Music is also one of my passions. The majority of time I spend online is music-related in some way, whether I'm trading music videos, downloading songs, or just chatting about music. I don't play any instruments, but I wouldn't mind learning piano or drums. The type of music I like most is called trance, which is a type of electronic music, or dance music. I've been listening to it since about 1997. Electronic music is commonly referred to as techno, although this label is not correct. Techno is actually a type of electronic music, not a synonym for it.
DANCE MUSIC IN BOSTON
Most of the stuff I listen to is from Europe, not from America. The electronic music scene is dominated by Europe, specifically Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy; you can turn on almost any radio station around here and it's obvious that dance music is not too popular in Boston or in much of America. Miami actually has a dance music station, but this is the only one I've heard of in America. Other than a song here and there (for example, Alice Deejay's "Better Off Alone", Vengaboys, Lasgo, Cascada) you WILL hear dance music on the radio here in Boston, but you have to wait until after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. :( But dance music HAS gotten more popular here in the last few years. I always think of "Better Off Alone" as the breakthrough song. It was the first European dance song that I heard on the radio and I was amazed, because I didn't think I'd ever hear my music on American radio. However when it did come on the radio and everyone was hearing it for the first time, I had already known it for over a year. I was also kinda mad because I figured that more and more dance music would now be played on the radio, and then the genre would become Americanized and not be as good. After this more songs did follow on the radio, but so far dance music still has a ways to go before it takes over the airwaves.
TRANCE
Trance is a melodic type of dance music. To me it sounds like modern classical music, although many people would disagree with me there. It can be either instrumental or have some vocals, but all trance that I know of has the same structure:
Intro--->Build-Up--->Breakdown--->2nd Build-Up--->2nd Breakdown--->Conclusion
Most trance songs are long compared to radio songs, usually anywhere from 6-10 minutes long, although edited versions are also made which will be a standard 4-minute song. Trance is also symmetrical in structure, as you can kinda tell from the diagram above.
DANCE MUSIC AND ME
Like I said I started listening to electronic music around 1997. At first I had trouble getting to know the artists because the music just wasn't readily available to me. I would listen to Club Kiss on weekend nights (a few hours of dance music on Kiss 108FM), and tape the good songs that came on, but these were mostly just remixes of American songs. There was also Boston Beat on Newbury Street, which back then was like heaven to me. They would let you listen to entire CDs before you bought them (Boston Beat may still be around somewhere, but frankly it was a disgrace to dance music the last time I was there. I was totally disgusted by the lack of good CDs). I most enjoyed the Dream Dance series of CDs. Still going strong at 40+ volumes, these are 2CD compilation sets that have about 40 songs per volume; this is how I first heard the names of different artists and DJs. So this was my music life for about 2 years. Then one night, it all changed forever...
ELECTRONIC MUSIC STUDIO
The night of Wednesday, March 3, 1999 started out like any other evening. I was driving home a little after 9pm, scanning through radio stations and the usual crappy music on the radio. As I was almost to the house, heavenly sounds began to fill the car. I quickly hit the Scan button to keep the station on. It was 88.1 FM. I said to myself, "What the hell station is this?" The song I heard was Evelyn's "Funny Bunny Boy". As I sat in the driveway listening, I realized it was a dance music show! The station was MIT college radio. I quickly ran in the house, up to my room, put on the radio and got a blank tape ready, and the rest was history.
ELECTRONIC MUSIC STUDIO (EMS) was a weekly radio show, hosted by DJ Zealot. The playlists were put on the show's website, and she also accepted requests by email and phone. The show was on for about 2.5 years, and I listened religiously every week right by the stereo, recording at least a half hour of every show. Unfortunately the show was eventually moved to Friday nights, which interfered with my weekends. However by that time I was well on my way; from listening and making requests I got to know a bunch of artists and DJs, and with the internet becoming more popular I was able to get more info on specific artists that I liked and also to buy their albums, instead of buying compilation CDs.
