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Ishkur - The Pure Trance Mix

I don't normally make mixes. At least, not for public consumption. I can count on one hand the number of mixes I've made that weren't intended for friends or girlfriends (they make great Valentine's gifts. Far better than cards and chocolate).

Those of you who've known me for a long time are well aware of my feelings on trance. The common misconception is that I hate it. But truth be known, I don't hate what trance is -- I hate what it's become. It's my understanding that I received a lot of flack on this site for that opinion..... which has slowly transmogrified into agreement over the years (and something I accurately predicted would happen).

So, in preparation for Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music v3 which will be coming out soon, I'll be releasing a series of homely-crafted mixes on what I feel is the purest essence of a particular genre.... starting with trance.

This is mostly an experimental set, first and foremost. I joked one time that it would be great to see a trance set deliver 40 records in 80 minutes like house, hip hop and techno megamixes do. Also, I despise breakdowns. Any DJ who kills the momentum with a 1-minute+ lull in the music needs a serious cockpunch.

So I decided to make a set of what I consider to be pure trance. This is a set of (mostly) trance anthems, without the tedious breakdowns (and mostly without the anthems). The beat keeps bumping, the momentum keeps moving, everything pushes forward, like it should be. Repetitive, but addictive.

You can listen to the mix here.

This mix is also a chronicle of the history of mainform European trance, starting with the early proto-trance records in 1989 and gradually moving to the modern super mega anthems of the 2000s, so you can see how it's evolved.

Tracklist:
You don't get one. I want you to think of this mix as a conceptualized whole rather a bunch of loosely stitched together stand alone tracks, so no pre-perusing. This mix is greater than the sum of its parts. Nothing obscure is used -- it uses tracks that Oakenfold typically played in the 90s and what Armin would normally play today, but with a twist. Any longtime trance fan should be able to identify most of the tracks used.

You are free to trainspot what you can (heh). For the record, it is a 99 minute set using 44 tracks.


(I may post a tracklist if there's an overwhelming request...but really, you TAs shouldn't need one).

can't wait to hear this in full

V3 is coming?

Oh man, the feature on Dubstep is going to be glorious

An Ishkur mix

Downloading now.

quote:

Originally posted by Sushipunk An Ishkur mix Downloading now.

Looking forward to this!

quote:

Originally posted by Woony V3 is coming? Oh man, the feature on Dubstep is going to be glorious

quote:

There are 44 tracks. No 3-minute breakdowns, no trite female vocals, no bullshit. Just Pure Trance.

!

Was worried that V3 wasn't ever coming out, but this is good news. Listening to the mix now, really surprised to hear "Castles in the Sky" in there, along with lots of tracks that brought back some good memories. Lots of my favorite trance songs of all time are on it. The "cut up" breakdown-less style was interesting too since it's so different from how every other single trance set on the planet is mixed.

I do know like 90% of these songs but would appreciate a tracklist just for the record

So I've been listening to this today....started really recognizing the sounds around 29 minutes in....but then when 39 mins rolled on, and "breath in you" came around, I was like lol. this was the type of stuff that really got me into trance.

seeing as i enjoyed your guide to music, i might as well download the mix and see what your taste buds taste like.

snowing diamonds.

Fucking loved this. I knew the majority of the songs, but not all, and there were so many "oh fuck yes" moments when favorites would play. Loved the mixing style and the energy. Can't wait to go skiing to this next time I go up to the mountains and can't wait for more in the series!

Very original/different style of mixing. For example towards end I heard parts of the build up of Super8 - Get Off and I was waiting for the climax of that track (which orgasmic by the way) and it just never came

Decent mix, but I appreciated it more as a concept than as a listening experience. Lots of pretty rough transitions, generally a lot of wobbly EQing, a few harmonic issues and the odd outright shocker (the mix into Suburban Train is appalling). In this age of mash-up mixes it isn't a novelty simply to hear a lot of records crammed into a set, and usually this kind of set has flawless transitions. Trance mega-mixes do actually exist, and what sets this one apart is more the emphasis on a constant beat and the historical selection of tracks.

I guess my main issue is that this doesn't actually feel very entrancing, because it's constantly changing and the ropey mixing means you can constantly hear the EQ bass war and the overly busy mid-ranges that keep you from getting sucked in. "Pure trance" is generally about gradual change and long development of ideas. As you put it in the old Guide, "tracks that last for hours, parties that last for days". An ever-changing mega-mix thing is not really pure trance at all, and most of these tracks don't make for great repetitive trancers. They're just big anthems with the hook cut out.

