The very latest edition of your essential trance monthly mail has arrived with news on BT & Markus Schulz's latest albums and an update on the label that time seems to have forgot, Tsunami. All that this and a whole lot more...

The very latest edition of Trance International is now into the public domain and if you have not come across this essential monthly update dedicated to Trance its about time you did. Edition number 16 has updates on Markus Schulz, Yoji, Fast Distance and does some groundwork to find out where legendary trance label Tsunami is hiding these days. They also have some compilations to give away and a chance to win BT's latest artist album. Read on.

ALBUM SPOTLIGHT: BT - These Hopeful Machines

As electronic dance music fans know all too well, it’s easy to stray into hero worship when talking all things ‘BT’. Forging a path as a progressive house prophet & headline DJ in his early years, he sidestepped the established career course and continued into film soundtracks, iPhone apps and much-applauded vocal turns on other producers work. Impressive words like ‘Technologist’ & ‘Composer’ are often used, and without any undue modesty.

When his albums are announced they’re treated with the kind of excitement reserved for the reformation of long disbanded rock greats and this month we’re again approaching the eye of that storm. Following his 2006 ‘This Binary Universe’ LP, BT’s sixth studio album opened its batting with the ‘The Rose of Jericho’ last year. The Armin van Buuren-remixed floor-thriller ‘Every Other Way’ followed in January and this month we’ve got ‘Suddenly’ - a track that dropped by Ferry Corsten’s remix desk on the way to promotion. Nine other tracks go to make up ‘These Hopeful Machines’ – divided retro-fashion into side A & side B discs. An as-ever fine collection they are too...

We wouldn’t be doing justice to ‘Machines’ if we didn’t mention the effortless cool of its cover. Caught somewhere between the styles of Frida Kahlo and Vladimir Tretchikoff, it’ll look every inch as good in your collection as its sounds!

WIN A COPY OF THE ALBUM

We’ve been handed 3 copies of the album to give away – all you need to do is drop us an e-mail saying: 'I’d certainly like one of those!' First 3 out of the hat will get one! 'These Hopeful Machines is out now on Black Hole Records/Maelstrom.



COMPILATION SPOTLIGHT: Markus Schulz - Las Vegas 10

On a Friday night, towards the end of last month at the Ministry, Trance International watched as Markus Schulz brought The Gallery’s ever-faithful trance-hungry hoards (no more proof of that needed than the dismal weather outside) to near-instant boiling point… and then kept them there for 3 unwavering hours. Another city visited, another one rocked – just one of the 17 he touched down in over the course of that month.

Markus likes cities - his ‘metropolis-centric’ approach has been a pivotal component of the Schulz M.O. since his first compilation back in 2005. This month sees the release of the 2010 edition, which this time has him homing in on Las Vegas - a place that's embraced him as much as he’s embraced it…

We’ve had more than your average number of spins through the album over the last two weeks. From the first beats of Clinch’s ode to Rain (this time we’re talking about the of Vegas club, as opposed to the weather condition!) to the closing finale of Shogun’s ‘Connected’, it mantains an energy level that’s hard to beat. On the way there are some exceptionally fine (and exclusive) tracks. Picking individual ones from the 29 strong collection is a task in itself, but Rex Mundi’s ‘Opera of Northern Ocean’, Veselin Tasev’s trancendental ‘Pacific Waves’ & the Robert Burian produced, Zdenka Predna vocalled ‘You’ were noticeably getting some extremely heavy ‘click back’ action.

Way too early in 2010 for ‘Compilation of the Year’ proclamations, but we’ll say this: you’ll miss ‘Las Vegas ‘10’ at your great peril! It's out through iTunes on the 15th of Feb, with the CD following on the 22nd.



COMPILATION SPOTLIGHT: Anjunadeep 02 (Mixed by Jono Grant & Jaytech)

This month the Deep sub-detachment of Anjuna (although we more often view it in a standalone older/younger brother type fashion these days) will unveil their second compilation excursion. Mixed by label helmsman James Grant and one of its most prodigious producers, Jaytech, Volume 2 is every inch ‘01’s grand successor. On the latter album the pair formed a remix alliance; one which you’ll quickly spot from the first track of the follow-up has evolved into an original production mandate. From ‘Moth’s languid early moves ‘Anjunadeep 02’ sweeps the board with tracks from the cooler end - stalwarts like Oliver Smith, Paul Keeley, Michael Cassette, Boom Jinx & 16 Bit Lolitas providing. As the disc reaches its climax, the two James’ return with a cannot-be-missed revamp of BT’s ‘Flaming June’ – the parts for which they bagged from the man in the latter half of 2009.

There are naturally also some more up-‘n’-coming names previewing their latest wares and coming attractions on the album too - Jamie Matrix, Roddy Reynaert, Sergey Tkachev & Tom Fall numbered among them. Last and by no means least keep an eye out for Solarity’s ‘Red’ & ‘DNA’ tracks which respectively wrap up discs 1 & 2. Coming off like a latter-day Smith & Pledger, the two London lads will likely go far this year…

WIN A COPY OF THE ALBUM

Being the generous souls they are, Anjunadeep have given us 3 copies of the album to find good homes for. If you’d like to be in with a shout, just tell us the name of your favourite AD artist. ‘Anjunadeep 02’ is out on the 15th of this month.



DJ UPDATE: Talla 2XLC

One of our favorite Trance International regulars, Talla 2XLC dropped us a line at the end of January to fill us in on his well under-starters-orders 2010.