MY TOP 3 ELECTRONIC MUSIC ARTISTS
1) Paul van Dyk - Already being nicknamed "God" by some, Paul van Dyk (PvD) does it all. He's not only just a DJ who spins records at clubs, but he also composes, produces, and remixes. I was introduced to him through EMS (see above), and just by hearing one song I was more than ready for more. PvD is from Germany (where he still hosts a weekly dance music radio show), but is now a household name in clubs all over the world. He drives crowds mad with his flawless mixing and pounding beats. His 4th artist album "Reflections", released in 2003, was nominated for a Grammy. He has also done the soundtrack for the Mexican film "Zurdo", has released two compilation CDs called "The Politics of Dancing" and "The Politics of Dancing 2", and a couple of his songs have even been featured in TV commercials. Most of the year Paul is touring clubs all over the world. I've personally seen him spin 8 times here in Boston, the most recent time being September 17th, 2004 (his last time in Boston was June 15, 2007 which was sold out; I did however get to see a live video feed of the set next door). I also met him in April 2003 for a CD signing in NYC (see Pictures page).
His own compositions are really unique in my opinion. He blends just the right amount of beat and melody without being overly heavy on either one. Most of his songs have kind of a sad undertone to them, but are still pounding enough that they make you wanna dance. Lately Paul has gone a bit mainstream with his sound, but he still puts out the instrumentals, which are my favorite. When he mixes in clubs his song selection is usually perfect. He plays songs based on the crowd; if he feels the crowd ready to explode he'll play a few spine-tinglers, and then usually slow it down again. Sometimes though he just plays one masterpiece after another, not letting the crowd rest for a minute. Below is a picture of PvD.
2) Ferry Corsten - Ferry is from the Netherlands, and historically is the most melodic trance composer that I know of. Whereas PvD balances between beats and melody, old Ferry was all about the melody. His songs sounded most like classical songs compared to any other DJ. The melodies were usually uplifting and extremely catchy, tunes you can hum all day long. Ferry has put out songs and remixes under a few different names other than his own, such as System F, Moonman, Veracocha, & Gouryella. I've seen him live twice, in October 2002 and in March 2006, and they were both great club nights. The reason he's not my #1 is because even though he has released some great songs and remixes, his songs are not as mature-sounding as PvD's. However, his newer stuff sounds very different from his older stuff, which does show that he's not one-dimensional, and some of it is a little bit TOO different for my taste. However, I'm still not tired of the "old" Ferry sound, and I hope he puts out more melodic stuff in the future. Below is a picture of Ferry Corsten.
3) Chicane - I guess I could have chosen a couple other artists for my #3, but I think overall it is Chicane who I like 3rd best. Historically Chicane's music has had a different sound from most other electronic music out there; there's definitely a summery sound or theme to the majority of their stuff. Yes, Chicane is actually a band, and the lead composer and frontman is Nick Bracegirdle. I don't actually know too much about their background, but they have some great music; vocal and instrumental, most of it very relaxing. They use a combination of real instruments and electronics to make their music, something that is very rare in the dance music industry. Their last two albums, the promotional "Easy To Assemble" and the officially released "Somersault", contained a majority of vocal tracks. Their earlier stuff definitely focused more on instrumental songs, which is what I prefer. With the 2007 release "Somersault", Chicane seems to be shifting gears a bit and changing their sound; most of the songs were upbeat vocal tracks that lacked the summery sound I've come to love so much. Quite frankly I was disappointed with the album. I've never seen Chicane live, and I don't see them coming by Boston any time soon. :( Below is a picture of Nick Bracegirdle.
THE TOP 20
From 1996-2003 I compiled a list of my 20 favorite songs of the year, and made a cassette of the countdown (I know, I'm old school). They weren't necessarily songs that came out in that year, just when I first heard them. When putting them in order I took a few things into consideration: 1) WHEN in the year I heard the song (i.e. beginning of the year, middle of the year, etc.), 2) HOW MUCH I liked the song (i.e. did I really like it or was I obsessed with it), 3) HOW LONG I liked the song for (i.e. did I really like it for a few months and then get tired of it, or did it stay a strong favorite for a good part of the year). So theoretically, if I liked 2 songs equally then the one I heard first would be higher in the countdown.
Beginning in 1997 I started putting together what I called the "Other Notables Mix" (O.N. Mix), which was a 10-15 minute megamix of the 10 songs that would have been songs #21-30 in the countdown. I didn't put the songs in the O.N. Mix in order though, I just put them together based on what I thought would sound the best in a megamix. Here are my Top 20 lists from 1996-2003, along with each O.N. Mix for that year.
