REVIEW: Markus Schulz prs Dakota - Thoughts Become Things II - The Remixes

1.Apollo (Wellenrausch Remix) (08:01)
2.Capetown (Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano Remix) (05:22)
 3.Terrace 5 a.m. (Klauss Goulart Remix) (07:44)
 4.Gypsy Room (Duderstadt Remix) (06:19)
 5.In A Green Valley (Basil O'Glue Remix) (06:39)
 6.In A Green Valley (Dakota's Return To Coldharbour Remix) (05:59)
 7.Katowice (Mr. Pit Remix) (08:05)
 8.Miami (DNS Project Remix) (07:07)
 9.Redstar (Phynn Remix) (06:29)
 10.Saints (Arnej Remix) (06:03)
 11.Saints (Beat Service Remix) (07:38)
 12.Sinners (Aerofoil Remix) (09:32)
 13.Sinners (KhoMha Remix) (07:42)
 14.Suggestion No.5 (Erick Strong Remix) (05:52)
 15.Tears (Protoculture Remix) (06:37)

With redesigns of Dakota tracks from Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Arnej and Duderstadt, as well as Coldharbour lieutenants like KhoMha, Mr Pit, Klauss Goulart and Beat Service, standby for some super-charged ‘Thoughts Become Things II’s remix edition!

Back at the height of the summer, Markus Schulz released his second collection of musical ‘Thoughts’. Showcasing him at both his most devoutly ‘club’ and musically audacious, it wowed disco citizens and critics alike. Proclaiming that “Dakota was about to take centre-stage”, Mixmag gave it their Album of the Month award, whilst DJ Mag described it as “epic” and extoled its “lush riffs at a housier tempo”. Over the last 6 months its singles – ‘Sleepwalkers’, ‘Saints’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Katowice’ and ‘In A Green Valley’ – have galvanised the sets of the DJ elite, whilst once again crossing genre lines at numerous points.

Such was the rapturous reception to the album that within weeks of its release Markus began to draw up the plans for a remix edition. 5 months on and with that production mission now complete, the 13th of January 2012 will see Dakota’s second album receive its remix companion.

So whose on the mix, you ask? Well, naturally enough, Schulz has parachuted many a Coldharbour hero in to take the album’s tracks to new floors and new times of the night. Klauss Goulart whips up a veritable sound storm on ‘Terrace 5AM’, creatively uniting the track’s ‘I Feel Love’-like disco-bass with one of his typically tempestuous backing tracks. ‘In A Green Valley’, Markus tribute to the famed Brazilian club, has received a pair of reworks too. Basil O’Glue furnishes it with one of his stargazing surround-sound mixes, while Dakota’s own rewire applies an enigmatic, classically Coldharbour-ish touch to it. Thinking outside the box, Mr Pit reimagines ‘Katowice’s industrial churn as a big room, floor carnivore. Phynn meanwhile leaves Redstar’s angular, tubular mainline riff all-but intact, but craftily re-directs it down a more pumping progressive avenues.

Beat Service and Arnej go head-to-head with both of them electing to remix fan favourite ‘Saints’. The Estonian tweaks the tempo and euphorically spikes his mix, while Canada’s finest primes his marching drums and a cool, techno-ish underlay. Likewise ‘Sinners’ gets comparably big-room treatments from KhoMha and Aerofoil.

Stepping outside the Harbour and you’ll find Duderstadt amplifying ‘Gypsy Room’s melodic gene for a stunningly transcendent remake. Fellow German duo Wellenrausch meanwhile re-explore the galactically minded magic of ‘Apollo’. Last and by no means least, Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano complete ‘Cape Town’s housification on their mix, with tough beats and some dramatic stabbed synths.

‘Thoughts Become Things II – The Remixes’ takes Schulz’s accomplished original tracks and travels them to new places, far and wide. The only position they never stray far from though is the centre of the dancefloor.

  

Dimitri Kechagias review: Markus Schulz with his more underground alter ego Dakota brought last year one of the most groundbreaking progressive trance albums that manage to merge progressive, house, electro and techno into one explosive package. Now its the perfect moment for the remixes to be released that will bring this great album at the forefront and become hot topic at the trance forums and twitter accounts. Lets check out the massive remixes included in this package that are released for the very first time on this top album. The awesome duo  Wellenrausch put their stamp upon the massive Apollo and recreate it in their own deep atmospheric cinematic style. Serious proglifter ready to get your audience on an unforgetable mindtrip full of mental images, beats and rhythm hard to resist. Absolutely stunning makeover that you should not miss for sure. The superb German brothers Duderstadt service us a big room progressive house meets progressive trance hybrid that will become favorite for the Swedish house fans and the progressive trance fanatics as well. Classy and so special that will refresh your opinion about what trance is today. DNS Project is another ultra talented artists who gets the chance to remodel the wonderful Maimi into a powerful proglifter that will damage the speakers with its crispy solid and rounded beats and the professional way that applies the huge synths on his very own characteristic style.  Last but not least the fantastic Dutch duo Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano remix in their own big room progressive house way Cape Town with damaging results for the dancefloor.  Next is the Dutch trance talent  Phynn who provides his skills to remix Redstar. He does his best to impress us all with big powerful uplifting dynamic  version that has the words anthem written all over it. He is fantastic on taking any theme and turn it into a hands in the air banger with rave influenced lead that is destined to damage the trancefloor. The big uprising progressive star Protoculture service us a massive progressive trancer with exceptional drum programming, huge rays of synthy melodies, electroish basslines and as always a very cinematic inspiring breakdown that will bring thousands of mental images in your mind influenced from the touching title Tears. When the beat returns without trying our bodies follow the epic theme with closed eyes. The Latin American progressive trance scene is represented by Klauss Goulart who retouches Terrace 5 a.m. and delivers a massive big room proglifting trancer with progressive house influences too that applies a quite rock influenced bassline upon his tough drum programming along with playful cheeky club style melodic lead on top. The breakdown is epic as it can gets as Klaus is awesome when it comes to raise the tension on the dancefloor and release it without mercy on the top main part that works as the climax. If you like it big room I'm sure that this remix will send you to skies. Last but not least the new tech trance talent Erick Strong updates in his well know by now sound of tech trance and touch progressive house too the top Suggestion No.5. The originals are mindblowing and suggest you to get hold of them but also  the remixes  stand out as they come from the hands of many new and very promising artists. Love It!

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