OHTM - Classics Edition 2019

I remember when I fell in love with Trance. It was in the early turning of the millennium in February of 2001 in the middle of the brutal New England cold when I got picked up from work by a friend. He was listening to some amazing music, it was fresh, atmospheric, chill, beautiful with warm vocals. I couldn’t resist asking who that was. He handed me the double CD, ATB Two Worlds. That was the moment my heart opened to feel something through music I never felt before. It spoke a new language I never heard before. I knew electronic dance music through the lens of Eurodance, but this was something else, it was different, it was magic, it was running waters to my soul and warmth to my spirit. I knew at that moment that the dream I captured of being DJ years prior, and eventually try to make some music like that was confirmed. The next day I walked into my local music store and bought the most magical piece of music I’ve ever experienced. The journey began.

After Two Worlds I bought anything and everything I can find that was in the same category or similar until I came across Nyana in the summer of 2003. It sealed the deal for me with another magic moment. I was graduating High School that same year, so it meant that I would have a lot of time in my hands. Indeed I had, and during that time I bought two cheat turntables and a cheap mixer, some vinyl and started the lessons by teaching myself the art of mixing two or more great tracks together and figuring out my taste. During that search, I came across a mix album titled Last Dance. It was 3 discs pack including two mixed CDs by Jonathan Peters with a bonus DVD recorded inside Sound Factory in New York City. At that time, Sound Factory was the hottest club in NYC. That opened up my mind to the New York underground scene. A scene I wanted to be part of it. I never made it there, but I always enjoyed the New York sound.

As the journey progressed I started to feel comfortable behind the desk in my bedroom. I had a friend, perhaps my biggest supporter, that was always with me. He loved Trance as much as I did. He supported me when I messed up, as well as when I did well. When I got my first beat match, he was the first one I called. It as around 3AM one night, he drove to my place, and we listened to the whole 3 hours set I recorded just so he can hear my progress. He believed in me sincerely. Sometimes all you need in life is one of those friends that truly believe in you.

In 2005 I launched a weekly podcast featuring 2 hours of some of the best trance and progressive music I could find. Two years later, I joined an internet radio and held a weekly radio show that ended up being broadcast all around the world. Internet radio was in its infancy back then, so everyone was trying to figure out how to make it work. DI.FM was the biggest and still is to this day. Looking back now, I’m so proud I was involved in that early stage. In the summer of 2008, I was celebrating the 100th episode of my radio show and I wanted to do something special. The first classics edition was born.

In the radio show I was limited to a two-hour window because, of course, other shows needed to be broadcast. But I wanted to do an extended episode. I wanted to include every track from all of those years of discovery into one very long episode. To honor my radio show, I recorded a shorter, 2-hour Classics Episode, and then a 7-hour episode exclusive to my podcast subscribers. And that is the show you will listen to.

When I was thinking about the Classics Edition for 2019, I wanted to do something big and special as well. It’s the end of a decade, and the start of a new one and I wanted to go back to my roots. So I was listening to that 100th Episode from 2008, and said, “this is it. I’m going to publish this show”. For the last two months, I have been working on this episode, rearranging the tracks a bit, cutting some from the original show, and adding others that brings even more meaning. To make it even more special, I stretched out to the maximum, 8 hours of deeply rooted music that made a huge impact in my earlier years. I even included one track from the Last Dance album, one of my favorites.

In closing, I just want to say that, this is not a tribute to the so-called “Golden Age Of Trance”. It is more like a personal diary I want to keep because these tracks have so much meaning in my life. Even though today I play a very different type of music, I believe my taste matured to another level. I enjoy listening to music that brings meaning and takes me into an emotional journey and lately I find them in the slower BPM. I don’t believe there ever was a Golden Age, it was just music. At that time for me was Trance, today, the genre progressed forward so as I progressed forward involving and developing my taste to these beautiful sounds. Music is music and it speaks to us all in different ways and leaves its mark in our story. These tracks represent the mark that those sounds from the 2000s left in me.

I hope you enjoy this extended Classics Edition.

Happy Holiday and may we all have an amazing new decade exploring and creating even moments like this.

