Monday Choon: Tiësto - Don't Lose Your Head feat Olivia Sebastianelli

 

When Tiesto said he was heading back to his trance roots, many felt that it would be short lived or diluted with modern sounds and he would never really go back to his roots. Well, those same people are left eating their words as he dropped his latest track last week featuring Olivia Sebastianelli on vocals and it's yet another trance bomb. He first previewed the track during his live set at EDC Las Vegas last month and it was a crowd pleaser of note, last week he released the track and it's been doing great on the streams and solidifies his commitment to the trance culture. 

Monday Choon: Tiësto - Bring Me To Life

 

Back when electronic music was just classified into two genre's namely Trance & Techno, there were two major names in the industry, Armin van Buuren and Tiesto. Both made trance music but Armin's style leaned more onto the uplifting and euphoric while Tiesto was hard hitting and high energy. To this I took more to Tiesto's style and seeing him live in 2010 at Randburg airport where he played a 5 hour set was just the cherry on the top for me. Since then Tiesto's style took a turn, I wouldn't classify it as going commercial but definitely styled his music for all in pop-culture. He still created good music but there's something us trance music lovers craved from Tijs that we know he could create. I think he's seen that as well so he's decided to shift back to his roots, he's cleared his IG page and reverted to his old logo to echo his return to trance. "Bring Me To Life" is the first of his new releases and it ticks all the boxes, I've played it close to a 100 times since it's release on Friday, that is how much this song resonates to me, I hope it does to you as well. 

Monday Choon: ARTBAT - Dance

 

Ukrainian DJ and music producer duo ARTBAT who are mainly known for their kick ass remixes to already hot tunes have been around for a while, giving us their unique blend of melodic house and techno fusion which has taken to many over the last few years. Their remix of We Are The People of Empire of the Sun still remains one of my favourites to this day. "Dance" which is their latest offering was released on Friday last week so its hot off the press is a continuation of their techno/ house fusion and has a really upbeat and catchy bassline to go with it. It's already been gathering quite a few fans from their sets over the pass month so we're glad they dropped it this early. 

Monday Choon: Lucas & Steve - Push The Feeling On

 

Dutch DJ duo Lucas & Steve have revived the legendary track "Push the Feeling on". The original track which was released in 1995 by the Nightcrawlers became a cult classic in the clubs and has been remixed by many, but this is the first time it has been redone and after having a listen to it a few times, Lucas & Steve have done a great job by bringing up to the modern sounds of today but retaining the main framework of the song that made it great. Let me know what you think. 

Monday Choon: Armin van Buuren x Martin Garrix feat. Libby Whitehouse - Sleepless Nights

 

When one of the oldest Dutch Trance DJ's collaborates with one of the youngest Dutch Trance DJ's, you know the track is going to be fire! Martin Garrix who previously teamed up with Tiesto for their track "The Only Way Is Up" and it was mega, this time round Martin teams up with the Trance master, Armin van Buuren for their track "Sleepless Nights" with Libby Whitehouse on the vocals, it is a proper Trance style track with some echoes of the early 2000's vocal trance styles. The melody is catchy, the beat is epic and its one of those tracks which gets you going and you'd want to listen to on repeat. 

Monday Choon: Will Clarke - Set Me Free (Rinzen Remix)

 

Bristol born and raised DJ and Producer Will Clarke is not stranger to Techno and Trance industry, we have also featured some of his previous work as well but this time its a remix done by LA based DJ and producer is Rinzen. His music style is described as cinematic house and techno and he brings so much more character to this track. I first heard it a few weeks back on ABGT podcast and got hooked instantly. 

Monday Choon: ARTBAT & Benny Benassi - Love Is Gonna Save Us

 

Ukrainian production DJ duo ARTBAT have been lighting up stages worldwide at festivals with their unique style which I can only describe as trance, techno with a sprinkling of hardstyle. Their set this past weekend at Ultra Miami was incredible and as soon as its available to watch on YouTube, I highly recommend giving it a watch. For this weeks featured track, they team up with Italian DJ maestro Benny Benassi who brought us the timeless classic "Satisfaction" for the track "Love Is Gonna Save Us". Its a great collaboration between new and old and I think that is what makes this track standout from previous ARTBAT productions. I love the track and I hope you do too. 

