The Best of 2024 - What are your thoughts on this year?

[NameLessYet]

I always had a thing for Balearic Trance and will focus on it since it looks like its making a return.

I recommend these tracks:

Ishiro - Serene (Miratrix Remix) [Pure Progressive]
Foxhill - When The Morning Comes [Pure Progressive]
Pablo Gargano - Open Up [Songbird]
Aerium & Julian Del Agranda - Flawless [Pure Trance]

Three of those are from ISOS 20 by Solarstone, which is quite Balearic, but my favourite is the first one Serene (Miratrix Remix).

 

[Jetflag]

My fav off the recent forum EP02, which is also my top V/A of the year. Love this way this one launches at 3:50 and builds up. Again, this track is simplicity at its core while also not following the basic track structure I hear in mainstream typically. While not even that similar, this track gives me the feels like Motomix '05. Thank you @Jetflag!

Thanks brother glad you like it, 2025 will hopefully see the original aswell which, imo, is even better

 

[Motion]

ToTY: Enigma State- S-Bahn
Runner up: Synthazia - Wunderland
Special mention: Fader Cap - Blue Pool.

I’ve enjoyed exploring the scene this year, and I think the resurgence of more classic sounds is a promising sign. I would like more prog music sounds to surface, but even this saw an increase I think. Rambal Cochet - Catalyst Powder is the closest sound to original prog I header, as is Replica by Work The Peripherals.

 

[Enlusion]

That main part, it transports me away.
Possibly his best track til date.

Thank you for sharing it here, been on repeat for me today and blew my mind

 

[Electronlyman]

Thank you for sharing it here, been on repeat for me today and blew my mind

It's been on repeat a lot here as well, what a record.
One of my faves across all genres.

It's so captivating.

 

[GeorD]

Okay so I mainly lean into the more epic/ emotional stuff than most here, but here is my ranked top 10 of 2024. I'll be making a series of mixes for the deeper/progressive, for the uplifting trancy and for the harder stuff sometime soon.

1. Andy Blueman - Synthetic Evolution, I am absolutely surprised no one mentioned this one yet.
2. Cold Blue & Julie Scott - Mad Hatter
3. Simon O'Shine - Hybrid
4. Pinkque & That Girl - Breathe Fire
5. John O'Callaghan, Paul Skelton & Ren Faye - May The Road Rise
6. Arctic Moon - Wasteland Synthesis
7. Factor B - The Girl With Her Head In The Clouds [Ellie's Song]
8. Armin van Buuren & Natalie Gioia - Viva l'Opera
9. Sunda - Mirage (Julian Del Agranda Remix)
10. Asteroid & Daniel Skyver - Forgiven

Favourite artist: Cold Blue. The man has been pretty good for years now, but this year he's been going into the hazier/ darker side a bit and I love it. Everything he makes sounds handcrafted and full of soul, but he still manages to keep up quite a release schedule.
Favourite album: Beautiful Struggle by Pinkque. Upon first listen it sounded somewhat cheesy, but after relistening I discovered the layers and twistedness that make it such a beautiful metaphor for depression. The cheesiness came to feel like having to keep up a pretense of feeling well, but in the background the negative emotions tries to break through.
Favourite label: Still Pure Trance as always though there are no tracks of that label in this top 10 haha.
I have not really paid attention to compilations much this year, so I don't want to make any remarks on those.

Honourable mentions:
-SØNIN & BLR feat. Brieanna Grace - Rush (2AM Club Mix)
-Romain Garcia - Sevilla
-Jack Willard - Vista
-Ryan Davis - Horizon
-ALIGASH - Half a Dream
-Brandt Hoff - Pheonix Alpha
-Marcos - Odyssey (Alternate Mix)
-York - Reachers of Civilisation (In Search Of Sunrise Mix)
-Vivifyer & Wavetraxx & Akku - State Of Possibility
-Dj Thera feat. Elyn - The Only One
-...and plenty more on the Hardstyle side, with a stronger old-school/ classic revival there and a growth towards industrial.

This year seemed to have a movement towards more oldschool stuff in the mainstream, meaning the development in the underground of the past few years seems to finally have broken through into the mainstream, resulting in definitely more interesting stuff there. Genres seem to have blurred more and more as a result of 90's revival, with a lot more experimentation on the interface between these genres again. That is great, I love experimentation, it makes for unique music and forces artists to put thought into their tracks. I've noticed that for me the high quality tracks have become even better last year, but that the general blur of generic soulless garbage has only become worse. All in all this is the first year in the past 10 or so that I don't think is necessarily worse in a musical sense than the previous year, and it may even be somewhat better.