1996
20) Louis Moreau Gottschalk - "Le Bananier"
19) 112 - "Only You"
18) Groove Theory - "Baby Luv"
17) Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"
16) La Bouche - "Sweet Dreams"
15) Oasis - "Don't Look Back In Anger"
14) Blondie - "The Tide Is High"
13) No Doubt - "Spiderwebs"
12) Keith Sweat feat Kut Klose - "Twisted"
11) Paul Simon - "I Know What I Know"
10) Fun Factory - "Be Good To Me"
09) Everything But The Girl - "Missing" (remix)
08) Smashing Pumpkins - "1979"
07) Oasis - "Champagne Supernova"
06) The Tony Rich Project - "Nobody Knows"
05) Layla - "Gotta Find Love"
04) Alanis Morissette - "Ironic"
03) Fun Factory - "Oh Yeah Yeah (I Like It)"
02) Matrix - "Can You Feel It" (Ultimate Club Mix)
01) Paul Simon - "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes"
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1997
20) Alexia & Double You - "Me And You"
19) UB40 - "Where Did I Go Wrong"
18) Amber - "One More Night"
17) UB40 - "Don't Break My Heart"
16) Baha Men - "Mama Lay Lay Lay"
15) UB40 - "I Love It When You Smile"
14) Saint Etienne - "He's On The Phone"
13) Michael Jackson - "Stranger In Moscow" (Tee's In-House Club Mix)
12) Le Click - "Call Me" (Euro Radio Mix-Rap)
11) Dave Matthews Band - "Ants Marching"
10) Haddaway - "Life (Everybody Needs Somebody To Love)" (Mission Control Mix)
09) Robert Miles - "Children" (Dream Version)
08) Smashing Pumpkins - "Thirty-Three"
07) Mark Morrison - "Return Of The Mack"
06) Michael Jackson - "HIStory" (Tony Moran's History Lesson)
05) Robert Miles - "One And One"
04) Faithless - "Insomnia" (Armand's European Vacation Mix)
03) Aaliyah - "One In A Million"
02) Jackie O - "Wonderwall"
01) Dave Matthews Band - "Crash Into Me"
Other Notables
Robert Miles "Red Zone"
UB40 "Guns In The Ghetto"
JK "My Radio"
Common Sense "Never Give Up"
First Base "Love Is Paradise" (Radio Edit)
Baha Men "Land Of The Sea And Sun"
Laya feat MC Solo "All My Dreams (Don't Ever Leave)" (Extended Skywalker Mix)
Dave Matthews Band "Tripping Billies"
UB40 "Sing Our Own Song"
Oasis "Don't Go Away"
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1998
20) Oasis - "Stand By Me"
19) XS - "Sa Trincha"
18) Smashing Pumpkins - "Ava Adore"
17) Eagle Eye Cherry - "Save Tonight"
16) Sweet Flowers - "I've Got to Feel You"
15) Baha Men - "Whine'D"
14) Baha Men - "I Like What I Like"
13) Zhi-Vago - "Dreamer"
12) N Sync - "I Want You Back"
11) DJ Dado - "Coming Back"
10) Robert Miles "Flying Away"
09) N Sync - "Tearin' Up My Heart"
08) Smashing Pumpkins - "Crestfallen"
07) Antico - "Dreamer-Hoombahoomba" (Radio Edit)
06) Chaka Demus & Pliers - "Searching"
05) Baha Men - "Follow The Sun"
04) Baha Men - "Bounce"
03) Sash! feat. Rodriguez - "Ecuador" (Bruce Wayne Mix)
02) Alexia - "Number One"
01) Sash! - "Stay"
Other Notables
Robert Miles "Everyday Life"
Oasis "All Around The World"
DJ Dado "Metropolis (The Legend Of Babel)" (Original Mix)
Smashing Pumpkins "To Sheila"
New Edition "Can You Stand The Rain"
Robert Miles "A New Flower"
Smashing Pumpkins "Once Upon A Time"
N Sync "I Need Love"
Koan "Still Dreaming" (From Venus To Mars Mix)
Smashing Pumpkins "Perfect"
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1999
