TranceFix Best of 2023 - VOTE OPEN! - Thoughts on this year?

[Electronlyman]

Will wait with my list until the Digital Blonde tracks are out just before new year

Same

 

[Archon]

Slowly started compiling my favs from this year. 36 contenders, and the top 10 are all gonna be future classics for me. And I'm definitely gonna feel very bad about leaving some out of the top 10.

What a year it's been.

 

[Dreamless]

I found this website because of your past top 100. I actually had no idea there was so much nu-trance coming into the scene at the time and now I’m obsessed. I should have a mixed bag of votes this year. Maara and Rambal Cochet were the two best producers.

 

[Motion]

The suggestion table is incredibly helpful thank you. Already rediscovering some highlights for me, much progressive music…

Filterheadz - Oblivion
Satoshi Fumi - Ion Tail
Satoshi Fumi - E1
Thurlow Joyce - Lemon Citrus
Eivind - Tustana (Telephones Rush Mix)
Facade - One True Morty (Narel Remix)

all of these will feature as my progressive entries. Movements easily the best compilation.

 

[Hensmon]

and yes, very sexy UI

Thanks mate. You are the only one that ever notices these things

 

[sszecret]

Thanks mate. You are the only one that ever notices these things

Eh, I'm sure others do too, can't take all the credit.

At various points in the past, it was sort of my job to make sure promo graphics were consistent across the board. Once you do something like that, you kind of start seeing the little details here and there - which ends up sort of ruining most websites for me. On the flip side, I have a different kind of appreciation when I get to see stuff done right.

Though I am human and not an AI (last I checked anyway), in most cases, you change half an icon and I'll know.

 

[TwinSilo]

I thought this year was strong for trance and progressive, but mostly because of the underground movements, which arguably is still a fair bit detached from trance and a lot of what is claiming to be the second coming of trance and prog (with liberal labeling I’ll add) is still not touching on the achievements of the greatest moments of genre in the past. Despite all that there’s no denying it also has more of the components of high quality music and trance styles than almost anyone is doing in the ‘normal’ trance scene. They are leaps ahead actually and that’s why I am drawn to it so much. Some good progressive music did come out of that scene.

voting to come next week

 

[m_st]

Artist: Rambal Cochet
Label: Gestalt
Album: Sleep D - Electronic Arts
Comp: Movements

As for the tracks I will have to wait and think.

 

[Electronlyman]

This is not a vote, it is my initial list of candidates, in no particular order!


Enigma State - State Of Mind (reminded me of a great track from the 90's: Artemis - Inverted Humanism)

PROTEUS - Lost Love (glorious example of Finnish Trance style!)

Brandt Hoff - Where Is Your Soul (Deep and Uplifting, oh yes)

Narel - What Your Cause Will Be (amazing listening experience on good headphones!)

Peter Steele - Forever (beautiful tribute track)

Aquarius - On The Edge (love the energy and Pryda sound on it)

Estiva - Via Infinita (hammered this one, so groovy yet relaxing at same time)

Slam Duck - Allure (magical breaks vibes )

Cape Town - Tears Of Jupiter (many years ago he told me it would never be released, due to it triggering some negative memories, but the situation seems to have changed!)

Digital Blonde - Synthony (as per Ricky himself, announced to be a huge release, his opus magnum???)



ALBUM: Sleep D - Electronic Arts

COMPILATION: Pure Trance vol. 10
Edit 31.12: Activa - Movement: One

LABEL: Borderline / Pure Trance

ARTIST: Enigma State - dude has been working his ass off to give us so many good releases this year!

 

[Streaming]

So far…

Pletnev - I Stole It Somehow
Clint - Cyber Coral (Tribal Sensation Mix)
Rambal - Talpa Lionisu
Utopian Streams - Andromeda
Mikkel Rev - Regrets
Bliss Inc - Mind 2 Mind
Mischa Blanos - Linear
Rough Cuts - third wave
Rambal - Talpa Lionisu
Omformer - 10.000 Ohm
Tantra Motion - TO U
Alan backdrop - Nootropic
Alpha tracks - Treeline
LOIF - Alien System
Tywi - Reality Checkpoint (Maruwa Remix)
Omformer - Yengo 3AM
Rambal Cochet - Mixed Reality
Sleep D - Red Rock (IVX23 Wet Version)

 

[SaltAcidFatHeatAcid]

I thought this year was strong for trance and progressive, but mostly because of the underground movements, which arguably is still a fair bit detached from trance and a lot of what is claiming to be the second coming of trance and prog (with liberal labeling I’ll add) is still not touching on the achievements of the greatest moments of genre in the past. Despite all that there’s no denying it also has more of the components of high quality music and trance styles than almost anyone is doing in the ‘normal’ trance scene. They are leaps ahead actually and that’s why I am drawn to it so much. Some good progressive music did come out of that scene.

voting to come next week

Agree 100% with this statement, and it's largely how I feel as well. It's frustrating that the underground scene is still keeping trance at an arms distance rather than going for a full ecstasy fueled sweaty bearhug. I can't sort if its a lack of interest in the sounds and scene, or that making truly excellent trance is just time consuming and difficult. In the old days, there was real money to help with the motivation part at least.

