I fulfilled my duty at the end, once again
. I spent so many hours when that time of the year comes. Going through all the music I was listening throughout the year, and hardly being able to make a top 10, leaving great tracks back.
1. Simon O'Shine - Eternal Dreamer
2. Ovnimoon & The Digital Blonde - Ilumina
3. Binary Ensemble & Soul Lifters - Tones Of Time
4. Narel - What Your Cause Will Be
5. Super-Frog Saves Tokyo - Reactivate (Solarstone Retouch)
6. Maria Healy - Midnight Oil
7.
@Enlusion & Soundbreeze - Starchitects (Original Mix)
8. John Askew - Aces Hi (Extended Mix)
9. Basil O'Glue - Tell Nobody (Original Mix)
10. Robert Nickson - Sundown (Stoneface & Terminal Remix)
Best Compilation:
Movement: One - (embarrassing cover)
HARD to vote that and not Pure Trance V10, which might have been Excellent, a true 10/10, the best
Pure Trance comp ever imo. So complete with 3 different cds, with more quality and energy. But still, I have been listening Movements for longer, I enjoyed it hell a lot, it so close to what we love about trance roots. I wish @Activa could take care
the mastering better, all Borderline releases sound kind of more flat to my ears. It's not bad, but for example for me all Pure Trance tracks sound cleaner, from the bass to other details.
ALSO FFS, stop using terrible cover albums. This damn (lovely) Black Hole love to release great albums with
terrible covers (worst marketing ever by Solarstone with dots titles and covers). Please learn from Anjunabeats!
Artist:
Estiva - Hmm, super hard, I have voted the usual suspects before, Solarstone,
@EnigmaState etc. This year, if ISOS had been released earlier I could vote for Daniel Wanrooy as well, but he got my attention very late. Estiva had been somehow in my playlist all the time. Colorize releases, Colorscapes 5 mix, very good studio album with even better remixes,
What Is Love EP on Anjunabeats with Nostalgia
track etc. I think he is worth my vote, even if he is not so active in classic trance scene directly.
Album:
Alan Backdrop - Insane World , wow, what a gem, so many different styles, with so many classic trancy elements everywhere. Really rare one album so big can keep my attention, but this is a fantastic journey from start to finish. Super quality electronic music. A real classic gem that will hold its quality for ever. Sad I didn't choose an artist close to our scene, but it is worth my vote more than others. And usually I prefer mixed compilation.
Best Label: hmmmmm
Pure Trance and not Borderline because I chose Movement One above.
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This year, it was the
hardest I can remember. The trance scene with all its siblings and cousins, is at the healthiest state I can remember
. So many quality releases all over the place, from tiny labels, to No Label releases on Bandcamp, to big labels keeping the standards very high while evolving.
I know people love underground stuff here, and we even miss some threads for the usual yearly mixed compilations, but imho everyone should give a try to:
- Roger Shah - Magic Island 12 CD1, omg it's sooooo good. Way darker than usual by Roger, better bass and balearic melodies with good energy. The usual suspects as artist, alias of Roger, Bob Memphis etc. I voted Tone Of TIme to my Top 10.
- In Search of Sunrise 19 : Markus did a great job with his mix, better than last year for sure! CD3 by Daniel Wanrooy is probably the closest mix I've heard to Tiesto's vibes! Fuck yeah. It's absolutely brilliant. So many great tracks, the mix is great, the flaw is great, oldschool ISOS artist gave their best like JES, Leon Bolier, Jonas Steur, Estuera, Cor Fijneman,JPL, Fonzerelli etc. Terra Incognita, Cielo etc etc, such great productions!!!!! CD3 is 10/10 (I really dislike the cover style of ISOS)
- Anjunadeep 14 has been one of the best volumes of the recent years without a doubt. Classic. I can't get bored of it. Unique, interesting, the deep house evolves so good in Anjunadeep. Lovely stuff, I listen to it every now and then while I work. (Fantastic cover)
- Pure Progressive 03, very good work on the compilation mix! (terrible covers )
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@Hoplite I would vote Mikkel Rev - The Art Of Levitation as best album as well. It is a fantastic piece of art. If the vinyl was cheaper with shipping cost I would have bought it when it was released. You have great selections!
THANKS TO EVERYONE who voted and replied. It will take me 1-2 months to discover everything you shared and most of you listen more underground stuff than me. As last year, I will go through all replies, even though I don't have much time anymore. And thanks to all the staff for the great home you provide us, the love, time and money you give it. Xenforo was the best choice, it has great future and you use them greatly. Congrats!
Happy New Year to everyone!