After much anticipation, much speculation, and most of all much waiting, my first journey as an Anjunabeats passenger is beginning. And I seem to have found myself in one of the most debated Anjunabeats CD to date. Trance fanatics have reacted furiously on this volume, since the boundaries between House and Trance have never been so overlapped as now. But more on that later, let's go to one of my favorite aspects of the CD album:
What Do You Get?
The cover, yes. This has to be what defines Anjunabeats CD's from the others. The whole vibe that an Anjuna-CD creates is not just a random one. After this year's very successful Asia-tour, the inspired trio has not only produced a stunning ambient intro track called "Tokyo", but have also decided to baptize this year's entire compilation into their own musical capital: three futuristic subway wagons (Paav, Jono, Tony) stand proudly on the cover, referring to the futuristic subway of the most advanced city of the world. The promo video shows the rest of the Anjunacity is it's entire glory: towering skyscrapers, busy elevators, hovering planes...It could be the future city of the world. But the cover isn't the only modern setting of the CD...
Genre Shift V2
Just as with the Sander Van Doorn CD, the tender transition from Trance to House as most popular genre is more than noticeable. To be more precise, there isn't a single classic trance tune to be found on the entire compilation. The webstores will surely label it as trance, but they might as well design a whole new genre for it. Luckily, I'm a huge fan of that uninvented particalar genre. To be more precise, it's the perfect music for me...Melodic power music, I like to call it. No wonder I have huge expectations for this compilation, since Anjunabeats/deep has grown to one of my favorite labels this year.As said before, not everyone was as happy as me when they saw and heard the tracklist. But as I've said so many times before: "A negative attitude gets you nowhere". It's better to accept the change you have no influence on and let it grow on you, then cutting your own wings and feel nothing but hate on a new but certified concept.
But enough talk, more listening! Let's see how good the change is going to be in 2012!
CD 1: The Experience
As I said before, CD 1 kicks of with the ambient "Tokyo", which was inspired by their recent Asia tour. Using an ambient track to open makes it easy to start listening to CD1 any time of the day. "Tokyo" also shows their versatile productional range again. I experience this opener more as a sound, then a track. It's not something to listen to when you need some melodies, but to put on when you really feel you need to. It's not easy to explain the hidden power of their production, but"Tokyo" has become iconic for the entire CD for me. Before I even could start wandering of into the busy Anjunacity these guys have visually created with their opening track, a different t piano kicks in. Seen as the best track on the compilation by many, "Afterthought" by Parker & Hanson ensures my excitement for this volume is only growing stronger. Surely one of the releases I'll be looking forward to next year as a singular release. The track sounds very mature, and although the vibe is not so much in a trance alley, it still remind us of that old fashioned class Anjunabeats likes to maintain. Next up is another new track called "Median" by Flashover soldier Breakfast. The sax used, is absolutely great, but the rest of the track is just as likeable. The distant synths somehow remind me of the more earlier soundtracks of movies and other iconic audio memories, making "Median" a very pleasurable listening experience. A pretty familiar sound follows Breakfast his interesting soundtrack tune, in the form of one of Cramp's many likeable releases on Anjunabeats: "RU116". Cramp is one of the few trance producers left , who has the raw talent and rare gift to write an all-around likeable track that almost instantly grows on you after the first listen. A treasure of the current scene and Anjunabeats! Although this release was already out there, it stills bears an nice value to listening experience.
But we all already know and love that one, so it's time for something new again. After his stunning Anjunabeats-album "It's Artificial", Bayer has skyrocketed into my favorite producers list. Now he has teamed up with Matt Lange and Kerry Leva, the king and queen of electronic acoustic music, to make something beautiful: "In & Out Of Phase". I'm a huge fan of the cello even more than the piano and this track has it. The only thing I'm hoping for, is a decent remix that really let's the cello bloom. The acoustic parts of the track feel good but also like there's way more into it.
Before I was even letting the track make a decent impact on me, one of the many Oliver Smith from this CD kicks in. "New Phase" is a pretty forgettable track, doing really nothing new. Decent but not enjoyable at a proper level. So we quickly move on to...well..my absolute personal favorite of this compilation and maybe of Anjunabeats 2012. Norin & Rad. Two guys from California. To be honest, I haven't heard from them before, but I will surely keep an eye out for them now. Their track than I'm talking about is "Bloom". A track, hench the name, that will only grow and grow as it progresses. I'm so impressed by this track that I currently have no words to describe this majestic beast. All I can say is, that this is without a doubt my absolute favorite. Listen for yourself:
From the absolute peak point of this CD, aka bloom, we take the elevator to the absolute lowest points of Anjunacity: The fastest subway in the world. Strap yourself tight, because we'll be lifting of quite soon to the darkest underground sections of our citytour: BOOM! There is two third of the new Above & Beyond exclusive tracks on this volume. "Formula Rossa" will get a release very soon, but is still featured on this compilation and surely as one of the headliners. And with justice! The track was meant for clubs, as said by the trio, but is apparently pretty home-friendly also. Named after a rollercoast, the track makes a deep long dive into the underground sanctuaries of EDM and sends a rush throughout my ears. I wasn't sure about it in the beginning, but sure enough after a listen or two, I absolute love it. Although you need patience for this one, it sure pays off.
