My two favorite producers from Finland are back with a remixed version of their debut artist album. This time around they received the help of 13 other artists, many of whom are affiliated with the Anjunabeats label. All of the songs from the Empire album have been reworked, and the results are pretty decent. My favorite track is the Protoculture remix of Black is the New Yellow. The original version is dope, but Nate Raubenheimer has added a wicked bassline to his interpretation of the song. The Maor Levi remix of Slow to Learn is also pretty good, as well as the 4 Strings remix of Bliss. A few of these remixes were already previously released, such as Rank 1’s remix of My Enemy, the Mike Shiver remix of Empire, and the 7 Skies remix of Mercy, so there wasn’t an overabundance of new material on this CD. I do appreciate the MRSA (aka Mat Zo) drum and bass version of Perfect Day, as it adds an interesting touch to the album. Overall this is a well done remix album with good variety of sound. If you loved the original Empire, you will probably like this one. The iTunes version of this release includes a bonus DJ mix of all of these songs, but I did not purchase that so the songs are uploaded individually below. Also check out the original album linked at the bottom of the post.
Slow To Learn feat. Jan Burton (Maor Levi Club Mix) Black Is The New Yellow feat. Anton Sonin (Protoculture Remix) Perfect Day feat. Alyna (Gareth Emery Remix) Free Love feat. Jan Burton (Sunny Lax Remix) Good Times feat. Betsie Larkin (Lange Remix) Eternal Sequence (Jaytech Remix) My Enemy feat. Julie Thompson (Rank 1 Remix) Empire feat. Jan Burton (Kyau & Albert Remix) Mercy feat. Jan Burton (7 Skies Remix) Bliss (4 Strings Remix) Perfect Day feat. Alyna (MRSA Remix) Irufushi (Adam Nickey Remix) Mercy (Alex Kunnari Remix) Empire (Mike Shiver’s Garden State Mix)
As far as I can remember, remix albums have always been better than their original release. This is probably due to the wider range of sound that comes naturally with the variety of remixers. This phenomenon can be applied to this album as well, although I do prefer some of the original versions from Markus’ latest album. This release includes only one remix for each of the 16 tracks in the album, so there are a handful of remixes which didn’t make it onto here, such as Omnia’s remix of Surreal, Artento Divini’s remix of Away, The Space Rockerz’ remix of Rain, Lost Stories’ remix of Dark Heart Waiting, and Eelke Kleijn remix of Not the Same. Of course the EPs for these singles include all the versions, so look for those if this album isn’t enough for you. I like how almost all of the artists here are Coldharbour-related, so it’s nice to see Markus sharing the work amongst his entire crew. Most of these tunes have already been played here and there on the Global DJ Broadcast, but it’s nice to have them all packaged into one mix. Check out the continuous DJ mix below.
Markus Schulz – Do You Dream? The Remixes
01 Alpha State (Mike Foyle Remix)
02 Away (Cosmic Gate Remix)
03 Rain (Phynn Remix)
04 Dark Heart Waiting (Jochen Miller Remix)
05 Not the Same (Carlo Resoort Remix)
06 Do You Dream (Ferry Corsten Remix)
07 Last Man Standing (Karanda Remix)
08 Surreal (Moonbeam Remix)
09 Unsaid (Big Room Club Mix)
10 Lifted (Tenishia Remix)
11 Perception (Super8 & Tab Remix)
12 The New World (Barnes & Heatcliff Remix)
13 Lightwave (Club Mix)
14 65.4Hz (Mr. Pit Remix)
15 What Could Have Been (Tucandeo Remix)
16 Goodbye (DNS Project Remix)
17 Continuous DJ Mix
Here is the latest compilation from the Anjuna label, with two in-house DJ’s in control. Worldwide 02 was an excellent release and featured the work of Mat Zo and Super8 & Tab, which also set the bar high for this compilation series. This third edition is equally as good, with two new DJs presenting two different styles, the main difference being the uplifting nature of Daniel Kandi vs the techy flavor that Arty brings to the table. I personally enjoyed CD1 a little bit more, mostly because it features a better track selection. Arty has shown that he is more than a just producer by putting together this nice set. Notable songs from his mix include his new collaboration with Mat Zo, Sun 2011, and The Wall. I also really liked the Save the Robot remix of Drive, and I can’t forget to mention Rex Mundi’s brilliant Sandstone, which has also been featured in Markus Schulz’ Prague compilation as well as Armin’s ASOT 2011 release.
