Sunny Lax - P.U.M.A. (Original mix) [2005]

Artist(s)
Sunny Lax
Release title
P.U.M.A.
Label name
Anjunabeats
Release year
2005

Gijs

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As someone who started listening to trance in 2015, it's pretty interesting to see how many producers have went from making uplifting to progressive. This is indeed a very nice one by Sunny Lax.
 

Daysleeper

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Fifteen years!!??? Guys!

I have a hard time thinking this will age badly, and that it will sound so fresh and dreamy and dynamic in 10-15 years aswell.

How I love this track.
 
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Archon

Gagi
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It's good in every way. Loving the bassline, and really the way the track flows, the way it builds, the dreaminess of it. Technically, it's brilliant. Unfortunately (for me), it doesn't really do it for me melodically enough to put it in my top 20 uplifters. It's still very good though, maybe my ears are a bit tired of the style and if I found out about it in, say 2015 or so, I'd have been all over it.
 

Archon

Gagi
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Which ones are even better? This is so unique. Its not even comparable imo.

Sorry to spoil the party here with my opinion. As I was writing my post, I thought about one track and one track only, and it's probably a #1 uplifter for me because it's just that - pure uplifting music. I guess I could come up with a list but then we'd have to talk about what uplifting really is, and that's a discussion black hole. :D

Anyways, the track is:

Menno de Jong pres. Sayla - Majestic (Arizona vs Passiva Remix)
 

Daysleeper

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Menno de Jong pres. Sayla - Majestic (Arizona vs Passiva Remix)

I love that one aswell, but this has qualities that one doesnt and vice versa. For example I think this elevates to a higher level and is more of a journey with a nice set of sounds unique to only sunny lax. Its like its recorded in some sort of a weird vacuum. It plays so nicely with dynamics and echo. Anyone that denies the uniqueness of this, even if you dont like more bright trance are just ignorant. Saying this is filler track from asot 200-300 is just a provocative non-educated comment.

Majestic is so great aswell, but i would call this a "deeper" uplifting track. Majestic has a really strong hook but its more of a edgier clubby dutch uplifting track. Very infectious though.

P.U.M.A. def deserves a place in the top 10 uplifting of all time. Why wouldnt it?
 
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Archon

Gagi
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I love that one aswell, but this has qualities that one doesnt and vice versa. For example I think this elevates to a higher level and is more of a journey with a nice set of sounds unique to only sunny lax. Its like its recorded in some sort of a weird vacuum. It plays so nicely with dynamics and echo. Anyone that denies the uniqueness of this, even if you dont like more bright trance are just ignorant. Saying this is filler track from asot 200-300 is just a provocative non-educated comment.

Majestic is so great aswell, but i would call this a "deeper" uplifting track. Majestic has a really strong hook, but its more of a edgier clubby dutch uplifting track. Very infectious though.

Yeah I agree, PUMA and Majestic are two very different tracks, and although both sound very happy to me, it's the execution and expression that are different.

And from that deeper uplifting sound, I'd choose Ocean Green from Progression, which you posted here, or Arksun's Desire. I think those two, for me, fit more within the categories you just described, plus they are both a bit dreamy. The sounds in those are much stronger, the synths have more life in them, and they just hit harder. Maybe that's my 90s taste talking, I don't know.

Also, regardless of what you might think of it, I think Armin's Wait For You (Song For The Ocean) ft. Victoria Horn is also a better track, simply because it kinda evokes some more complex emotions and it resonates with me more.

I also think that some of the releases on ASOT from '03-'05 had that style nailed down a bit better.
 

Daysleeper

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And from that deeper uplifting sound, I'd choose Ocean Green from Progression, which you posted here, or Arksun's Desire. I think those two, for me, fit more within the categories you just described, plus they are both a bit dreamy. The sounds in those are much stronger, the synths have more life in them, and they just hit harder. Maybe that's my 90s taste talking, I don't know.

Bullshit! Synths more life in them? No way! Just no way man! Also totally different tracks! Those arent even in the "uplifting" genre. Pointless to compare . Ocean Green and Desire isnt one bit uplifting.

An no way again. No track on Armins debut compares to PUMA. I dont care if you like them or if they stir up more complex emotions in you, they just dont compare. Song for the ocean is in awhole other world. Why do you even bring that up here man? And tbh its sound much more dated then PUMA with its really basic beat programmig and overall sound. This is just a silly comparasion.

Which syled nailed what better? You are talking trash here amigo. Cmon! Stop arguing for the sake of it. You already said this is a great track but SOMEHOW it just doesnt resonate with you is a poor argument. . There arent any track that is comparable to this because its unique in the uplifting word, which Majestic isnt.

Ofc each to his own. And yes I am being defensive here :p
 
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Archon

Gagi
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Bullshit! Synths more life in them? No way! Just no way man! Also totally different tracks! Those arent even in the "uplifting" genre. Pointless to compare . Ocean Green and Desire isnt one bit uplifting.

An no way again. No track on Armins debut compares to PUMA. I dont care if you like them or if they stir up more complex emotions in you, they just dont compare. Song for the ocean is in awhole other world. Why do you even bring that up here man? And tbh its sound much more dated then PUMA with its really basic beat programmig and overall sound. This is just a silly comparasion.

Which syled nailed what better? You are talking trash here amigo. Cmon! Stop arguing for the sake of it. You already said this is a great track but SOMEHOW it just doesnt resonate with you is a poor argument. . There arent any track that is comparable to this because its unique in the uplifting word, which Majestic isnt.

Ofc each to his own. And yes I am being defensive here :p

Yes, more life in the synths. The ones in PUMA sound a bit flat to me, when compared. Sunny Lax has done some great things with them, no doubt, he has made the track itself alive. But to me, the opening synths in Ocean Green and Desire carry much more emotion on their own. The styles aren't that comparable, I'll give you that. But not even Majestic was; so what? I'm talking about the Top 20 uplifting trance tracks.

And we've fallen into the black hole of discussing what uplifting really is. Some of my recommendations don't compare to PUMA in the purest sense of the word, but stylistically I'd say it falls into the uplifting category. If we count only the tracks that really uplift you, we'll be left with 7 tracks, and of course PUMA would be in the top 20.

I could dig deeper and find some other stuff that I prefer which is more suitable for comparisons. Mind Circles, for instance, Symbols, Halo...

As for the rest of the block of text, nothing to argue about. You like PUMA, I prefer other stuff, so let's leave it at that.
 
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