This month Matt speaks about his USA album tour, summer in the UK, Tidy Summer Camp and much much more along with the usual reviews and top ten list.

Festival Season is upon us

I just started the first leg of my USA album tour with the first launch party at 1015 in SF which was an amazing experience for me. I'm also really looking forward to the launch party at my new residency at Avalon in LA on June 3rd and playing in Texas for the first time. Straight after that I'm touring Australia & New Zealand from 24th June to 3rd July stopping by Brisbane, 2 gigs in Sydney, Wellington, Perth and Adelaide before flying back to the USA for more tour dates. If you wanna hook up with me on the tour then go to www.mattdarey.com for more info.

Summer in the UK is well and truly in swing and forecasters are predicting temperatures to rival those of glorious 2003. The arrival of blue skies, ice cream vans and fake tan can mean only one thing' it's time to take trance out of hot, dark rooms, and into the great outdoors. Glastonbury and its 'dance village' has been and gone, and will be taking a break next year, but fear not... there's still plenty of opportunity to 'ave it large al fresco.

1st - 3rd July sees the Tidy Summer Camp at Pontins Holiday Centre, Hemsby-On-Sea, near Great Yarmouth. Tidy might be more associated with filthy hard dance, but as their Weekender in March proved, they can turn their hand to trance with the best of them. Big names are M.I.K.E. Push, the massively respected producer, Johan Gielen, the Dutch tech-trance DJ who stole the show at the recent Seriousworld II at Canvas, London, Judge Jules and Riley & Durrant. Expect a young up-for-it crowd with a take no prisoners attitude to fun.

Next up is Tribal Gathering on 16th July in Luton, Bedfordshire. Strictly an acid house event, it is included here because it is for a VERY GOOD CAUSE. All DJs are appearing for free, and all profits are being donated to the crisis in Sudan. Dig deep kids and get back to the old-school with Danny Rampling and others.

Global Gathering goes from one to two days this year, and 29th and 30th July see Long Marston Airfield near Stratford Upon Avon open its doors to a galaxy of musical stars. The Global stage is where it's at ­ Paul Oakenfold spins on Friday ­ but it's Saturday when the real action takes place' German megastar Paul van Dyk, technical wizard Eddie Halliwell, everyone's favourite Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Judge Jules, Jon O'Bir and London-based Above & Beyond unite to satisfy even the most ardent trance fanatic. Weekend ticket holders will also have campsite access.

Last of the UK dancethons is Creamfields on August Bank Holiday at the Old Liverpool Airfield. Scooping 'Best Dance Festival' in the UK Festival Awards, Creamfields is one of the UK's biggest and best loved festivals. This year the Cream & GoodGreef Arena host Paul Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buuren, Judge Jules, Eddie halliwell, Above & Beyond, Adam Sheridan, Nu Nrg (live), and special guest Paul Oakenfold. As if that weren't enough, K90, who delivered a show-stopping hard trance set at the Tidy Weekender, plays a live set in the Tidy Arena. Plus of course the Beyonce Castle, podium dancing and circus performers.

The UK might have the best club scene in the world, but other European countries are actually really rather good at outdoor trance. Germany celebrates ten years of it's first major open-air rave ­ Nature One ­ held 30th July to 1st August in Hunsrück. The Open Air Floor hosts Paul Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten and Blank & Jones on Friday, and Tomcraft, Kai Tracid, Westbam, Tillmann Uhrmacher and Nu Nrg on Saturday.

The Dance Valley Festival In Amsterdam on 5th and 6th August is another one that's upgrading from a single day event. Held in a natural valley providing the perfect acoustics for loud music, Dance Valley is Europe's largest open air dance festival. Eddie Halliwell, Above & Beyond, Ronald van Gelderen, and Ian Betts spin on Friday, but it's all about Saturday' with Paul van Dyk and Ferry Corsten on the main stage, Armin van Buuren, Perry O'Neill, Remy, and M.I.K.E. on the Armada stage, and Randy Katana, Adam Sheridan, Ian Betts, E-Craig, Nu Nrg live, and America's Christopher Laurence on the Eurogrooves stage.

Last up is Mystery Land, Europe's oldest and probably most famous outdoor festival, and this year held on 27th August in Haarlem, Holland. Three stages (count them' three) feature the cream of European artists, alongside some lesser-known but no less talented producers. Paul Oakenfold, Marco V, Johan Gielen and tech house / trance DJ Benny Benassi appear on the Open Air stage, the Black Hole Recordings stage (Tiësto's label) hosts Judge Jules, Cor Fijneman, production duo Mark Norman, Mojado (Live) and Mr Sam, and production legends Randy Katana and E-Craig play sets on the Madhouse stage.

And if summer fails to appear, worry not. Next month's trance pages will give you low-down on August in Ibiza' where it's always summer. Just how much trance can peak season squeeze in?

