I asked @Redrot for this mix due to his expansive taste and knowledge on the current 'Trance revival' movement that has been growing stradily over the last 5 years in the underground. It's one of the best mixes have heard all year, effortlessly blending trancey breaks, different forms of progressive, trance, dreamy house and hyptnoic techno all together in a seemless journey. A perfect showcase of the most innovative and original music coming out of the scene right now. Enjoy!
From Redrot:
"When I was approached to record a mix for TFR, I was truly honored. Not only do I very rarely get asked to play for people these days, but TranceFix, in particular, has such a high standard for the music they listen to. The idea was for me to record a mix showcasing the side of the "trance revival" that's been going on in the past few years.
There are a number of different styles which are emerging simultaneously in this revivial, in my opinion. There's the circle with labels such as UTE and Blue Hour that are putting out that's reminiscent of classic Goa (and sometimes absurdly fast - see CRUDE's reposts for a good idea). There's the house and breaks-inspired stuff coming from names like Adam Pits, Spray, and Roza Terenzi, which is more akin to early 90s progressive and techno but with a bit of a unique modern twist. Then there's the slightly more mainstream "industrial techno with arps" style that names like I Hate Models and KAS:ST really popularized a few years ago, and producers like Trudge, Julian Muller, and Klangkuenstler are innovating in. Of course, this is all a bit of a generalization, and there are many artists in there that don't fall into any particular one of these categories. Hell, even Armada is even putting out their mainstreamified "revival" sound with Ben Hemsley and his Ibiza-esque anthems.
I initially figured that I'd try to make a mix akin to those in the style of Adam Pits and Spray - a hot mixture of new stuff coming from their camps and actual mid-90s trance. However, after sleeping on it for a while, I realized that it's probably best to leave that to the pros - if you really want to hear a set like that, go check out their Soundcloud pages because they have way deeper old libraries than I could ever hope for! (and please do go peep their those mixes because man, they are *cooking*!) I figured instead that while I'd showcase some of the best that the trance revival has to offer, I'd do it *my way,* taking inspiration from here and there but not really aligning with any one style and sometimes deviating from the strictly "trance" label altogether. But that's one thing I love about this revival (especially the house/breaks-inspired stuff) - it's never really proclaiming itself boldly as "trance," and it's never trying to emulate a bygone era completely; rather, it's taking heavy inspiration and trying to be its own unique thing.
So in a way, what resulted follows that ethos as well - taking heavy inspiration from these new emerging scenes but ultimately still representing my sound more than anything else. It's a snaking journey through multiple frontiers of the trance revival, with sounds that I'd imagine the average modern trance listener is unfamiliar with but not uncomfortable with. My hope is to expand some peoples' horizons and show that the trance sound doesn't have to be as pigeonholed as many think it is.
Most of the stuff in the mix is modern, but there are a small handful of old tunes hidden in there as well. I also threw in a tune from Pure Trance to showcase how these productions may not be too far off from the more friendly modern "trance" sound most are accustomed to. Is all of it strictly trance? Definitely not, but I'd still consider the mix as a whole to be that, especially given the trajectory of the mix. But in the end, does it really matter? Good music is good music!"
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Thanks guys!
