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Mixed by Agnelli & Nelson, Darren Tate and John Askew
» Trance Republic
Reviewed by Alix
/ Submitted 12-08-05 14:11
Label: Hitmania
Format: 2 x CD
Genre: Trance
When this triple compilation pack slid through the letterbox and flopped onto the doormat I wasn’t filled with all that much enthusiasm. Trying to find the time to listen to it all and write the review seemed like a mountainous task. But, honestly, it’s been a pleasure, and the pleasure has been all mine.
In this pack we have the best of British producers and DJs. The people behind Trance Republic have got it very right because there’s something in there for everyone, no matter what kind of trance lover you are. I did the right thing and listened to the three CDs in order, which worked like a dream.
CD1 has been mixed by the super talented and much loved Irish trance duo, Agnelli and Nelson. These two have now been at it since 1997 and are responsible for some all time Balearic classics such as El Nino and Everyday. This mix initially seems to be what you’d expect from Agnelli and Nelson; gentle, euphoric, melodic trance with a lot of vocals. Very palatable for both the trance connoisseur and even those less experienced. Dare I say it, but it’s probably slightly more towards the commercial end of the scale. Knowhere’s resident Adam White, trance man of the moment, features on this CD under his Whiteroom moniker, both on remix duties and with his own track ‘Someday’ which is an interesting and powerful vocal trance tune. The one that really stood out for me was ‘Amore de dios’ which almost had me standing there with a big cheesy grin on my face and my hands in the air… on the Northern line platform. A beautifully crafted, classic trance number, which creates a sense of nostalgia for those trance veterans amongst us. Other tunes to watch out for are ‘Made of Sun’ by Kyau and Albert who seem to be marking their trance territory recently with some very solid releases. And of course let’s save the best till last – Agnelli & Nelson’s very own ‘Shiver’. Just one word will do for this – superb! All in all, an interesting mix. The progression is by no means linear, but it all slots together really well into a seamless trance journey, which takes you from 1st gear to 4th via some interesting twists and turns without you even realising.
CD2 is the work of our very own trance hero Darren Tate, otherwise known as Jurgen Vries, DT8, Angelic, Orion… and then some! The man of many monikers and many great talents. This was by far my favourite CD of the lot. I confess to keeping this one in my discman for a little while longer! I have to say I was hooked from the first chord when ‘Hoochie Koochi’ by Maurice and Noble came in. This has a Balearic vibe with a gentle, funky guitar riff, which sends you to watching the sunset outside Café Mambo, but only in your mind unfortunately! I would say this CD is slightly more serious trance, with some well picked out vocal numbers. It’s a great preamble to a night out. I was ready and raring to go, but unfortunately for me I finished listening to this at about 9am just as I was getting to work. You live and learn. This once again progresses beautifully and along the way pulls in a great variety of trance – tech, pumping, funky, Balearic, euphoric, vocal and even a bit of a classic. You can’t really ask for much more. We have some classic tunes of the year such as the Menno de Jong mix of ‘Affinity’ (Thrillseekers pres. Hydra), which has been caned by anyone and everyone, even my Grandma. Spirit of Ka by Aly & Fila is one of my personal favourites; the beautiful piano riff gets me every time. And of course Darren’s own ‘Prayer for a God’ shows that he certainly knows how to make an exit! It has a very spiritual vocal build up at the beginning, which goes into a lush harmony. Then it goes absolutely mental with what sounds like a sample from Josh Wink’s Higher State of Consciousness! You gotta love it.
CD3 has been mixed by John Askew, who has gained a lot of respect and dedication from his fans not only for his awesome tech trance productions, but as a DJ on Kiss FM and veteran of the early 90’s rave scene. Overall I have to say fair play to him with this mix. It’s one of the most interesting and experimental mixes I’ve heard in a while and he pulls it off with great ease and style. The gentle intro track ‘Twilight’ lulls you into a false sense of security as it flows along peacefully and gently… and then… Bam! The next track comes pounding in; energetic, lovely melody, with great depth and warmth. So right from the outset Askew shows us who’s boss. It is obvious that he favours the breakbeat influenced breakdowns. There are some really interesting tracks in this mix, such as ‘Laatzen’, which throws together a cacophony of sounds that somehow fuse together and co-operate, very much reminiscent of a BT style production. Or there’s his very own ‘Blackout’ which has a tough, chunky, funky bassline, but then powerful piano riff comes to the fore and takes over. Of course no mix is complete without those few favourites. For me these have to be Marcos ‘Cosmicstring’, the simple, but infectious riff that everyone knows and Envio ‘Love Poison’ – a great, powerful tune charged with energy and an interesting riff in the middle, which sounds like it could be a harp, but don’t quote me on that. So all in all, a great mix, especially for those who prefer trance on the tougher and techier tip.
Tracklisting
CD1 – Agnelli & Nelson
1. Max Graham feat. Jessica Jacobs – I Know You’re Gone
2. Altitude – Sunray (Original mix)
3. Nick Thompson – Spice Fire
4. Steve May – Blend Forty 3
5. Kobbe & Austin Leeds – Daze
6. Ridgewalkers – Find
7. Mike Foyle presents Statica – Space Guitar
8. Young Parisians – Jump The Next Train (Kyau vs Albert remix)
9. Jan Johnston – Transparent
10. Stenna – Skyline
11. Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston – No One On Earth
12. Filo & Peri feat. Fisher – Closer Now (whiteroom remix)
13. Whiteroom feat. Amy Cooper – Someday
14. Duende – Amore De Dios
15. Kyau vs Albert – Made of Sun
16. Agnelli & Nelson - Shiver
CD2 – Darren Tate
1. Maurice & Noble – Hoochie Koochi
2. Yilmaz Altanhan – Eighties
3. Hiratzka & Kazell feat. Shirli McAllen – Venice Dawn (Riley & Durrant remix)
4. White Water feat. Melinda Gareh – The Unknown
5. Classified Project – Starlight Chaser (Agnelli & Nelson remix)
6. Armandi – Philtre
7. Thrillseekers pres. Hydra – Affinity (Meen De Jong remix)
8. Kaste – Desert Eagle
9. Filo & Peri meet Mike Foyle – Luana (Signalrunners remix)
10. Ross Assenheim – In the Past
11. Aly & Fila – Spirit of Ka
12. Sandler – Chemistry
13. Lennox – Servants of Justice (Morph remix)
14. Green Martian – Ladies and Gentleman (GD remix)
15. Darren Tate – Prayer for a God
CD3 – John Askew
1. 4 Mal – Twilight (Intro mix)
2. Thomas Datt – Alone (Inertia club mix)
3. Marc Van Linden & Sandra Flyn – Laatzen
4. Sam Sharp – Error
5. Arc in the Sky – Kissed (Narthex remix)
6. Envio – Love Poison (Ryan G remix – AvB re-edit)
7. John Askew – Blackout
8. Marcos – Cosmicstring (Marc Van Linden mix)
9. Sandra Flyn – Brightness (NU NRG mix)
10. Inertia – The Chamber
11. Factoria – Twisting Free
12. Marco Zaffarano – Dazed
13. Castaneda – Oceanborn (John Askew re-edit)
14. Bram Vank feat. Tony C – This Time I Rise! (Goldenscan’s re-animated dub)
15. Astrix – Tweaky
Rating: 
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