Reviews (59)

Re-review...
I first reviewed this CD half-a-year ago, which is when I got it; at that time my interest in Trance/Techno music was rather new. All this time I have been actively listening to Trance, and my knowledge of this genre is now quite good. I can now say that is STILL the ABSOLUTE BEST mixed Trance/Dance/Techno CD I have ever heard, both in terms of track selection and mixing. The first 7 tracks on this CD (inclusive) are spectacular. They will blow you away -- especially 'Communication' (3), 'Exodus' (6) and 'Unlovable' (7). The last 4 tracks are good, though not as astounding. The style represented here is Epic Trance. This variety of techno features gorgeous, swirling synths, fantastic build-ups and moments of emotional tension and release, and an excellent fast beat. As one of the reviewers said, Kimball never crosses the "cheese" line that some uplifting-trance DJ's like Ferry Corsten do. If you still haven't listened to this CD, get it NOW! This is the only CD I can recommend without any reservations whatsoever, to EVERYONE.

A Trance CD Worth Getting
I recently got "ICU Generation: Trance 2000 Episode 01" mixed by Kimball Collins. There are some good points and some bad points. I'll start with the good points: Kimball does a great job mixing through the eleven tracks. Hats off for including "Communication" by Armin van Buuren, arguably one of the best songs of this entire genre. I thought the beginning tracks of the CD are gold, and definitely gives the mix a good start. Also, Kimball knows when to switch songs and leave it running till the end. The bad points: I believe Kimball's mix towards the end stagnates, and he loses creativity. The songs all sound the same, and although that is the point of being a great DJ, a more diverse playlist would have been appreciated. Take for example Paul Oakenfold's masterpiece "Tranceport vol. 1." There were several progressions throughout the album. The best mixes are those that change pace and push back with energy.

As a whole, I think this CD is worth getting. However, I have heard better. If you haven't already, get Oakenfold's "Tranceport," any of Ferry Corsten's "Trance Nation" series, or Paul van Dyk's epic "Vorsprung Dyk Technik," to name a few.

Best Trance Album ever made
For five years now, this has been my favorite trance album. Almost every song on it is perfect in balance, taste and intensity, and it is beautifully mixed by Kimball as well.

Cheesy but good
Trance music is by far my favorite sub-genre of dance music. It is also the most misunderstood and overlooked genre in the dance scene. A lot of professional djs view it as the pop music of underground music (i.e Armand Van Helden). To a certain extent, I can see why, at least with this particular compilation. Of all the trance music I have listened to over the years, IMO Kimball Collins is the one dj who puts out the cheesiest trance music that I have heard. Not that his work is terrible but I think his music borders on the velveeta side of trance music when you compare him to the forefathers of trance music like Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, and BT. I bought "Trance 2000 Episode 1" after hearing a sample of the cd at my local Sam Goody a few years ago and was immediately hooked. Besides this cd, I also bought Kimball Collin's other mixed cd "International Club Union: Session 1". Between the two cds, I think "Trance 2000 Episode 1" is slightly better. I found myself liking the songs on this cd slightly more than the other mixed cd. Kimball does a solid mixing job. He may not be Oakey, Van Dyk, or BT but he does a fairly competent job at mixing. Like I said earlier, the songs borders on the cheesy side of dance music but they are still good songs to listen to while getting ready to hit the town on a Saturday night.

Kimball's best CD
Without a doubt, Kimball's best CD.
Filled w/ emotion & energy. Great for listening too w/ your girlfriend.
Coming on Strong & Exodus - best tracks. ... Read more

Album Description

Sophomore album from one of the UK's hottest dance imprints and winner of 'Club Of The Year' award at the prestigious Muzik Dance Awards in 1998. Tracks include, ATB-'9PM (Til I Come)' (Signum remix), Garbage-'When I Grow Up', Fatboy Slim-''Praise You', Robert Miles-'Children' (Tilt's Courtyard mix) and Gouryella-'Gouryella'. 1999 release. Deluxe packaging with a double digipak, slipcase with a 20 page booklet. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Gatecrasher UK Rocks!
This was an impulse buy Period. Listened to it a few times but then it got to me. First set started with Garbage's When I Grow Up and it just blew me away. Track 5 - Orkidea's Unity is especially cool - the synthesiser tunes! Dang! Aurora's Hear You Calling on CD2 was way cool too. Gatecrasher was the FIRST Dance Trance Compilation I've bouught and I've not regretted it! I've already Got DISKO TECH and it's a great CD too. Starts with some Classical (music) tunes. Wow.!

Need I say more?

!
This is the Porsche 911 of the genre, period. The set is a little bit pricey but if you're into techno/house/trance at all, you'll be more into it after having listened to Gatecrasher Red.

The Gatecrasher DJ's somehow pack more energy into this set than in any mix compilation I've found anywhere. Apart from the manic energy level of the set, the mix is also excellent in that there is always at least one minute or so of the original vocals and bass line; with too many mixes, there's only a 15- or 20-second long sample of the original song before the foray into the DJ's particular mix rendition, or the opposite, not much mix at all. The segues between tracks are also brilliant, and the CD tracks are put together as one continuous mix, rather than tracks being separated. I guess I would call the music "trance", but it's definitely not the American flavor of trance, highly commercialized, overpriced, mediocre on quality. Oh, make sure you buy the Sony International Import Gatecrasher Red, not the US version; the tracks are different, I've heard.

