mix) [Anjunabeats]
43 Above & Beyond feat Zoe Johnston – No-One One Earth (Gabriel & Dresden Remix) [Anjunabeats]
44 Madonna – What It Feels Like For A Girl (Above & Beyond Remix) [Maverick]
45 Stephen J Kroos – Phantazmz (Anjunabeats)
46 Young Parisians – Jump The Next Train (Kyau & Albert Remix) [Deepblue Records]
47 Super8 – Alba [Anjunabeats]
48 Super8 & Tab – Suru [Anjunabeats]
49 Super8 – Get Off [Anjunabeats]
50 Smith & Pledger feat Matt Hardwick – Connected [Anjunabeats]
51 Breakfast – The Sunlight [Flashover]
52 Above & Beyond pres. Tranquility Base – Surrender [Anjunabeats]
53 Oceanlab – Satellite [Anjunabeats]
54 Nitrous Oxide – North Pole [Anjunabeats]
55 Daniel Kandi – Child [Anjunabeats]
56 Above & Beyond – Good For Me (Club Mix) [Anjunabeats]
57 Luminary – Amsterdam (Smith & Pledger Remix) [Anjunabeats]
58 Filterfunk – S.O.S. (Message In A Bottle) (Sander Van Doorn Remix) [Ultra]
59 Gabriel & Dresden – Dangerous Power [Organised Nature]
60 Above & Beyond pres Tranquility Base – Oceanic (Super8 & Tab Remix) [Anjunabeats]
61 Signum – The Timelord [A State Of Trance]
62 Britney Spears – Everytime (Above & Beyond Remix) [CDR]
63 Shah & Cosmo pres Purple Mood – One Night In Tokyo (Above & Beyond Respray) [Anjunabeats]
64 Mark Pledger vs Matt Hardwick feat Melinda Gareh – Fallen Tides [Anjunabeats]
65 Roland Klinkenberg – Monday Groove [Electronic Elements]
66 Above & Beyond pres Tranquility – Getting Away [Anjunabeats]
67 Adam Nickey – Never Gone (Above & Beyond Respray) [Anjunabeats]
68 P.O.S. – Gravity [Anjunabeats]
69 Nitromethane – Time To Die (Seraque Remix) [Anjunabeats]
70 Above & Beyond – Alone Tonight [Anjunabeats]

Download the set here

Throwback Thursday Umek Essential Mix 2007

It’s time to switch gears for a moment with today’s throwback set. Whenever I’m in the mood to get funky, I usually play some techno or house music. One particular that always comes to mind is Umek, the father of Solvenian techno. This guy has been doing his thing for quite some time now, and he has amassed a large following of fans. In 2007, he began developing the 1605 Music Therapy group, which now serves as a production platform for many artists. Here is his very first Essential Mix, and he shows us how to properly blend techno and minimal house tunes into a dark, twisted set. The mix starts off pretty chill, but it gets pretty crazy by the time you reach the end. I have always been a fan of the groovy beats that techno provides, and there are many of those type of songs in here. If I had to choose a favorite tune, it would probably be the very sexy remix of Eurasia by Gui Boratto, although the Tocadisco remix of Marathon is also pretty sweet. I’m not a techno master by any means, but I know when a mix is put together properly and this one fits the bill. If you enjoy wonderful basslines like I do, you wil definitely have fun with this Umek mix.

Umek – Essential Mix (November 24, 2007)
01 Einmusik – Tisoca
02 Jitzu & Sire G – Cyclette
03 Tiger Stripes – Survivor
04 Daley Padley & Chris Special – Electro Is Dead (Kamo Remix)
05 Kolombo & Compuphonic – Anzimatter
06 Marc Antona – Vitamin D
07 Gold Ryan & Tapesh – Collapse
08 Tiefschwarz – No More Trouble (Turntablerocker Remix)
09 London Kleer – Bias
10 Marc Romboy & Gui Boratto – Eurasia feat. Luciana Vilanova (Gui’s version)
11 Tommy Declerque – I Don’t Know
12 Kaliber – Kaliber 15
13 Marcel Thompson – They Call Me Superman
14 Marc Depulse – Antres
15 Phil Kieran – Again To The End
16 Goldfish – Panic (Jochen Trappe Remix)
17 James Mowbray & Leiam Sullivan – Tropical Neights
18 Gabriel Ananda – Doppelwhipper (Jason Emsley Remix)
19 Beroshima – Horizon (Pig & Dan Remix)
20 Mathias Kaden – Rhytma
21 Dubfire – Emission
22 Cat’z’dogz – Fixation
23 Logistic Soundz – Crazy People (D-Nox & Beckers Remix)
24 Funkwerkstatt – Jack The Box
25 D Ramirez & Meat Katie – Stop The Revolution (Dubfire Remix)
26 Johnny Fiasco – Hijacked (Audiojack Remix)
27 Oliver Hunteman – Goldener Handschuh
28 Giorgio Preciozo & Libex – Contagious
29 Adam K – I Can Feel
30 Minilogue – Ghost
31 Drumcell & Audio Injection ‘Bottle Opener
32 Christian Smith & John Selway – Walk The Walk
33 Fergie – Senderon
34 Andre Crom – Tomographie (Spektree Remix)
35 Jens Bond – Consequenceremix Skoozbot
36 Steve Lawler – Courses For Horses
37 Daley Padley & Chris Special – Electro Is Dead (Kim Fai’s Deadline Remix)
38 Bastian Heerhosrt – Marathon (Tocadisco Remix)
39 Tomy Declerque – F Sonik
40 Velkro & Ido Ophir – Warehouse
41 Marc O’Tool – Sinner In Me
42 D-Nox & Beckers – Step Out
43 Andrew Technique – Fresh Remix

