Saltwater - The Legacy (Alphazone Mix) [2003]

Release year
2003

Katadunkass

The Banhammer
TranceFix Crew
Jun 27, 2020
1,453 Posts
1,266 Thanked
Age
33
Denmark
Just in case you've never heard one of the best uplifting tracks from the early 2000

Saltwater - The Legacy (Alphazone Mix)

And yes, the Alphazone Mix is technically the "original mix" as Alphazone is just an alias from the same members of Saltwater, Alexander Zwarg and Arne Reichelt
 

Quethas

Member
Jul 15, 2020
170 Posts
212 Thanked
Finland
This track was one of the strange cases where I for sure had heard the track for many times ever since starting listening to trance around 2004/05. However it was like 1,5 years ago when I saw this track in Youtube recommendations when I was listening to some other older classic. It was only then when I noticed how good track this actually is.

This track definitely deserves it's spot as a trance classic.
 
  • Thanks
Reactions: Daysleeper

Katadunkass

The Banhammer
TranceFix Crew
Jun 27, 2020
1,453 Posts
1,266 Thanked
Age
33
Denmark
Pretty nice, but not one of my favourites to be honest. A bit hard to describe why.
Yeah, I'm definitely banning you for this comment

ban-hammer.jpg
 
  • Thanks
Reactions: Daysleeper

Katadunkass

The Banhammer
TranceFix Crew
Jun 27, 2020
1,453 Posts
1,266 Thanked
Age
33
Denmark
😰 Oh help, uh... uh...

Best track of all time no doubt truly amazing 10/10 100/100 can't stop listening Alphazone best artist of all time saltwater is supreme I meant! Yes, that!
Hmm... fine...

im-a-merciful-god.jpg
 

NJRoddy

Member
Jul 22, 2020
129 Posts
67 Thanked
Always struggled to get past the Strange World build up so never really got into the tune but was big at the time.
 

Propeller

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2020
686 Posts
428 Thanked
UK
Yeah, not for me either. The build up is a blatant strange world ripp off and the main riff is a bit cheap and nasty
 

Daysleeper

Lost in Trancelation
Jul 13, 2020
2,495 Posts
1,713 Thanked
Sweden
Whaaaat? This is cheap?? Its pure underwater trance. Like a trance soundtrack to an underwaterworld. Its so fluid and nice. It has that echo-y, mysterious, distant water vibe to it. Whatever :p

I guess I have to admit defeat since I nag on Numb The Pain but not this one, but this is much better ;)

Is it such a "nasty" ripoff? Maybe im so biased its ridiculous.

Edit: On the other hand I really dont hold Strange World in such a high regard. I see that classic status but to me its too repetitiv. This is also repetitiv but it just has such fluidity to it and it feels that it actually builds towards something where Strange world just repeats that riff over the same beat over and over.
 
Last edited:
  • Thanks
Reactions: dmgtz96

dmgtz96

Elite Member
Jul 13, 2020
2,640 Posts
1,499 Thanked
Whaaaat? This is cheap?? Its pure underwater trance. Like a trance soundtrack to an underwaterworld. Its so fluid and nice. It has that echo-y, mysterious, distant water vibe to it. Whatever :p

I guess I have to admit defeat since I nag on Numb The Pain but not this one, but this is much better ;)

Is it such a "nasty" ripoff? Maybe im so biased its ridiculous.

Edit: On the other hand I really dont hold Strange World in such a high regard. I see that classic status but to me its too repetitiv. This is also repetitiv but it just has such fluidity to it and it feels that it actually builds towards something where Strange world just repeats that riff over the same beat over and over.
Strange World has more variety of sounds, imo. There's that catchy deep melody from the start and the haunting vocal sample. The main melody doesn't vary much, though.
The Legacy's biggest strengths are Alphazone's signature hard-trance style and its variation in melodies. Yes, this track uses the Shamu/Strange World melody at the start, but for its climax it uses an entirely different "Alphazone" melody.
I don't think The Legacy is a 'nasty' ripoff. I don't think you're being biased. I think your description about "underwater trance" is spot-on, since it is an Alphazone production and their tracks have that kind of vibe.
 

Propeller

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2020
686 Posts
428 Thanked
UK
To be honest, I don't see anything echo-y, mysterious or underwater about the main riff. It just sounds like a lot of other formulaic trancers, very obvious and in your face. Hence my cheap and nasty comment. It tries to be complex and elaborate but just doesn't do it for me emotionally. The best feature about this track for me is the strange world build up, and as that's blatantly taken from another track, it's a double thumbs down. :p

The beauty of strange world is its repetitiveness. It's so well produced and has that spacey, eerie vibe whilst being pumping at the same time. And that makes it an instant classic. The synths are also very congruent with the rest of that production - the bassline, and the haunting vocal sample. In the Legacy the borrowed strange world sample is not congruent at all with the main riff. They have a different vibe and just belong in different tracks. I do consider it alright but don't think it's anything special. 😒
 

dmgtz96

Elite Member
Jul 13, 2020
2,640 Posts
1,499 Thanked
To be honest, I don't see anything echo-y, mysterious or underwater about the main riff. It just sounds like a lot of other formulaic trancers, very obvious and in your face. Hence my cheap and nasty comment. It tries to be complex and elaborate but just doesn't do it for me emotionally. The best feature about this track for me is the strange world build up, and as that's blatantly taken from another track, it's a double thumbs down. :p
That's Alphazone in a nutshell. I would say the pluck synth in this track (and other productions like it, think Rockin' (Mat Silver vs. Tony Burt remix) and Flashback) has a watery feel to it.
They were amazing at putting generic melodies in pumpin' hard trance. A lot of producers during this time made pretty generic hard trance, and Alphazone were one of the few that we still remember due to their signature style.
In originality with respect to melodies, they're pretty meh. In execution, they're great.
 
  • Thanks
Reactions: Archon

Julian Del Agranda

Elite Member
Jul 3, 2020
1,583 Posts
1,824 Thanked
Pff the Strange World argument again. Just as with “Shamu”.

As an amateur producer myself, I think its a non-issue. Its just a short three note sequence, somewhat similar. Its just very basic build-up ‘melody’. So obviously you will hear similar stuff more often. Rolling bassline is in more tracks too... I find these three tracks all original and none ripped something off.

As for The Legacy, wonderful classic.
 

Julian Del Agranda

Elite Member
Jul 3, 2020
1,583 Posts
1,824 Thanked
Also, this was missing. The whats called "Original Club Mix". Played by Cosmic Gate on Trance Energy 2003 :)