YO

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Tracklist Envio - Time To Say Goodbye (Ozgur Can Remix) [A State Of Trance] Sertac Kaya - Boncuk (Hakan Unsal Remix) [Pangea Recordings] Ave Mae - In The End [Electronic Elements] JASEfos feat. Claire van Der Boom - Do What U Want (Max Graham Afterhours In Montreal Mix) [Songbird] Veit - Sky (Magik Muzik Remix) [Black Hole Recordings] Max Graham feat. Jessica Jacobs - I Know You’re Gone [Shinemusic] Markus Schulz feat. Anita Kelsey - First Time [Coldharbour Recordings] Hidden Logic presents Luminary - Wasting [ARVA] Rio Addicts - Crossroads (Probspot Remix) [Electronic Elements] Karen Overton - Your Lovin’ Arms (Club Mix) [Supra] Damian DP vs Jose Zamora - Transatlantic (Andy Moor Remix) [Baroque Records] Hammer & Bennet - Languages (Elevation Remix) [Coldharbour Recordings] Airwave - Escape From Nowhere [Bonzai Classics] Chicane - Saltwater [Xtravaganza] Nalin & Kane - Beachball (Gabriel & Dresden South Beach Vacation Remix) [Ultra] The Roc Project feat. Tina Novak - Never (Tiësto Remix) [Black Hole Recordings] Sultan vs Tonedepth - Moments [Songbird] Andain - Beautiful Things (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Remix) [Robbins] Jan Johnston - Calling Your Name (Art Of Trance Remix) [Platipus] Interstate - I Found You [Armada] Above & Beyond vs Andy Moor - Air For Life [Anjunabeats] Smith & Pledger presents Aspekt - Hi-Jack [Anjunabeats] BT - Mercury Solace (BT 12” Remix) [Songbird] Solid Globe - North Pole [Fundamental Recordings] Solarstone - Solarcoaster [Lost Language] Accessive Rhythm - Activate [Resurrection] Tiësto - Lethal Industry [Magik Muzik] Super8 & Tab - Helsinki Scorchin [Anjunabeats] Cass & Slide - Perception (New Vocal Mix) [Songbird] Salt Tank - Eugina (Michael Woods Remix) [Lost Language] Tiësto feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw - Just Be (Antilla’s Club Mix) [Magik Muzik] Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden Sweeping Strings Mix) [Ultra] Gabriel & Dresden feat. Molly - Tracking Treasure Down [Organized Nature] Solarstone vs Scott Bond - Naked Angel [Deep Blue] Armin van Buuren feat. Justine Suissa - Burned With Desire (Rising Star Remix) [Armada] Way Out West - Killa (Orkidea Remix) [Solaris] Mono - Rise [Mondo Records] Three Drives - Carrera 2 [Armada] Kamaya Painters - Summerbreeze [Black Hole Recordings] Quest - C-Sharp [In Trance We Trust] Carri Skipper - Time Goes By (Super8 Deep Mix) [Anjunabeats] Fictivision vs Phynn - Escape (Phynn Remix) [Black Hole Recodings] Whirlpool - Under The Sun (Solar Stone Remix) [Deep Blue Records] Fred Baker vs Nyram - Confirmation [Black Hole Recordings] Electrovoya - Effervesse [Fundamental Recordings] Passive - Serenity (Filo & Peri Remix) First State - First State [In Trance We Trust] Jonas Steur - Silent Waves [Intuition Recordings] Galen Behn vs Hydriod - Carabelle (Galen Behn vs Orjan Nilsen Remix) [Yakuza] White Water - The Unknown [Anjunabeats] 8 Wonders - The Morning After (The Thrillseekers Remix) [Somatic Sense] DJ Danjo & Rob Style - Duende [Be Yourself Music] Kyau & Albert - Made Of Sun (KvA Hard Dub Mix) [Anjunabeats] OceanLab - Satellite (Above & Beyond Mix) [Anjunabeats] DJ Ton T.B. - Electronic Malfunction [Black Hole Recordings] Agneli & Nelson - Shiver [Xtravaganza] Dogzilla - Without You (12” Mix) [Maelstrom] Cor Figneman feat. Jan Johnston - Venus (Tiësto Remix) [In Trance We Trust] Delirium feat. Sarah McLachlan - Silence (Tiësto’s In Search Of Sunrise Remix) [Nettwerk] L.S.G. - Netherworld (Oliver Prime Remix) [Songbird] GTR - Mistral [Five AM Records] Stoneface & Terminal - Venus [Euphonic] Darude - Sandstorm (JS16 Remix) [Robbins] P.O.S. - Remember [Anjunabeats] Midway - Inca [In Trance We Trust] Pulser - Square One [Armada] Solar Factor - Urban Shakedown [Bonzai Classics] The Gift - Love Angel (M.I.K.E. Remix) [Be Yourself Music] Chris Raven - I Know You Love Me Too (Van Bellen Remix) [Bonzai Classics] Envio - Touched By The Sun (Rusch & Elusive Chill Out Mix) [Armada]

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