On the flip side, Daniel Kandi’s collection of songs has a much more melodic feel to them. The mix starts off on a bouncy electro-tip which includes some different sounding stuff from the Kandi man. His remixes of Resolution and Silver Sand definitely stray from his usual repertoire in a good way. In the middle there is a sweet Chris Melton remix of Activa’s Indigo, as well as Mike Koglin’s new track Sunstar. Daniel Kandi has also taken this chance to feature some releases from his new label Always Alive Recordings (a sub-label of Enhanced Recordings), co-founded with his buddy Phillip Alpha. The mix ends in an appropriate fashion with a great track by Bart Claessen and Rene Martens.
Anjunabeats Worldwide volume 3
Disc 1 mixed by Arty
01 Super8 & Tab feat. Julie Thompson – My Enemy (Rank 1 Remix)
02 Arty & Mat Zo – Rebound
03 Tritonal feat Cristina Soto – Lifted (Mat Zo Remix)
04 Slusnik Luna – Sun 2011 (4 Strings Remix)
05 Nitrous Oxide – Downforce (Mike Shiver’s Garden State Mix)
06 Sunny Lax & Solex – Out Of This World (Mike Koglin Remix)
07 Arty – Zara
08 Kenneth Thomas feat. Roberta Harrison & Steven Taetz – Drive (Save The Robot Remix)
09 Mat Zo – Superman
10 Boom Jinx & Andrew Bayer – Fracture
11 Rex Mundi – Sandstone
12 Lange & Fabio XB presents Yves De Lacroix – Electrify (Lange Mix)
13 Aruna with Mark Eteson – Let Go (Nic Chagall Remix)
14 Mat Zo – Synapse Dynamics (Arty Remix)
15 Arty feat. Tania Zygar – The Wall
Disc 2 mixed by Daniel Kandi
01 Parker & Hanson – Alquimia (Andrew Bayer Remix)
02 Aiera – Skydive (Willem De Roo Remix)
03 Norin & Rad Vs. Recurve – The Gift
04 Aalto – Resolution (Daniel Kandi’s Solution Mix)
05 Edu & Cramp – Silver Sand (Daniel Kandi Remix)
06 Mike Koglin – Sunstar
07 Daniel Kandi & Phillip Alpha – Don’t Fix It
08 Activa Pres. Solar Movement – Indigo (Chris Melton Remix)
09 Nitrous Oxide – Follow You (Club Mix)
10 Daniel Kandi – Just For You
11 Adam Szabo – Serano
12 Juventa – Dionysia
13 Daniel Kandi – Soul Searchin’
14 Claessen & Martens – The Man Who Knew Too Much
Here is the remixed version of Gareth Emery’s debut artist album. All 12 songs from the original album are featured in this one after being reworked by several notable producers. The original Northern Lights album showed off the diversity of Gareth’s sound, and this remix version pretty much expands on that with the contrasting styles of these remixers. The tracklist has been rearranged according to the energy of these redrawn tracks, which sets up Gareth beautifully for a corresponding DJ mix. The album begins with the Ashley Wallbridge remix of Arrival, and things begin to heat up on the progressive side with the help of Arty, Hardwell, and Beltek. Next up is Too Dark Tonight, which is one of the songs that received the biggest overhaul, morphing from a down-tempo inclination into a high energy banger in the form of a JOC remix. Global and Into the Light are remixed tastefully by Jordan Suckley and Lange, while Citadel gets an alternate, revised bassline by Super8 & Tab. The last three tracks in the mix are rightfully uplifting, and they feature the work of some well established big guns in this epic trance genre. As far as remix albums go, this one gets the job done right with a great selection of remixers. I have uploaded track #13, the DJ mix of all these songs, check it out below.