 

[Propeller]

1. Quietman - Full Throttle (Dreamtime Mix)
2. Quietman - Tamagotchi Love
3. Quietman – Oráculo
4. Factoria - Sculptured (Activa Extended Rework)
5. Definitions & Char - All We Have (Extended Mix)
6. Marcos - Odyssey (Alternate Mix)
7. Palindrones - Anima (Activa Extended Remix)
8. Quietman - I Know You
9. Chris Johnson - The Void (Extended Mix)
10. Coredata - Strangelove

 

[trancedanne]

Holy shit what a shitty year

1. Vaim - Between The Sky
2. Slipstream - Eternal Dream
3. Activa & Marcos - Elevate
4. The Digital Blonde & Lauren Lyon - Iris
5. Jackob Roenald & Mike Moor - Cloud Nine
6. Vaim - Storm
7. Vaim - Ikar
8. Ultravibe - Transmitter
9. Ultravibe - The One Thing
10. Ultravibe - Return To The Future

Favorite artist: Vaim
Favourite album: Ultravibe - Transmitter
Favourite label: Borderline
Best compilation: Hallucinations Of The Buddha

 

[HTY]

Christ @rambalcochet how many tracks did you release this year? I keep finding more and more. Body-buzz and Catalyst.

Anyway, here is my top list. To be honest I had a lot more good tracks shortlisted than I imagined at the end of the year. I wouldn’t say there were tracks that are going to be in my top 100 of all time, but for all my ranting about the progressive scene this year we actually had some very good tracks from that genre. It’s small but positive steps forward. If you like Progressive sounding tracks then you might find nice discoveries in this list. Following the scene continues to be enjoyable and worthwhile, and that is all that matters.

1. Ayu - In The End
2. Work The Peripherals - BurningBurning
3. Thurlow Joyce - Laguna (Thurlow Joyce Deepcast Tool)
4. Quietman - Full Throttle (Dreamtime Mix)
5. Milled Rev - Whorl
6. Martinou - Expanding
7. Rambal Cochet - Body-buzz
8. Shjva - Chasma
9. Sansibar & Denzel - Sonic Minds
10. Work The Peripherals - Red Zone
-
11. Synthazia - Wunderland (still might include this)
12. Beltrac - Dream Cycle
13. Rambal - Catalyst converter
14. Enigma State - S-Bahn
15. Work The Peripherals - Replica
16. Work The Peripherals - Blue Neon
17. Fader Cap - Blue Pool
18. Quietman - Indian Eel
19. Quietman - Dust2Water
20. Mikkel Rev - Tension
21. Alkemy - Cloud Detox
22. Advanced Civilization - Regener8
23. Introversion - Hopeless Dreaming
24. Martinou - Solid State
25. Shjva - Crysallis

Best album Shjva - Warning
Best label - UTE
Best artist - Work The Peripherals

I would be nice to see @Narel choices, if you don’t mind good sir.

 

[Hensmon]

Long time visitor, first time voter here.

Welcome to the forum. Nice to see new members add some votes. Just fyi, your track Etzu Mahkayah - Zanzibar, although sexy as fuck, is from 2023 it seems.

2. Quietman - Tamagotchi Love

This one is also amazing, but 2023 too, right? Should have been in our top 100 last year for sure.

 

[SaltAcidFatHeatAcid]

3. Thurlow Joyce - Laguna (Thurlow Joyce Deepcast Tool)

Do you have a copy of this? Weapon, damn.

 

[ARP]

I cannot tell you how useful your suggested track doc is. I’ve spent the last week listening and found 30 to 40 new tracks. God send.

Activa is my producer of the year, for his many good tracks and his work as label boss for Borderline. Borderline releases were fire this year.

 

[Contraband]

Man that was hard to do. So many tracks to choose from, and even more appearing on your lists.

 

[rambalcochet]

Christ @rambalcochet how many tracks did you release this year? I keep finding more and more. Body-buzz and Catalyst.

Anyway, here is my top list. To be honest I had a lot more good tracks shortlisted than I imagined at the end of the year. I wouldn’t say there were tracks that are going to be in my top 100 of all time, but for all my ranting about the progressive scene this year we actually had some very good tracks from that genre. It’s small but positive steps forward. If you like Progressive sounding tracks then you might find nice discoveries in this list. Following the scene continues to be enjoyable and worthwhile, and that is all that matters.

