Just went through a bunch of 2021 tracks from Phoenix Recordings to see if there was anything I liked. Couldn't find any, since they all failed the following:
The only mild exception is Gary Murray - Amme. Not my choice of track, but it stands a bit above the rest with its "chilled out" synths, ambiance in the otherwise empty beats intro, and piano line.
What are some of the first things you look at when hearing new trance? How do you assess if a trance song is good, or something that you would enjoy?
- Engaging intro. Most intros just had the empty beats and "tech-trance background" sound. Hardly any melodies in the intro. No beatless melodic intros at all. Clearly DJ filler.
- Kicks that sound unique. The tracks in the list all used steroids - no exceptions. Some had larger degrees of steroid-ness and reminded me of Harmonic Rush's early 2010s productions.
The only mild exception is Gary Murray - Amme. Not my choice of track, but it stands a bit above the rest with its "chilled out" synths, ambiance in the otherwise empty beats intro, and piano line.
What are some of the first things you look at when hearing new trance? How do you assess if a trance song is good, or something that you would enjoy?