Download the set here

Great interview with Umek and Carl Cox:

Throwback Thursday John O’Callaghan Essential Mix 2008

I’ve been listening to a lot of work from JOC lately, so let’s revisit one of his mixes from a few years ago. In 2008, John’s career was already well underway, as he had major exposure on the Discover and Armada labels. I was first introduced to him through his work with John Askew and Bryan Kearney, and his signature pounding style won me over instantly. His Subculture radio show began towards the end of 2006, and the first time I heard him spin live was in 2008 at Monster Massive in Los Angeles. In the summer of that year, he was invited to play his first (and so far only) Essential Mix on BBC1 Radio. This set is one of my favorite pieces of work that John has put together because it showcases all of his talents. In here you will find great examples of his production work and remixing skills, all mixed together into a complete package. There are way too many good songs in here to name, but I can assure you all of them are bangin’. Listen below as John plays some of the best from 2008.

John O’Callaghan – Essential Mix (July 12, 2008)
01 Essential Mix – Intro [00:00]
02 Cirez D – Stockholm Marathon [01:47]
03 Marco V & Sander van Doorn – Organic [04:58]
04 Maarten de Jong – Mono (J.O.C. Remix) [07:13]
05 Jochen Miller – Lost Connection (Artento Divini Remix)[11:21]
06 Axel Karakasis – Sincere [14:11]
07 J.O.C. – Marshmallow [15:21]
08 Mr Sam vs. Human Resource – Dominator [18:53]
09 Greg Downey – King Dong (J.O.C. Edit) [21:14]
10 J.O.C. – Rotterdam [22:53]
11 Artento Divini – Reflex [24:59]
12 Kimito Lopez – Melkweg [28:02]
13 Blank & Jones feat. Bernard Sumner – Miracle Cure (Martin Roth Nu-Style Dub)[30:22]
14 Marc Marberg with Kyau & Albert – Neo Love[32:58]
15 A. Paul – Offline [35:04]
16 Mandy Reid – Century [36:49]
17 Timmy & Tommy – Full Tiltin’ (Joint Operations Centre Remix) [39:39]
18 Underworld – Cowgirl (Joint Operations Centre Remix) [41:58]
19 Activa – End Of Summer [46:44]
20 The Thrillseekers feat. Fisher – The Last Time (Club Mix) [51:08]
21 Thomas Bronzwaer – Certitude [57:29]
22 Mansun – Wide Open Space (Greg Downey Remix)[61:11]
23 Dazzle – Chaos Theory [63:01]
24 John O’Callaghan & Guiseppe Ottaviani – Our Dimension [66:28]
25 Bryan Kearney – You Will Never Be Forgotten (Activa Remix) [70:40]
26 Danny Powers – Eternal Call [73:25]
27 Giuseppe Ottaviani – No More Alone (John O’Callaghan Remix)[75:42]
28 Temple One – Aurora [80:16]
29 Aitor Ronda – Bolaian Buyaka (Reaky Remix)[84:23]
30 D-Unity – New Beginning [87:08]
31 Sia – The Girl You Lost To Cocaine (John O’Callaghan Analog Tech Rework) [89:06]
32 Cosmic Gate feat. Tiff Lacey – Should’ve Known (Wippenberg Remix) (J.O.C. Rework) [92:57]
33 Mojado – Kaktus (John O’Callaghan Rework) [95:13]
34 Joint Operations Centre – New Jersey [98:51]
35 Woody van Eyden – B.O.B (No Break Edit) [104:09]
36 John Gibbons & Scimon Tist – Maktub [109:20]
37 Paul Webster – Problems (Tribal Mix) [111:22]
38 Barry Connell – Frizzbomb (Paul Webster Remix) [113:15]
39 John O’Callaghan feat. Audrey Gallagher – Big Sky (Joint Operations Centre Rework) [115:56]

Download the set here

Throwback Thursday Sander van Doorn – Identity 001

Sander van Doorn’s Identity radio show did not always follow the format it currently uses. It used to be just Sander on the decks for one solid hour playing  dark, twisted tunes. Sadly this is not the case anymore, which is why I often dig up these old sets of his. This week we are going way back, all the way to the very first episode of his radio show. In this mix we get a taste of some old school Sander productions, including tracks from his Purple Haze and Sam Sharp aliases. Sander’s excellent version of Armin’s Control Freak and the relatively unknown rework of Breathe show off Sander’s early remixing skills. In fact, the back to back play of Eden to Control Freak is pure bliss. In this set we also see many artists which Sander will feature quite frequently on Identity. New tracks by Marco V, Mojado, Mac Zimms, and Scott Mac always find their way onto Sander’s radio show. When SvD first broke out onto the scene around this time, his work had a personality to it that stood out in a rapidly growing scene. For a great look back at some of this uniqueness, check out this mix or any of the other earlier Identity mixes from 2006-2007.

