For me the first entry in the new Australian In Trance We Trust compilation series was a bit of a let down as I didn’t feel that either mix really lived up to the title, the label and the sound that it’s famous for, so with this second edition I was hoping it would be a little different. Luckily then that the sequel is better than the original! Once again alongside the local talent, Melbourne’s Steve Strangis in this case, there is some international flavour provided by UK trance heavyweight Lange and each DJ gives their own slightly different take on the genre.

Lange is up first and his set starts off progressive and laidback in typical Lange style, before ramping up a little in a dirtier fashion. With some tunes similar to Ferry Corsten’s style like Grrreat by Marc Marberg & Kyau & Albert and Lange’s remix of Ferry’s We Belong it’s a nice mix of some ‘electro’ influenced dirtier sounds and more melodic sounds you come to expect from someone like Lange. As we get to the end of the disc some great melodic trance is to be found, I really enjoyed the last few tunes but I think The Sorcery Within by Arcane Science is a little out of place right before Above & Beyond and probably should have been a little earlier, signalling the end of the dirtier style. As it is it sort of breaks the flow a little and interrupts a nice ending to the mix.

For disc two Steve Strangis begins things slightly deeper but unlike Lange, it’s a lot more cruisy and dreamy. He builds the tempo nicely and smoothly until before you know it we are halfway through and things are starting to get epic. Almost too epic. Everything’s Been Written by 8 Wonders just seems a little out of place and too over the top in the breakdown, especially compared to the tunes before and after it. Maybe he thought well since everything else has been written I’ll just go the standard euphoric route? Whatever, I think the mix would have been better off without it. Despite that little setback there are some pretty sweet tunes on here like Seize The Day by Paul Trainer and Touching The Sound by Mac & Monday. The mix does good job of getting you pumped up and ready to hit the clubs.

Apart from a couple of slight programming errors, in my view the compilation as a whole is pretty enjoyable. I think both DJs have come up with great examples of their individual styles and skill that showcase variations on trance, but don’t move too far away from the classic uplifting style. So it would seem that you can trust in In Trance We Trust once again!