Gareth Emery – Northern Lights (Re-Lit)
01 Gareth Emery feat. Brute Force – Arrival (Ashley Wallbridge Intro Mix)
02 Gareth Emery – El Segundo (Arty Remix)
03 Gareth Emery feat. Jerome Isma-Ae – Stars (Hardwell Remix)
04 Gareth Emery – Full Tilt (Beltek Remix)
05 Gareth Emery feat. Roxanne Emery – Too Dark Tonight (John O’Callaghan Remix)
06 Gareth Emery – Citadel (Super8 & Tab Remix)
07 Gareth Emery feat. Emma Hewitt – I Will Be The Same (Dennis Sheperd Remix)
08 Gareth Emery – Global (Jordan Suckley Remix)
09 Gareth Emery feat. Mark Frisch – Into The Light (Lange Remix)
10 Gareth Emery feat. Lucy Saunders – Fight The Sunrise (Daniel Kandi Remix)
11 Gareth Emery feat. Lucy Saunders – Sanctuary (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)
12 Gareth Emery feat. Activa – All Is Now (Jorn van Deynhoven Remix)
13 Northern Lights (Re-Lit) – Continuous Mix by Gareth Emery http://www.damabeats.dreamhosters.com/albums/2011/Gareth_emery-northern_lights_re-lit.mp3%20
Check out the original Northern Lights album here
Boom Jinx
01. ID
02. ID
03. ID
04. Parker & Hanson – Alquimia (Andrew Bayer Remix)
05. BT – The Emergency – (Marcus Schossow Remix)
06. A&B – Thing Called Love (Andrew Bayer Remix)
07. Boom Jinx & Andrew Bayer – Keyboard Cowboys
08. Boom Jinx & Andrew Bayer – Fracture
09. Boom Jinx & Andrew Bayer vs. Trifonic & Matt Lange – Quadcore
Jaytech
01. Interplay – Ignition
02. Suspect 44 – Japanese Schoolgirls
03. Mango – Here We Go (Jaytech Remix)
04. Soundprank – The Far Side
05. Roddy Reynaert – Fremou
06. Sunny Lax pres 1986 – Big Fat Kiss
07. Mekki Martin – Straight Lights
08. Jaytech – Pyramid (Dinka Remix)
09. Playton – Silence
10. Spooky – Belong (Sasha Involver Remix / Soundprank Edit) http://www.damabeats.dreamhosters.com/events/TATW350/Jaytech%20-%20TATW%20350%20Los%20Angeles%20(12-10-2010).mp3%20 Cosmic Gate
01. ID
02. Age of Love – Age of Love (Wippenberg Remix)
03. Armin van Buuren Feat Christian Burns – This Light Between Us (Remix)
04. Cosmic Gate Barra (Extended Mix)
05. Susana And Josh Gabriel – Frozen (Nic Chagall Remix)
06. Cosmic Gate – Human Beings (ID Remix)
07. Cosmic Gate – Back to Earth (Jochen Miller Remix)
08. ID
09. James Horner – I See You (Cosmic Gate Remix)
10. Armin van Buuren feat. Cathy Burton – Rain (Cosmic Gate Remix)
11. Cosmic Gate – Fire Wire (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 The Future Remix)
12. Cosmic Gate – Back to Earth (Arty Remix)
13. Markus Schulz feat. Sir Adrian – Away (Cosmic Gate Remix)
14. Cosmic Gate – Exploration of Space (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 The Future Remix)
15. OceanLab – Sirens of The Sea (Cosmic Gate Remix)
Above & Beyond
01. Mark Eteson feat. Aruna – Let Go (Nic Chagall Remix)