We continue the underground journey with a public announcement: Every year Anjunabeats releases a sampler to go with the compilation. Four tracks are selected to be featured on a single release. Not really my style to begin with to be honest, but now they have also miraculously chosen four stunning ones instead of the lesser ones. One of them is "On My Own" by ever-rising Maor Levi. The guy sure has made a more than decent impact on me this year with his remix for "Slacker" and many "Beats" releases, and now does it again with this genre overlapping monster! Also loved by the forum, this track deserved way more than this strange bundle. This doesn't go for the next track, called "Higher State" by Genix. The problem with this track is, that it actually is perfect for a bundle: Nice, but nothing special.
The good flow of this CD promptly stops with "Higher State". It's not that the track is horrible, no. I can really enjoy it from time to time. But the following tracks really feel to be just put here to fill the mb's, instead of dragging it to a better level. The tracks themselves are fine but really not properly used as a mix weapon. So we'll go to the next ones with a quick pace.
Oliver's domination on this CD is again showing with his "Symmetry". This is the actually the only Smith track that I like on this volume. It has a defining element that the other "too safe" Smith tracks lack. This one will also, like Formula Rossa, be released before 2012. Track number 12 is for some reason the already released remix from Kyau & Albert for "You Got To Go". Don't really know why it's there, but hell... it sounds okay. Next is one of the most frustrating trance tracks I've ever heard. A track that has everything, but not in the right order. "Britannica", Latin for the oldest printed British dictionary by the way, has an incredible melody but refuses to let it bloom. It is kept for the breakdown and not the drop. One of the 2012 releases which remix I will be anticipating the most. There must be someone who could make this track less incomplete. N20? Proff? They're all welcome.
CD 1 ends for some reason with yet another Oliver Smith track. But unlike Symmetry, this track is also way too safe to like.
CD 1: The Verdict
Since this is more of an preview CD for 2012 than an actual mix compilation, I won't look as much to the mixing as I do to the tracks themselves. The mixing was overall good though, but with little daring transitions (with exception to the "Tokyo/Afterthought" one), the CD lacks the goods to tempt you to return to it. Listening to the first disc really feels like reading a showcase magazine instead of listening to an journey through edm, but seeing that that's the goal of the whole CD compilation, I won't use it against them that much. The tracks mostly determine the score of this CD for above reasons, so they better be good. Since Anjunabeats has been dominating my top 10's this year, they sure need good tunes to keep their charts-kingdom intact in 2012. But unfortunately, there were only a handful of highlighters on the 14 track CD. One of those was without a doubt "Afterthought", which piano sours through the also likable "Tokyo" like a blade, creating an unjustified high bar of expectation. Furthermore, "In And Out Of Phase" and "Britannica" hold some great potential if properly remixed next year. And as said before, "Bloom" is the real highlight of CD 1, if not the whole compilation. That is a track that fills my heart and ears with excitement, and this CD fails to deliver more of those kind of tracks. The best way to describe the rest of this CD has to be the term "Same Old, Same Old", which is weird since Anjunabeats has decided to head for a new direction. They still managed to pull it off though, somehow...
Track Selection: A collection of flat unnoticeable hilltops, with an edge here and there and one very high top.
CD 2: The Experience
After already one tone, I can feel we suddenly find ourselves into the deepest realms of the city. Very strange for a trance CD. To be more precise: This CD have got to have one of the strangest ways to open a mix with in his hands. The infamous Mat Zo remix for the even more infamous "Electrified" is not the easiest track to start listening to. To be even more precise, the whole release is the worst one I've heard on Anjunabeats, ever. Since I'm not the only one, I consider this opener as a big fail. Luckily, a way more exciting Mat Zo track follows: "Bipolar". A Bipolar state of mind means that you can experience happiness, but also a sudden prompt wave of depression. In other words, your emotional part of your brain is a complete mess. It's very cool to see that Zo has put this term into a musical perspective. The track is basically a fusion of two sides of state of mind. Happiness, calmness ect. vs. Anger, rush, excitement. I can always appreciate a song with a good context. We have reached last exclusive Above & Beyond track in our city tour. Although already released as an "Spanish" version, I really prefer Bedford on the vocals. The original has that neo-classic feel to it, like you've known it all your life. Myon & Shane have put a little more drive into that original, making a listening track into an epic one. Although there will probably be a A&B club mix for it, this remix will do more than nicely for now. This remix suggest we leave the underground elektronic subway for a little more uplifting, piano-filled airplane view of the city. It seems I'm right, since the followup is"Contrast" . "Contrast" has to be one of the most powerful melodic tracks of this year. I really don't understand why this is hidden on the Sampler, but "Contrast" really hits the spot everytime I hear it. The best of the whole sampler package, and without a doubt a justifiable the track of the week.
