Armada Music Holland Vinilo y CD

Review: Trance is back if you didn't know - of course artists like Armin Van Buuren never really went away, even if they leant into a more maximal EDM sound for a while - but now even the underground cool cats are layering teary eyed synths into their techno. They'd do well to study a master of the form such as Armin whose new album Feel Again finds him reinvigorated and in love with making music once more, so we're told. He took up meditation in order to get there and also "reformed his life routines" and what results is this fine collection of uplifting electronic sound.

Review: Dutchman Armin van Buuren has been a trance overlord for 20-odd years. While many of his peers have veered away from the genre as it dipped in popularity, he has remained ever true to the genre that first made him a global star. His A State of Trance radio shows have helped him take his sound worldwide and now sit at well over 1000 episodes, while the compilation series of the same name remains just as influential. This 2023 edition looks back on the trance season out in Ibiza with three CDs chocked full of contemporary gems from all the biggest names in the scene.

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.