- Darey / Harral


Album of The Month

Tiësto - 'In Search Of Sunrise 4 (Latin America)
'In Search Of Sunrise' is a series started way back in 1999 and is inspired by Tiësto's travels and is also a tribute to sun, sand, open air venues and those long summer nights. This latest album was inspired by his latest tours through Latin America in 2004 and 2005, where he has visited countries like Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia. This album kicks things off with another classy number from Solar Stone and then taking you on a journey from the deep and atmospheric with Latin influence with tracks like Moments, Why, Max Grahams mix of Do what you want putting you in the summer mood and setting your mind off to sun kissed beaches. Other highlights are Andy Moors mix of Luminary, Arcadia by Gabriel & Dresden which all blend nicely along the way. The second CD takes things on a trancier tip into familiar territory. Got the thumbs up from me and I think the first part is gonna get most of you hooked with some really fresh sounds.

Single Reviews

You can hear all these tunes in the mix @ www.dpdj.co.uk

Lustral - Solice (AudioJelly)
Lustral were one of the phenomena's of the late 90's and there all time anthem everytime in all its different remix guises has touched the life of most people on the clubbing scene. This is a rework of one of the other singles that rocked the clubs all that time ago. This mix takes you on a deeper trip and with a yet another mind blowing vocal performance from Lustral singer Johanna Law. I opened a set with this the other weekend and it rocked. Go to www.audiojelly.com for more info.

Matt Darey ft Izzy - Eternity (DareyProducts)
Well it's a bit naff to big up your own tunes but this is the new one and proud of it. Classical Singer Izzy is now on her 3rd album with EMI. When I first met her 10 years ago she'd just left music collage and we made this track. We got real strings in from Goldsmiths Orchestra and created the first Classical Trance tune. Sadly I went on one of my mad years off out on the rampage in clubland, forgot all about it and never released it!! Thank god memory loss is short term cause I found the master tapes in my parents loft at Xmas. Fell in love with it again and reworked the original idea. I think its deffo the best thing I've done since 99....10 years in the making!!!! judge for yourself...go to www.mattdarey.com for a sneaky preview. Judge for yourself

Pearl Jam - Better Man (W/L Booty)
Not a name you'd usually associate with the trance pages. This is a wicked bootleg of the Pearl Jam Classic and definitely breaks new ground with a fresh sound on the trance scene. Laid back grooves kick this baby off and the guitar melody drifts in with the vocals. I first spun this on NYE in LA and it rocked, now its finally getting a release onto vinyl thank god!! Unfortunately I can't really credit the genius behind this one cause its all a bit hush hush if ya know what I mean....they call him the invisible man.


Yahel - Behind the Silence (Fundamental)
This is proving to be massive with the Dutch DJ's with its distinctive Euro male vocal. Energetic trance workout with huge breakdown an driving basslines. A few people are playing a bootleg version but the orig rocks too. Fundamental seem to be right on top of the game with anthems including Nickleson Yin and Sahara. Keep em coming!!

Jose Amnesia - Second Day (Vandit)
Jose Amnesia created one of the classica back in the day when PVD's label was kicking off big time for the first time. This latest offering comes in both the deeper original mix which is very moving and emotional on that kind of Probspot / Markus Shultz tip. Classy to the last beat. Then there's the Martin Roth remix which absolutely rocks and very much in the same style as his recent bootleg of Keans ³Last time' which is still right up there for me. With all angles covered this should be massive with the cooler jocks.

Gabriel & Dresdon - Arcadia (CDR)
These guys are people who brought the deepest realms of Trance to the forefront of everyone's minds with Motorcycle. Now they seemed to have gone back underground. This one is a journey into sad haunting melodies kind of reminiscent of early Joy Divison ( a 70's cult band who's lead singer committed suicide). It a bit of an odd one for me but put in the contact of a G&D set it rocks. Great stuff to listen to on a chill out.

Scott Mac - Damager 05 (Recoverworld)
A rework of a classic. I thoroughly rinsed out the original mix of this the other year so its great to have some new mixes to play. This package comes with the original mix which still stands out as the best but the new mix from Mac Zimms is rockin my world at the moment. Scotsman Mark Sherry also brings us a crazy hardfloor mix that will get those pill munching kids going crazy everytime.

Headstrong feat Tiff Lacey - Close Your Eyes (DareyProducts)
I have to say this tune really grew on me so much so that I decided to sign it up to my label. Tiff Lacey really has to be one of the strongest vocalists on the scene. Her last big track's were with Oakenfold and ATB and she always seems to have a presence in the industry. Coupled with the hot young talent Headstrong they managed to get Radio 1 airplay off the back of the original Demo. I just remixed it on a deeper tip and now its in the box of all the cooler jocks. New remix on the way from the man behind Tilt & Whiteroom under his new alias. Go to www.mattdarey.com for a sneaky preview or just turn on the radio.


Matt Darey Top 10 June 2005

1. Headstrong - Close Your Eyes (dp)
2. Rachael Star - Till there was you ­G&D
3. Mike Foyle v's signal runners - Love Theme
4. Andy Moor - Body Move - orig (CDR)
5. Matt Darey - Eternity ( dp CDR)
6. AndyMoor v Soronous - Unknown ­ (booty CDR)
7. Gabriel & Dresdon ­- Arcadia - orig (CDR)
8. Deep Dish ­- Say Hello - Dylan Rymes (CDR)
9. Jose Amnesia ­- Second Day (Vandit)
10. Matt Darey's Li Kwan -­ Point Zero -Darey Deep (dp)