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One of my all-time favourite albums. I am still being blown away by it. Just remembering one single track from it makes me want to listen to the entire thing. Which happened this morning, with Astronauts.
The mood and the style are juuuuust shiver-inducing; the tracks manage to be very different, but they are still cohesive and clearly a part of an album. There's happy, there's sad, there's bittersweet, there's trippy, there's dreamy, there's anthemic, there's techy... The transitions between tracks are incredibly good. There's samples, especially FX, that are being used throughout the album which also gives it that cohesiveness.
It's an album you definitely have to go through in one sitting.
76 has a couple of meanings - the album's length is 76 minutes, 76 is the area code (or something) of Armin's birthplace, and I'm not sure if it's something more, can't find it right now.
And as I'm listening to it now, still blown away by it, I feel the need to write a bit for every track.
Prodemium & Precious
Prodemium is a lovely start to the album. Very trippy and film-like, great introduction to what's about to follow. Precious was initially my favourite, has a great gated melody that really takes you places. Just a great trance track to lose yourself to.
Yet Another Day (ft. Ray Wilson)
Excellent vocals, excellent production behind it - he nailed the mood perfectly (story of this album). Very dark stuff.
Burned With Desire (ft. Justine Suissa)
Cheese. But good one. Feel-good cheese. Sing-along cheese. I love other tracks more, but I can see why this one has stuck.
Blue Fear 2003
We all probably prefer the original Blue Fear, but this does it justice. The original, just feels a bit remastered and redone. Nothing more.
From The Heart (ft. System F)
The heart of the album. Perfect in every way. Makes you sad, in a way. I feel it's one of the most beautiful tracks made, yet what it stands for has been lost in music for some time.
Never Wanted This (ft. Justine Suissa)
Now I prefer this one to Burned With Desire. Lovely vocals, great production which complements the vocals beautifully. So bittersweet, yet you can sing along to it.
Astronauts
I think I've heard that Armin really likes this one. I can hear why. Very understated, but lovely. Relies on the atmosphere and a couple of simple riffs - how did he pull this off I don't know, but it's always been one of my favourites from the album.
Stay (ft. Krezip)
Underrated. You can dance to it, the vocals are pretty damn good.
Wait For You (Song For The Ocean) (ft. Victoria Horn)
Criminally underrated. What a track! The way it flows, the sounds get very ocean-like - I can't explain what I mean with that, but even the vocals feel like that. Victoria sings absolutely beautifully, one of my favourite vocal performances in trance - and the production goes perfectly with it. Great drive, but even then it feels kind of distant, longing. The melodies are perfect. The mood, again, is what makes it incredible. They really do not make them like this anymore.
Sunburn
This one might feel a bit overshadowed by the rest, but it's a lovely techy trance track, great energy.
Communication (Album Mix)
We all know this one. But to me, this is the weak link. Didn't need to be included, it kind of almost breaks the album's setting. But its classic status is well-earned.
Slipstream (ft. Airwave)
And for the end... A stunner. I can't even write anything about it, I can't describe it. It's just a powerful, amazing track. Two masters at work. Great way to finish the album too, in full-force.
The mood and the style are juuuuust shiver-inducing; the tracks manage to be very different, but they are still cohesive and clearly a part of an album. There's happy, there's sad, there's bittersweet, there's trippy, there's dreamy, there's anthemic, there's techy... The transitions between tracks are incredibly good. There's samples, especially FX, that are being used throughout the album which also gives it that cohesiveness.
It's an album you definitely have to go through in one sitting.
76 has a couple of meanings - the album's length is 76 minutes, 76 is the area code (or something) of Armin's birthplace, and I'm not sure if it's something more, can't find it right now.
And as I'm listening to it now, still blown away by it, I feel the need to write a bit for every track.
Prodemium & Precious
Prodemium is a lovely start to the album. Very trippy and film-like, great introduction to what's about to follow. Precious was initially my favourite, has a great gated melody that really takes you places. Just a great trance track to lose yourself to.
Yet Another Day (ft. Ray Wilson)
Excellent vocals, excellent production behind it - he nailed the mood perfectly (story of this album). Very dark stuff.
Burned With Desire (ft. Justine Suissa)
Cheese. But good one. Feel-good cheese. Sing-along cheese. I love other tracks more, but I can see why this one has stuck.
Blue Fear 2003
We all probably prefer the original Blue Fear, but this does it justice. The original, just feels a bit remastered and redone. Nothing more.
From The Heart (ft. System F)
The heart of the album. Perfect in every way. Makes you sad, in a way. I feel it's one of the most beautiful tracks made, yet what it stands for has been lost in music for some time.
Never Wanted This (ft. Justine Suissa)
Now I prefer this one to Burned With Desire. Lovely vocals, great production which complements the vocals beautifully. So bittersweet, yet you can sing along to it.
Astronauts
I think I've heard that Armin really likes this one. I can hear why. Very understated, but lovely. Relies on the atmosphere and a couple of simple riffs - how did he pull this off I don't know, but it's always been one of my favourites from the album.
Stay (ft. Krezip)
Underrated. You can dance to it, the vocals are pretty damn good.
Wait For You (Song For The Ocean) (ft. Victoria Horn)
Criminally underrated. What a track! The way it flows, the sounds get very ocean-like - I can't explain what I mean with that, but even the vocals feel like that. Victoria sings absolutely beautifully, one of my favourite vocal performances in trance - and the production goes perfectly with it. Great drive, but even then it feels kind of distant, longing. The melodies are perfect. The mood, again, is what makes it incredible. They really do not make them like this anymore.
Sunburn
This one might feel a bit overshadowed by the rest, but it's a lovely techy trance track, great energy.
Communication (Album Mix)
We all know this one. But to me, this is the weak link. Didn't need to be included, it kind of almost breaks the album's setting. But its classic status is well-earned.
Slipstream (ft. Airwave)
And for the end... A stunner. I can't even write anything about it, I can't describe it. It's just a powerful, amazing track. Two masters at work. Great way to finish the album too, in full-force.