02. Mat Zo – Superman
03. Vinny Troia Feat Jaidene Veda – Do For Love (Matt Lange Remix)
04. Maor Levi – Reflect (Jerome Isma Ae & Daniel Portman Remix)
05. Miguel Bose – Por Ti (Above & Beyond Remix)
06. Above & Beyond – ID
07. Mat Zo – Synapse Dynamics (Arty Remix)
08. Above & Beyond vs. Kyau & Albert – Anphonic w/ Alone Tonight (Above & Beyond Mashup)
09. The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony (ID Remix)
10. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford – Sun And Moon
11. Arty – Zara
12. Sunny Lax – P.U.M.A. (Mat Zo Remix)
13. Above & Beyond vs Gareth Emery – On A Good Day (Metropolis)
14. Lange – Harmonic Motion (Genix Remix)
15. Morgan Page vs 4 Strings – The Longest Sundown (Mark Eteson Mashup)
16. Super8 & Tab – Helsinki Scorchin (Bart Claessen Remix)
17. Above & Beyond feat Ashley Tomberlin – Can’t Sleep (Super8 & Tab Remix)
18. Reflekt vs Arty – Need To Feel Hope (Above & Beyond Remix)
19. Andrew Bayer – From The Earth (Breakfast Remix)
20. Nitrous Oxide – Downforce
21. ID
22. Oceanlab – Satellite (Original Mix)
23. Bart Claessen & Dave Schiemann – Madness (Nitrous Oxide Remix)
24. Smith & Pledger – Northern Lights (Breakfast Remix)
25. Above & Beyond feat Richard Bedford – A Thing Called Love
26. ID
Super8 & Tab
01. Super8 & Tab feat Julie Thompson – My Enemy
02. Super8 & Tab feat Jan Burton – Empire (Craig Connelly Remix)
03. Aalto – 5
04. Ronski Speed feat Ana Criado – A Sign
05. M.I.K.E. – Art Of Love (Protoculture Remix)
06. Lange – Harmonic Motion
07. Markus Schulz feat Justine Suissa – Perception (Super8 & Tab Remix)
08. Daniel Kandi – Breathe (7 Skies Remix)
09. Super8 & Tab feat Julie Thompson – My Enemy (Club Mix)
10. Super8 & Tab feat Jan Burton – Mercy
11. Signalrunners feat Julie Thompson – These Shoulders (Andy Moor Remix)
12. Above & Beyond feat Ashley Tomberlin – Can’t Sleep (Super 8 & Tab Remix)
At the end of 2009, Above & Beyond celebrated the 300th episode of their radio broadcast, Trance Around the World, with a unique show consisting of voters’ favorite tracks. Along with this special edition of the broadcast came a memorable live performance at the Forum Hall in Moscow, Russia, where Tony, Paavo, and Jono took the stage alongside Kyau & Albert, Daniel Kandi, Proff, Mat Zo, and Super 8 & Tab. This lineup may not have been as good as the ASOT 300 party, but it was still pretty awesome nonetheless. Here is the music from that momentous night, with the download links at the bottom of the post. Hopefully it gets you in the mood for the upcoming TATW 350 party in Los Angeles, California, and for those of you who plan to attend this event, remember that tickets are already on sale at the Insomniac website.
