New releases last two weeks: Trance

Review: German DJ/production team Sash! stormed into the mid-90s with a turbocharged take on trance and Eurodance, dominating charts and countless club nights. The breakthrough came with underground cut 'It's My Life', but it was 1997's 'Encore Une Fois, first indended as a high-drama, French-vocal trance extra, that launched his career, precipitating a flurry of scene-shaping hits: 'Ecuador' with Rodriguez, 'Stay' with La Trec, 'La Primavera', and 'Mysterious Times' with Tina Cousins. This 30th anniversary CD digs deep into that golden era with full-length, remastered extended versions, and includes more experimental turns like the Boy George collab 'Run', plus the colossal streaming-era revival hit 'Rock My Body' with R3hab and Inna.

Review: Armin van Buuren is one of the most enduring trance overlords in the scene. He was there at the birth for the genre, and stayed with it through tough times right up to now, when it is very much back en vogue. Here ushers in a new era with the latest in his indefatigable A State of Trance series. The 2025 edition is a triple mix journey showcasing a full emotional and sonic range with 43 tracks across three themed segments, which move from the warm, melodic vibes of On The Beach-with cuts from Claptone x Chicane, AVIRA and OTTAGON-to the high-octane energy of In The Club, including bangers by Ferry Corsten, Andrew Bayer and Gabry Ponte. The final mix, Who's Afraid of 138?!, explodes with peak-hour intensity and is headlined by Armin's collaboration with Rob Swire. This is trance at its most euphoric.