The rise to the skyscrapers of Anjunacity continues with "New Vibe". Although Jaytech's gem has already been out there for a while, it really is a track that you can't go wrong with. A bit repetitive sure, but evenly proper. Not a personal favorite of mine, but I can't deny that this is a very good track. We are still skyhigh when yet another Andrew Bayer track begins. His first vocal track that I know off is called "Keep Your Secrets". I have to honest, and although I have a huge amount of respect for Bayer, I think it's best if Bayer keeps producing instrumentals. The vocals force a perfectly good Bayer-instrumental unnecessarily to the background. I really don't know if it's due to Molly, but I sincerely hope there will be a vocal less version included with it's release.
While I'm still thinking about that dubious Andrew Bayer track, the sunset slowly begins to find it's way through the windows of our Anjuna-aircraft. "Kate" is a track I've known for a while now, and really appreciate. No wonder it was the best track of August a while back. I don't feel explaining again why this track is so good, since you just have to feel it. Although I would want to stay into this mesmerizing sunset a little while longer, the plane is making it's way to the landing track again. Jaytech's wobbling "Overdrive" suggest that we will probably continue our tour on land, at least for a while. Together with "Formula Rossa", "Overdrive" forms a darker, less obvious trancy/techy duo that was really needed to keep you awake on this dreamy cd. Especially after a track like "Kate", "Overdrive" was more than welcome to shook our sleepy brains a little bit and prepare us for the night out that's ahead of us. Anjunacity has more than breathtaking skylines and speed defining subway wagons. Within a blink of an eye, Maor Levi's "Slow To Learn" remix throws us into the city's nightlife. It's really obvious A&B have used the last segment of the CD to showcase the aspect of a big city that they like best. The tracks begin to sound less long and more powerful. Allready released "iPeople" and inspiring "Frequency Flyer" will increase your heartbeat like when you're jumping and screaming on a dancefloor, controlled by the trio themselves. The night seems to be just beginning, since they are followed by a new track that happens to be as equally suited for the night. "Mozart" is the track I've been most looking forward to, and I wasn't wrong doing so.
As catchy as they come, "Mozart" is the perfect example of the diverse direction that Anjunabeats about to take in 2012. It surely has a trance feel, but feels less heavy and serious. Catchy is the perfect adjective for this, since it never fails to get me moving when it's on. No wonder that our night out peaks with the mother of all future dancefloor tracks. I'm hundred percent sure that this track is absolutely going to blow up next year at every nameable event.
"Mozart", remember this name!
Our ending of our night's out is of curtsy of melodic mastermind Cramp with his properly named "Catch The Eye". Did I say mastermind? Yes I did, because I believe that someone who has the talent to make everyy track of his/hers sound pleasurable, he or she is without a doubt a mastermind. His tracks are not empty, not easy, no...just really really great. Just like with "Constrast" and "On Our Own", this track deserved an own spot in the Anjunabeats release discography instead of an bundle one.
We leave the club very satisfied... Back in our plane, this time for good, we say goodbye to the city under the returning uplifting mellow beats in the name of "Dyno" by Mike Koglin and Genix. But just as we could even reassemble the whole day in the city, we make a deep nosedive above the sea and crash. That's how this strange ending feels. Like with the weird beginning, A&B have chosen to end as equally strange with "Dyno". The way too powerful song makes an normally slow farewell feel like a plane crash to which nobody wants to remembered to. In other words: The exceptional middle segment of the CD is a bit destroyed by this ending and the earlier beginning. Where it's time to rest, you get slammed into the ocean of which your flight needed to cross to get you home.
CD 2: The Verdict
Track Mixing: This CD is better than CD 1 in terms of story line. Sounds weird, but I really feel a visual connection with this one. It's like you're actually experiencing a tour through the city instead of listening to a mindless collection of new tracks. Although I've said that mixing does not matter with this compilation, it sure helped it be a more enjoyable disc. The beginning and the end are really really unexplainable, but the middle is the core and power of the CD, and luckily for Anjunabeats, the most important part of a mix.
Anjunabeats volume 9 mixed by Above & Beyond: The Verdict
That this particular release happens to be highly controversial, was known beforehand. Anjunabeats has clearly revealed their plans for 2012: Cruising in the same direction as the label had chosen to go to, earlier this year. Time to get aboard the Anjuna-vessle is almost running out, since 2012 will be way of no turning back. At least for a while...The immigration of Anjuna-ship will be lead by the mighty three captains Paavo, Tony and Jono but will also be followed by pioneers like Mat Zo, Arty, Norin & Rad, Andrew Bayer and lots more new talented sailors. Looking away from the future of Anjunabeats hidden in this volume and you'll end up with one reasonable but forgettable CD and one that you probably tend to put on way more (despite its horrible opening). It's hard to recommend any one to buy this compilation because it's too far from home for non trance,-but also too soft for pro trance heads. I think Anjunabeats Volume 9 is meant for Anjunafans and Anjunafans only, to warn them of the unknown and alien waters ahead. Fans have been given the opportunity by Above & Beyond to abandon the armada and choose another label as their mother ship.
But I believe that the ones that are willing to take the leap of faith will not be dissapointed.
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