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DJ Madwave and Dave Joy
» Synergy
Reviewed by Dean Zone
/ Submitted 05-07-07 11:37
Label: Joyride Music/Phoenix Recordings
Format: 2 x CD
Genre: Hard Trance, Tech-Trance
Dave Joy, a name that always brings a smile to my face. Not because of the slightly dodgy possibly porno Esq. name, but because, without mincing my words, the guy is one of my heroes. I love his tunes, I love the tunes that come out on his (many) labels, and both times I have had the pleasure of seeing him DJ I was quite simply blown away. So when I opened up the email from HF’s head of features Adam Symbiosis and saw what he had in store for me, I nearly wet myself.
Anyone that’s been unlucky enough to know me over the last 2 years will probably have heard me banging on about why I love European hard trance above all other styles of dance music ever in the world. Well, quite simply, this double mix CD is a good reason why!
Even with my extensive knowledge of all things Euro, DJ Madwave is a name I was not familiar with. I’m willing to forget the dodgy DJ name (not that I can really comment. DJ Zone? What was I thinking?) however because the first mix CD surpassed even my expectations.
The mix CD starts with a remix of his own production and moves swiftly through some uplifting hard trance. the second tune is one that I have been waiting to be released for a few weeks since I heard it on germantrance.com, so it was nice to be able to hear it in full. Hard Trance the way it way it is supposed to be, very uplifting but very feeling like a trance tune.
The mix then takes a short sharp trip down to tech trance land, including a remix of Komodo, which is probably the only dodgy tune out of the lot. Fortunately this direction is short lived before the proper hard trance makes a return in the way of Electronatives For You, followed by Science Fiction, definitely two tunes now firmly on my wants list. It would have been nice to have the vocal mix of Eternal, as until now the only vocals are spoken, but it’s still a good choice of track nonetheless. Then came Enjoy vs. Punisher – Illusions (Club mix), which delivered the vocal I was waiting for. A fantastic track it may be, but I couldn’t help but feel that it was a bit too fluffy and maybe should have come earlier. This was followed by the upcoming release on Doof Doof: Nish –Sagittarius (Alphazone remix). Not quite the same style as most of the other stuff on that label (anyone who bought Le Vision - Massanfertigung v2.0 on the same label will know exactly what I am talking about) but still an excellent release, so you wont be seeing me complaining!
Up until this point pretty much all of the tunes have been lacking typically big German hard basslines. This then went well and truly out of the window with the Jon the Baptist remix of Storia Di Musica by Italian Playboys, and remains that way for the remainder of the CD.
There are as couple of mixes I am not sure work very well, most notably of Michael Tskukerman – Are You Mad, although the drum pattern would make the mix sound off regardless of which tune your mixing out of I reckon. The end of the CD brings about the best tune of the CD by far – DJ Virens, Eternity. If you like hard trance and don’t love this tune you need your head checked (there is an original mix that is less European than the Wavetraxx remix that is on this CD). The mixing is excellent, never dwelling on one tune for to long and always keeping you guessing. A very good first disc, but could Dave Joy’s mix possibly be any better?
Starting with a different mix of the same tune, Dave Joys mix carries on from where Madwaves left off and doesn’t look back.
Something tells me he didn’t want to dwell on the Jesslyn remix of The Anthem, which is why it’s mixed out of after just 2 minutes. Musically this CD is a lot bolder. Dave Joy pays lip service to Tech Trance (well, it does say Tech Trance on the CD cover!) with Jowan – Awake, but its all Hard Trance from here on in! Lost Vision by C.M.R is definitely a track ill be watching out for, combining tech elements with Hard Trance, followed by another track I have been waiting to be released on Vinyl for ages; Substate - Release. Driving hard trance at its best, followed by the best breakdown of the lot: Ultraform – Colours of the Fifth Rainbow. One thing of note are the mix points chosen; where you least expect it. Certainly keeps you on your toes!
