Armin van Buuren – ‘A State Of Trance Year Mix 2021’
We used to dance together beneath the flashing lights, until we suddenly found ourselves in the quiet. There were no resounding kick drums or euphoric melodies to get drawn into, and dance floors were no longer there to channel the music we hold so dear. But even in the silent dark, we never lost the connection with music and each other. And the power of that connection shines through fully in the eighteenth edition of Armin van Buuren’s year mix series: ‘A State Of Trance Year Mix 2021’. Weaving together a handpicked selection of 106 tracks in its two-hour mix, this brand-new year mix is designed to guide fans back to the dance floor in both body and spirit. Including the year’s most beloved productions from genre stalwarts such as Above & Beyond, Aly & Fila, Andrew Rayel, Cosmic Gate, Ferry Corsten, Gareth Emery, Kryder, Paul van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Tinlicker and of course Armin van Buuren himself, the mix album serves as a reminder that our love for music can help us overcome any obstacle or setback. From the rabbit hole we rise to dance together again. In A State Of Trance.
Paul van Dyk x Kolonie – ‘Wishful Thinking’
Secretly premiered at Transmission Festival Prague and EDC Las Vegas, Paul van Dyk and Kolonie’s ‘Wishful Thinking’ was one of those ID’s everyone was buzzing about. The single is served in three ways. The original pairs an angelic, incredibly catchy melody with cool progressive vibes, so crisp and clean, you can almost hear the first snowflakes falling from the sky. The PvD Club Mix meanwhile takes no prisoners – a trance fan pleaser, start to finish. The full energy, drive and emotion that you expect from something out of the PvD kitchen. This mix will kill it on the dancefloors of Paul van Dyk current US Tour. The third mix is an outlook into the future – an NFT-only release. Yes, you heard that right: an EXCLUSIVE NFT MIX. Keep your eyes and ears sharp for more info coming soon.
Talla 2XLC pres. RRAW! – ‘Dark Desert’
Talla 2XLC reveals his first release under his new alias RRAW! called ‘Dark Desert’ on Technoclub Pure. If pure acid dirty and raw techno is your kind of sound then don’t miss this dark, mysterious, exotic, dangerous and extremely infectious anthem. The rough, hard and raw kicks and basslines merged with a dark menacing, synthy hook while the melodic trance-infused breakdown with exotic atmospheres, female vocals and magical synths and strings that will surprise your ears. The intense build up serves you hard, nasty acid layers that crawl under your skin.
Purple Haze – ‘Manoeuvres’
Purple Haze touches down on Armind again with a track that sends minds reeling with every step. From the soaring synths in the anthemic intro to the concrete kick-bass combo defining the rhythm from that moment onward, ‘Manoeuvres’ shows its creator is still making all the right moves.
Giuseppe Ottaviani – ‘The Wind In Your Face’
‘The Wind In Your Face’ marks a subtle but unmistakable modification to Giuseppe Ottaviani’s sound. Whilst still speaking in the most powerful of production manners, it sees him cool the 138 pace and click over into the solo & instrumental space.
John Summit – ‘Human’
“‘Human’ is easily my most anticipated single to date. This record has taken months to perfect, and with it having over 100 different elements, my laptop has crashed many times during the process haha.”
— John Summit
Allen Watts – ‘GDL (Yoshi & Razner Remix)’
Debuting on Armada Captivating, Spanish twin brothers Yoshi & Razner deliver an absolutely thumping remix of Allen Watts’ 2020 single ‘GDL’. Flaunting their highly uplifting signature sound every step along the way, this epic rendition will send Trance fans into raptures in no time at all.
Chris Lorenzo – ‘California Dreamin’ (Vintage Culture Remix)’
“Chris Lorenzo’s new track ‘California Dreamin’ is on fire! My intention is to throw gasoline on the fire. thrilled to remix the song, shout out to Chris Lake and the Black Book/Astralwerks team.”
— Vintage Culture
Orjan Nilsen – ‘Poetry’
Orjan Nilsen returns to Armind for a solo record that’s impeccable in both melody and cadence. Spearheaded by a thick bassline and the Norwegian’s signature synth soars, ‘Poetry’ is exactly the kind of record trance fans will swoon over.
Maarten de Jong – ‘Colour (feat. That Girl)’
After releasing a myriad of energetic bangers on Armind and Who’s Afraid Of 138?!, Dutch DJ/producer Maarten de Jong completes the Trance trifecta with this killer debut release on Armin van Buuren’s A State Of Trance imprint. Pushing from the high-octane build-up into a mesmerizing, vocal-led breakdown and the inevitably melodic beat drop, ‘Colour (feat. That Girl)’ will sweep listeners off their feet in every dance music environment.
Stereoclip – ‘Echoes’
“It’s been ten years since the Stereoclip project started, and I felt it was time to reflect on some of the choices I made, both good and wrong. With this album [‘Echoes’], I wanted to push myself beyond my own limits and wanted my music to be a better version of itself. This album is inspired by ten years of failures and successes. It’s full of nostalgia, hope and honesty.”