Speaking of, I'm having a brutally hard time narrowing my best of list. I might just have to list my top 100 this year.

 

[Pokkryshkin]

My fav for this year. the last place I'm still thinking

1. Allende - Horizon Painter
2. Sumatra - Let It Go
3. Ahmed Romel - Anoranza
4. Evol Wavez - Name Is The Answer (Greenhaven DJs Remix)
5. Sneijder - Dawn
6. Sneijder feat. Rion S - Another Day
7. Alex Starsound - Pump Up The Jam Volume (The Digital Blonde's Zero Zero dB Mix)
8. Filterheadz - Indian Summer
9. Breakfast - The Answer

 

[Dreamless]

Speaking of, I'm having a brutally hard time narrowing my best of list. I might just have to list my top 100 this year.

How can you have so many? Yeh I found lots of good tracks this year, but over 100? Not even close.

 

[Exodom]

Here is my first submission for tracks. It’s likely going to have small change by the end, and I am half way through the shortlist. I forgot so many. Waiting For You easily my favorite one of the year

I cannot think of any albums, which is crazy, because last year there were at least 5 I had to choose from. What am I missing? I am looking for non underground albums.

 

[Electronlyman]

I cannot think of any albums, which is crazy, because last year there were at least 5 I had to choose from. What am I missing? I am looking for non underground albums.

I'm pretty sure you're not missing anything.

Temple One released an album, but featuring radio edits only.
10 tracks of 33 mins total.

I have pretty much ignored that one for obvious reasons...


I'm a fan of his older stuff.
Together We Escape was amazing, still gives me the goosebumps.
No way... That's almost 10 years ago, what??

 

[Aquarium]

Love that you do this each year dudes, look forward to it and seeing what people vote for. I used to be obsessed with the DJ mag results growing up, ordering the magazine from Europe, sometimes on EBay as couldn’t find distributors here in Canada. There was notbing better than seeing the published list of winning DJs and the running to the record shop to see if you could grab any cds from those people. I remember voting for Sasha and Digweed too once, but this was after they already had their top spots, maybe 2006 or something. Miss having these kinds of lists and recognition so nice to have a fun way to do it again here…. And with no risk of David Guetta making an appearance to ha!

 

[Narel]

Quite the nice change (and yes, very sexy UI) for the voting widget this time around. Noticed the profile badges to the left (whatever you choose to call them) have been changed a smidge as well. Honestly thought I was hallucinating when I first saw them lol.

While last year I'd been a bit out of the loop, so I only put together a top 10, this year was different.

Back when I wrote for Vand Sunete, I used to do a similar sort of thing (never claimed that was an original idea ), but with a top 20 instead of a top 10 (and the occasional 'bonus' track). Although I voted for the first 10, might as well post the entire top 20 and continue the tradition (along with a bit of context for some of the tracks):


01. Activa - Velika (Club Mix) [VII] [Track of the Year]

For the second year in a row (technically for the third overall if we count some older entries) another Activa track takes the #1 spot for me. As I said before, massively reminiscent of his 2014 track Antimatter (personal TOTY back then), down to the similar shade of green for the artwork. Been playing it like there's no tomorrow ever since it came out in mid-September.

02. Omformer - 10.000 Ohm [Ute.Rec]

There was no way this wouldn't be near the very top. As I said in the thread itself, two words: Holy shit.

03. @Andre Maier (aka NuroGL) & Gosto - Mi Amour [Borderline]

One of the stronger Borderline releases this year. Also Japanese for buttplug. Memes aside, great melody.

04. Transa - Carla's Theme (@EnigmaState Remix) [Covert]
05. Otto K - A Strange Dream (Tim Bourne’s Pod Remix) [Lost Language]
06. @Narel - What Your Cause Will Be [Pure Progressive]
07. Will Rees - Sanctuary [Kearnage]
08. @EnigmaState - Lunar's Theme (Original Extended Mix) [Enigma State Music /Self Released]
09. Sean Tyas & Julie Thompson - Cycles [Black Hole Recordings]

Didn't honestly think I'd have a vocal track to add to the 2023 EOY top after last year's When Darkness Comes, but here we are. Not necessarily the usual sound, but I quite like this.

10. The Noble Six - Moon That Never Sets [FSOE ]
---
11. Ija (aka Pulser) - Drift [Toneplay]
12. @Sleeping - Desolated [Forescape Digital]
13. @Coredata - GeoMetric (Warehouse '91 Mix) [Borderline]
14. @Andre Maier (aka NuroGL) - Es Vedra [TF.R]
15. Luke Terry & Sonic Element - Andromeda (Sonic Element Mix) [Borderline]
16. Chris Oblivion - Lilium [Forescape Digital]
17. Activa - I Wanted You (Extended Mix) [Borderline]
18. Tim French - Kamino Static (Qoob Remix) [Lost Language]
19. Astral Projection – Let There Be Light (2023 Remix) [Iboga]
20. Alex M.O.R.P.H. - Cosmopolitan [Vandit]

BEST ARTIST: @EnigmaState - two tracks in the top 10 should've been the clue tbh

BEST LABEL: Ute.Rec - despite the Borderline spam in the rest of the top 20 (0 regrets), I voted for the Ute folks this go-around

BEST COMPILATION: Movement: One

BEST ALBUM: ASC - The Depths of Space

Left this spot blank, and added it here a bit out of order because it's not Trance, nor Prog, but DnB. Love the entire album, though I have a soft spot for the last track, Seadrift.