Trance Around the World 300- Live from Moscow, Russia (January 1, 2010)
Above & Beyond
01 Velvetine – Safe (Wherever You Are) (Rank 1 Remix)
02 Boom Jinx & Andrew Bayer – To The Six (Martin Roth Remix)
03 Wippenberg – Chakalaka
04 Lange vs. Gareth Emery – Another You, Another Me
05 Above & Beyond – Anjunabeach
06 Signalrunners – Aria Epica (Bart Claessen Remix)
07 Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab – Lonely Girl (Gareth Emery Remix)
08 Above & Beyond pres. Tranquility Base – Buzz (BuzzTalk Mix)
09 Super8 & Tab – Helsinki Scorchin’
10 Lange feat. Sarah Howells – Let It All Out (Ronski Speed Remix)
11 Activa pres. Solar Movement – Eclipse (Mat Zo Remix)
12 Daniel Kandi – Child
13 P.O.S. – Remember (Summer Sun)
14 Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab – Sirens of the Sea (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
15 David Newsum – From Dubai With Love
16 Remo Con – Cold Front (Bart Claessen Remix)
17 DT8 Project – Destination (Above & Beyond Remix)
18 Alt+F4 – Alt+F4
19 Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab – On A Good Day (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
20 Smith & Pledger – Believe (Smith & Pledger 2004 Remix)
21 OceanLab vs. Passive Progressive & 7 Skies – Sky Hides Away (Above & Beyond Edit)
Kyau & Albert
01 First State feat. Sarah Howells – Brave (Mac & Mac Remix)
02 Kyau & Albert – I Love You
03 Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix)
04 Matt Darey pres. Urban Astronauts feat. Kate Louise Smith – See The Sun (Aurosonic Remix)
05 Paul van Dyk – For An Angel 2009 (Spencer & Hill Remix)
06 Wippenberg – Pong
07 Marc Marberg with Kyau & Albert – Neo Love
08 BT feat. Jes -Every Other Way (Armin van Buuren Remix)
09 Cressida – Two-O-Ten
10 Marc Marberg with Kyau & Albert – Grrreaat
11 Jerome Isma-Ae – Hold That Sucker Down
12 Randy Katana – The Hype
13 ID – ID
14 Marc Marberg with Kyau & Albert – Megashira
15 Kyau & Albert – Be There 4 U
16 Dash Berlin feat. Cerf, Mitiska, & Jaren – Man On The Run
17 Cosmic Gate feat. Kyler England – Flatline (Kyau & Albert Remix)
18 Cressida – 6AM (Kyau & Albert Remix)
19 Kyau & Albert – Are You Fine
Super 8 & Tab
01 Super8 & Tab – Irufushi
02 Super8 & Tab – ID
03 Lange feat. Sarah Howells – Let It All Out
04 Mike Koglin vs. P.O.S. – Autumn
05 Jerome Isma-Ae – Hold That Sucker Down
06 Marco V – When The Night Falls (Dub Mix)
07 Paul van Dyk feat. Hemstock & Jennings – Nothing But You (Super8 & Tab Remix)
08 Dash Berlin feat. Emma Hewitt – Waiting (First State Remix)
09 Above & Beyond pres. Tranquility Base – Oceanic (Super8 & Tab Remix)
10 Jochen Miller – Red One
11 Andy Moor & Adam White pres. Whiteroom – The White Room (Myon & Shane 54 Refill)
12 Paul van Dyk, Starkillers, & Austin Leeds feat. Ashley Tomberlin – New York City (Super8 & Tab Remix)
13 Filo & Peri feat. Aruna – Ashley (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
14 Temple One – Sahara Nights
15 Super8 & Tab – Elektra
Mat Zo
01 Mat Zo – Rush 2009 (Intro Mix)
02 Matan Zohar – First Glance
03 Josh Gabriel pres. Winter Kills – Deep Down (ID Remix)
04 Pryda – Melo
05 Armin van Buuren pres. Gaia – Tuvan (Gareth Emery Remix)
06 Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Rank 1 – A Life Less Ordinary
07 ID – ID
08 Motorcycle – As The Rush Comes (Ultimate D & Yamos Remix)
09 Mike Koglin vs. P.O.S. – Autumn
10 Mat Zo – 24 Hours
11 ID – ID
12 Mat Zo – ID
13 Mat Zo – Nuclear Fusion
14 Timo Juuti – Little Bits Of Now (Mike Shiver’s Garden State Remix)
15 Mat Zo – The Fractal Universe
16 Simon Patterson – Smack
17 Mat Zo – Lucky Strike
18 RAM – RAMsterdam (Original Mix)
19 Mat Zo – Default
20 London Elektricity – Just One Second (Apex Remix)
Proff
01 Dinka – Never Cheat On Strangers
02 Proff – Glittering Puzzle
03 Dinka – ID
04 Boom Jinx & Jaytech – Milano
05 Proff – Deep Orange
06 Proff – My Personal Summer
07 Jaytech – Delta (Proff Remix)
08 Oceanlab – Lonely Girl (Proff Remix)
Daniel Kandi
01 John O’Callaghan feat. Audrey Gallagher – Take It All Away (Marcus Schossow Nu Prog Remix)
02 Andy Moor & Ashley Wallbridge feat. Meighan Nealon – Faces (Original Mix)
03 Kalafut & Fygle vs. Armin van Buuren Feat. Ray Wilson – Yet Another Novocaine (Daniel Kandi Mashup)
