(Josh & Friends Presents)

Meeting in the hallowed forums of our very own InTheMix, Karvan Jayaweera and David Tozzi-Condivi’s online encounter has spawned a musical duo with an innate appreciation of the intricacies of trance. Coming from angry rock roots, the two have since made a successful move into the black arts of trance production.

Striking a careful balance between melody and energy,  Karvan & Condivi (K&C) exploded into the scene in 2004, rapidly building a loyal following through their electric live act at Sydney’s respected A Night Of Trance parties. Moving quickly from support roles to the main stage, this twosome have firmly cemented themselves as talented producers and an engaging live act.

As far as debut albums go, A Night Of Trance (ANOT) is an extraordinarily strong release. Collecting eleven of their own tracks together and mixing them into one cohesive trance spectacular, K&C have created a release of warm melodies, euphoric synths, soaring vocals and galloping bass.

Their diverse blend of different shades of trance has won them countless fans, breathed new life into Sydney’s trance culture and provided a refreshing change from the darker sound that was so prevalent in the first few years of the new millennium. Blending elements of progressive, electro, house and tech, the duo has created a mélange of rich melodies, and this bold and unique fusion of different genres has ignited every event they have played.  Avoiding all the cheesy clichés that so often ruin a trance song, K&C have instead focused on creating emotive music to move the feet and soothe the soul.

This particular journey begins with a fresh and inviting European sound. Easy on the ears, Armada typifies the K&C style of melodia and warmth. Constructed from a river of energetic pads which flow beneath Julie Morris’ carefully placed vocals, Armada resonates with emotion and atmosphere,  a fitting testament to the skills of this trance triumvirate.

Blink and you’ll miss the seamless transition into No Ripcord. With the familiar monster break, but sporting a completely reworked intro, this club favourite sounds bigger and better than ever. A massive live hit, the album incarnation has benefited from the squelch of a 303 and some other subtle production touches.

Slot three belongs to Innocence, a track that manages to capture all that clubbers love about trance. The bass heavy foundation is complemented by beautiful keys that effortlessly dance their way across an emotive soundscape of singing strings. Around this time it becomes obvious that ANOT is not just another trance album but is indeed something special. The intricate yet accessible fourth tune Out of Time confirms this, materialising with a wonderful teched-out bass line that pulses away alongside expertly layered vocals which add extra an extra dimension of euphony to the track.

An an interesting twist, one of the tracks completed only hours before the mastering deadline has actually turned out to be one of the most polished of the lot. With Or Without is an intense masterpiece, rolling along like a road train without breaks, the interplay of bass, fx and intense groove all coming together to create a track with all the markings of an anthemic classic. Reaching the albums halfway point reveals Reality, a slab of the finest dark stadium trance carefully disguised as a funk affair. Smooth proggy grooves roll along before a wall of power synth unexpectedly rockets out of the b-line, exploding out in an almost sinister detonation of sound!

A track long associated with the duo, Transmission, is a slow burning progressive monster. Opening with lush atmospherics swimming through the speakers, it finally erupts into a dramatic Virus fuelled synth breakdown around the four minute mark. June Trance follows the breakdown, swirling out of the speakers in a fusion of rich melody and driving bass that cascades down into a surging whirlpool of foamy euphoria!

Things take a darker turn on French Bread. Unlike the delicious and crispy baked products of France, French Bread is a brooding trancer with a melody like a ravenous wolf that you don’t want to take your eyes off for a second. Perhaps you’re safe, perhaps not… Finishing things up is Hemisphere, with its rich cadences of lingering joy and thoughtful outro leaving the listener asking where the past hour has gone. 

This first release from the ANOT stable is as strong as it is satisfying, proving once again that there’s plenty of life left in the trance sound yet!