We finally made it! Over a year ago, a simple idea quickly turned into an inspirational haven of musical discovery as we decided to show music that many have forgotten. For starters, a big thank you is in order to everyone who continually supported Your EDM‘s Unsung Heroes series since its inception in November of 2012. Within this year, we have discovered brand new genres such as Psy Trance and Breaks, as well as delved ourselves into completely unusual forms of IDM such as Ambient, Hard Techno and Electronica. We delved ourselves into the troughs of Techno and Trance with incredibly complex and detailed works such as House Lesson by Sidney Charles, Nataraja by Bryan Kearney & Jamie Walker and L’Acrobat by Static Blue & Ferry Tayle. We dug through discographies and unearthed hidden gems from your favorite artists such as Eric Prydz, Fedde Le Grand, Michael Woods and Avicii, as well as uncovered new talent with Eshericks, Adam Szabo and Tomy DeClerque. But most of all, we realized that there are still an astonishing array of producers and sounds that patiently sit in the shadows, waiting to be found by those who are hungry enough for something more. By opening our minds to broader horizons, we unraveled amazing works of art that represented the best that EDM has to offer.
To celebrate this fantastic milestone, we are going to show you an incredible collection of music that was created a year ago that has been one of my personal cornerstone sets of 2013. With every 10th Unsung Heroes, we like to showcase a mix that stands out above the rest; the kind of mixes that go above and beyond the standard with effortlessly seamless transitions, masterful energy control and impeccable track selection. Past selections have included Mike Saint-Jules and his flawless warm up set for Cosmic Gate at Pacha NYC, as well as Keyworth‘s guest mix on Anjunabeats Worldwide, where all rules were shattered in a set that covered the entire spectrum of EDM. We knew that we had to make the 50th mix a special one for our readers, and it had to be one that really captivated our audience under one, magnificent sound. After much deliberation, I decided to uncover a mix that was collecting dust in my back catalog that had brought me on the verge of tears with each and every song that was played. Now, we are proud to showcase the stunning second episode of Uplifting Only, where some of the greatest pieces of Trance can be found in one full hour of emotional liberation.
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Uplifting Only is the brainchild of Ori Uplift and the Abora Recordings family, where their way of life is surrounded by wondrous breakdowns, heartfelt melodic lines and breathtaking moments of inexpressible beauty. Fans of my works know that I have a deep passion for Uplifting Trance and this forgotten mix rightfully deserved more attention than it initially received. This particular episode was special for Abora, because it was a full two hour set that only featured New World, Playme and Andy Blueman; who are arguably three of the greatest hidden talents that has existed throughout Trance. Andy Blueman alone is an absolute legend in the scene, with his euphoric Orchestral Trance singles elevating his reputation and legacy in a completely different league. His singles such as World To Come and Everlasting contain an amazing element of timelessness that is able to sound just as revolutionary and cutting edge as when they were released. On the flip side of the equation, New World is being hailed as one of the new leaders of Orchestral Trance with his unbelievably rapturous productions heavily supported by Armin van Buuren, Aly & Fila and Photographer. Alongside this bright young talent is another promising Uplifting producer who goes by the alias of Playme, whose unique knack of joyous and mysterious melodies has also earned a nod of approval from Armin, Ahmed Romel and Jorn van Deynhoven. In this mix alone, he presents two world premieres of his upcoming singles, along with smatterings of past productions.
Over the years, it has become increasingly apparent that Trance is shifting in terms of style and execution, with industry leading labels such as Anjunabeats and Enhanced Recordings permanently locking into 128BPM; where the lines between Progressive House and Trance are constantly blurred and tested. This has left many Trance fans disillusioned and heartbroken, and has resulted in many diehard fans earning a reputation for being narrow minded, spiteful and even hateful at times. If we look back to 2005-2010, Trance was slowly dying due to factors such as stagmentism, over-utilizing melodic ideas and weary years of wear and tear. By 2011, it began a renaissance of sorts; with new artists, labels, genres and styles emerging with such speed and veracity that many had thought that Trance had lost what made it so special in the first place: its powerful connection that unified the music, the people, and the individual under one glorious sound. This mix reminds us of that intimate relationship between the music and the listener, and brings back fond memories of the past in hushed tones of illuminated brilliance. The masterpieces of these modern day virtuosos elicits such a powerful connection with the earth and the heavens, and empowers our interactions that each and every one of us contributes to make this world worth living in. Even if it’s only two hours, put on your headphones, press play and let the forces of God and Mother Nature flood your soul with the only way it knows how: music.
Ori Uplift‘s second episode of Uplifting Only is also downloadable, so make sure you grab this special set for your collection, as well as tuning into Uplifting Only every week. We here at Your EDM absolutely love the work that Abora Recordings releases, and will continually support them as long as they provide the best talents that Trance has to offer.
Keep the music alive. -Q
Unsung Heroes is a weekly segment where we take a look back at an amazing production and bring it back into the light for older and newer fans alike. These tracks were often overlooked, overshadowed by a huge release or are just not that well known to the public here in America. Here, you can find all the hidden gems in many genres and find a new favorite track (or another tool/weapon for aspiring DJ’s).
