Ugh. Come on Armin. What's this??!!
I agree with Doctor Trance. Armin is SUPER at mixing Vocal, Melodic, Epic and Euphoric trance. Now he is into some Techy, High NRG Trance. I so enjoyed Disc 1 of A State of Trance 2005 that I didn't do much research before buying this one. Big mistake. I think I was lured to the disc as well because in iTunes it's listed with a genre of Dance. So I thought it was staying true to the Dance/Trance of Disc 1 of ASOT 2005. No!
I guess the clue to this rude awakening comes from Armin on his website:
"I think trance is becoming a broader term for a lot of different genres; it's no longer a specific kind of music within the dance scene," says Armin, widely credited with creating the blueprint track for the genre, Blue Fear, at the tender age of 19,. "Trance has elements of all different types of music. I play a lot of tracks that are labelled as progressive, tribal progressive, techno, trance, euphoric trance, vocal trance, melodic progressive... These days it's really hard to label a specific sound. Styles are mutating and evolving into this all-over new sound, which is basically dance music going back to its roots. There's so much good music out there and I don't want to limit myself to just one style."
HELL NO Armin! Trance is Trance. You play different genres so as to maximise your appeal to diverse tastes in clubs, and you don't like being pigeon-holed into one type of Electronic Music. (I've heard you say that in an interview.)
You of all people should know better. For a refresher, go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trance_music#Musicology_and_styles
That is perhaps good for you (because you don't get bored and can expand into other areas.) But you know what? You let your fans down. Really, I don't know what to expect when seeing Armin live anymore. He sends you this way, then that. One minute you're dancing, next minute you are looking at your watch to see how much more of the next song you have to endure. It makes for a bumpy ride and lacks consistency. People prefer to know what they are paying for. Moreover, we want Armin to deliver a high percentage of Melodic and Euphoric Trance. Not entertain himself with diffent styles of music. Put it on a separate CD and don't label it DANCE or Trance.
Anyway, on to the CD. The worthwhile tracks here are:
7. Who is watching (featuring Nadia Ali of IIO)
10. Serenity (featuring Jan Vayne)
11. Hymne
Armin, many of your fans feel betrayed.
If you are looking for a good Trance fix, check out 'Just Be' by Tiesto, or 'Kingdom: Passport to the Netherlands' by Ferry Corsten.
OK, Hold Your Horses!
I should have read the reviews first.
