You’ll be able to find out the tracklist in a couple of weeks, but I can tell you that it will feature a brand new and unheard track from yours truly, under my own name for a change! It’s a deeper track aimed more for home listening, but one I feel will hopefully work well in my longer sets going forward.
2011 has undoubtedly been a year full of ups and downs for me, just like pretty much everyone else. The tour schedules are unforgiving, and the demand to satisfy and please keeps getting larger as the weeks go by.
I know there’s been a debate among my own fans about the direction I’m going in musically, and there has been a period where it seems anything I played or anything I tried to do resulted in me seemingly being the worst person in the world.
My honest thoughts are this - I felt that after 2010 with the whole “where trance went wrong” nonsense that I needed to make a statement in a musical sense, and that meant going back into the clubs and coming out with a more raw edge. And I think that I did accomplish that this year.
But I think that it’s now maybe time for trance to dust itself down and come back fighting again. I will say this - there is nothing more inspiring to me than a good melody. Heck I think there were some lovely melodies on the Thoughts Become Things II album that a lot of people seem to have forgotten about. But my biggest fear for trance right now is that it’s almost getting to the point where it’s too vocal driven and the breakdowns are becoming too long. This might sound silly, but I fear for the day where I hear Celine Dion’s Titanic theme My Heart Will Go On playing over a trance breakdown.
So I think going forward that there will be a little more balance with my livesets next year, particularly with a brand new Markus Schulz artist album coming. Some of you hardcore may have noticed already that I’m trying to fit some more melodic-driven tracks into my livesets now. I don’t think the so-called “pitch-bend” era will immediately drop away, but I don’t think it will last forever either. But I’m counting on all the great producers we have on our Coldharbour roster to continue contributing yet more anthemic moments for us al to cherish, myself included.
I’ll be candid and admit that sometimes I’m guilty of not refreshing my liveset playlists enough, and although it’s very difficult, and being the studio geek I am, time consuming to not only find these new tracks but edit them in a manner which fit the flow of my sets, it is something I’m consciously going to try next year, particularly for the World Tour recordings. Although maybe I’m just more open to criticism in that regard because there were no less than thirty of my livesets broadcasted in 2011, which I was told was more than double any other international trance DJ. Food for thought.
Jan-03-2012 00:49
DaveT
NEED PERSONAL COPY-EDITOR
Registered: Jul 2002
Location: San Francisco
quote:
But my biggest fear for trance right now is that it’s almost getting to the point where it’s too vocal driven and the breakdowns are becoming too long.
Took the words right out of my mouth, other than we are pretty much already there with the vocals. Way too many, and, again, way too crappy. Breakdowns were a huge issue years back (Markus was just as guilty as the rest of them bac then) but at least we didn't have to suffer through SO MANY vocals back then.
Jan-03-2012 02:48
Scoops
4 bags deep
Registered: Nov 2005
Location: Jersey Shore
I'm a huge Markus fan and he is by one of the most humble DJs out there...
I do wish however he goes back to the being the "Anti-trance" trance DJ so he proclaimed himself to be back in 04-06
Jan-03-2012 02:51
modthispny
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Aug 2009
Location: Glendale, CA
quote:
Originally posted by DaveT
Took the words right out of my mouth, other than we are pretty much already there with the vocals. Way too many, and, again, way too crappy. Breakdowns were a huge issue years back (Markus was just as guilty as the rest of them bac then) but at least we didn't have to suffer through SO MANY vocals back then.
can you post an example of a crappy breakdown?
Jan-03-2012 03:04
DaveT
NEED PERSONAL COPY-EDITOR
Registered: Jul 2002
Location: San Francisco
I was referring to there being way too many (and crappy) vocals already.
With breakdowns, I just referred to how there was a period (2004-2006 maybe? maybe a little later) where some fo the breakdown was stupid long. Not necessarily bad sounding, but far too long for "club" tracks. It could kill energy in clubs, especially as some DJs became enamored with it, and every damn track seemed to have 2-3 minute breakdowns.
Jan-03-2012 04:13
Quazar
still likes trance
Registered: Jun 2010
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Yeah, trance went through a phase (and there are still a lot of tracks like this), where the melody was essentially contained in a 2-3 minute breakdown, and as soon as the beat kicked back in the melody was gone. So it seemed like every song's breakdown was too long, because that's where the melody was. It's just not that great compared to the older tracks where a powerful melody (or melodies) kept the song going ALONG WITH the beat.
A long breakdown is fine a couple of times in a set, but having one in nearly every track is ridiculous.
As for the vocals, I like vocal tracks, but the quality has dropped so much. You listen to tracks like "Beautiful Things", "The Force of Gravity", "Dreaming", etc. and compare them to "Sun & Moon"... big difference.
Originally posted by Sushipunk
At least last time you Brits got pissed off, we got punk music out of it. This time, it'll probably just end up being embers breaks
Jan-03-2012 05:34
in2muzikk
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Jul 2005
Location: Berlin, Germany
quote:
But my biggest fear for trance right now is that it's almost getting to the point where it's too vocal driven and the breakdowns are becoming too long. This might sound silly, but I fear for the day where I hear Celine Dion's Titanic theme My Heart Will Go On playing over a trance breakdown.
But at least that would be on key, too many tracks coming out by what sounds like "friends of the DJ" who have no clue how to sing is what's killing it for me!
___________________
My favorite song is the one that hasn't yet been written._____|_____fb_____|_____ myspace
Jan-03-2012 05:37
trance_seeker
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Redondo Beach, USA
Thanks for posting this. I didn't get a chance to read his latest blog. I'm wondering how his productions in 2012 will be. I hope he goes back to the progressive grooves with trance melodies style like he described in ASOT 122.
Maybe we'll get a taste of what direction he is going in at the LA 2012 release party.
But my biggest fear for trance right now is that it's almost getting to the point where it's too vocal driven and the breakdowns are becoming too long. This might sound silly, but I fear for the day where I hear Celine Dion's Titanic theme My Heart Will Go On playing over a trance breakdown.
Looking forward to Markus's new direction. Not sure what "pitch bend" is but if moving away from it means for melody I am all for it.
Jan-03-2012 18:21
modthispny
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Aug 2009
Location: Glendale, CA
quote:
Originally posted by GPC
Looking forward to Markus's new direction. Not sure what "pitch bend" is but if moving away from it means for melody I am all for it.
check out sander van doorn - slap my pitch up
Jan-03-2012 18:58
jonmitz
mixcloud.com/mitztronic
Registered: May 2004
Location: San Francisco
e: same video was already posted
quote:
Originally posted by DaveT
I was referring to there being way too many (and crappy) vocals already.
With breakdowns, I just referred to how there was a period (2004-2006 maybe? maybe a little later) where some fo the breakdown was stupid long. Not necessarily bad sounding, but far too long for "club" tracks. It could kill energy in clubs, especially as some DJs became enamored with it, and every damn track seemed to have 2-3 minute breakdowns.
Nitrous Oxide used to have like3-4 minute breakdowns in all his songs
