Cass & Slide - Opera (Incl. Beckettis Phantoms Only Mix) [2000]

Artist(s)
Cass & Slide
Release title
Opera
Label name
Fire
Release year
2000

Hensmon

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Jun 27, 2020
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Are these not an example of the dark, atmospheric and trancey experiences that the current underground and nu-trance tracks have often been nodding towards, but never quite achieving? Here are some differences I feel seperate Opera remixes vs nu-tracks:

- Takes their time, doesn't need to go slap slap slap instantly and forever
- It emphasizes being hypnotic over being a punchy club experience. In fact it's the opposite, everything is subtle and subdued. But guess what you can still play this in a club and it still DRIVES and moves dance floors.
- Simple use of beats, samples and FX. Loads of room to breath for everything. Every element feels like it has a deliberate purpose.
- Loads of tension and building. Every 2 minutes you don't know where its going to go next. Nu-trance/prog the tracks feel the same throughout, you know the whole track in first 2 mins
- Not afraid to be trance. Not afraid to pause for a journey. It will switch moods. There is often only ever one mood in the the nu-trance stuff and you know it straight away. These tracks are a journey, they are memorable for years, the shelf-life is 20-50 listens, I don't know if the nu-tracks have legs like that.

Btw I realize the mastering/quality of these samples below suck balls. Is the YT upload or are they actually like this? Hard to know. Unfortunately vinyl is 200 bucks, would love to purchase these. Even with those issues, the experience is still awesome.


Beckkettis Phantoms' Only Mix

Opera

C/S Phantoms Only Mix
 
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Archon

Gagi
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Jun 27, 2020
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Phenomenal release, fantastic prog trance. And great points as well!
 
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TRANCEBLASTER

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Jul 21, 2020
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Are these not an example of the dark, atmospheric and trancey experiences that the current underground and nu-trance tracks have often been nodding towards, but never quite achieving?

should be not compared so much the whole time, different times, different party crowd .. etc .. for some reasons the millenium prog dont survived, also the old guard of the genre still lives and plays. but most people don't care for them, its a nice nostalgia, nothing more

also in 2000 alot of records had the same feeling/sound... many times I pick some 90s/00s records from the local junk stores, from 100 vinyl records maybe only one is something... we know mostly the most popular tracks from the past, because of compilations and big dj plays, but there was much junk all the time in dance music
 
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Hensmon

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for some reasons the millenium prog dont survived

I did survive, 20 years later people are still playing and celebrating the tracks. Any tracks from the last 3 years in the nu-prog scene that you think in 20 years will be celebrated in the same way? Doesnt feel like it to me, because the memorability/creativity factor is missing. This is irrelevant of the style of the time. I think there are tangible reasons as to why this is case, just thinking about it a little in this thread.
 

trancedanne

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Aug 11, 2021
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The problems i have with nu trance is that there is absolutely no sense of progression or arrangement. The elements always seem randomly thrown together. For me its just a bad attempt at doing what Oliver Lieb and Incolumis did fantastically back in the days.

Regarding this particular release i know im in the minority here but i have never been a big fan off Cass & Slide. I like the melodic elements but their percussions are pretty weak. I think their best work is Perception and their remix of Astral Projection - Liquid Sun.
 

TRANCEBLASTER

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Jul 21, 2020
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Any tracks from the last 3 years in the nu-prog scene that you think in 20 years will be celebrated in the same way? Doesnt feel like it to me, because the memorability/creativity factor is missing.

my father always says that after the 80s there was no high quality music released.. well who from us here can sign his quote?

its a generation thing...

same with me: I love some '97 'Drum'n'Bass' and in my area there are huge 'Drum'n'Bass' parties, I was there twice, it was musically horrible, only super cheesy generic tunes were played by local legends, but the floor was full of lucky kids. they don't care for my for the old school, they have their own music, its the same with any other music genre imo
 
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