here's the latest issue of Trance International with news on Paul van Dyk's VONYC Sessions, Markus Schulz, ITWT, Spinnin' Records, Paul Webster and the new solarSwarm...
Compilation Spotlight: PvD's VONYC Sessions 2009 2009… That was the year that was, right? No doubt, but before we get too frothed up about the one ahead, Mr Paul van Dyk is on-hand to remind us of exactly how ‘dance-bountiful’ (!) the one just gone was.
‘VONYC Sessions 2009’ is a 31 track strong arsenal of all that was right about last three hundred and sixty five. Between PVD, VANDIT and the VONYC Sessions radio show, the three institutions went a fair way to defining it musically. Naturally on the CD and download there are plenty of PVD tracks, but, to give its some extra spice, most of them are coming at you in their remixed versions. ‘Words’, ‘Nothing But You’, ‘Home’ & ‘We Are One’, in their retold production form, are lynch-pinning the album’s tracklist with the likes of Jerome Isma-Ae, Super8 & Tab, Cosmic Gate & Giuseppe Ottaviani operating the remix controls.
You’re also going to be well tricked-out with a head-spinning array of VANDIT gear too. Regular contributors Alex M.O.R.P.H., Filo & Peri and that man Ottaviani are all well represented, with 10 tracks between them. Given that they all had debut albums out last year, it more than stands to reason! The up-and-coming crew is also peppering the VONYC Sessions tracklist too, with Ben Nicky, Adam Foley, Sky Motion, Barry Jay seeing their latest floor-busters going under Paul’s CDJ laser. Ever generous people they are, VANDIT have given us 3 copies of ‘VONYC Sessions 2009’ to give away – to be in with a chance of winning one just tell us the name of your favourite artist from the label?
VONYC Sessions 2009 Presented by Paul van Dyk is on shops now and available through iTunes and Beatport.
Paul's Website // Paul's MySpace // Paul's Facebook // Paul's Twitter Page
Five Minutes With: Markus Schulz
TI: First into the T.I. hot seat this year, for a quick chat about the last decade and the one ahead, Florida’s finest, Mr Markus Schulz! How’s things with you sir!?
MS: What’s up Trance International! I’m all good – thanks!
TI: Great! So start off by telling us how and where you saw in the new decade?
MS: I spent it the Los Angeles Sports Arena… but more specifically at the mammoth Together As One Event. I was there with Guetta, Digweed Schossow and a couple of local LA DJs.It's certainly in the top 5 of the biggest parties in LA throughout the year. I last played it last in 2005 and as an event, let’s just say it’s not lost a bit of its edge!
TI: You released your ‘Best of The Global DJ Broadcast World Tour 2009’ album last month. Was it hard coming up with the final tracklist?
MS: Let’s say that shrinking so many Broadcasts down to just 15 tracks wasn’t easy! The ones that made it though are the absolute cream of the crop of the tunes that rocked and for sure that’s what I wanted to showcase.
TI: It had a bit of a neat twist to it, didn't it? Tell us about that?
MS: Basically the tracks I put into the mix were the original GDJB World Tour recordings, with all the local shouts cheers and general crowd noise locked in. It meant that as each track rolls, the listener moves from city to city.
TI: Very nice touch! Now speaking of cities you’ve got a new compilation fast approaching. What’s going to be the target metropolis for the Twenty Ten edition?
MS: Las Vegas – a place that I’ve felt a big kinship with for quite some time. I’ve played some amazing gigs at Rain at Fabulous and Moon at the Palms over the last 18 months - a compilation that focuses on it is long overdue – so I’m setting that right!
TI: How do you personally perceive the city in a clubbing context?
MS: I’ll just say this… If you’re seriously minded about music and clubbing, it’s going to become a place you have to say you’ve tried. Come the next decade it’s going to be a rival to Ibiza – hedonism, after all, has never been in short supply there!
TI: Excellent, we’re looking forward to that already! When’s it out?
MS: 22nd of Feb!
TI: We’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on out for that! Thanks for joining us Markus and all the best for the year ahead.
MS: Thank you guys and the very same to you!
Markus' Website // Markus on MySpace // Markus on Twitter // Markus' Radio Show // Markus On Beatport //
Compilation Spotlight: ITWT 15 Mixed By Virtual Vault 15… It’s a pretty healthy age for a compilation series, isn’t it? While others have fallen by the wayside, ever since their 001 mixed-by-Misja-Helsloot debut in 1998, In Trance We Trust has just kept on truckin’!
2010 starts bright and particularly early for the label with a testosterone-trance compilation mixed by Virtual Vault aka Ben Huijbregts. Under that moniker he’s a one man production outfit that, of late, has come quick to the lips (and even quicker to the CDJs) of Tiësto, Ferry Corsten and Armin van Buuren with the ITWT-released track-quartet of ‘Definition’, ‘Request’, ‘Boundary’ and ‘Experience’.