Anyway, the energy in both CD's is PHENOMENAL. I suggest JBL or Bang & Olafsen speakers to go along with it. Cheers!

Is there anything better?
Driving beats, soaring synthesizers, and a soothing rhythm is the only honest description of Gatecrasher Red. A friend gave me Red in early 2002 and since then I have gone on a mad buying spree with the hope that I'll find an album that parallels Red. An album that inspires and uplifts you each time you pop it into your CD player. An album where you continually hear new and exciting parts even though you have previously listened to it innumerable times. An album that stands the test of time and remains today one of my favorite albums. I have found many albums that try, and are close, to paralleling Red, yet my efforts have been in vain. Gatecrasher Red is entirely unique and original, as far as trance goes, and will pay you back in the full with the many joyous moments that you will have from listening to this album. Do yourself a favor and buy this album... you won't regret it.

The start for me
This album started me into trance music, and serves as a constant reminder of what all music mixes should be. I started out liking "plasma," but as my tastes evolved, I liked "future" more and more. I still listen to this set endlessly, as it really gets at your emotions like good music should.

I believe what I was told about Red!
Okay first off Red is a great album! That said now let's cover the whys and hows.
Red has remixes of some of my favorite artists: Robert Miles, Garbage, ATB, PVD, Fatboy Slim, DJ Tiesto, LoveChild, and Basic Avalon. WOW!
Miles is ambient and his songs are awesome, having them remixed really brings out his talents. Garbage, well her voice says it all! I'll be seeing Garbage in concert May 17th. Should be a blast!!
ATB, PVD, and Fatboy Slim: I love all three for different reasons. Paul Van Dyk was introduced to me right beside Paul Oakenfold. Between the two, I'd have to say I enjoy Oakenfold more than PVD's style. These artists were good before the remixes. Now that they've been remixed at Gatecrasher, they sound even more awesome than I thought they could be!
I would have to say that Red and Digital are perfect for parties.

Wet is great for chilling out and working on projects with it playing in the background. If you do artwork or write, listen to Wet in the background. I've found it very relaxing.

The Red CD is only for those who love collecting trance. It's definitely a highly ranked album. But the songs are faded and mixed together & into each other, only buy this album if you like Gatecrasher and their styles, or if you want something to play during trance parties/DJing for a weekend. ... Read more

Album Description

Summer 1999 edition of the hugely successful UK dance series. 36 tracks including, Carl Cox-'Phuture 2000', Hybrid-'Finished Symphony', Matt Darey-'Liberation', Lustral-'Everytime', Blank & Jones-'Cream', Chicane-'Saltwater', ATB-'9PM Till I Come', York-'The Awakening' and many more. Seamlessly mixed, this package is a journey through the ever shifting streams of club culture. 2 CD gatefold digipak with 18 page color booklet. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Awesome compilation of house techno!
If you really enjoy grooving to house aka. garage, trance etc this CD is excellent! I especially love the tracks by 'The Thrillseekers' and 'Salt Tank'. If you can catch Gatecrasher on their world tour I'd highly recommend that you go.

Well its Gatecrasher what more can i say?....
CD1: After the warm up with Carl cox, we follow a very good cd wih Recognisable Trance less Diverse compared to CD 2, although there are some here that have only been released at the time of me writing this! (oh has anyone seen Skyscraper -'The Hymn' anywhere yet? )We have some soft Trance or "nice" Trance with Lustral 'Everytime', Hybrid, Thrillseeker's "Synthanesia", Matt dareys "Liberation" (Ferry Corsten Remix)and not forgetting Chicane's "Saltwater" (Disco Citizens Remix)

CD2: On here more hardcore tech/Trance than the first CD and Ultimately this CD is the best of the two! The tracks are all great on this side, giving an excellent mix.

IN GENERAL: This is a CD that no Trance fan should be without! It is one of the best because of the number of fresh new tracks that no other CD compliation were using, making it worth your money even if you have other Trance Compliations! The only complaint is the heavy use of editing to fit the compliation, making many tracks short and sweet, leaving you wanting more. But anyway I reckon this CD is one of the best compilations you can buy and get value and enjoyment out of it. Non - Clubbers should keep clear of it though.

The best trance album I have ever heard
After a friend recommended this, i bought it straight away. I was amazed. I have never been able to discover an album where every song is good, and mixing has been so dreamy! Now mine is scratched badly and finding it again has been a nightmare, I recommend this to any trance bunny. And listen to track 11 on disc 2, "I believe" by Lange, its a classic. Thank u amazon for having it in stock!

Electronic Aficionado finds this a CLASSIC!
I have all the Gatecrasher cd's and tons of electronic compilations, and this is by far the best. This was my first electronic cd and it has been impossible to find any to match it. The songs are extremely beautiful and danceable. The cd never gets boring or repetitive. There is a mix of beautiful and dreamy tracks to the hard and pumping ones.

You cannot go wrong with this compilation. It is absolutely perfect.

