(Shock/Armada Records)

So where exactly is trance heading in 2004? With the sound peaking in popularity several years ago, genre king Ferry Corsten didn’t have a lot positive to say on the future of the scene in a recent interview. “The problem with trance is that everything has been done,” he said. “It’s the same with the festivals. Every single one has the tents with the same DJs, the funfair, all that shit. Now we’re stuck in a time where everyone’s waiting for the next thing.” So will Armin Van Buuren be the one to reinvigorate a stale genre? Voted the world’s #3 DJ in last year’s Mixmag poll, his latest mix has profited from some positive word of mouth: hyped as a sublime blend of traditional euphoric trance, mashed up with some Sasha style uplifting progressive.  And to my delight, A State of Trance 2004 is the sort of CD with the potential to reignite passions and bring old trance veterans back to the fold.

Upon first listening to the CD, three words entered my mind: pretty-damn-uplifting. Harmonious and deep, this is far from the generic Gatecrasher fodder we’ve grown accustomed to. With Armin delivering plenty of smooth, deep mixes, the songs are characterised by layer upon layer of sweet, washing synth lines. Airwave’s Lady Blue is so soothing and so uplifting that you’ll barely be able to contain yourself, while tracks like Kyau vs. Albert’s Velvet Morning and Perpetuous Dreamer’s Future Funland both evoke that classic trance bliss. And there are plenty of surprises too: the Solarstone mix of Whirlpool’s Under the Sun features a haunting guitar solo, before following through with a dreamy uplifting chorus. And the closing track, Armin Van Buuren’s own production Burned with Desire, could only be described as vintage vocal trance.

Finally, a great big slab of trance that sounds fresh: the first CD of A State of Trance is more euphoric and stirring than one could ever anticipate. Starting off at a leisurely pace, before long Armin is pumping out track after track of blissful trance, full of massive breakdowns and sweeping build-ups. Untouched by the hard-as-nails quality that is so dominant in trance now, the songs have real heart, real emotion, and are characterised by a luscious deepness that resonates. Rather than just being gridlocked to fit the formula, every track is a unique and fresh composition that stands on its own. And Armin’s mixing and pacing is ultra smooth and so spot on that your interest is transfixed throughout. I haven’t heard trance that surprised and thrilled me like this for quite a while. Not since the golden year of 1999.

The second CD opens on a slightly deeper tip: the sort of sublime house music that Sasha was playing several years ago, before the style got bogged down in dark, tribal tedium. The sounds are progressive and mysterious, yet still uplifting and emotional. Layers of rich musicality are frequently undercut by deep, progressive-style basslines, and compliment by the clearly defined melodies. From the slow, percussive beginnings of Perry O’Neil’s Kubik, Michael Burns’s The Ambience is just that: hopelessly rich, dreamy and heartfelt, harking back to a time when the style actually had emotion. Again the CD is an epic and superbly crafted journey, with Armin displaying an exquisite talent for slowly building, building, and building the mix, before finally blowing the roof off with the ferocious euphoria of True Form’s Forbidden Colours. Flowing seamlessly, it washes over you so you’re not even aware that it’s shifting from track to track.

Trance ruled the world in 1999, rocking the clubs with a euphoric style of music that had never before been heard on such a widespread level. Since then our musical tastes have branched out, and while some remained loyal to what used to be their favourite genre, many knew in their heart that the thrill just wasn’t the same. The stupidity of trance has always been that so many DJs insist on flogging one high-octane stormer after the other, with no thought given for pacing; but Armin really knows how to build and peak a set. Taking the honour for being one of the best mix CDs released all year across all genres, if you’re even slightly interested in trance then don’t let A State of Trance 2004 pass you by. Dismiss the rumours and stay strong in your resolve… Trance ain’t dead. Because I’ve heard what Armin Van Buuren has to offer, and I like it.