Various Artists - Trance Level 1, mixed by Jewelz & Papa Smurf

Vinyl Pusher is one of Australia’s fastest growing record labels. Having established itself as one of the new market leaders in house and electro, now they’re making an audacious bid to break into the (too) long suffering trance compilation market. ‘Trance Level 1’ is their first foray into the genre, and it’s a 28 track double-disc comp pieced together by two of Melbourne’s finest; the delightful Jewelz and the ever present Papa Smurf.

Jewelz is first up, bringing her selection of progressive, uplifting tech trance for a polished 14 track mix that sounds as good whether you’re in the car, the office or listening on the iPod, as it would in the main room of a club. Opening with some progressive and ambient trance selections, ‘Memory Cell’ and ‘Dandelion’, the mix is quickly taken up a notch with some chunky tech trance courtesy of ‘Chromatic Two’ by Chus Liberata.

From this point on she takes the listener into her uplifting tech trance journey with some exceptional selections right through the middle of the mix, the pick of the bunch being ‘Thrill’ by Niels Van Gogh vs Eniac. Euphoric, uplifting and energetic are the best ways to describe this storming big room trance anthem. I’d LOVE to hear this played out at 3am!

As Jewelz moves the mix towards completion, there’s time for a ‘golden oldie’ with Tiesto’s immortal ‘Lethal Industry’ as the penultimate track. Following this, Jewelz finishes on an alternate note with the unlikely inclusion of Meat Katie & D Ramirez as the final track, with their glitchy, electro-tech-trance number ‘Stop the Revolution Pt 2’. While Jewelz’s efforts are admirable, it’s the second mix on the album – from Papa Smurf – that is the really big selling point for this album.

The tempo is immediately raised from the opening track by Ronald Van Gelderen, ‘Dirty Rocker’. This chugging tech/electro trancer works wonderfully into Tiesto’s ‘Flight 643’, and then one of the biggest trance tracks of the past 12 months, the now near immortal ‘ERA’ by Maarten De Jong & Melvin Warning. It’s from here that Papa Smurf really hits his straps!

There are selections from some of trance music’s finest producers, such as John O’Callaghan, Fred Baker, George Acosta, Dave 202, Ronski Speed and Tiesto. Everywhere you look on this mix you find monster trance anthems. It’s ‘Big Sky’ that really takes the cake. John O’Callaghan’s seminal single strikes through the heart of the listener midway through, with the angelic vocals provided by Audrey Gallagher.

In summary, Papa Smurf has delivered one of THE best trance mixes of the year. 14 tracks seamlessly combined with utter ease, serving up a tasty aural palate for the beloved trance audience. Locally produced trance mix compilations such as ‘Trance Level 1’ will aid the much maligned genre in Australia, as it goes about it’s work rebuilding its profile and popularity. At least we know Vinyl Pusher have their finger on the trance pulse.

Track Listing:

Disk 1
1. Amo, Navas, D-nox & Beckers – Memory Cell
2. Red Robin & Jacob Hilden – Dandelion
3. Chus Liberata – Chromatic Two
4. Kryztow De Fier – Don’t Mess With Me
5. Mandy Reid – Tornado
6. Ernesto Vs Bastian – Thrill
7. Freek Geuze Presents Oradea – Rock Star
8. Ace Ventura – Presence
9. Yanou – King Of My Castle
10. Luca Antolini Presents 2 Lifes – Innocent (Part 1)
11. Claudia Cazacu – Los
12. Mojado – Kaktus
13. Tiesto – Lethal Industry
14. Meat Katie & D Ramirez – Stop The Revolution (Part 2) (Featuring Odissi)

Disk 2
1. Ronald Van Gelderen – Dirty Rocker
2. Tiesto – Flight 643
3. Maarten De Jong Vs Melvin Warning – Era
4. George Acosta Vs Miks Shiver – The Apocalypse
5. Coast 2 Coast – Cut Me (Featuring Le Sal & Phoenix)
6. John O’callaghan – Big Sky (Featuring Audrey Gallagher)
7. Shy Brothers – Feeling Like
8. Ronski Speed With Stoneface & Terminal – Soulseeker
9. Dave 202 – Rain Against Her
10. Joop – The Future
11. Bas & Ram Meets Massimo Nocito – Trancesetterz.NL
12. Vandall – One Way
13. Fred Baker Vs Greg Nash – Lunar Eclipse
14. Marc Van Linden – The Real Thing (Featuring De/vision)

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deucey says...

on August 4th, 2008

good cd.

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