Don't remember if I did post this on old TF, but either way, here goes:
01.
Vincent de Moor presents Emerald - Eternity (Forever) [Combined Forces] | 2000
---------
If, gun to my head, I had to pick just a single track, this would be it. Fantastic release from someone who is, imo, one of the most underappreciated producers out there (by mainstream folks anyway).
Freejack and
Generation X remixes are great too, but it'll always be the original for me (or I guess you could say, it'll be forever
).
02.
Breeder – Tyrantanic (Breeder’s Underexposed Mix) [Rhythm Syndicate Records] | 2000
---------
What is there to say about this that hasn't already been said? Incredible attention to detail and overall atmosphere, a track basically fused with Stage One until the end of time in a lot of people's minds due to
that first NE: Expeditions transition. Folks prefer the
Slacker mix which fair point, but to me this is superior in every way. And that's the hill I'll die on.
03.
Astral Projection - The Nexus [Trust in Trance] | 2002
---------
Taken off their 2002 album, Amen. This one, Chaos, Electric Blue, and a metric truckload of others from AP would probably fill about five top 10s, but I think ultimately, I'd choose this.
04.
Fictivision vs. C-Quence - Symbols [In Trance We Trust / Black Hole Recordings] | 2003
---------
The lead melody to end all lead melodies. 20 years old this year and still sounds fantastic, as do the rest of the Fictivision releases on ITWT.
05.
Super8 & Tab - Suru [Anjunabeats] | 2007
---------
Plenty of classic Anjuna to choose from, like
Day One or the
Airwave remix of Air for Life, but I think this should be a good enough representation. Great S8&T track, and of course, the prices for vinyl on this are stupid high. I'll get it one day though...
06.
DJ Kim - Jetlag (Alphazone Remix) [WaterWorld Records] | 2001
---------
Please acknowledge...
Absolute masters of melodic hard trance or whatever else you want to call it. Alphazone was going to make the top 10 one way or another.
07.
Cultivate - Broken Pieces (Goldenscan Remix) [Lost Language] | 2003
---------
This one has quite a long build-up - or as somebody said about an Activa release "breakdown about as long as a Factor B track" -, but it's definitely worth it. Not quite
New York FM levels, but great nonetheless.
08.
Three Drives on A Vinyl – Greece 2000 (G&M Project Remix) [Massive Drive Recordings] | 2003
---------
Thought to include the original, but then I realized that I tend to listen to this remix a lot more often. Incidentally, this also reminds me of that chuckle-worthy
Wunderground headline:
Greece 2000 A Lot Better Than Greece 2015 - confirms Three Drives.
09.
Tilt - Invisible (Tilt's Supernatural Dub) [Hooj Choons] | 1999
---------
Seemingly the only track in my top 10 from the other side of the millennium, it was originally included on the (still) hard to find third promo LP of Hooj's 73rd release (
HOOJ73X). Eventually saw an official release in 2002 under Lost Language, on Disc 2 of the Missing Pieces EP (
LOST14R).
Imo, this one without the vocals is so much better than the
Supernatural Mix.
10.
Push – Strange World (Astral Projection Remix) [Bonzai Records] | 2008
---------
This one's the newest of all, but does deserve the inclusion. Quite far away from the usual AP sound - even has some breakbeat in there - this one's my favorite version of all time for Strange World.
And that should do it for the top 10.
Honorable mentions for
Christopher Lawrence - Rush Hour and
ATB - 9PM (the German, not the
UK Sequential One version, as the former is the one I grew up with). I'm pretty sure that without those I wouldn't be listening to this genre today, so I had to mention them.
( just listen to it, that’s if you’re prepared for an emotional wipe out ) ( don’t say I didn’t warn you)