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Decent mix, but I appreciated it more as a concept than as a listening experience. Lots of pretty rough transitions, generally a lot of wobbly EQing, a few harmonic issues and the odd outright shocker (the mix into Suburban Train is appalling). In this age of mash-up mixes it isn't a novelty simply to hear a lot of records crammed into a set, and usually this kind of set has flawless transitions. Trance mega-mixes do actually exist, and what sets this one apart is more the emphasis on a constant beat and the historical selection of tracks. I guess my main issue is that this doesn't actually feel very entrancing, because it's constantly changing and the ropey mixing means you can constantly hear the EQ bass war and the overly busy mid-ranges that keep you from getting sucked in. "Pure trance" is generally about gradual change and long development of ideas. As you put it in the old Guide, "tracks that last for hours, parties that last for days". An ever-changing mega-mix thing is not really pure trance at all, and most of these tracks don't make for great repetitive trancers. They're just big anthems with the hook cut out.

This pretty much covers the constructive criticism I had.

That said, this mix to me is not so much a traditional DJ mix as it is a statement regarding the nature of trance in 2012, and how a new approach is desperately needed. While it fails to achieve the idea of "pure trance" as described in the OP, it still conveys a clear message that, unfortunately, is still relevant about a decade after the big Gatecrasher burnout.

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Originally posted by Woony Very original/different style of mixing. For example towards end I heard parts of the build up of Super8 - Get Off and I was waiting for the climax of that track (which orgasmic by the way) and it just never came

Don't you see...this is how he makes love.

I've a pretty noob mix...there's a lot of technical problems with it.

The suburban train mix pretty sums up your understanding of trance. There's little impact just moving straight to the climax. That's why there is a long intro and and breakdown to build up to the climax. A song with a progressive style arrangement doesn't necessarily do well in a megamix style of mix.

I have to echo the sentiments of this thread. I tried to get through it, but I just can't listen to this stuff anymore even if I did like some of these at one time or another. For the other genre mixes, I would suggest maybe spending more time making sure that the technical aspects are way more tight. In 2012 people don't have the patience for shoddy mixing like this, and I can guarantee that it will lead to less credibility in v3 of your guide.

if you can't do it, compile the tracks you want for each genres and have someone do it for you. I'm sure many here can attest that it only takes one really bad mix for people to never right click save as again in this bandwidth obsessed world.

Interesting concept, a bit flawed execution.

Ishkur, I don't know if you already know this, but if you're mixing two tracks together, keep in mind which track's bass you want to emphasize. If there's one track whose bass you find to be more relevant the other one, cut off the low frequencies of the other track to avoid dissonance and phase cancelation.

Anyway, I think I'll do a similar mix, but with more emphasis on climaxes and euphoria, just to piss you off.

P.S. I have no problem with breakdowns. They do bring a tiny bit variation to the pacing.

if a dj does not include breaks, when are people supposed to go to the bar to pay their salary?

I don't think this is about eliminating breakdowns altogether. It's just a statement to how ridiculous breakdowns in trance have become, and that it's time to play and make music without them to a much larger extent.

trance breakdowns are redundant, but no one with any taste in their right mind listens to trance anymore (2012 remix). breaks are imperative for pacing. you can't have that "pow" moment without a little bit of lull and anticipation. filler tracks and breakdowns are essential for proper "peaks and valleys". linear stuff is stagnant, more so if jarring.

in any genre, it is all about tension and release.

quote:

Originally posted by zyklon-jay breaks are imperative for pacing. you can't have that "pow" moment without a little bit of lull and anticipation. filler tracks and breakdowns are essential for proper "peaks and valleys". linear stuff is stagnant, more so if jarring. in any genre, it is all about tension and release.

From what I recall, Ish argues exactly this against the non stop mindless boshing of Nu NRG/UK hard house in his guide, so I'm pretty sure he's aware of the tension/release dynamic. He has simply exaggerated the anti-breakdown agenda tremendously for this mix as a contrast to the equally ridiculous breakdowns used in epic trance for the last decade or so. It's a good idea on paper, but falls flat in practice when you use the kind of rigidly structured epic trance material that makes up the majority of the mix.

quote:

Originally posted by Sand Leaper From what I recall, Ish argues exactly this against the non stop mindless boshing of Nu NRG/UK hard house in his guide, so I'm pretty sure he's aware of the tension/release dynamic. He has simply exaggerated the anti-breakdown agenda tremendously for this mix as a contrast to the equally ridiculous breakdowns used in epic trance for the last decade or so. It's a good idea on paper, but falls flat in practice when you use the kind of rigidly structured epic trance material that makes up the majority of the mix.

let me rephrase then. the way he chose to do it simply doesn't work.

quote:

Originally posted by Sand Leaper From what I recall, Ish argues exactly this against the non stop mindless boshing of Nu NRG/UK hard house in his guide, so I'm pretty sure he's aware of the tension/release dynamic. He has simply exaggerated the anti-breakdown agenda tremendously for this mix as a contrast to the equally ridiculous breakdowns used in epic trance for the last decade or so. It's a good idea on paper, but falls flat in practice when you use the kind of rigidly structured epic trance material that makes up the majority of the mix.

I agree. The problem is that the second half of the mix is full of the very same big epic dutch tracks that Ishkur loathe. Wish he had just kept on playing more of the stuff which is in the first half of the mix. That type of trance works excellent for the type of mix Ishkur have described.

i thought it was a lot of fun to listen to

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