20) Faithless - "God Is A DJ" (Monster Mix)
19) Dragana - "Up And Down"
18) Sequential One - "I Wanna Make You"
17) DJ Quicksilver - "Adagio"
16) DJ Quicksilver - "Free"
15) System F - "Out Of The Blue"
14) Vincent De Moor - "United 4 Ever"
13) Energy 52 - "Cafe Del Mar"
12) Sixpense None The Richer - "Kiss Me"
11) Lenny Kravitz - "Fly Away"
10) ATB - "Don't Stop"
09) Tal Bachman - "She's So High"
08) Crispy - "Licky Licky"
07) Alice Deejay - "Better Off Alone"
06) Gina G - "Ti Amo"
05) Dave Matthews Band - "Stay (Wasting Time)"
04) Superstring - "Liberate Yourself" (Indepen-Dance Radio Mix)
03) York - "The Awakening" (Radio Edit)
02) Paul van Dyk - "For An Angel"
01) DJ Quicksilver - "Bellissima"
Other Notables
Orbital "Halcyon & On & On" (live)
Len "Steal My Sunshine"
Stretch 'n' Vern "Get Up! Go Insane!" (Fatboy Really Lost It Mix)
Ace Of Base "Life Is A Flower" (Milk Inc UHT Radio Mix)
Vengaboys "Superfly Slick"
Katcha "Touched By God" (Maintwelve)
Donna Summer "I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro)"
Tina Cousins "Killin' Time"
Dario G "Sunchyme" (Radio Edit)
Le Click "And We Fly..."
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2000
20) United Deejays For Central America - "Too Much Rain" (ATB vs Woody van Eyden Mix)
19) Pulsedriver - "I Dominate U" (Gary D Mix)
18) Ayla - "Angelfalls" (Elemental Force)
17) Frontside - "Dammerung"
16) G-Park - "You Got Me Fallin' In Love" (Radio Edit)
15) William Orbit - "Barber's Adagio For Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix)"
14) Aurora - "Hear You Calling" (Dark Moon Remix)
13) Freezer - "I Just Follow" (Sean Dexter Remix)
12) DJ Tomac - "Emotions"
11) Moby - "Porcelain"
10) Chicane feat Maire Brennan - "Saltwater"
09) Rollergirl - "Luv U More (Radio Edit)"
08) Blumchen - "Ich Bin Wieder Hier" (live)
07) Gouryella - "Walhalla"
06) Web - "Lovin' Times" (Radio Mix)
05) BB Mak - "Back Here"
04) Rollergirl - "Dear Jessi"
03) Watergate - "Maid Of Orleans (The Battle II)" (Video Mix)
02) The Space Brothers - "Shine"
01) Paul van Dyk - "Another Way"
Other Notables
Lutricia McNeal "365 Days"/T-Spoon "Summer Love"
The Space Brothers "Legacy"
Blumchen "U-Bahn" (live)
Key West "Sorry, Sorry, Sorry"
Dr. Bombay "Rice And Curry"
Captain Jack & Gypsy Kings "Get Up"
Weepie "Sexy Game"
Peek-A-Boo "Bang Bang Baby"
Rank 1 "Airwave" (Rank 1 vs Dutchforce Remix)
SuReal "You Take My Breath Away"
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2001
20) Tenth Planet - "Ghosts" (live)
19) All Saints - "Black Coffee"
18) The Love Bite - "Take Your Time"
17) Moonman feat Chantal - "Galaxia" (Vocal Edit)
16) Nelly Furtado - "I'm Like A Bird"
15) Members Of Mayday - "10in01" (Paul van Dyk Short Mix)
14) Paul van Dyk - "My World"
13) Safri Duo - "Samb-Adagio (live)"
12) DJ Rap - "Good To Be Alive"
11) DJ Tomcraft - "Silence"
10) ATB feat York - "The Fields Of Love"
09) Ratty - "Sunrise (Here I Am)"
08) Airheadz - "Stanley (Here I Am)" (Wippenberg Short Mix)
07) CJ Stone - "Shining Star" (Single Edit)
06) The Thrillseekers feat Sheryl Dean - "Synaesthesia"
05) All Saints - "Pure Shores"
04) Aurora feat. Naimee Coleman - "Ordinary World (Radio Mix)"
03) Moonman - "Galaxia" (live)
02) Paul van Dyk vs. JPS - "Found An Angel"