04 Motorcycle – As The Rush Comes (Anton Firtich & Daniel Kandi Divine Remix)
05 Simon Patterson & Sean Tyas – For The Most Part (Marcus Schossow Remix)
06 Marco V vs. Purple Haze – Unprepared Bliskem (Plathysma Mash Up)
07 Ronski Speed feat. Mque – Are You (Sun Decade Remix)
08 Daniel Kandi – Venice Beach (Lifted Mix)
09 Ronski Speed feat. Ana – The Deep Devine (Gareth Emery Remix)
10 Daniel Kandi – Nova (Daniel Kandi vs. Kris O’Neil Remix)
11 Filo and Peri feat. Aruna – Ashley (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
12 Masoud feat. Josie – Leave It All Behind (Jorn van Deynhoven Remix)
13 John O’Callaghan feat. Audrey Gallagher vs. Above & Beyond – Big Sky Home (Daniel Kandi Bootleg)
Super8 & Tab’s Empire is one of the two artist albums I have been patiently waiting for this year, the other being Markus’ Do You Dream release. Miika Eloranta and Janne Mansnerus have come a long way in their careers, and they have now reached a great milestone with the release of their debut artist album. The overall feel is just what you would expect: great melodies mixed with bouncy basslines and techy grooves. A lot of these tracks carry that Anjuna-sound with them, and they really show off the style that these two Finns have been creating. If you compare this album to some of their older stuff, you can clearly hear the evolution of their work as their productions sound cleaner, tighter, and more refined.
The album starts off with a chill song featuring the vocals of Jan Burton. Jan actually lends his talents in 5 tracks on the album, which tells me that he is very close with Janne and Miika. Seven out of the total eleven tracks are accompanied by vocals, and the other vocalists include Betsie Larkin, Julie Thompson, Elina Laasonen (Delusion), and Jan Burton. The CD also gets production help from Anton Sonin (a fellow Finn) on Black Is the New Yellow, as well as some guitar work by Jere Mansnerus (I’m assuming he is Janne’s brother) on Good Times, but other than that, the rest of the CD was produced entirely by Super8 and DJ Tab. The title track, Empire, took a few listens for me to like it, but it is my favorite vocal track on the album, and it is also beyond any doubt stuck in my head. You have probably already heard the tracks Black Is the New Yellow, Mercy, and Irufushi, so you should be familiar with the high level of production that Miika and Janne put into their work. Besides for these monster tunes, I also enjoy the track Bliss, which seems to be a continuation from Irufushi due to their similar styles. Eternal Sequence is also another favorite of mine, which incorporates a sweet walking electro-melody and a Cosmic Gate-style riff. Free Love and Perfect Day are complete chill-out tracks that show off the cool side of Super8 & Tab.
Overall I was very impressed with this album, even though many of the tracks were previously released. Super8 & Tab have created a unique sound, and there is no better way to showcase that than with an album. It has certainly been a busy year for them, but I hope their success doesn’t slow them down. Congrats to Janne and Miika for their ascension to the top, as well as to the Anjuna-crew for their great release. I look forward to more wonderful productions in the future!
Super8 & Tab – Empire (Anjunabeats 2010)
01 Slow To Learn feat. Jan Burton
02 Empire feat. Jan Burton
03 Black Is The New Yellow feat. Anton Sonin
04 My Enemy feat. Julie Thompson
05 Perfect Day feat. Alyna
06 Eternal Sequence
07 Good Times feat. Betsie Larkin
08 Mercy feat. Jan Burton
09 Irufushi
10 Bliss
11 Free Love feat. Jan Burton
Check out the music video for ultra-catchy Empire:
Here is the latest compilation from British trance super-group Above & Beyond. I haven’t listened through it yet (waiting for my signed copy before I take a listen), so here is a nice little review by Twan van Loon:
In the world of Above & Beyond there’s only ever one way — up. In the last few years alone, the UK based production/DJ trio have debuted their full live show in front of 8,000 fans in Beirut, played to 1 million people on a beach in Rio de Janiero and even been chosen to soundtrack the unveiling of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. Not once, however, have they or their Anjunabeats label rested on their laurels.