Before we hit the new year though, Raveline (Germany’s equivalent of Mixmag for all our non-Deutsche readers!) polled their sizeable readership on the year just gone in and announced the results last month. Not only did Talla score high in the Best German DJ and Best Label categories (scoring 6th and 8th place for his Tetsuo imprint respectively), Technoclub Vol.29 also impressively bagged No.1 in the Best Compilation of the Year slot. Technoclub looks well set to continue its long running reign as preparations for the 32nd edition are now in full swing. While its was Giuseppe Ottaviani sharing the honours on 29, partner-in-the-mix on the next one will be none other than leading member of the Irish Trance Mafia, Simon Patterson.

In other quickie news Talla and Robert Burian have just finished the follow up to their pretty darn successful first collab ‘Déjà Vu’ with a new powerhouse uplifter called ‘Pro-Life’. That’s forthcoming on the Addicted To Trance label in Feb and while you wait for that you can also check out Talla’s radio show of the same name which goes out on Afterhours on the first Friday of each month. If you patience can’t even last till then you can pick up his ATT Podcast by clicking here.

STOP PRESS: Talla has also got his newly waxed & polished Facebook page up. With all the gigs, pictures, videos and general Talla trivia there for the reading, its one to put on your social network ‘view calendar’ in Feb.

:: Talla's Website
:: Talla On MySpace
:: Tetsuo Records




ARTIST UPDATE: Fast Distance

One of our ‘Hot 10 for 2010’ in T.I’s start-of-the-year special edition, we’ve been hearing ever more of Franz Hlusek’s fine work over the last month. So giving a respectfully wide berth to too-easy adjectives like ‘quick’, ‘speedy’, ‘nippy’ or ‘rapid’ when describing Fast Distance, we thought we’d take an even closer look at what he has pipelined for the early part of the year.

The Roger Shah connection that started with the pair collaborating on their Samara project and the Balearic trance master tipping him as the Breakthrough Artist in his DJ Mag Top 100 interview shows no signs of cooling. He has just joined the remix line-up of Shah’s forthcoming single, ‘Darling Harbour’ and Franz has further been inspired to create some suitably beachside atmospherics for the up coming 3rd installment of ‘Magic Island: Music For Balearic People’.

Cropping up on the tracklisting of Paul van Dyk’s IDMA-nominated VONYC Sessions album, we were loving his ‘Big Ben’ track, and next out of the studio for the young Belgian will be his debut on Kill The Lights. ‘Nuit Blanche’ - a typically powerful trance thunderbolt - will be coming your way on Matt Hardwick’s imprint on the 15th of March.

The gig front is also looking in fine health as he has nights up and coming in Germany, and in April he’ll be making his return to Luminosity. Spinning the Fast Distance sound for all its worth, he’ll be at their now-annual Trance Energy warm-up party @ the Central Studios in Utrecht. If you’re just finding Fast Distance now, there's whole lot more information through the links below.

:: Fast Distance On Facebook
:: Fast Distance on Twitter
:: Fast Distance on MySpace




LABEL UPDATE: Tsunami

It was the question that was pondered in the chill-out rooms of clubs and on the forums of trance sites around the world… Where did Holland’s Tsunami Records go? Well the answer to the original question we still don’t know. The important news though is that they’re back! A newly revitalised and reinvigorated Tsunami has returned (through equally legendary parent label Purple Eye), head tucked down, a purposeful glint in their eyes and clearly ready to do some serious floor damage once again.

Their new website has also just gone online where you can now find information not just about the Tsunami godfather, but also its Capos (including Tremolo, Carnal & Tatsumaki and others). Listen to the available tracks, get information about the artists and watch the video-clips – it’s all there! www.purple-eye.com

If you’d like to stay up-to-date on Purple Eye’s renaissance and would like that info straight to you inbox, drop them a line here info@purple-eye.com and they’ll add you to their mailing list for all the info on the new releases, promotional activities, producer interviews and other special events.

You might though actually like to join the ranks of the P.E. artists. If you've got outstanding production chops to suit, you can either send your demos to: Purple Eye Entertainment BV, PO Box 338, 1400 AH Bussum, The Netherlands or upload them and send the links to demos@purple-eye.nl. Hit them with a little biog info about yourself along with your contact details and who knows, next time you're reading about Purple Eye in T.I., we might be writing about you!

:: Purple Eye On MySpace
:: Purple Eye On Hyves
:: Purple Eye On YouTube
:: Tsunami On YouTube




PRODUCER UPDATE: YOJI

The things we like about trance music are legion, but one thing in particular always plays among the best, and that’s a spinner that’s doing something different.

Between his firebrand productions, eye-catching make up and stage apparel, YOJI has been doing that in singular fashion for 10 years now. If we cast our eyes around though, it does appear that he’s inspired a few DJs outside his native Japan to don more than the rather regulation brilliant white long-sleeved t-shirt too! None have nailed it quite the way he has though.

Last year, to mark the 10th anniversary of his premier Japanese EDM imprint, YOJI released a commemorative ‘X Years of Hellhouse’ 3 disc album. Covering all things ‘Hell’, past & present, it featured some of his best known tracks, as well as a fair few new recordings. If you’re a Yoji fan, and it’s not yet found its way into your collection, you can put that to rights by clicking here! With that under his belt, he then went on launch a series of sell-out gigs on his X Years of Hellhouse tour, one which fair blazed its way around Japan in the run up to Christmas. Following those nights, YOJI’s been playing (amongst others) The Electric Daisy Festival in the States, the Tskeh-based fest-a-thon in Moscow alongside Tiësto and he rounded up 2009 at Gatecrasher’s co-flippin-lossal NYE event in Singapore.

Stop Press: The latest word from Yoji is he has a new single ‘Wanna Fuckin’ Dance’ (alongside long time friend and production partner Romeo Toscani) on fast approach along with a thrashing-ly good remix work on Scott Attrill’s ‘The Bleep’.

:: YOJI Website
:: Hellhouse Recordings
:: MySpace
:: Yoji TV
:: Twitter