The day has finally come. And lord almighty was it worth the wait. Compared to the previous eleven iterations in the series that dates back to 2003, this dual-disk release has an almost spellbinding flow; then again, it was compiled by the gods of trance themselves: Above & Beyond. I must say, Tony, Jono, and Paavo have done a spectacular job on both selecting and ordering the tracks for Anjunabeats, Volume 12. And the public agrees: it has already rocketed to #1 on the iTunes Dance Chart here in the US of A.
Our beloved trio have maintained their loyalty to the glowing melodic synths that positioned Anjunabeats at the tip of the ever-expanding bubble of modern trance and progressive house in the first place. But for the first time in the series, the subgenre of deep house has made a significant contribution — reflecting the major increase in its presence in the 2015 dance scene. I cannot think of a better track to set the stage than “X Machina – Cubicolor Remix” by Howling. The first 3-4 tracks just melt together perfectly. And the mix progresses to include one of the most impressive releases I’ve heard to date from Sunny Lax: “Enceladus.”
After your souls have been warmed by the smooth, deep house chicken soup, fresh from the Anjunakitchen, CD2 picks up the pace with some of the biggest, chart-topping tracks of the year. Starting off mellow with “Another Chance,” the track that announced the return of Above & Beyond and Justine Suissa’s Oceanlab during ABGT150, the mix quickly blasts through some of my personal favorites of the year: “Mezzo Forte” by Nick Sember and the “Salva Mea 2.0” remix by Above & Beyond.
So crack open a microbrew, slap on your favorite headphones, and give the compilation a listen, in order, from start to finish. I promise you it will be worth it.
And don’t forget to check out what will certainly prove to be a fantastic North American tour of the Anjunabeats artists. Grab tickets to your local show here.