I've been a big fan of the Over/Shadow covers, and this one ain't an exception either:

View attachment 1839

Had to grab the physical version, and managed to do so for the first round of vinyl with the black / amber combo. They look great IRL (despite the shit photo quality), especially when light hits them (further accentuating that solar eclipse idea):

View attachment 1840

View attachment 1841

There was a second run of these, with a marbled red and amber combo, but I personally like the original run combo more. To each their own I suppose.

I think that about covers everything.

Thanks for the vote. That ASC album is great, checked it out based on your post while, bizarrely, sat in the studio making an int’ DnB tune that started with the stabby chord thingy sound I made for ‘what your cause will be’. W.E.I.R.D

 

[Archon]

Yeah 1 minute into that ASC album and I've already creamed. Armin van Buuren knows how many awesome stuff I must've missed this year...

 

[sszecret]

Thanks for the vote.

It's a great track, very much worth the vote.

That ASC album is great, checked it out based on your post while, bizarrely, sat in the studio making an int’ DnB tune that started with the stabby chord thingy sound I made for ‘what your cause will be’. W.E.I.R.D

Mayhaps that was my plan all along! Looking forward to hearing the result of that studio session, though.

There were some other previous Over/Shadow releases with cool covers, like Lost In You, Into the Shadows, Bees and Another Life, but I wasn't as big of a fan of the sound itself. The Depths of Space was the closest one to the atmospheric sound I was looking for. It's also why I bothered to get the physical edition, as I was really hoping to own at least one of the label's releases physically. Might as well be this one.

Yeah 1 minute into that ASC album and I've already creamed. Armin van Buuren knows how many awesome stuff I must've missed this year...

ASC has a lot of great atmospheric stuff on his Spatial label. A great example is Synergy from the Cause and Effect EP, released Dec 1:




Still great, though a smidge repetitive in places and not the same genre, would be Alkaid:


Comes complete with a confused rat artwork insert

Copyright date is 2022, but the EP was released this year.

I guess we can continue the discussion via DM. Don't want to derail the thread too much.

 

[TRANCEBLASTER]

imho 2023 was not so strong for trancey releases as the previous 3 years... I rate this year from the 'Trance' side 6.5/10

BEST TRANCE ARTISTS: Rambal Cochet, Alan Backdrop, Remotif, Abdul Raeva, Mikkel Rev

BEST LABELS: Craigie Knowes, Space•Lab, Body High, X-Kalay

BEST ALBUM: Alan Backdrop - Insane World [self release]

still not sure about my TOP 10, so here are my most played trancey tunes of 2023 (TOP 30)

Alan Backdrop - Turbulence [self release]
Thurlow Joyce - Lemon Citrus [NAFF Recordings]
a.s.o. - My Baby's Got It Out For Me (Maara Remix) [Low Lying Records]
Dylan Forbes - Padtheory [Body High]
Eivind Vullum & Telephones - Tustna (Telephones Sueñotechno Rush Mix) [Vibrasjon]
ANF - Technique [DustWORLD]
Rambal Cochet - Kitaro [Transmigration]
Thurlow Joyce – Varial [NAFF Recordings]
Satoshi Fumi - E1 [Bedrock Records]
Rambal Cochet - Temporal Aura [Transmigration]
Alan Backdrop - Oneiron [self release]
Omformer - 10.000 Ohm [Ute.Rec]
Seo John - Circuit of Light [Day By Day]
emkay - In Bloom (Sansibar: Bobo's Whip Mix) [Espace Noir]
Mikkel Rev - Sub Sea (Peace Mix) [A Strangely Isolated Place]
Omformer - Dawn [Ute.Rec]
Alan Backdrop - Dysfunctional Reality [self release]
_Nyquist - Pegasus Path [Exalt Records]
Eversines - Problem Solving Mode [ninih]
Abdul Raeva - Elemental Warfare [Body High]
Satoshi Fumi - Ion Tail [Bedrock Records]
B From E feat. Soho Rezanejad - In My Hive feat. Soho Rezanejad (Instrumental) [Buddahood]
Mikkel Rev - Insula [A Strangely Isolated Place]
Remotif - The Elevated Place [Emotional Especial]
Ryan James Ford -- ASMR (Tulsa Mix) [Clone Dub Recordings]
Ronan - Song Of Surrender [X-Kalay]
Pletnev - Wandering Mind, Go F Yourself [Burnin Music]
Cooper Saver & Kaspar Bjørke - 02:47 [Live At Robert Johnson]
Kosh - Despair [Scam Planet]
Jude Natural - Intervention [Neptune Discs]
Kalocain - Zipliner [Mana Abundance]