— Stereoclip
KhoMha – ‘Earthshine (The Khult Mix)’
Spotlighting the deep, progressive and highly atmospheric sound of KhoMha’s alter ego, the Khult mix of ‘Earthshine’ injects a sense of otherworldly perspective into the original version. With cosmic plucks and airy pads that rise and fall like the tide, this rendition could easily be one of the most hypnotic tracks of the running year.
PARAFRAME – ‘Exhale’
Setting it apart from his better-known-for dancefloor and movie score work, through PARAFRAME, Pavel’s astutely taken on a new style-specific alias for ‘Exhale’. The album carries all the detail-studded production work Pavel Khvaleev’s fans know and expect, whilst speaking to a different electronic music space. Thanks to the more BPM-oriented context of ‘Inhale’, much (or indeed everything!) can be taken from ‘Exhale’s unwinding title. Its music is designed with dawn, day and evening in mind – all in fact but the clubbing night.
Franky Wah – ‘Why Not Me’
Franky Wah now returns with ‘Why Not Me’, his second EP on Anjunadeep, which includes the lead single ‘Bring Me Back To You’, featuring English singer-songwriter iiola.
Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano – ‘Better Things (feat. GINGE & QG)’
Brimming with confidence and gumption, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano’s ‘Better Things’ comes with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude that instantly supercharges the dance floor. Flaunting a strong, vivacious production that effortlessly caters to the vocal narration of GINGE and QG, this track is an anthem for all who don’t just sit around waiting for life to come around.
Dillon Marinez – ‘No Pressure’
San Diego born and raised DJ/Producer, Dillon Marinez, today releases a bass-heavy EP, ‘No Pressure’ on Dirtybird. This track is filled with some undeniably wobbly bass, funk, and house-tinged tracks sure to keep a crowd on their feet. Originally put out through Dirtybird’s exclusive subscription service, Birdfeed, Claude VonStroke road tested the EP via Dirtybird flagship events such as Campout and CampInn. After the wildly responsive reactions on the dancefloor, the DB team knew the two track EP deserved a full label push.
NGHTMRE x Zeds Dead – ‘Shady Intentions (feat. Tori Levitt)’
Although it’s been more than five years since NGHTMRE and Zeds Dead last teamed up on a single, ‘Shady Intentions’ masterfully highlights each artists’ abilities resulting in a standout track. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the official release of their latest song for most of the year as news of the collaboration made the rounds on social media. Now, the wait for ‘Shady Intentions’ is finally over.
NAZAAR – ‘WITH U’
“In February of 2020 I was in Los Angeles, trying to find my purpose within dance music. One of these days during the trip I found myself at Santa Monica beach at 2:00 AM with my laptop and headphones, recording the sounds of the beach. It was during that impromptu studio session that I started writing ‘WITH U’. At that moment I felt so lost, not sure where I belonged, but writing music helped this confusion all go away. ‘WITH U’ is a story about how feeling lost is a beautiful thing, and how chasing the feeling of being yourself will always feel better than anything else. If it wasn’t for a calm night on the beach, I would’ve never realized that I could be whatever I wanted to become and do whatever I wanted to do.”
— NAZAAR
Marc Volt x Divine – ‘All I Need’
Classic organ-bass bump and grind from Marc Volt and Divine pushes speakers back while keeping its daytime options open. Theirs is a sharp and skippy vocal house session that you can take as a heart-on-sleeve love song, or a serious bumper to wrap your body around, getting more intimately acquainted on a stylishly soulful breakdown. Volt and Divine prove to be a match made in heaven, especially with names that sum up ‘All I Need’ perfectly as they reach the pinnacle of dancefloor drive and vocal bliss.
Aiden Francis – ‘Mezzanine’
Take a thought back to the end of the night, past the two o’clock knock-off time and towards that steady flicker of synthetic lights that tell you to go home. There’s a sunrise somewhere outside, creeping towards the horizon and providing the clarity of day. But for now, the bass deepens as Aiden Francis draws you into his folds with ‘Mezzanine’: the night has a few more memories to be made and the dancefloor a collection of dedicated music lovers who are there to wring the last few moments from it.
Elektro Guzzi – ‘Prototyp’
Now there’s beauty to be found in life: especially in the symmetry of precision and a driving beat. Take the instrumentation of a rock band and the driving, machine-like force of a machine and you’ll create Elektro Guzzi. ‘Prototyp’ is the first single to be revealed from the trio’s upcoming album, painting a picture of vivid audio and the deeply innovative faux electronic sounds to be found within.
Chime x Sharks – ‘Water Elemental’
“Sharks has developed his sound a ton over the past few years since his EP release on Rushdown and it’s been a joy to hear him really come into his own with his unique signature sound. ‘Water Elemental’ acts as a celebration of the liquid sound design we’ve both been developing recently which culminates into the most watery dubstep tune you’ll ever hear!”
— Chime