Sander van Doorn – Identity Mix 001 (December 28, 2005)
01 Fairmont – Gazebo [Border Community]
02 Armin van Buuren – Who’s Watching (Remy & Klinkenberg) [Armind]
03 Mode Hookers – Breathe (Sander van Doorn Remix) [Armind]
04 Marco V – Red Blue Purple [In Charge]
05 Purple Haze – Eden [Oxygen]
06 Armin van Buuren – Control Freak (Sander van Doorn Remix) [Armind]
07 M.I.D.O.R. – Heatseeker [FiveAM]
08 Mojado – El Matador [Magik Muzik]
09 Sam Sharp – Hoover [Reset]
10 Richard Durand – Make Me Scream [Terminal 4]
11 Drax & Scott Mac – Must Have Been A Dream (Mac Zimms) [Surface]
12 Hardcell & Grindvik – Square [Drumcode]
13 Bigtop – Sub [Organized Nature]

Download the set here

Throwback Thursday Armin van Buuren – Universal Religion 2004

This throwback is inspired by the recent release of Chapter 5 in Armin van Buuren’s Universal Religion series. Like all the others, this one is also a live recording of one of his sets in Ibiza. This is technically Chapter 2, and it was recorded from Armada at Amnesia in August 2004. My buddies Sean and Manny both agree that this is one of Armin’s best releases, and it’s extremely hard to argue against that. The mix is planned out perfectly with high quality tracks that compliment each other very well, creating an absolutely amazing flow from start to finish.

The event starts out with a great intro song by Synergy, which is comprised of Andreas Hermansson and David Westerlund, aka David West. Next up is The World Doesn’t Know, the hugely popular hit co-produced by Andy Moor. That blends smoothly into Why, an Xpander-esqe production written by a Lolo, one of the many aliases of the legendary Airwave. Just when you thought Andy Moor was out of the picture, Armin plays another one of his 2004 hits, the dreamlike remix of Ridgewalker’s Find, featuring the breezy vocals of Eleanor Kenny. Up next is the deep and driving External Key, produced by the Audioholics. This one-track collaboration is certainly a special one, as it involves the amazing work of Ozgur Can and David West. Perry O’Neil’s Waveforce was another smash hit in 04, and its guitar riffs fit wonderfully into the balearic theme of this album. After that comes another dreamy vocal track, produced by Deepsky and released on Deep Dish’s Yoshitoshi label, with Markus Schulz on the remix. This one transitions beautifully into Probspot’s Foreplay, which is definitely one of the highlights of this mix. After this things start to speed up, starting with Above & Beyond’s Surrender, featuring Carrie Skipper as a vocalist. Super8’s remix of Voller Sterne is just as impressive with its nice breakdown and smooth main melody. Armin then proceeds to keep things trancey with the euphoric character of CQ, produced by Randy Boyer and Eric Tadla, who recently passed away three years ago at the young age of 33. The last three songs are all high energy closers, with all of them  coincidentally being two-person collaborations. Tracks 12 and 14 feature the talents of M.I.K.E., with Ron Hagen and Pascal M’s The Timelord mixed in between. The only track that Armin laid his hands on was the last one, which was co-produced with M.I.K.E.

Overall this album has a very progressive feel to it, and Armin does a superb job mixing all of it together flawlessly. With such a solid track list featuring many talented producers, this album is a must have for all trance lovers. It is undoubtedly the best in the Universal Religion series, and it could be quite possibly the best in Armin’s entire compilation catalog.

Universal Religion 2004 – Live from Armada at Ibiza
01 Synergy – Hello Strings
02 Tilt – The World Doesn’t Know
03 Lolo – Why?
04 Ridgewalkers – Find (Andy Moor Mix)
05 Audioholics – External Key
06 Perry O’Neil – Wave Force
07 Deepsky – Talk Like A Stranger (Markus Schulz Mix)
08 Probspot – Foreplay
09 Above & Beyond pres. Tranquility Base – Surrender
10 Mirco De Govia – Voller Sterne (Super 8 Remix)
11 EnMass – CQ (Seek You)
12 Active Sight – Out Of Our Lives
13 Signum – The Timelord
14 Armin vs. M.I.K.E. – Intruder

Check out the CD insert (click to enlarge):