Armada Music Holland Vinyl & CDs

Review: Grammy award winners and production duo Deep Dish throw another contemporary update of their classic track 'Flashdance' into the mix. Compared to the original 2004 track - which saw to a curious but effectively fiery blues-rock come electro-dance delight - this new version elides some of the early rock rawness for a more muted yet mutable 'Guitar Redux' version, which adds a subtle tribal trance direction. There's also two new versions of 'Say Hello', one prog trance and the other full-on trance, and whose original version followed 'Flashdance' as their second collaboration with singer Anousheh Khalili in 2005.

Review: Layton Giordani reigns as one of the thing-pins of "techno's new school", and his latest collab with Tiga and Audion is a neat testament to this fact. 'Let's Go Dancing' indeed does make clever use of breathy effects and rising reeses, but the track's main message - its exhortation to go dancing with us - is best conveyed by its vocal message, which, by the sheer power of repetitiousness alone, grabs us by the arm and corrals us into the dance whether we like it or not. A rabble-rousing, slick new techno rumpus, you won't be allowed out of the nightclub for as long as this one plays back.

Review: 'Perfect' by Mason is one of those tunes whose melody everybody knows, but few, save for the timeliest of Eurodance heads, can recall the name of off the top. Later rehashed alongside American rapper Princess Superstar, the track invaded the Western collective cochlear cortex circa 2005, whence its plucky drive-lead roused dancefloors and iPod shuffles the world over; an eerily engineered earworm arising seemingly out of nowhere. This reissue from Armada hears a comprehensive set of interpretations from various EDM giants in the years after its release, perhaps motivated by the track's use in the 2023 film Saltburn. Aside from a David Guetta re-up, the 1991 pop-d&b is a sleeker slew of ultrafast beats, as though the original's distinctive pluck line had been pre-primed for shelling at faster velocities.

Review: Armin Van Buuren has been a trance titan and scene overlord since day one. The Dutchman has never turned this back on the genre, either, like some of his peers - instead keeping focussed on evolving and innovating within his own specific sonic sphere. His now legendary State of Trance mixes are always a great overview of what he has been about during the last year and 2023's edition is no different. It arrives on double CD and is jam packed with uplifting delights that mix up some old school sounds with plenty of new and forward thinking ideas.

Review: Remarkably, the latest edition of Armin Van Buuren's wildly popular A State of Trance mix series is the 21st in total. While it has always provided a good barometer of where the musical movement is at any given time, A State of Trance 2024 seems particularly potent, with the Dutch superstar delivering a trio of lightly themed mixes reflective of current trends within the style and surrounding global scene. Disc one, subtitled 'On The Beach', opts for warm, colour and nods towards the White Isle of Ibiza via cuts and remixes by BT and Matt Fax, Ferry Corsten X March and Van Buuren himself. He raises the intensity a notch on disc two ('In The Club'), before peaking - tempo and heaviness wise, at least - on disc three, where he explores the current trend of 138BPM trance via smashers from the likes of Lily Palmer, AA Meeting, RIVER and Maarten de Jong.

Review: Duch label Armada Music takes a pan-global view on this new compilation which focuses on the legacy of house music. Called, smartly, House Legacy, it goes from the deepest of the deep in Joe Smooth's still exquisite house hymn 'Promised Land' to the most catchy vocal sounds in Praise Cat's 'Shined On Me' via the archetypal New York dub house of MK's 'Somebody New.' Alongside other big cuts such as Reese aka Kevin Saunderson's 'Just Want Another Chance' are some lesser-known gems from Olav Basoski, Afro Medusa and Gadjo. A vibrant, melting pot and fine cross-section, then.

Review: A trip back to the golden era of trance, a time when dancefloors were awash in lasers and hands were raised in unison to the sound of euphoric melodies and pulsating rhythms. From the iconic sounds of Armin van Buuren's 'Burned With Desire' to the timeless energy of the Three 'N One Remix of Energy 52's 'Cafe Del Mar', this collection is a love letter to the genre's heyday. Classic anthems like Push's 'Strange World', Tiesto's remix of 'Southern Sun', and Rank 1's 'Awakening' transport us back to a time when trance reigned supreme, its uplifting sounds and euphoric breakdowns providing the soundtrack to countless unforgettable nights. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer eager to explore the roots of modern dance music, this compilation is a must-have for anyone who wants to relive the magic of trance's golden age.