Monday Choon: NLW - To The Light

 

Afrojack has released a new alias in which he is releasing music that's going back to his roots of his classic sounds. This will no doubt excite many of his dedicated fan base as that is the type of music that made them fall in love with him. NLW will feature high-octane, energy starting soundscapes but will also be partnering with other DJ's like R3HAB and others. The first track "To The Light" is that Afrojack high octane techno that we're used to and hits all the right notes with electric build ups and killer drops. 

Monday Choon: Andrew Bayer & Oliver Smith - Be Kind Rewind

 

I featured the other tracks from the EP so its only fitting that I feature the title track of it as well. "Be Kind Rewind" was the first collaborative work from Andrew Bayer and Oliver Smith and to say its been a success is an understatement. From the first single release "Rude Boyz" which is still a banger in my playlist, the following tracks were great too and to tie them altogether, the final track which is the same name is a perfect end to this memorable EP from the duo. Lets hope that the success of this one spurs them onto collaborate more. 

Monday Choon: Above & Beyond - React

 

Following their successful ABGT600 event in Mexico, the London based trio Above & Beyond have released the lead single from their forthcoming 'Tranquility Base Vol.2" EP titled React. The track which has been played for the better part of this year by the group and has delighted festival goers with its multiple tempo changes which pairs well with the heavy bassline. It's already becoming a club and festival hit which will be played throughout the festive season heading into the new year. From the success Vol.1 of the EP brought the group, Vol. 2 is set to do just the same with 5 high energy instrumental tracks, release date of the EP is scheduled for 6th December 2024. 

Monday Choon: HUGEL, Diplo - Forever (feat. Malou & Yuna)

 

It seemed like an eternity that Diplo has been teasing this track on his socials with us, the track in question was an Afro-tech-house mix of the 2013 track "Lullabies" by Yuna. The track was featured in the 2013 Ultra Miami 'thank you' video was more of a techno house style track. Diplo teamed up with Latin house DJ Hugel to add some latino spice to the track but with a very deep Afro house influence. Bringing Yuna back on the vocals was the masterstroke as the pace of the song has been sped up more than the original and with the added sounds and elements, it needed a fresh re-take. While only snippets of the track were shared over the past 7 months, it lived up to expectations and will get you moving from the second the song starts till it ends.  

Monday Choon: ARTY feat. Jay Sorrow - In My Head

 

My favourite DJ dropped his latest studio album last week on Armada Music so of course I'm going to feature a song from it! Arty is in my opinion one of the most underrated trance music DJs of our generation. His music struck a chord in me from early on and ever since then I look forward to almost anything that has his name on it. Even his alias Alpha9 has been ripping through the charts when he introduced it a few years ago. His latest album, "In My Head" dropped last week and we are featuring the title track from it on the blog, it has Norwegian vocalist and song writer Jay Sorrow on it and is the perfect mix of high energy EDM with a hint of trance that is not only catchy but a soulful sound. 

Monday Choon: Protoculture - In Bloom

 

South African record producer and DJ, Nate better known by his stage name Protoculture is no stranger to the world of trance having been producing chart toppers for the better part of the last 10 years. Having been signed on to some of the biggest record labels in the EDM world he continues to produce progressive and uplifting beats that the world loves. He recently dropped his latest single "In Bloom" on his very own label, Marula Music, which is best described as vibrant melodies unfurl and rhythms blossom with lush soundscapes in this latest dance floor odyssey. It's been featured on the biggest trance podcasts from ABGT to ASOT and it's really inspiring to see a local artist getting the recognition they truly deserve on the global stage. 

Monday Choon: Jaytech - Nebula (Friday Afternoon Club Remix)

 

We normally try to mix it up when it comes to our featured songs every week, if there's a trance song one week, we select a dance or techno song the next from a completely different artist with a completely different sound but we cannot get over just how good Jaytech's Next Level EP is and we decided we just had to feature one more song from it and it had to be his Friday Afternoon Club Remix of his track Nebula. It's groovy, its soulful and what we like is how easy it is to get into it. From the sultry vocals to the deep bass, synths, beats and riffs. It's a like concoction of music bliss. Give it a listen and tell me you don't like it because I know you will be lying. 