01) Safri Duo - "Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)" (live)
Other Notables
Nelly Furtado "Turn Off The Light"
Michelle Branch "Everywhere"
Ultra "Free"
DJ Encore feat Engelina "Walking In The Sky"
Apotygma Berserk "Kathy's Song" (Ferry Corsten's 12" Mix)
Cosmicman "I Love You" (2001 Mix)
Paul van Dyk "My World" (Florin Mix)
Gouryella "Tenshi" (live)
4 Strings "Into The Night"
DJ Tiesto "In My Memory"
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2002
20) DJ Sammy - "Sunlight"
19) Atlantic Ocean - "Waterfall"
18) Pornorockers - "Cunt Licker" (Rocco Remix)
17) Trancemission - "Run To Me" (Extended Version)
16) Junia - "Who's The Other Woman"
15) Chicane - "Autumn Tactics" (Chicane's End Of Summer Remix Edit)
14) Scooter - "Nessaja" (live)
13) DJ Quicksilver pres Base Unique - "Always On My Mind" (Radio Mix)
12) Solar Stone - "Seven Cities" (Armin van Buuren's Vocal Remix)
11) Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo pres Starsplash - "Wonderful Days"
10) Mr. Joshua pres Espiritu - "In Praise Of The Sun"
09) Kai Tracid - "Life Is Too Short" (Video Mix)
08) Rusted Root - "Send Me On My Way"
07) Vanessa Carlton - "A Thousand Miles"
06) Aquagen - "Every Day"
05) Hit'n'Hide - "True Love"
04) Apollo 440 - "Stop The Rock" (Gigolo Instrumental Remix) (live)
03) Kristine Blond - "A Day Without You"
02) Beam & Yanou - "The Free Fall (Single Edit)"
01) Paul van Dyk - "Animacion" (live)
Other Notables
Kosheen "Catch" (Andy Gray Mix)
Chicane "No Ordinary Morning"
Roger Sanchez "Another Chance"
Unique II "Break My Stride"
Swish "All I See Is You"
Floorfilla "Technoromance" (Glass Twins Floor Extended Mix)
Matanka "Lost In A Dream"
Giada "Chains"
Paul Oakenfold "Southern Sun" (DJ Tiesto Remix) (live)
Ayla vs Safri Duo "Sunrise"
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2003
20) Love Inc - "Into The Night"
19) Armin van Buuren feat. Justine Suissa - "Burned With Desire" (Rising Star Remix Edit)
18) Circ - "Destroy She Said (De Donatis Mix)"
17) Laze - "Steppin' Out" (Video Version)
16) Chicane - "Locking Down" (DBA Remix)
15) Divine Inspiration - "The Way (Put Your Hand In My Hand)"
14) Plummet - "Damaged" (Video Edit)
13) iio - "At The End" (DJ Pezi's Fast Radio Mix)
12) Raymond Wave - "Above The Rainbow" (Club Edit)
11) Avril Lavigne - "I'm With You"
10) Gouryella - "Ligaya" (Radio Version)
09) Paffendorf - "Be Cool"
08) Kyau vs. Albert feat. Damae - "Velvet Morning" (Club Mix)
07) Paul van Dyk feat. Vega 4 - "Time Of Our Lives" (PvD Club Mix) (live)
06) System F - "Q-rious"
05) 4 Strings - "Let It Rain" (Radio Mix)
04) Gus Gus - "David"
03) Paul van Dyk feat. Hemstock & Jennings - "Nothing But You" (PvD Radio Mix)
02) Mesh - "Purple Haze" (Original Mix)
01) Coldplay - "Clocks"
Other Notables
Marc La Cruz & Ace Da Brain "Eriel" (Marc La Cruz Mix)
Master Blaster "Hypnotic Tango" (Megaper Remix)
Rush Hour "Rush Hour" (Mix A)
Kate Ryan "Libertine"
DJ Tatana "Peace Of Mind"
Masters & Nickson feat. Justine Suissa "Out There (5th Dimension)"
Scooter "The Logical Song" (Clubstar Mix)
Jason Nevins feat. Holly James "I'm In Heaven" (Radio Edit)
Driftwood "Freeloader"
Brooklyn Bounce "Bring It Back" (Single Edit)