1. Ayu - In The End
2. Work The Peripherals - BurningBurning
3. Thurlow Joyce - Laguna (Thurlow Joyce Deepcast Tool)
4. Quietman - Full Throttle (Dreamtime Mix)
5. Milled Rev - Whorl
6. Martinou - Expanding
7. Rambal Cochet - Body-buzz
8. Shjva - Chasma
9. Sansibar & Denzel - Sonic Minds
10. Work The Peripherals - Red Zone
-
11. Synthazia - Wunderland (still might include this)
12. Beltrac - Dream Cycle
13. Rambal - Catalyst converter
14. Enigma State - S-Bahn
15. Work The Peripherals - Replica
16. Work The Peripherals - Blue Neon
17. Fader Cap - Blue Pool
18. Quietman - Indian Eel
19. Quietman - Dust2Water
20. Mikkel Rev - Tension
21. Alkemy - Cloud Detox
22. Advanced Civilization - Regener8
23. Introversion - Hopeless Dreaming
24. Martinou - Solid State
25. Shjva - Crysallis

Best album Shjva - Warning
Best label - UTE
Best artist - Work The Peripherals

I would be nice to see @Narel choices, if you don’t mind good sir.

Don't remember, really ) Will be more next year.

 

[Software:06]

Happy to be part of this years vote everyone. With all the classic sounds returning to the mainstream, we can surely say that Trance is on the up.

 

[Jetflag]

Happy to be part of this years vote everyone. With all the classic sounds returning to the mainstream, we can surely say that Trance is on the up.

Welcome

 

[Software:06]

When do the results get announced?

 

[Jetflag]

When do the results get announced?

Usually first week of January, it’s all hobby though so there might be reasonable delay

 

[Devito]

These are the Progressive/Trance/Goa/Psy tracks released in 2024 that i recommend:

Aiden Francis - Ultrasonic
Alan Backdrop - Ubevi
Asphalt DJ - Makineta
Avulth - Rhythmic Beings
B From E - Amnesia
B From E - Symetrix
Blush - Buzz Boyz
Brique - Sunrise Fun
Caim - Hypno Gravity
Christopher Ledger - File Inspectors
Cybernet - Key to Equilibrium
Cybernet - Phantasmic
DJ Ali - Eternal Drift
Dublicator - Collider
Duo Paradiso - Moonlight
Ebbs N Flow - Bunch of Amateurs
Ebbs N Flow - Deep Dream
Eoin DJ - Total Body feat sensx (Angel D'lite Remix)
Eoin DJ - Ultrasoft
Escape Artist - Far Away Places
E.T.H (Italy) & Palmiz - How Long (Trippy Mix)
E.T.H (Italy) & Palmiz - Interstellar
Fader Cap - Kanizsa
Fanick - M’s Land
Fazack - Live Wire (Tripped Mix)
Fazack - Serious Pressure (Pace Mix)
Fazack - Someone Call 909
Gabriola - Inner Engineering
Gearmaster - Sugarworld (Marina Potion Club Remix)
Gearmaster - Sunchaser (Dzc. Remix)
Jak Stratford - Club Ferb
Jamie Leather - Thats Enough Now
Julian Anthony - Open Minded
Julian Anthony - Stormy Tuesday
KayTV - oo-koo-hé (Solar Suite Remix)
KayTV - Wave Speech
Merr0w - Ghost Ship
mpeg - Bad Intel
mpeg - Dots
mpeg - Pollen
Olsvangèr - Paranoweed
Parallax Deep - Secrets
Parodia - Liquid (Sacred Grove Liquidation Mix)
Praecox - forma zimna
Praecox - minigram
Priori - Sub Lux
Priori - Sub Lux (Sansibar Remix)
Priori - Tropeware
Remotif - You Create the Light
Salomo - B2gether
Salomo - Spring Scents
Seb Zito - Naranja Stream
Spekki Webu - Eion
Spekki Webu - Spectrum Analyzer
Sub Semantics - Dub Revolver
Sublee - Metime
SY - Feel (Longevity Mix)
xupid - Direct Dub

 

[Hensmon]

About 5 days left before vote close, so another push coming your way lads and lass'. Unlikely we will break last years vote record as we allowed guests to submit in 2023, which we didn't do this time, but 20+ more and we'll break 150 votes np. Lurker voting has been decent this year, so keep them coming if you are reading this from the shadows.

Few forum regulars still withholding submission of their sweet sweet votes: @TRANCEBLASTER, @Hoplite, @Z Dobrej Woli, @skyriderz, @Daysleeper, @TwinSilo, @Redrot, @Horizons, @Electronlyman, @sszecret, @Mikey, @Altair, @Tievb21 @LostLegend - cmon

And also would like to see you producers submitting...
@Narel, @Grant Trowbridge, @EnigmaState, @rambalcochet, @aleexr, @Allan_Morrow_AM_Studios, @Chris Johnson Music, @Coredata, @miikka@driftmoon, @Reverb1234

Thanks all!

Personal top tracks of the year for me :

Please submit officially, dont see ya name in the list