This one was crispy¿
I loved this CD to death. I couldnt stop listening to it. Its a great song to drive to. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great (if a bit pop) mainstream dance CD
I happened to pick this up while on a layover between flights in London. The CD is filled with a lot of popular songs, and neither disk has any weak spots (which was a pleasant surprise after so many other compilation CD's). ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first U.S. release from the influential U.K. label/dance-music collective Ministry of Sound, Trance Nation America taps the DJ talents of both U.S. coasts in the form of L.A.'s Taylor and New York's Jimmy Van M, two immensely popular mixologists who make good use of this high-profile, double-CD gig. The first disc is Taylor's show, and he wastes no time showing off the anthemic, Christopher Lawrence-esque trance that West Coast DJ's have come to specialize in. Taylor's particular bent is more elegant than most, though, successfully evoking a gentle vibe early in the set with Rabbit in the Moon's floating remix of Garbage's "Milk," and a patient, teasing version of BT's "Dreaming." He definitely does indulge his more primal rhythmic inclinations elsewhere, throwing down the gauntlet with an expertly transitioned Hyperion remix of Inkfish's "Body and Mind," and later, an incredible rendering of his own cranked-up, dance-floor thrill-ride, "Xenophobe." Jimmy Van M's mix on the second disc hovers even more delicately above the turntables, though with a darker, more minor-key vibe that illuminates the stylistic differences that arise regionally in U.S. electronic music. An overt sense of melodic repetition drives the first part of JVM's mix, exemplified in Revolt's "Dive into the Deep," and while his mix gets heavier as it goes, he never leaves that sense of delicacy completely behind. Both mixes display a mystifying ability to explore a huge amount of electronic territory, moving easily between differing rhythms and smoothingover distracting edges. In fact, Ministry of Sound, Taylor, and Jimmy Van M all succeed not only in showing trance's elastic, diverse nature, they also somehow convey the idea that while the U.S. continues to be fertile ground for DJ talent, its regional musical dialects are all still basically derived from the same beat-driven language. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Ministry of Sound's "Trance Nation" finally gets it right.
As soon as I saw "Jimmy Van M" I thought "Twilo" and "Sasha and John Digweed". I was absolutely right! For those of you that don't know, Jimmy Van M warms up for Sasha and John Digweed at Twilo on the last Friday of every month, and as a result he has a very similar style...underground, dark, and melodic progressive house and trance. (none of the cheese trance you'll hear on a Ferry Corsten or Matt Darey "Trance Nation" CD!) Jimmy's CD (CD2) rocks like the very best of the Global Underground series...that's all you need to know.

Taylor's CD does very little for me, but that's what I expected. He insisted on putting a few of his own tracks on this CD..."Anomaly (Calling Your Name)" is a classic trance track, but it is quite old now. (Besides, I wonder just how much of it was written by BT anyway!...probably most of it!) Pink Bomb's "Indica" is another beauty that could also be retired! BT's "Dreaming" is a beautiful track, but it is SO good that I played it out already! The few tracks that I have not heard don't do too much for me! Long story short, Taylor's CD is a good one if you have just started to get into this type of music. But, if you are a trainspotting trance and progressive house junky, that considers the next great track like one of the essential food groups, (like I do!) then you'll probably just want to pick up the CD for Jimmy Van M's disc.

4 stars...5 for Jimmy Van M...3 for Taylor.

Not your typical Trance Nation CD!
This is not your typical Trance Nation CD! Normally I can't stand any release from Ministry of Sound, DJ Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, etc. It's not my style of electronic music. I like something more subdued, more clever, something a little off kilter, like for example, your typical John Digweed, or Dave Seaman release. I don't enjoy trance music where they beat you over the head with the beat, and try to allure you with an obvious synth line that doesn't attract your attention but instead strangles you for it. This is not what you will find here.

That said, fans of progressive house will find plenty to enjoy here. Taylor takes the middle of the road with his mix, dropping plenty of big name anthems, but when all is said and done he leaves a little to be desired. His mixing is excellent, but his track selection is a little too obvious. BT's "Dreaming", Taylor's own "Anomaly", and Pink Bomb's "Indica" have all been overplayed. These are not bad tracks by any means, but they've certainly lost their edge due to over exposure. Since these are the highlights of the set, the rest of the tracks seem mediocre by comparison. Overall, good but unremarkable. Three stars.

Jimmy Van M's set however, is beyond good. I find comparing albums is the best way to convey the sound of an album through words. In this case, Sasha & Digweed's Northern Exposure: Expeditions to me, is the closest sounding album I've heard (which for those who've heard, know that this is among the greatest progressive CD's yet to be released). Starting off with Cass & Slide's absolutely chilling "Opera", you know your already in for a hell of a ride with this mix. In fact, the opener is so good, the rest of album has a hard time reaching this same pinnacle. The rest of the set bumps and burns with trickles of melody at just the right moments to keep your interest. "Klein Aber Doctor" by Almos is the perfect example of this suspense and release style. Other highlights include Revolt's "Dive Into The Deep", Science Dept's "Repercussion" (as heard on John Digweed's "Hong Kong" mix), and Timo Maas' remix of Kee Mo's "Madness". By the time we reach the album's conclusion in LSG's "Hidden Sun Of Venus", we are less content with pumping our fists and jumping in the air than we are just lying staring at the ceiling heart filled with emotion. I cannot recommend this mix anymore for fans of the Sasha, Digweed, or Dave Seaman style of progressive. Simply amazing. Five stars.

Pass the tylenol
Two stars in respect to the great music Ministry of Sound produces. But this album leaves me dissaponted. Only in small doses did this album get me at all intersted (about the middle of the first cd); but quickly settles back down to the coma-inducing hum drum of pointless, directionless beats and melody that butchers even the most potential tracks. Somewhere in the blue whale ocean scinetific research recordings you can slightly hear the pitter patter of what used to be an artists' work. A shame for electronica fans that like the upbeat melodies and climaxes usually defined by trance. I have not heard previous work by Jimmy van M or Taylor, but it is a slap in the face to a prestigous Ministry of Sound with a Trance label. For trance fans and collectors alike this cd will look good in your collection but leave a depressed feel once you eject it from your player.