A refresher listen to any of those tracks will give you some idea at least of what’s in store on In Trance We Trust 15. That though is a long way from the complete picture. You’re also in line for some pretty special new ‘n’ exclusive auxiliary audio action from the likes of BT, Kimito Lopez, Trebbiano, Estuera and last and by no means least, Allure. With the tracklist just released and a very welcome outing from Tiësto’s best known side-project locked in place you have to think to yourself: how good is 2010’s looking already!?
Label Update: Spinnin' Records Into 2010 and could things get any more digital? Well the short answer is ‘yes’! That bastion of all things ‘EDM’, Spinnin’ Records have a drop dead good YouTube channel that’s just itching to be viewed. Currently clocking up a retina-burning two million views a month (!), its servicing all your audio/video early morning/late night needs. Hit it up by clicking and see what’s on offer! As ever one lucky subscriber to the Spinnin Records Podcast will win a label record bag packed full of their latest goodies! Just click the icon link below to throw your name into their hat.
Nicky Romero – My Friend (Spinnin' Records) Nicky Romero drops his interpretation of the well-known classic by Groove Armada and it rocks, hard! The vocals on this release are exclusively re-done by the original singer of Groove Armada. As soon as we started promoting the bootleg version, we realized this would be a big one! Who's Spinnin' it? A huge list of DJs like Fedde Le Grand, Axwell, Laidback Luke, Sander van Doorn, Dirty South and Funkaganda to name a few. Without a doubt this is set to be one of the biggest tracks of 2010! Ellrich & Plaice – F*cking Society (DOORN Recordings) A dream collabo here as Frank Ellrich teams up with Patrick Plaice. The result, as you would expect, is mindblowing! Uplifting as they come with that funky, tough and rolling groove they added a huge hook which creates some dance floor dynamite you cant escape! DJ Support from all the major keyplayers! Carlo Resoort – Revelations (Liquid Recordings) This guy has been churning out quality trance for years now and still impresses with every release! Who's Spinnin' it? That be Armin van Buuren, Sander van Doorn, Lange and Andy Moor! DJ Eco - And We Flew Away (Tone Diary) DJ Eco returns with yet another cracking release on Tone Diary Recordings. He delivers a brand new uplifting track that have been in the playlists of the likes of Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Sander van Doorn, Aly & Fila and Andy Moor!
Producer Update: Paul Webster There’s many a marker in a producer’s career that indicates he’s on the way up. Few of them do it with quite the same impact as a first Tiësto remix though.
Such is the happy state of affairs for Ireland’s Paul Webster who has just wrapped production on his rewire of the big man’s ‘Feel It In My Bones’. One of the hottest tracks from the ‘Kaleidoscope’ long-player (if its 900,000+ YouTube hits are anything to go by!), he’s re-primed it for some pretty intense floor-side action. The rewire will be released as part of the ‘Remixed’ edition of the album, which will be touching down in (no-doubt) suitably large fashion on the 29th of March. Deck-side, Paul will also be joining Tiësto for one of his tour dates in Europe around the same time. Keep an eye/ear out for that!
Elsewhere, Paul’s production schedule is looking equally as seriously-minded for ‘10. Already in launch tube no.1 is his collaboration with Belgium’s Fred Baker and hot on the heels of that will be the just-finished 'Punchbag' (the follow-up to his biggest hit to date, 'The Wolf'). After November '09's 'Time', come the summer we're also in line for another yet-to-be-titled collaboration with Amanda ‘Mrs Judge Jules’ Angelic.
To bind all this nicely together, providing a direct info-line to all his latest happenings, Webster’s new website has just gone on live. You can check it out by clicking here and amongst all the other goodness you can sign up to his brand new monthly iTunes Podcast and get the latest on his Afterhours radio show. Who’s a busy lad then!
Paul's Website // Paul's Podcast
Label Focus: solarSwarm The latest imprint to join Solarstone’s growing label cabal could be the single biggest innovation in putting out music since digital hit. Big statement, we know, but solarSwarm (strap-line: The World’s First Social Network Record label) is, well, just that.
Run by the 200-strong Swarm committee, through that great age-old, tried and tested process of ‘one man, one vote’, they have been busy selecting the tracks, the remixers and the mixes that are released on the label. If you’ve got aspirations in the record label business and are finding it hard to break into, this could just be your first step. At the very least will give you some experience in how the whole shooting match comes together! If you’re interested just send an e-mail to solarSwarm@solarstone.co.uk , giving them a brief rundown on why you’d like to become a member.
The Swarm’s first release (‘Lost In Silence’ by Adam Fielding) has been easing the T.I. staff through those painful January Mondays & Tuesdays on near perma-loop. Complete with its excellent Elfsong and Estiva revamps, you can get a hold of it bright and early on the 25th of Jan through Beatport and all good DD sellers. With plenty more to come through the early parts of 2010, we’re looking at both a killer new label and a record label evolution. Not every day you can say that, eh!
solarSwarm Website // solarSwarm on Twitter //
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