Markus Schulz meditates on 2015 with his top 10 favorite releasesMarkus Schulz Web

Markus Schulz meditates on 2015 with his top 10 favorite releases

Over the course of 2015, trance has been experiencing an immense rejuvenation of sorts as the collective voice of its followers thrust it back into the dance world’s psyche. Demanding quality music, tropes of electro and big room drops began fading into irrelevancy as fans’ voices were heard and more traditional themes in the genre took over.

A veteran and part of the scene through trance’s first peak in popularity and its initial dormancy during the EDM boom, Markus Schulz has always been at the forefront, pushing his dark “unicorn slayer” brand of music through his prolific Coldharbour label and his Global DJ Broadcast show. Meditating on his favorite releases, the magnate compiled a list of those appearing the most in his sets throughout the past year. These tracks are also likely to be heard during his upcoming Friday headlining set on the Miami edition of Groove Cruise, which kicks off on January 22nd.

Naturally, Schulz gravitated toward his own label for the majority of the selection, showcasing heavier icons in addition to newcomers. One such example is Nifra, whose track “Army Of Lights” he defined as “career chapter for her” and stated that she as an artist is “changing the attitude that females deservedly belong in the conversation of quality DJs.” Another standout pick from Coldharbour was M.I.K.E. Push and Rank 1’s collaborative effort “Zenith,” a crisply arranged number considered “a dream collaboration come true.”

The marathon set extraordinaire also made sure to mention progressive house’s effect on trance. He listed Above & Beyond’s anthem with Gemma Hayes “Counting Down The Days” as his favorite on We Are All We Need for its brilliant melodies. He elaborates further in his selection of Eric Prydz’s “Generate” that his melodic form of progressive house “has attracted so many DJs within our genre to support his work.” Schulz rounds off his 2015 with “The Dreamers,” an emotional offering from ASOT’s dream couple MaRLo and Jano.

Despite being only 10 songs in length, Schulz’s selection is insightful and does an effective job demonstrating his ability to recognize past and present sounds that blend to create its future. His refined curating abilities allowed him to paint a progressive soundscape appealing to a wide range of trance enthusiasts. As his upcoming performances at Pacha hosting its final open-to-close set on Boxing Day and at Groove Cruise loom closer, his playlist is a perfect preview of the sound fans can expect to hear live. Listen to it below.

Tracklist:

1) Gouryella – Anahera [Flashover Recordings]

2) Markus Schulz feat. Delacey- Destiny [Coldharbour Recordings]

3) Dave Neven – Drifter [Coldharbour Recordings]

4) Eric Prydz – Generate [Pryda]

5) Nifra feat. Seri – Army of Lights [Coldharbour Recordings]

6) Above & Beyond featuring Gemma Hayes – Counting Down the Days [Anjunabeats]

7) Arkham Knights – Knightfall [Coldharbour Recordings]

8) Dimension – Origami [Flashover Recordings]

9) M.I.K.E. Push vs. Rank 1 – Zenith [Coldharbour Recordings]

10) MaRLo featuring Jano – The Dreamers [A State of Trance]

Read More:

Markus Schulz & Nifra – The Creation (Prague)

Groove Cruise Miami releases full 2016 artist lineup

After a decade, Pacha NYC closes its doors

 

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