Here's the track listing and some notes on why I chose them.
- Imagination (Kaskade Club Remix) by JES
Ever since I heard As The Rush Comes by Motorcycle (which consists of Gabriel & Dresden and JES), and her vocal work on BT's These Hopeful Machines, I've been fascinated by her voice. And, well, the track is remixed by Kaskade, so that makes it a no-brainer.
- Behind Your Smile by Vast Vision & Fisher (Suncatcher Remix)
Found this track on Armin Van Buuren's A State of Trance -- 2010 Yearmix, and really liked the electric guitar used throughout. So there it is.
- The Veldt by Deadmau5 and Chris James
Deadmau5 wrote this track as a tribute to Ray Bradbury, and Chris James lyrics evoke accurate images from the short story that Bradbury wrote of the same name. I remember as a kid reading this story and also listening to an old-time radio play of it. You can read it here, and listen to the radio play here. Oh, and listen to the track in this mix.
- Without You (Armin Van Buuren Remix) by David Guetta Ft. Usher
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has worked its way into mainstream Pop music, and David Guetta has played a big role in that, working with major Pop, R&B, and Hip Hop artists. So here's one for the mixtape.
- This Night (Max Graham Remix) by Filo & Peri
I'm a Max Graham fan. This is a great remix of a compelling track.
- Live Forever (Original Extended) by Ferry Corsten Ft. Aruna
Ferry Corsten is one of the first dance music artists I listened to waaayy back in 1997. Aruna has one of the most unique and enchanting voices you'll hear. This track is face-melting. So it gets included.
- Kate (Original Mix) by Arty
Arty's meteoric rise to the top of the Trance scene has been fun to watch (and listen to). Just about everything this guy produces is great. This is an example.
- Where You Are (Club Mix) ATB Ft. Kate Louise Smith
ATB is one of the other first dance music artists I listened to back in 1997. I bought his 2011 release Distant Earth, on which this track (the original mix) debuted. By the way, this entire album is great; there are literally no throw-away tracks on it. I reviewed this album here right after it came out.
- Shine by Late Night Alumni
I saw LNA perform this song at their tour kickoff concert in January. It was my favorite, and I've been waiting for its release since then. So when this became available on 9/18/2012, I grabbed it and included it. Check it.
- Titanium (Alesso Remix) by David Guetta Ft. Sia
Another EDM tune that has been getting heavy rotation on the radio. Even though this song was released before Guetta won the 2011 DJ Mag #1 International DJ award -- for which many in Trance community (fans, not artists, as far as I know) shamefully trashed him -- I couldn't help wondering if Titanium's insane popularity this year was his vindication. All the vitriol over Guetta's win definitely isn't very PLUR-y (it's an acronym that EDM fans supposedly believe in; look it up). Anyway, great track, had to include it.
- Keep The Fire (Club Mix) by Ashley Wallbridge Ft. Elleah
I happen to follow Elleah on Twitter (@IAmElleah), and although she announced her collaboration with Ashley Wallbridge on this track, I somehow overlooked it until one of her fans tweeted how fantastic the vocals were. So, I Spotified it, and yes indeed, Elleah's vocals are simply amazing. Add to that Wallbridge's face-melting (yes, another one) production, and you have THE perfect track to end the mix with.Hope you enjoy the mix.
