The second fully digital release on this Germany based trance label comes from the hands of an artist duo that has already delivered 'Risky Business' back in Fenology's earlier days. This time around, they bring us a total of 4 tracks in varying styles, so there might just be something on here for a lot of people's liking...
Moonrush are actually Ron Creemers and Gaston Serpenti. If you want to know more (a lot more, to be precise) about them, just head over to our interview section and read the interview we did with them last year. Or just click here.
'Risky Business' was actually quite the hit, mainly because of the Arc In The Sky remix. Following up on this, Moonrush remixed (among others) Talla 2XLC and Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Woody van Eyden, delivering quite the fresh, trancy interpretations of 'Carry Me' and 'Heavenly' respectively. Tracks on this release are being supported by Tiësto, Johan Gielen, Jon O'Bir and Steve Helstrip, among others.
1. EP1 While it is titled rather simply to the point, we are being served a classy, powerful trancer here. Pumping beats and razorsharp percussional elements take care of a good drive, led onwards by a not too shabby bassline along their way. What does the job during the build is a massive amount of melody, climbing up and down creating a very dense, elevating feel. Although the melodies in this track aren't of the caliber you will remember for days to come, they do actually work out in quite the lovely way just because of their sheer 'flow'. The breakdown introduces the effective lead riff without remorse, all in all leading to a nice burst of energy during the parts that follow. This is not a masterpiece, yet it does exactly what it needs to do: trance you up a bit.
2. Lolitastreet Subtlety, that's the keyword here. While 'EP1' was of the 'in-your-face' type, this one takes on a whole different approach by relying almost continuously on a high pitched, simple set of synth notes. It brings a bit of a mystic feel with it, accentuated by the use of a thick, wobbly set of basses and a good amount of backing melo's to keep things at pace. The overall structure of the tune is not your standard one, mainly because of its heavy reliance on a really extensive breakdown, which teases around like a madman by energizing the melodies until no more power can be added. The lead melody though, has a very trancy feel coming with it, a thing which contrasts quite nicely with the more proggy and subtle feel that was brought forward during the build-up. A cool second track on this EP which is definitely worth checking out.
3. The Freeze This is actually a very dark, driving track compared with its predecessors. Right from its initial beats, you'll notice this is going to be a heavy ride judging from its rather harsh beats, mysterious use of subtle melodies and a very mean, blasting bassline to top things off. The production of this one is very smooth, blending together well fitting, eerie sounding synth compositions with each other really neatly. The main breakdown goes on in the dark moods that have been created during the build. A throbbing, gigantic synth sound playing just a few notes takes on an overwhelming role here, but somehow it aligns right-on well with the rest of the tune. A harsh climatic affair emerges by combining the riff with that badass bassline and them obscure synths, resulting in an overall dark, yet energetic trancer with could serve very well during those peaktime moments.
4. Wayout! This one already features on Mellomania 08, a mix-compilation from the Shah & Pedro Del Mar stable. Style-wise, on the one hands it reminds a bit of what we heard during the first track of this EP. But on the other hand, it is again less straight-forward, making heavy use of icy, atmospheric melodic structures and a less dense, 'more complicated' overall feel so to speak. What makes this track stand out is its excellent breakdown and accompanying riff. Even though it is a tad simple, it works out amazingly because of the superbly well fed lead riff playing a wicked lil' melody. As seems to be imminent in Moonrush tracks, it powers up to great heights, eventually merging in with the remainder of the track to become a full-fledged dancefloor killer. Go give this one a listen if you're a fan of power!
Conclusion:
Moonrush bring us a varied amount of tracks on this EP. 'EP1' is in your face trance, 'Lolitastreet' is a more subtle, proggy tune, 'The Freeze' is a harsh, mean trance beast and 'Wayout!' lies a bit in the middle of it all. There surely is something on here for a good amount of trance maniacs, so my advice is to definitely give this one a listen!
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