Average
I saw Taylor and Van M., and both are excellent artists. This cd is good if you are more into Progressive House. I hate to say this but It not that much trance going on in this cd, perhaps the name is a little bit misleading. Some tracks are good such as Taylor's "Xenophobe" and Namito's "Derooz"; LSG's "Hidden Sun of Venus", and Brancaccio & Aisher's "Darker". After all, it is well done, mixed cd.

Should've researched it more...
After much much excitement and almost 20 bucks layed out I was extremely disappointed. The music was really slow, boring and rather dull. The songs start to seem like they're the same as the lack ones. Maybe I'm just too used to other trance but I couldnt' find any trance in this cd! ... Read more

Reviews (29)

A good trance mix by a talented young U.S. dj
Florida dj Jason Dunne has put together an excellent mix of trance and progressive house tracks on this cd, including a good balance between well-known anthems and lesser known tracks. Even in including some fairly well-worn songs like ATB's "Til I Come," Dunne helps the listener avert boredom by utilizing a relatively little-heard mix by Sequential One.

The progression of the mix is fairly typical of this dancefloor-oriented genre, beginning with mellower tracks like Sasha's "Xpander" and building toward a frenzied end through inclusion of such fast-paced anthems as "Out of the Blue" by System F (aka Ferry Corsten) and "Veracocha" by Carte Blanche.

Overall, Dunne has done a fine job here of putting together a mix that's great for listening and even better for dancing, and fans of electronic trance and progressive house music would do well to give this cd a try.

Very Inimpressed
I found this cd to be very unimpressive. It's more like a "top 40 trance" cd. Most of the songs I've heard on other cds already only mixed much better. This the problem I have with this cd - this mixing is pretty bad and Jason Dunne adds no originality to it. A lot of songs on here were played out by the end of last summer. Expander by Sasha was mixed the worst I have heard it, many inconsistancies. You could easily tell where one track ended and the next begun. This cd is good for people new to the scene and are looking for an intro but to devoted trance fans that are looking for something new and to blow you away, this is not the cd. Right about track 7 it gets incredibly "cheesy" and then around track 12 goes back to played out songs. Save your money and buy something less commercial and with a bit more talent invested.

A unique collection of trance songs
This CD is one of my all-time favorites. There isn't a dull song anywhere on the whole thing, and when I put it in my CD player, I have to listen to the entire thing. It's a lot like Paul Oakenfold's 'Tranceport'; each song is unique. It had a strong beginning and an equally strong end; 'Out of the Blue' is a perfect song to close with. I will always love this CD and I recommend it to anybody looking for trance music with a lot of energy and heavy bass.

Before I knew..
what trance was, I bought this cd when it first came out. It blew me away and I fell in love with it. It may have songs you've heard before, but the way the songs are put together is immaculate. It's a classic to me. No matter how many times I scratch up the cd, I'll always replace it.

Old and played out tracks.
I bought this CD years ago and if you are looking for some new quality trance this isn't it. At the time is was hot but quite frankly the mixing is nothing special and the track selection is very played out now. The only track I can really still handle is Sasha's amazing Expander. Other than that this disk is pretty weak. There are some much better compilations out there so browse around. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Soulful!
This CD is a favorite of mine... It has a great flow to it, with some stellar tracks. I currently own Vols. 2,3 and 5, and two of my favorite tracks in the series (A Cool Wind is Blowing by Djivan Gasparyan and Lovelorn by Iky Levy) are on this CD. They are two of the most heart-wrenching, beautiful instrumentals I have ever heard.

I do massage to this CD and half the benefit of the massage is listening to this music!

Buy it!

the other reviewer got the wrong CD, this is Trance Planet
My favorite of the excellent series. NOT DANCE MUSIC with the exception of track 1. NOT TRANCE TECHNO. This is primarily very mellow ambient style international music.

Produced by KCRW's Tom Schnabel, who brings us the nightly electronic/dance Cafe LA show, this series explores the mellow side of world music. A great starting point for those who are looking beyond Afropop and trendy beatbox treated international artists.

Trance vol 3
I first heard this CD in Cancun at LA Boom. I could not stop dancing. The beats kept me dancing all night as the rythm put me into another world. If you are a rookie Tekno fan or an addict like me, I highly recomend picking this C.D. up. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good sampler of diverse world music
"Trance Planet Volume 1" is one of those rare world music compilations that you can leave in your CD player from beginning to end. The range of cultures brought together here is pretty impressive: from Cape Verde to Tahiti, Mozambique to Argentina.

One of the standout tracks is the very first one: "Nwahulwana" by Orchestra Marrabenta Star de Mocambique, fading in with a simple guitar melody before the rich solo vocal begins. Other favorites of mine include "Two Lovers" by sitar virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan (a song which takes its time to build momentum, just like sitar playing itself), the melancholy acoustic guitar-driven Portuguese-sung "Sodade" by the 'Verdean Barefoot Diva' Caesaria Evora, and the outstanding oud-playing in Hassan Erraji's "Hammouda."

There are other tracks which I don't really care for and are too hackneyed in the "world fusion" genre for my taste, such as "Petition To Ram" by Jai Uttal, and the over-produced "The Game" by the late Pakistani qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (this track in true essence should be credited to the studio producer, since Khan's voice is completely underutilized and taken completely out of any true qawwali or raag context).

