Time flies when trance is alive. I still cannot believe that it's already been 2 years since I'm an avid listener of trio DJ Above & Beyond, who's been sticking on top of the best 100 DJs annual poll on DJ Mag in the past couple of years.
It's not surprising that I only started listening to dance music 2 years ago. It's pretty easy to recognize many other producers once you start listening to a trance DJ, since the nature of the genre employs the DJs to explore mixing sub-genres from different record labels.
Anyway, all the dancing and the whole notion of my club life hasn't been as much fun in R&B/Hip-hop scenes as when I move along with the fast beats of progressive tunes.
The first club I went to was also one of the best clubs in San Francisco. All-year round, Ruby Skye always get gigs from world-class DJs. So, yeah that first time me as the baby went out dancing all night was also the first and last time to-date that I saw Armin van Buuren playing live. (If you happen to not know him, I beg you to at least pretend that you do: He's voted as the #1 DJ in the world on DJ Mag 4 times in a row). Ever since, I've grown to love those tunes that always made me go into states of euphoria, and I could move with high heels on my feet for up to 4 hours straight because of that high (for the love of God!), and so then I've been relatively active in the nightlife scenes.
And then I retire this year, of the many reasons is, obviously, I'm still underage.
So, sans clubbing, I subscribe to one of the many trance music podcasts of my favorite DJs, among which is Above & Beyond. Sadly, I've only seen them played live just once, and yet again it was at Ruby Skye. I have to say that it's one of my most memorable nights... Because I stayed right from the beginning 'til the very end, and also because one of my friends had a total blackout by the end of the night (Who says we need drinks to get high? The life of the party is in the music!!)
I even got autographs (without Tony) on my Anjunabeats100 CD cover that I purposely brought with me that night, and I got to dance on-stage (Note that hand band! I remember very clearly some random person from the front invited me up and gave me that band for a free-pass to go on stage).
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| Ruby Skye, 10 April 2009 Above & Beyond Anjunadeep:01 tour |
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In any case, the name is undoubtedly linked to the ability of music to induce an altered state of consciousness known as a trance. The effect of some trance music has been likened to the trance-inducing music created by ancient Pagan shamanists during long periods of drumming.[citation needed]
In any case, it dawned on me that long-duration progressive tunes has an impact on me. On the positive note, and in the larger matters of everyday life, I soon think that nothing else matters other than being straightforward and keep moving forward, much as the act of running and writing, which are two of my many passions I've grown with listening to these euphoric tunes, which are, in some ways, melancholic too.
Going back on the details of music, Above & Beyond has just released their "Best Of" episodes on the TATW podcast that's available on iTunes. They also recently recorded their #350 episode at the L.A. palladium, which was just epic. It's pretty huge too for the Anjuna label - their increasing popularity has taken over the pop trance family, along with Armin van Buuren.
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| T-shirt available at armadashop.com |
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| Armind, Armin van Buuren's record label on Armada Music. |
Personally I love them both, and what ignites my euphoric senses from the mixes of Above & Beyond is that the tracks they play are always uplifting, which is their signature style, and mostly melodic, with lots of vocal.
Yet again they've done a superb job this year. For those still unfamiliar with the podcast, TATW would usually have a special 30-minute guest mix at the end of their 2-hour podcast. The last two "Best of 2010" episodes of the year was an exception. Here are the track listings for TATW #353 and #352, along with YouTube embeds on my personal favorites:
#353
Released on: 31 December 2010
1. Who.is "We.Are" (Anjunabeats)
2. Super8 & Tab "Mercy" [7 Skies Remix] (Anjunabeats)
3. Boom Jinx & Andrew Bayer "Keyboard Cowboys" (Anjunadeep)
4. Maor Levi feat. Ashley Tomberlin "Chasing Love" (Anjunabeats)
5. Gareth Emery feat. Lucy Saunders "Sanctuary" [Club Mix] (Garuda)
6. Arty "Twilight Tonight" [Arty Remode] (Enhanced Progressive)
7. 7 Skies "Sushi" (Anjunabeats)
8. Gareth Emery "Citadel" (Garuda)
9. Breakfast feat. Jeaninne Hebb "Every Night" (Holy Moon)
10. Aruna with Mark Eteson "Let Go" (Anjunabeats)
11. Vast Vision feat. Fisher "Behind Your Smile" [Suncatcher Remix] (Enhanced)
12. Above & Beyond & Gareth Emery pres. OceanLab "On A Good Day [Metropolis]" (Anjunabeats)
13. Ferry Tayle "The Prestige" [Original Mix] (Enhanced Recordings)
14. SoundLift "Empty Night Street" [Daniel Kandi Remix] (Blue Soho)
15. Michael Cassette "Ghost In The Machine" (Anjunadeep)
16. Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab "On A Good Day" [Above & Beyond's Acoustic Mix] (Anjunabeats)
17. Dan Stone "Harvest Moon" (Anjunabeats)
18. Super8 & Tab feat Julie Thompson "My Enemy" [Club mix] (Anjunabeats)
19. Michael Cassette "Memories" [90's Piano Mix] (Anjunadeep)
20. Super8 & Tab feat. Julie Thompson "My Enemy" [Rank 1 Remix] (Anjunabeats)
#352
Released on: 24 December 2010
1. Mat Zo "24 Hours" [Original Mix] (Anjunabeats)
2. Daniel Kandi "Venice Beach" [Lifted Mix] (Anjunabeats)
3. Estiva & Temple One "November Lovely" [Temple One Remix] (Enhanced)
4. 7 Skies "Caffeine" [Original Mix] (Anjunabeats)
5. Ferry Tayle & Static Blue "Trapeze" [Daniel Kandi's Emotional Remix] (Enhanced)
6. Cold Blue "30 Degrees At Midnight" (Anjunabeats)
7. Bent "As You Fall" [Kyau & Albert Remix] (Euphonic)
8. Jer Martin "Ten Minutes To Midnight" [Original Club Mix] (Anjunabeats)
9. Nitrous Oxide feat. Aneym "Far Away" [Club Mix] (Anjunabeats)
10. Mat Zo "The Found" (Anjunabeats)
11. Super8 & Tab feat. Anton Sonin "Black Is The New Yellow" [Original Mix] (Anjunabeats)
12. Mat Zo "The Lost" (Anjunabeats)
13. Elias B "After All" [Sunny Lax Remix] (Blue Soho)
14. Arty "Rush" [Original Mix] (Anjunabeats)
15. Mat Zo "Near The End" (Anjunabeats)
16. Nitrous Oxide "Dreamcatcher" [Club Mix] (Anjunabeats)
17. Arty "Rush" [Dan Stone Remix] (Anjunabeats)
18. 7 Skies & Kiholm "Lost & Found" (Enhanced)
19. Above & Beyond vs. Kyau & Albert "Anphonic" [Original Mix] (Anjunabeats)
20. Glensk "Pacific Blue" [Daniel Kandi Remix] (Infrasonic)
21. Super8 & Tab "Mercy" [Club Mix] (Anjunabeats)
You can download the episodes at www.trancearoundtheworld.com.
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It's been quite a year without visits to the open dancefloor and the loud crowds. Yet it's still a bangin' year in trance music right from the comfort of my home.
For the love of music, all along that I've been a trance fanatic I've also became an aspired writer of many fantasies, a long-distance runner who's training for the 2011 San Francisco Marathon, almost a DJ with my piano background (I seriously thought of buying a DJ set when I toyed around with my friend's set), and a mover and shaker 24/7.
Now that I'm almost officially legal, the time has come for me to hit the club again. With a real ID.