Wavetraxx, one of my favourite producers, delivers the goods with Beach Stringz, before the first tune that’s nearly hard style, Sunshine by Synthetic Joy. Do they work together as tunes; not really. Do I care? Not at all. This is shortly followed by Brain Damage, an apt title for a tune if ever there was one. Anyone who’s heard Miss Jarea’s productions before will know what to expect, no nonsense hard style with zero cheese factor.
At just over half way through it makes a nice change of direction. Control was released last year on Joyride and was a huge hit for Chris and Matt Kidd, and here it has been given the Blutonium Boy vs. DJ Neo treatment. The main riff transforms amazingly into a hard style sound, losing the uplifting element and replacing it with a raw and driving hard style one. The very definition of the term “remix”, and were still only on track 11 out of 17! More hard style follows with the Lars Palmas remix of Don’t You Want Me (yes, it does actually work!), which is then strangely followed by a Technikal and Steve Hill tune. It’s not hard style and is a very bold move from Dave Joy. Maybe it would have sounded better earlier in the CD, but I guess we’ll never know. Dave 202 – Torrent is definitely one I think Trance jocks will be playing for a while now, but it’s not out of place near the end of this mix, which is finished off in style with Das Licht – Deine Seele. No I don’t know what it means, but no one knew what Zig-A-Zig-Ah meant, and look at what happened to the Spice Girls.
If you're unsure quite what European Hard Trance is and what makes it different to UK Hard Trance, then check out this CD. You might just see what I have been talking about for the past few years.
CD1 - Mixed by DJ Madwave
01) DJ Madwave pres. Synergy - The Anthem 2007 (DJ Madwave Mix)
02) DJ Matto - Angels Fly (Blitzfaktor Mix)
03) Technikal pres. Fl!p - System Overload
04) DJ Dean - Teknika (Original)
05) Comiccon - Komodo 2007
06) Electronative - For You (Original Mix)
07) Synthetic feat. Tom Nakamura - Science Fiction (Original Mix)
08) P.H.A.T.T. & Jennie Rix - Eternal (Instrumental Mix)
09) Enjoy vs Punisher - Illusions (Club Mix)
10) Nish - Sagittarius (Alphazone Remix)
11) Flarup - Learn As You Listen (Blitzfaktor Remix)
12) Italian Playboys - Storia Di Musica (Jon the Baptist remix)
13) DJ Space Raven - To The One We Lost (Original Mix)
14) Michael Tskukerman - Are You Mad? (DJ Madwave Remix)
15) Travis Baxter - Heaven & Earth (Original Mix)
16) DJ Virens - Eternity (Wavetraxx Remix)
17) DJ Sylas - Final Riot (Original Mix)
CD2 - Mixed by Dave Joy
01) DJ Madwave pres. Synergy - The Anthem 2007 (Jesselyn Remix)
02) Jowan - Awake (Original Mix)
03) C.M.R. - Lost Vision (DJ Choose Remix)
04) Substate - Release (Sa.Vee.Oh Remix)
05) Ultraform - Colours Of The Fifth Rainbow
06) P.H.A.T.T. - La Musica (Original Mix)
07) Wavetraxx - Beach Stringz (Original Mix)
08) Synthetic Joy - Sunshine (Original)
09) Dave202 pres. Aethna - Enigma (Chris & Matt Kidd Mix)
10) Miss Jarea - Brain Damage (Tech Mix)
11) Chris & Matt Kidd - Control (Blutonium Boy vs DJ Neo Remix)
12) DJ Sequence - Don't You Want Me (Lars Palmas Remix)
13) Steve Hill vs Technikal - Evolution
14) DJ Majesty - Silver (S.F.M. vs. DJ The Corbz Remix)
15) Dave202 - Torrent (Original Mix)
16) Dream Dance Alliance - Shinobi (Bami Goreng Mix)
17) Das Licht - Deine Seele (Original Mix)
Rating: 
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