That said, even the lesser songs somehow work when the CD is played altogether on a rainy Sunday afternoon while you're reading the newspaper. It flows pretty well, which must be credited to Tom Schnabel for having a great ear to patch so many disparate sounds into one listenable disc.

Before world music compilations kicked it up a notch with the Putamayo and Buddha Bar series (and similar albums), Trance Planet was the best thing around. "Volume 1" isn't really anything you'd hear playing at any trendy "multi-culti lounge", but something you'd probably hear at the coffeehouse down the street. Definitely give this disc a shot if the global journey you want to take is a smooth and mellow one.

Pleasantly surprised
I bought this by mistake thinking it was something else (a similarly-titled psytrance comp), but ended up enjoying it enough to keep. Even if the music isn't trance in the sense that most people think of the genre, it certainly serves a similar calming, centering function. Also a good look at the forms trancey music takes in various parts of the world. Track 2 is haunting and beautifully done.

The world on a disk
If this selection of world music is typical of what Tom Schnabel (the compiler) plays on his radio station in Santa Monica then I'm sorry that I can't tune in. I am glad however that there are other volumes of this excellent collection, and that they are readily available.

The selections in Vol. 1 are varied. Go on a magical music journey through Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Sub-continent, the Americas and the Pacific Islands. It's not just beautiful, melodic sounds from exotic countries, it's various musical instruments, such as the Sarod, the Arabic lute and clarinet and tubular harps accompanying different cultural styles of singing or alone as instrumentals.

Listen to the unusual ululation as used by Vox, the throat singing of Sainkho and the qawalli or 'utterances' on 'The Game' and you will quickly appreciate what a wonerful world of music is out there. Perhaps the best selections though are the ones showcasing the vocal talents. From Orchestra Marrabenta, Mother Tongue and the Tahitian Choir to Cesaria Evora's 'Sodade' and Jai Uttal's 'Petition to Ram' we get the full range of plaintive and haunting yet soothing and relaxing sounds. The album closes with the strongest vocals of all and the most stirring track - a live performance of Mercedes Sosa singing 'Gracias a la Vida'. Gracias indeed.

EXCELLENT
I love this cd..the variety of world songs, carefully chosen to create a collection both soothing and energizing. I do yoga to this CD, and chose this one to play as I gave birth to my daughter.

Leaves techno in the pixie dust
Agreed, there is no techno-style music here. But since when did the 1990s techno subculture become owners of the concept "trance"? This is a wonderful collection of gorgeous music aged over many centuries and from many different cultures. It spans soft East Indian drums played at the speed of butterfly wings to the rich polytonal harmonies of Pacific Island choirs. You will find yourself returning to this favorite over and over-- perfect during massage sessions, while relaxing in a hot bath, or any time you want a gentle journey through the world's music before it was trademarked as such. Namaste! ... Read more

Album Description

From the label that brought you Let’s Hear It For The Boy, Let’s Hear It For The 80s and Circuit Boy, comes the brand-new long-awaited Trance Heaven Vol. 2!Vol. 2’s non-stop mix captures the soaring melodies and epic productions of one of the biggest sounds in gay dance music.Includes the massive international hits "Alone" by Lasgo and "Take Me To The Clouds Above" by LMC vs. U2, as well as trance cover versions of classic hits from the 70s and 80s, including "Mad World," "Life In A Northern Town," "Strangelove," "NeverEnding Story," "Year Of The Cat," "Hot Stuff" and more.Non-stop trance hits and a hot cover boy make Trance Heaven Vol. 2 a must-have for any fan of gay dance music! ... Read more

Album Details

Selected by John '00' Fleming & dubbed the 'Wise Buddah Mix', this collection features 40 great trance anthems. Includes cuts by Chicane, Clannad, Mauro Picotto, Paul Van Dyk, BT & much more. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A Great Introduction To Trance
This album is great. Since I got into the trance scene a little late, I wanted an album that would review big songs from the mid-90s and up. This compilation did that. Both CDs flow beautifully. The most appealing aspect about this album is that its great just to sit and listen to. I love trance for its build-ups and vocals, and this CD has a plethora of songs which encompass that. I would most recommend this album to those who want a well-rounded intro to this form of music.

Not for the TRUE Trance Conossieur
This Cd is an awesome purchase for anyone new to trance, or electronic music in general.. it gives you a good feel for what uplifting trance Trance IS, and lays down the most popular songs of this genre, maybe of all time (which isnt really that long.. heheh) However, uplifting trance today is dying, this Cd doesnt offer anything of what is to come, but encomapsses the glorious past. It also doesnt explore any other facets of trance or electronic music, but stays strictly within the bounds of the epic/uplifting schme of things. It's up to you wether you like this or not. Bottom line: This is not trance as we know it today, but Trance as it was. Like it or leave it, this is what it offers.

Got me into Trance
This was my first trance compilation. It consists of some of the best trance songs ever made. I bought this CD 3 years ago, and still listen to it to this day. If you're not sure if this music is for you, buy this CD and it will change your mind immediately.

THE NAME SAYS IT ALL
For any one who likes music with rythm at all this is the cd to buy. What the heck Buy 2 one for listening and one for the archives. This great cd collects the essentials for Hard Trance.
Take it from a music critic this is the One to buy.