Monday Choon: Sander van Doorn - Ori Tali Ma (BLR remix)

 

Hard to believe that it has been already 8 years since Dutch DJ Sander van Doorn dropped his instant classic Ori Tali Ma. It become an infectious festival hit with various artists playing it in their sets, be it in major dance festivals, psy trance, techno or just general clubs. The fusion of the the cool African chants became a highlight for many with its heavy kicks and rich percussion. It was unique and echoed a start in the tribal techno scene. Last week Hungarian DJ and producer Vincze Gergely, aka BLR dropped his remix of this cult track and boy has it reignited all those feels from the time the original came out. Vinceze has brought it up to the speed with modern sounds as he's sped the track up with a faster bassline, more kicks and some great techno synths to keep the track true to its original state. It's bound to be another festival banger and I'm sure it was dropped a lot over the past week at Tomorrowland Winter and Ultra Miami. 

Monday Choon: Afroki - Everything You Do (ft. Aviella)

Afroki see's the collaboration between two heavy weight DJ's and Producers in the EDM world. Dutch DJ Afrojack teams up with American DJ Steve Aoki to form the formidable Afroki. Making their on stage debut at EDC Orlando last November, South African audiences got a taste of it a couple of weeks ago at Ultra South Africa. The high energy set with bespoke tracks combining the best of both styles proves to be a festival winner. Their track "Everything You Do" encapsulates that, with a mixture of trance, house and big room techno sound. The song features the vocals of Aviella that transitions well with the production, the bass line has a progression through out the track from the first part to the second part and not repetitive like you'd normally be used to on most tracks. I thought this was brilliantly done and gives the song a better sound. It's the first of what will be many from the duo, one which I'm looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves for the future. 

Monday Choon: Kungs, David Guetta, Izzy Bizu - All Night Long

 

Today's featured track see's the collaboration between two French DJ's that have interesting styles of music, the first is 27 year old Valentin Brunel, better known by his stage name "Kungs", he is most noted from this hit track "This Girl" where he worked with Cookin' with 3 burners. His style is more along the mellow house style with 70's inspired techno. This time round he teamed up with French legend David Guetta who was one of the leaders in bringing a pop aspect to EDM, but over the past 4 years he's been punting his new future rave sound, so it was interesting to see how these two very two styles would fuse for this track and the results have been outstanding. "All night long" has a very catchy beat with melodic vocals that get catches you immediately, it doesn't take long for the drop to kick and then you're hooked to the groovy sound which is has a heavy piano backtrack. In just 3 weeks the official music video has just over 700K views with it looking to hit the million mark soon.  

Monday Choon: Gareth Emery feat. Sarah de Warren - Vertigo

 

Gareth Emery is back! There's just something about the British DJ's music that sends chills down your spine when you hear it for the first time. It's not just one aspect but the entire track which goes to prove how much work goes into his production. From the vocals, the synths, the build up and drops leave you feeling euphoric. Sarah De Warren is no stranger to electronic music as she has lent her voice to many tracks in the past and it's such a beautiful fit to today's featured track "Vertigo", with the perfect pitch that follows the bass line to the change in tone for  the chorus, it all blends into an amazing track. Such a catchy tune to that will keep you listening to it on repeat. 

Monday Choon: FISHER x AATIG - Take It Off

 

What was probably the song of Coachella 2023, that mad hatter from Australia Fisher has finally dropped this banger ID which had crowds at all the festivals since going crazy. Not to mention him running around stage like a lunatic, but that is why we love him. The song titlee "Take it off" features the vocals of Aatig who released her first single "In The Yuma" with English DJ and producer Chris Lake last November, the track was also remix by Four Tet since. So it's been quite a ride for the vocalist and with this track just blowing up all over the place, she's bound to be getting quite a lot of calls now. The track is a typical high energy Fisher track with big bass lines and techno vibe that gets the crowd grooving from the first second. Definitely a banger for the Northern Hemisphere summer, so turn up the volume and enjoy!

Monday Choon: Tiësto, Mathame - Feel Your Ghost

Tiesto teams up with Italian duo Mathame for his latest release, "Feel Your Ghost", what I love about the Dutch legends work of the past decade is that he isn't scared to experiment like this and more often than not it turns out to be a work of art. While Tiesto has been producing a lot more deep house sounds of late, this track has that old school techno feel with a great energy that just builds up with the vocals and keeps that energy space set for the track. While the beats and synths are the main focus of the track, the vocals for me really make it what it is, even with that catchy bassline every time you hear the vocals kick in, it gives you shivers.