Across a span of over 170 releases, Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats imprint has grown from humble beginnings to become a global standard-bearer for trance and melodic electronic music. Now, more than ever, it is is synonymous with a quality control that is all too lacking in today’s quick-fix digital age.
The two-disc Anjunabeats Volume 8 compilation is exactly how trance in 2010 should be. A journey showcasing the full spectrum of Above & Beyond’s sound, the compilation takes in electro-influenced grooves, deeper trance and hypnotic progressive textures alongside their trademark euphoric anthems.
Above & Beyond themselves offer a taste of their long awaited second artist album through the instant, emotional highlight ‘A Thing Called Love’, while their debut collaboration with respected German duo Kyau & Albert (‘Anphonic’) provides a driving, upbeat club monster that will be sending message boards, clubs and stadia crazy for months to come.
With over 20 separate artists featured, Anjunabeats Volume 8 is also a testament to the vital transatlantic family that the label now represents. Ascendant talents like Arty, Aruna and 7 Skies inspire fresh excitement. Andrew Bayer’s trio of deep, genre-blurring productions mark him out as one of the most exciting names to come through the ranks since Mat Zo, who himself features through his remix of ‘Live Forever’ by Lange feat. Emma Hewitt.
There’s welcome room, of course, for long-standing Anjuna favourites like Oliver Smith, Nitrous Oxide and Super8 & Tab who make a double appearance ahead of their debut artist album and unleash their most accomplished creations yet. In the beautifully crafted ‘Piece Of Me’, Daniel Kandi has another timeless classic in the making and Dutchman Bart Claessen offers the magically climbing ’90 Nights Of Summer’. Volume 8 also heralds the first Anjuna release by Duderstadt with ‘Stranded in NYC’ plus new Anjuna signings Parker & Hanson, Thomas Datt and Who.Is, a collaborative project from Bart Claessen and Raz Nitzan.
Put simply, the mix is a snapshot of the future. The future of Above & Beyond, the future of the Anjunabeats family and the future of trance.
*edit- Ok, just received my copy today and went through it right now… and I gotta say, I like what I heard first listen. Think of this album as a really complete episode of TATW without any of the fillers. This is really an album that is to be enjoyed turned up loud at home or in the car; it’s not really built as a clubbing CD or anything like that. But this is a good thing, because usually clubbing music thrives more on intensity and doesn’t contain a lot of the more complex songs that take longer to develop. Actually, I think a lot of Anjuna stuff is produced with a little bit more depth, which sometimes makes it ‘boring’ to hear live. Above & Beyond’s sets usually don’t seem as hard as some other trance sets, and I’ve heard a lot of people say their sets from big events put them to sleep. I’d love to disagree with that, but I can’t completely (only through comparison). Either way, I think the stuff they play has a pretty unique sound and it always has my attention. Check it out for yourself, I’m gonna replay it from the beginning but this time with a nice set of cans =)
Above & Beyond – Anjunabeats vol. 8
Disc 1
01 Parker & Hanson – Alquimia
02 Duderstadt – Stranded In NYC
03 Aruna & Mark Eteson – Let Go
04 Oliver Smith – Chordplay
05 Boom Jinx & Andrew Bayer – Keyboard Cowboys
06 Above & Beyond vs. Kyau & Albert – Anphonic
07 Arty – Rush
08 Maor Levi feat. Ashley Tomberlin – Chasing Love
09 Super8 & Tab feat. Anton Sonin – Black Is The New Yellow
10.Andrew Bayer – From The Earth (Breakfast Remix)