Good, Not Great
This CD is only good if you are into generic Trance ... or are an artistic purist that loves the Trance that can bore you or put most people to sleep. If you like upbeat, catchy, beautiful and memorable Techno/Trance tunes then this is NOT the CD for you. A couple of the tracks are really good, such as Chicane's Saltwater, Robert Mile's Children, and Veracocha's Carte Blanche. But those are available on other CD's. Better yet, just buy a Robert Mile's or Ian Van Dahl CD. Again, this is good, but not great. ... Read more

Album Details

Includes: Airborne, Psygone, Reactor, Out of Phase and More. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Don't like trance?? Listen to this album and switch over
I have been listening to trance for all my life. But nothing opened me up like this album ... Read more

Amazon.com

This third collection in Nettwork Records' Plastic series boasts the same qualities as volume 1 and volume 2: gifted DJs, driving danceability and a solid selection of material, ripe for the mixing. Kicking off the disc with his usual flair for dream-trance composition, BT uses Sarah McLachlan's "I Love You" to ethereal effect, lacing her voice with reverb and arranging it around heavenly dance-floor ambience. Moby's "Bodyrock" (off the seminal 1999 release Play) gets inventive, submerging that song's big beats in deep, long bass grooves, and expanding slightly with a stretched-out diva motif. Delerium, Povi, and Beth Orton all go under the DJ's knife, emerging with unexpected, Picasso-like twists of reality. They even threw in the Chemical Brothers and Sasha's massive club hit "Xpander" for good measure. A fun, quality compilation, especially for those just getting to know the genre. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Run Work Play Enjoy
Like good dance music but are confused because the last time you were shakin your booty on the dance floor was when strobes lights were bouncing off the twirling glass ball in the middle of the club and x was just a letter in the alphabet ? Well this is a perfect CD for the not so hip person who likes dance grooves for other than going to the club. If you like some stimulation while you work out or want to see how some things hardly change take a listen to this compilation. With the proliferation of dance compilations and so many different styles this is a solid choice. Some of the other reviewers have gone into the particulars, including he editor so suffice to say it is familiar yet different mix. My personal faves are "I love you" by Sarah Mclauchlan , "Central Rservation" by Beth Orton, "Sing it back" by Moloko and of course heavies Moby and Chemical Bros. Put on your headphones, jump on the bike, hit the trail, strap on the blades put on the exercise video or just groove, but you'll have to move, so enjoy this good mix of uptempo music. Highly recommended for novices and people not neccessarily into the dance scene.

Best of the Plastics
I have a feeling if you bought Plastic #1 and then #2, that you might have gotten a little tired of the series and was doubtful about this one being much of an improvement. However, this one is definitely better than 1 and 2. It includes new artists that I think are much more gifted than the artists that were popular around the time the earlier complilations were made. Besides that, it also continues using the artists that made the last ones good and still deserve credit, like Sasha, BT, Chemical Brothers, and even some Uberzone. On a scale of 1-3 stars, here's how I rate all the tracks:

Sarah McLachlan-I Love You-BT Mix: * Sasha-Xpander: *** Delerium-Heaven's Earth-Matt Darey Remix: *** Filter-Take A Picture-Hybrid Mix: *** BT-Dreaming-Tiesto Mix: * Moby-Bodyrock-Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix: *** Povi-Dragonflies-Uberzone's Mix: *** Moloko-Sing It Back-Tee's Radio Mix: ** The Chemical Brothers-Under The Influence: ** Beth Orton-Central Reservation-Ibadan Radio Edit: ***

Absolutely the only dissapointment I have with this CD is that the BT material is very dissapointing. Otherwise the tracks would be okay, if not for the fact that BT is usually flawlessly good. The "Love You" Mix seems to be something he did in his spare time one day when he had absolutely nothing to do, and the Tiesto mix is...boring (not that that's Brian's fault). But since some people love these tracks, you might feel differently, which gives you even more reason to buy this NOW.

*As a footnote, if you have no idea who these artists are that mix the songs, and you are in the first place interested in this album for maybe the Sarah McLachlan or Filter material, be warned: this is not pop/alternative/rock. This is electronic. These songs will sound possibly nothing like the original, they might not even include the song's chorus. Just making sure...

Pretty good.
Yeah, scintillating title for a review, but it's accurate. Nothing out-&-out bad... but you can't shake the feeling that you've been shorted a track or two.

So, I'll stick to the highlights. Povi ("Dragonflies") is a treat with only one flaw: too bloody short!! I want it remixed to about 10 minutes or more, as it's such an infectious little tune, very open, & I like to drop it in after too much aggro or industrial.

At least as good is the Hybrid remix of Moby's "Bodyrock". I'm not a big Moby fan, but I almost bought an album after hearing this. (Please note that I said "almost".)

Beth Orton's "Central Reservation" is quite good, but a little wimpy to end the CD on. I find I enjoy it more if the randomiser puts it on first.

The one I secretly enjoy most, though, is Hybrid's remix of Filter's "Take a Picture". You wouldn't believe it's the same song -- about all that remains is the vocal line, & everything else (key, rhythmic structure, BPM) has been messed with at some point. Hybrid has a talent for reworking pieces that never caught my attention in their original state.

Not the best of the Plastic Compilation series, but far from the worst.

