Trance Hub - Tiësto - In Search Of Sunrise 7: Asia

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Tiësto
In Search Of Sunrise 7: Asia

23rd June, 2008
Tiësto - In Search Of Sunrise 7: Asia

Released: 10th June, 2008
Label: Songbird

"I wanted to mix the concept behind ISOS 7 over two separate sets in such a fashion that the listeners can get a proper impression of what it means to tour Asia. Disc one will dwell on the easy going ambience and overwhelming beauty of the continent, whereas the second disc will focus on the incredible energy of the Asian people I felt during the live sets throughout the Asian tour."
- Tiësto

Tiësto strikes back with In Search Of Sunrise 7: Asia. Again, the forums are filled with mixed reactions, but those who like it, say, it is better than ISOS 6: Ibiza. Well so, some tunes may just be our personal best for '08 and you would question other tunes 'fitting' in for this annual compilation. This time we did miss Progression, Julie Thompson and other ISOS regulars. But surprise came from the studios of Airbase, Andy Duguid and Sied van Riel. Tiësto also maintained his custom of featuring entrants in this mix. He has kept the sounds to old-school feel, because he feels that these sounds still work in Asia, whereas, the European countries lay ears on more techy side of trance.

"The Asian flavor of it is more melodic. It sounds almost like old school trance. In Holland nowadays the trance is more tech, tech-trance if you look at guys like Sander van Doorn and Sander Kleinenberg. They play more techno with a little melody. The Asian trance is more like banging old-school trance."
- Tiësto (Clubplanet interview)

Trance Hub laid it's hands on the release and found it a 50-50 affair. This is how:

CD-1

CD-1's first instrumental intro, 'Banyan Tree - Feel The Sunrise' welcomes us to the peaceful mood of the Asian sunrise. What seems to be a flute organ in start develops into a laidback synth which pitches up and intensifies further.

Some viable special pads introduce the perfectly cued voice of Leah (Gita Bakradze) in 'Andy Duguid featuring Leah - Wasted'. Heavy arrhythmic percs pound in with soft guitars and amazing ambient synth-drops. The bass line gets groovy and Leah's moody voice creates THE magic. This one is a true ISOS phenomenon, defining and capturing a hopelessly romantic frame of mood. Kudos to Andy for such sober layering of beats.

Matthew Roberts and Matt Thomas of King Unique play a winner with "Yohkoh [King Unique Original Mix]". The brilliance of this techno beauty stands in the perfectly-lined synth-plucks and fat string riffs. A little bass in the backdrop excites the subwoofer in the break and the plucky synths continue, proving it's high ability to bother our feet.

Motorcitysoul duo Matthias Vogt & Christian Rindermann's "Space Kaktze" sees the remix from Jerome Sydhenam, which seems a bid to take us back to the ISOS 3 days. And, "Space Kaktze" provides a sole-synth-driven wavy buildup - gripping us in a timeless trip.

'Three Drivers - Feel The Rhythm [Ton TB Dub Mix]' has an old-school treatment with dubbed female vocal illustrations. This one absolutely reminds me of late 90's, the music then, dished-up by Tiësto today, the off-the-mood melody.

'Rachel Starr - To Forever [Moonbeam Remix]' hovers in the back emerging with a noticeable bass line. Rachel's singing, to an extent, seems effortless, as she may have wanted it. The Russian brothers, Moonbeam, left no stone unturned to sonically shrivel the tune up. The bass is massive, and if you follow Moonbeam's tunes, then you are very familiar to uber-dark productions these guys roll out. The lead synth is mellow, so is the whole progression of the track with sweeps. Take your car on a long highway, moonlight in the dark sky and you are there.

Tiësto introduces 'Jerry Rupero featuring Cozi - The Storm [Inpetto Remix]'. Cozi's mellow vocals bring back the memories of a past unseen. While Jerry adds to the mood with his beautiful piano drops, the Inpetto inflicted bass will embark you on totally different trip.

Next, make way for 'Kamui - Get Lifted', one of the best tunes in CD-1. Bleepy, space-lost synths build up the tension which, then gets released in a huge bass flux and reverbs. The break is supported by a grungy guitar work and female vocals with an Asian flavour.

Don't forget to notice the beautiful extro of the extended vocals before 'Cary Brothers - Ride [Tiësto Remix]' proves it's guitars. This is what you get when someone like Tiësto interprets a non-trance into a trance beauty - well somewhat! Beautiful running guitar riffs go fine with convincingly great male singing which is later practiced to the full power of vocal chords.

The vocal mood flows with 'Airbase featuring Floria Ambra - Denial', which starts with hard beat punches and reverse hits. Floria's lush vocal works wonders with the analog sounds. The acoustic synth on the vocal subs does it for me, completely!

'Dokmai - Reason To Believe' is another contender for the Asian feel of the vocals, where male and female sing in sync and the vocal is solely carried out by the female further. However, the synths with techno-feel sound dull and a subtle piano work can be heard. The music is not the strongest of the lot but the vocals score full marks with synth builds!

'Cressida - 6AM [Kyau & Albert Remix]' starts with the Kayu & Albert's identical synth touch - the trimmed synths with a funky electro bass line. A small break, a vocal exhale and you witness the trimmed synths now fully blown up, forming the lead. This is further carved and blended with forest-vocals, enhancing the backdrops.

