One thing I’ve always enjoyed about trance is the emotion behind every track. For that reason, Kyau & Albert have always been a personal favorite . All genres aside, they’re incredible songwriters first, as evidenced in their latest album Distant Lights. This legendary trance duo has been heralded for their constant stream of crowd favorites. which feature a large amount of vocals from Stephen Albert himself. This album is no different: Distant Lights is a 13-track journey of well produced, diverse music from the German duo, who also own Euphonic Records.
There are tiny gems tucked away in almost every track of this album. My ears were truly captivated by “Follow the Waves,” not just for its darker tone, but for the dubby breakdown, an uncommon characteristic in progressive tracks. It truly enhances the reverb of Albert’s vocals, a clever move for a song featuring the word “waves.” His voice is still incredibly hypnotic, even in more upbeat tracks like “The Same.” There are other amazing singers on the album as well. Maria Nayler’s delicate voice adds the perfect touch to “Calming Rain,” and Neev Kennedy does the same for “Let the Thunder In,” as well as Adaja Black on the opening track “It’s Always Been You.” Fans will really be surprised by “A Million Different Stars,” an instrumental interlude with an array of sounds including vocal riffs, a harp, and a quicker, drum and bass type tempo.
While there is still criticism from outside fans that trance is “boring,” or needs to be riskier to grow the fan base, I personally believe consistency to be Kyau & Albert’s greatest strength. Where many misstep, choosing to shake things up by making harder tracks or trying to fuse other genres with trance (see: Trouse), this pair continue to make music for their most loyal fans, those who know every word to all of their songs by heart. Kyau & Albert don’t need 5-star vocalists, or am overpowering sonic landscape to make their tracks emotional; the core values of trance have always been a staple in their music. Distant Lights is what all producers should strive for: quality productions without the gimmicks from two artists who are true to their fans but most importantly, to themselves.
Distant Lights is out now on Euphonic Records and is available for purchase on iTunes.