This is the album that got me into the series
The third volume of the Plastic Compilation series is what made me a fan. At the time, I hadn't heard any of Sarah McLachlan's music remixed so I was awfully curious to hear her schmaltzy ballad "I Love You" remixed into a dance mix. The BT mix of "I Love You" is nothing to write home about. It sounds like your standard trance song nevertheless the remix does improve an otherwise schmaltzy ballad. Frankly I can't listen to the original version without gagging because of the insipid lyrics and way too mellow music. The dance beats makes the song somewhat more interesting although BT could have done a better remixing job and not make the song sound like any other trance song I hear in the nightclubs. Although I am not wild about Sasha, I think his best song to date is "Xpander". Classic trance song. The only flaw is that it is a four minute edit. UGH! I hate edits. I wish Nettwerk used the full-length version and got rid of Filter's godawful hit "Take a Picture". What a awful song, even worse as a remix. I can't say that I am a big fan of Povi's "Dragonflies" either. I could have lived without that song too. Still the rest of the album is fantastic. I love the Matt Darey mix of Delerium's "Heaven's Earth" and BT's "Dreaming". Those two songs are my favorite tracks on the album. I must admit that "Bodyrock" is not one of my favorite Moby songs but could have been worse, it could have been "Southside" or "Honey". I also loved Moloko's classic "Sing It Back" and The Chemical Brothers' "Under the Influence". Beth Orton's "Central Reservation" seemed a bit out of a place on this album. A bit too mellow for an album filled with dance songs. I like the song but I thought it didn't sound right on this album. Although flawed, I still love the third volume in the Plastic Compilation series.

The next one
I liked it. You can listen to it at least 4 times without getting sick of it. :) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Koo- diley...
This CD has a lot of beat to it. When I bought it, I fell into my own world of music and beat. ... Read more

Album Description

34 trance anthems on two discs, all mixed by Ministry Of Sound's resident DJ ATB. Includes cuts by System F, Salt Tank,Matt Darey, Sasha, Blockster, Chicane (featuring Clannad'sMaire Brennan) and ATB himself. Comes packaged in a doubleslimline jewel case within a full color slipcase. 1999 release. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

The title to this CD says it all
Theres always someone to rant but this IS the best of Trance anthems for the genre. Well lets just say a friend of mine borrowed this CD and i havent got it back. (i guess i shouldnt expect to- its that good) This is the many faces of trance from the highly airy and ambient to the intensely driving sounds at peak time dancefloor, this album is a must have for any true fan to Trance

Clubber's Guide to Trance - MOS's best and a trance classic!
I have to say this is the best Ministry of Sound compilation I've ever heard. It's expertly mixed by atb, and is a veritable who's who of one of the best year's of trance, 1999-2000. You get Chicane, ATB's 9PM, Gouryella, Lost Witness, DJ Sakin, Fragma, Sasha, System F, and Blank & Jones. Play this one all the way through, on both discs, and you won't be disappointed. No stale spots at all, and that's tough to do on a 2 disc set of any kind. This is one of the best of trance ever. Also check out the first (and best) Trance Mix USA, also mixed by ATB, which is also a sort of best of trance of the time including the classic Everytime by Lustral, which Acosta also recently put on his History of Trance set. It's another classic compilation of the genre.

Excellent Album!!
ATB is one of my favorite DJs and this album was well mixed! There are numerous of awesome tracks on this album! I listen to this CD over and over again and I'm still in love with it!! Highly recommended to purchase this album!!

Trance fans will like this...
It's a good CD, no joke. This Trance CD and the Hard Energy are my two favorite MoS compilations. Go get those two, they are very very good.

Good dive into trance...
I bought this CD after literally diving into the techno world, and I must say, even though I bought it on a whim, I don't regret it one bit. ATB is a genius at what he does and another CD like this should be released with today's popular trance hits. The first CD takes a little bit of getting into, but when you hit the hot tracks like 'Cream' and others, it gets better. The second disc is just plain awesome the whole way through. It is a little rusty in terms of the modern club, but it still is great listening and even better DJing for the younger crowd. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A disappointment compared to previous volumes
I regret I must differ in my opinion on this volume in the Trance Planet series. I adore the previous 5 volumes. I play them over and over, enjoying their richness and depth.

There is a key difference between those volumes and this one. The previous volumes were complied by Tom Schnabel. This one was not. Clearly, it requires a special touch to compile world music in such a way as to create a cohesive whole from disparate works and Tom has that magic touch.

Unfortunately, it was lacking in this CD. I played it once and I doubt I will ever play it again, though I might isolate one or two songs to listen to. It doesn't have replayability or cohesion of the previous volumes, in my opinion.

It feels to me that this CD focuses less on finding interesting music that works together within a theme, and instead tried to throw together the most odd and unique forms of fusion that could be found. Some songs made the error of borrowing too much from Western music and not necessarily the best aspects of it. Thus you get the most boring, repetitious use of a techno-trance beat instead of something new and original. Someof the more traditional music done in fusion was all right, but some of it simply did not work that well and failed to hold my interest.

I do like that the compiler used many women artists, especially women who have overcome bias in their cultures to learn their instruments. But first and foremost, I need music I want to listen to more than once.

From the point of view of someone who has always purchased the Trance Planet volumes, I must say that unless the next volume is compiled by Tom Schnabel again, I won't be buying it.

Trance Planet does it again!!!
I will give my breakdown of this cd song by song...w/* songs being my favorite... (although I enjoyed them all on different levels)...