Allure's lead voice Julie Thompson gets substituted by Christian Burns, where he teams with Tiësto in 'Allure featuring Christian Burns - Power Of You', where I visualize Chinese dolls swinging their heads. Airy pads begin to mould our mood, treated by Christian's feminine vocals, some mid-song guitaring and the lead Chinese synth peaks up the listening pleasure. Tiësto exemplifies his best production of 2008, so far, with this one. A female vocalist to suit the tune wouldn't have been a bad choice either.

Tiësto closes CD-1 with 'Clouded Leopard - Hua-Hin', more of a teaser than a beautiful outro. The ambient morning synth sounds raw, but is very well sequenced to slice a beautiful ending.

CD-2

'Steve Forte Rio featuring JES - Blossom [Lounge Mix]' is the first, ambient intro to CD-2. JES, as expected does not fail to impress us with her beautiful vocals.

Ambient pads support the echoing and elongated vocals and fall on to 'Zoo Brazil - Crossroads'. This tune starts with thin-sounding tight synth work escalating down to the rolling tech bass line, hits back again with monotonous peaks, almost has an extended feel to it.

'Beltek - Kenta' has a very powerful start with a multi-acoustical bass line that halts on to a mellow synth rhythm and joins it back with percs and a new-formed jumpy bass line with lead synth builds. This one will make you feel like you're floating.

Sied van Riel joins in with "Rush", an ISOS 7 exclusive. The man initiates tech-synth punches with reverb effects. The synths drift towards a break down, but before the break comes a subtle synth, which grows behind the cold atmospheric pads. The pads are stretched to a buildup where the tech-synth-reverbs join back, and double the dance floor energy.

EOL remixed jewel from Mat Zo comes as 'Tiësto - Driving To Heaven [Mat Zo Remix]'. This tune is a pure subwoofer fest and has shredded melancholic vocals. You are bound to get lost with this one!

Your speakers still won't get the final rest because next tune to pound in is 'Carl B - Just A Thought'. A heavy grinding bass line takes on, and gets dominated by a fuzzy organ synth, which has a long flow and gallant feel to it.

Next, 'Kimito Lopez - Melkweg' is a not the best of ISOS 7, but the hypnotizing synth running in back will catch your mood. Otherwise, the progression of this tune is very normal and flat.

Coming in cue is 'JPL - Whenever I May Find Her', a true example of a great synth work. The lead melody stays the same throughout, but, there are certain builds and lows that make this tune a standout. Multi-layered synths parallel itself with the beats and drive to the break, where, a melodic synth subtly drops in the back, and we have amazing droops and ups for the ultimate aural divulge.

'Estiva vs. Marnix - Casa Grande' has the typical thin Estiva tune which is pitched high and flows right through. It slowly builds in a blowing break down which sounds massive.

We drop down to 'Existone - Wounded Soul'. Very trancy, a perfectly aligned synth-to-beat combo initiates and drives you to the much emotional break and the lead reforms into a different flow.

Comes next, 'Andre Visior & Kay Stone - Something For Your Mind [Guiseppe Ottaviani Remix]', the track is as big as the title and probably is trancier of the lot. Attacking flanged synth riffs take charge with added beats in pure Ottaviani style, rushy and pacy progression reminds me of old-school trance tunes, probably the most orthodox trance synth has been used here.

Next in the line, we hear 'Hensha - The Curtain', a tune which has been there for a while. A poppy melodic synth is supported by some chorus and we come to the break down, where the chorus emerges and a massive build occurs, thus taking the melody farther.

Next tune strikes as 'DJ Eremit - Tanz Der Seele [YOMC Remix]'. A very deep production with an early break, inclusive of some effectuated vocal chord practicing, again, with an Asian feel to it? Just where the vocals end, a rising synth can be heard which is uplifting in nature and the vox follows with now stiffened synths. But the catch here is, I don't get the cueing part of this track to 'Manilla Rising - Beyond The Stars'. The synth becomes very strong and intense and yet has the juice to quench our aural thirst. As it's about to end, I can hear some bach organs, which might give ISOS 7 it's perfect end. And it surely does. 8/10

Track listing:
CD-1
101 - Banyan Tree - Feel The Sun Rise
102 - Andy Duguid featuring Leah - Wasted
103 - King Unique - Yohkoh [King Unique Original Mix]
104 - Motorcitysoul - Space Katzle [Jerome Sydenham Remix]
105 - Three Drives - Feel The Rythmn [Ton TB Dub Mix]
106 - Rachael Starr - To Forever [Moonbeam Remix]
107 - Jerry Ropero featuring Cozi - The Storm [Inpetto Remix]
108 - Kamui - Get Lifted
109 - Cary Brothers - Ride [Tiësto Remix]
110 - Airbase featuring Floria Ambra - Denial
111 - Dokmai - Reason To Believe
112 - Cressida - 6AM [Kyau & Albert Remix]
113 - Allure featuring Christian Burns - Power Of You
114 - Clouded Leopard - Hua-Hin
CD-2
201 - Steve Forte Rio featuring JES - Blossom [Lounge Mix]
202 - Zoo Brazil - Crossroads
203 - Beltek - Kenta
204 - Sied van Riel - Rush
205 - Tiësto - Driving To Heaven [Mat Zo Remix]
206 - Carl B. - Just A Thought
207 - Kimito Lopez - Melkweg
208 - JPL - Whenever I May Find Her [Joni Remix]
209 - Estiva vs. Marninx - Casa Grande
210 - Existone - Wounded Soul
211 - Andre Visior & Kay Stone - Something For Your Mind [Guiseppe Ottaviani Remix]
212 - Hensha - The Curtain
213 - DJ Eremit - Tanz Der Seele [YOMC Remix]
214 - Manilla Rising - Beyond The Stars