11 Bart Claessen – 90 Nights Of Summer
12 Above & Beyond & Gareth Emery pres. OceanLab – On A Good Day (Metropolis)
13 Thomas Datt pres. Asedo – Seven Years
14 Daniel Kandi – Piece Of Me
Disc 2
01 Andrew Bayer – A Farewell (Intro Edit)
02 Andrew Bayer – The Taxi Driver
03 Arty – The Wonder
04 7 Skies – Sushi
05 Lange feat. Emma Hewitt – Live Forever (Mat Zo Dub)
06 Who.Is. – We.Are.
07 Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford – Thing Called Love (Club Mix)
08 David West feat. Andreas Hermansson – Larry Mountains 54 (Juventa Remix)
09 Adam Nickey – Altara
10 Daniel Kandi – Forgive Me
11 Super8 & Tab feat. Jan Burton – Mercy (Extended Mix)
12 AltF4 – AltF4 (Dan Stone Remix)
13 Nitrous Oxide – Dreamcatcher (Club Mix)
14 OceanLab vs. Passive Progressive – Sky Falls Away
Here is the promo video for the two-disc album:
As you can tell, A&B have a cool little space theme going on with the artwork (signed booklet in the middle):
Click here to listen to Anjunabeats vol. 7
It’s been awhile since I shared some tracks from a single artist (or group of artists), so here an update for a previous post on a great trance duo. Since their last expose back in September of last year, Super8 & DJ Tab have produced enough notable tracks to deserve another showcase. Actually, they haven’t produced that many more new ones (compared to busy artists such as Arty or Stoneface & Terminal), but their work has always been quality and there is one song in particular which has recently been turning my brain into jello. Listen below for some of their older tracks I missed last time as well as their latest hits.
Super8 & Tab – Won’t Sleep Tonight feat. Ben Lost (Moody dub mix) (2006)
Here is an OG track which was Super8 & Tab’s first attempt at a true vocal production. If you haven’t noticed yet, a lot of their earlier work was produced in the same key, so this song sounds very similar to the likes of Helsinki Scorchin and Needs to Feel. I have uploaded the dub mix which I prefer over the vocal version.
Super8 & Tab – Needs to Feel (2007)
This track is also very similar sounding to the previous Won’t Sleep Tonight, partially due to the reappearance of Ben Lost. There is also a nice little remix by Wippenberg that was released in this single.
Paul van Dyk – New York City (Super8 & Tab Remix) (2008)
Before their remix of PvD’s Nothing But You, S8&T remixed this song. I like their work on Nothing But You more, but this one is pretty decent as well.
Martin Roth, Alex Bartlett – Off the World (Super8 & Tab Remix) (2008)
Here’s another great piece of remix work by S8&T. This version and the Gareth Emery remix are my favorite of this Vandit release.
Super8 & Tab – Irufushi (2009)
Catchy leads are pretty much expected in S8&T productions, and this song is of no exception. The piano riff in the chorus is also very notable, and the emotion of the song really makes you feel like you are on the little island of Iru Fushi. There are also remixes by Ashley Wallbridge and Sean Tyas if you can’t get enough of this song.
Super8 & Tab – Black is the New Yellow feat. Anton Sonin (2010)
While this track doesn’t touch the magical-ness of Elektra, their first release of 2010 has proven to be a good one. This one also features stuttering vocals with a great melody, and there is an Activa remix which ups the energy and speeds up the tempo. http://www.damabeats.dreamhosters.com/artists/super8tab/Black%20Is%20The%20New%20Yellow%20(original%20mix).mp3%20 Super8 & Tab – Mercy feat. Jan Burton
Here is the latest original production by S8&T, with the help of Jan Burton on the vocals. This is the lead track off of their much-anticipated artist album, Empire. Remixes by 7 Skies and Andy Dugiud can be found on the single, to be released within the week. Hopefully a dub version will also be released.
Markus Schulz – Perception (Super8 & Tab)
Last but not least, here is the track that has been on repeat in my car. This song is the reason why I decided to make this post in the first place. The remake found on Markus’ new album was already a high-point of this year, but this remix takes it to a whole new level. With a faster tempo and more driving breakdown, Super8 & Tab have clearly outdone themselves on this one.
Here is a recent interview with DJ Tab:
Here is a cool little video with footage of some live performances:
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