*1. Hawa - Agricantus - Hauntingly beautiful...
2. Kummand'i - Max Lasser - Stunning Afro-Euro blend
w/enchanting vocals and guitar work...
3. Chottie See - Long live Nusrat in Spirit!!! His voice is
heavenly as well as the instrumentation...
4. Toroyo - Issa Bagayogo - Mali produces some of the most
amazing vocalists, this one nonewithstanding... A fine mellow
Afro-Electro song...
*5. Sunset - Nitin Sawhney - This song is a good representation
of the Indian Ethno Techno scene - it has a very trip hop
feel - which for me is good since I love trip hop...
6. Manhem - My favorite part of this song is I the bamboo flute
(ney) floating over the rest of the song seamlessly...
*7. Kaar Deerge Chouvulangnig - Simple in this song's use of
only her unique voice over electric guitar, but complex in
it's beauty...
8. Mourn, Sob and Cry - Very unique Asian/Reggae mix...
9. Hakmet Lakdar - This song implores a perfect sense of
rhythmic insrumentaion...
10. Cancion Para Dormir a Uno Nino - Beatriz Pichi Malen - This
song is a sweet Mapuche lullabye... Kudos to her for
keeping her culture alive through her music...
11. Udho Hot Kaha Sumujhaye - Tripti Mukherjee - Her singing is
flawlessly divine on this song...
*12. Aiso Chanchal - Shivu Taralagatti - Another perfectly
divine voice from India that smoothly glides over the
lush orchestral instrumentation... This song is a call to
awaken life early morning life - and in it's sublime
beauty - it certainly will...

Trance Planet does it again with another seamless collection of songs from the melting pot of the musical world... Next step is for Trance Planet to include a little more indigenous North American Indian music...

Note: This music is perfect to include in a chill out/mellow out dj set...

...peace - DJ Dakini ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Lots of great tracks
I have to disagree with the other reviewer. I think there are lots of great tracks on these two dics, including stuff by Paul Van Dyk and Jon Paul! Great to dance to, great to chill to.

Disappointing
There were only a few tracks that I liked: "Avenue", "Cardiac Motion", "The Swimmer" and "Kiss the Sound", the rest I thought was fairly boring stuff. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Classic Trance at its' best!!
This CD's awesome! It takes me back to when I fist started listening to Trance and House. The first track starts off with some chilled out beats and then it slowly starts to fire up from the second track on. It really gets good about halfway through the compilation, more specifically at track #9: "Catalan Rising". I especially best like track #10: "Photosynthesis", which I believe has that addictive sound structure and form that probably started the evolution of just plain Trance into modern Pystrance and Goa. The tracks in this compilation are perfectly mixed together continuously, which makes it something worth buying =). My only gripe about this compilation is that the music tracks mix in the middle of each time track instead of at the end of each time track (or the beggining of the next time track). But I can easily look past that and still definitely want to buy the entire Psychotrance collection to catch up on what I've been missing...

The original and still the best Psychotrance!
Classic trance! Definitely one of the must haves for any trance lover, from back in the days. It's always been one of my favorite's and you will not be dissapointed one bit. Trance has changed but not so much for the worse, as just changed. Change is inevitable, but good trance is not. Listen to Psychotrance for a look at how trance once was/started. But mostly listen to it for some good trance!! Also check out Paul Oakenfold's "Tranceport", for the next step in the trance timeline. From there on it all gets a little fuzzy.

I'm in love
Get this CD, this is the only place I've been able to find it. This is music form back when Trance was real Trance, and dance was just coming on. This CD has more personality than any of the new "pop chart" compilations today. If nothing else check this out to hear how it SHOULD BE DONE.
This CD got me not only into trance but into electronic music as a whole.
Put on some headphones, and get taken somewhere.

Brain-surfing on tides of liquid energy
One of the classics of trance. From the upbeat mellow twinkling of Union Jack's "Lollipop Man" to the edgy drive of Catalan Rising's "Hellseeker", and on into unexplored territory with two bonus tracks (almost fifteen minutes of original material), Mr. C, frontman of the Shamen, crossfades and loops with the skill and poise of a neurosurgeon. An ultra-high-energy mix from a legendary DJ; no trance aficionado should be without it. Listen in a dark room and let your mind roam free.... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Let's Duplicate CD's and Make money!
I just got into the trace thing and I was looking at CD's through Amazon. Then I stumbled across this one and found something interesting about it. It's the exact CD I have but with a different name and at a higher price!

The name of the CD I own is "The World of Dream and Trance" and it part of a whole "world of" series that (ZYX Music) puts out... and all of the CD's that they publish are 2 CD sets.

Overall this is a good CD with some good progression and not too much of the hardcore Techno-like trance. My personal favorites are: (1-3. Lost in Paridise by Safron) (1-9. Like to Jam by Mateaux) (2-1. Surrounded by Freezer)

FYI, I like the semi-dreamy trance with a really catchy melody. For the money I payed, it was a good CD set. It's by far not "The Best Trance Anthems Ever!" which is probably the best CD set I have ever heard.

cool trance dj mix compilation
this is a cool dj mix compilations at a good price because also comes but a bonus third cd with diferents artist like astralasia and others. ravers should buy it , people that never hear of raves or electronic music ,should listen this cds and you gonna become part of the alien nation. also recomends 100% world of goa trance vol 2 or the worlsd greatest goa trance ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mesmerizing Trance
This is a great CD, mixed by DJ Hardware. The trance on here is, for the most part, basic, yet very catchy. It is the perfect "Trance" CD, in my opinion, since it's monotony puts you in a completely different world. I listened to this album 15 times one night (almost sounds pathetic, I know, but there were certain circumstances involved). This CD doesn't compare to Trance gods such as Taylor or Christopher Lawrence, but it's still a fun, catchy, & killer CD that you should check out. ... Read more