Two of trance music’s most illustrious forces, Paul van Dyk and Aly & Fila, are inbound with their long-awaited collab “Is This Only a Dream?,” which is set to release on November 7th via Dreamstate Records. Soaring with a mirage-like euphoria, the track serves as the official Dreamstate SoCal 2025 festival anthem.
Crafted by two artists at the zenith of the uplifting trance sound, “Is This Only A Dream?” is driven by fluttering arpeggios and airy atmospherics that drift in like a whisper from an alternate timeline. Chugging rhythms and pulsing low-end move effortlessly beneath ethereal vocalizations, while the track’s rhetorical vocal hook fills the space with a cinematic wonder.
Crowned as ‘A Dreamstate Anthem,’ the single arrives in anticipation of the flagship Dreamstate SoCal festival at the Queen Mary in Long Beach at the end of the month. It’s also the centerpiece for the forthcoming '10 Years of Dreamstate' compilation, marking the brand's landmark anniversary.
Relaying their excitement around releasing the collab, Aly & Fila says, “We are very proud to collab with our good friend Paul Van Dyk and to release the Anthem for Dreamstate.”
Paul van Dyk has been the very definition of a pioneer for electronic music. Since forever changing the course of trance music with his international hit “For an Angel” in the ‘90s, the global icon has received many notable accolades and milestones. The Grammy-award-winning producer was voted the World’s No. 1 DJ in back-to-back years, and his recent album ‘This World Is Ours’ places him at 11 full-length releases to date.
Egyptian powerhouse duo Aly & Fila—composed of Fadi Wassef Naguib Aly El Sayed Amr Fathalah—are considered royalty within the trance sphere, having spent more than two decades building their ‘Future Sound of Egypt’ empire. From countless dancefloor-defining records, both as producers as well as the FSOE label heads and radio hosts, they have had a heavy hand in pushing the genre globally.
Paul van Dyk and Aly & Fila’s new single “Is This Only A Dream” is available on all platforms via Dreamstate Records.
Release Link : https://dreamstate.ffm.to/isthisonlyadream
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Paul Van Dyk + Aly & Fila - Is This Only a Dream? (A Dreamstate Anthem)[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]Paul van Dyk and Aly & Fila’s collaborative track “Is This Only a Dream?” emerges as a quintessential uplifting trance anthem, officially representing Dreamstate SoCal 2025. This 142 BPM production balances both dark and euphoric elements, characterized by thunderous kicks, rolling basslines, and luminous melodic layers. From a technical standpoint, the track showcases expert sound design: fluttering arpeggios and whispering atmospherics establish a three-dimensional spatial field, using stereo imaging to create a sense of immersion for the listener. The dynamic range has been carefully balanced, allowing the vocal hook to soar above the powerful low-end without sacrificing clarity. From a production perspective, the arrangement reflects a deep understanding of trance structure. The intro is DJ-friendly, offering clean cue points and looping potential for seamless integration into festival and club sets. Build-ups are meticulously layered with harmonic tension, transitioning into breakdowns featuring ethereal pads and reverberant vocal phrases that evoke cinematic wonder. Effects such as delays, filters, and subtle automation guide the energy flow, culminating in explosive drops that reignite the dancefloor. The outro maintains BPM consistency, ensuring easy synchronization for live performances. Scientifically, music at this tempo with repetitive melodic structures can positively influence mental health and wellness. Studies in music therapy and neuroscience suggest that trance music’s rhythmic predictability and harmonic progression can improve focus, induce flow states, and heighten feelings of euphoria (Thoma et al., 2013; Baltazar et al., 2019). Additionally, high-energy electronic tracks have been linked to increased motivation and endurance during fitness activities, as rhythmic entrainment enhances movement efficiency and syncs heart rate with musical pulse (Karageorghis & Priest, 2012). The uplifting nature of “Is This Only a Dream?” makes it suitable for wellness classes like spinning or aerobics, where the emotional lift from music fosters both physical and psychological benefits. The emotional resonance of this anthem lies in its synergy between technical precision and artistic identity. Paul van Dyk and Aly & Fila channel their signature styles into a cohesive storytelling arc, leading listeners through waves of tension and release. The track is a festival-ready journey designed to elicit both hands-in-the-air euphoria and introspective moments of bliss, leaving a lasting impression on audiences and DJs alike. #PureGold Love It [/content]
[item value="10"]Rhythm, Groove & Drive[/item][item value="10"]Melodic Hooks & Harmonic Layers[/item]
[item value="10"]Transitions, Drops & Build-Ups [/item]
[item value="10"]Energy Flow & Momentum [/item]
[item value="10"]Sound Design & Production Quality[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality of Arrangement & Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]Use of Effects & Spatial Design[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Range & Loudness Balance[/item]
[item value="10"]Atmosphere & Immersion[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional Resonance[/item]
[item value="10"]Creativity & Artistic Identity[/item]
[item value="10"]Cohesion & Storytelling[/item]
[item value="10"]Vocal Performance & Lyrical Impact[/item]
[item value="10"]Catchiness & Replay Value[/item]
[item value="10"]Club / Festival Suitability[/item]
[item value="10"]Track Intro/Outro Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]BPM Consistency & Sync Ease[/item]
[item value="10"]Cue Points & Loop Potential[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Energy for Set Flow[/item]
[item value="10"]Crowd Reaction Potential[/item]
[/review]
Suggested Bibliography:
Thoma, M. V., Ryf, S., Mohiyeddini, C., Ehlert, U., & Nater, U. M. (2013). Emotion regulation through listening to music in daily life. Cognition and Emotion, 27(3), 534-543.
Baltazar, M., Västfjäll, D., Asutay, E., Koppel, L., & Saarikallio, S. (2019). Is it me or the music? Stress reduction and the role of regulation strategies and music. Psychology of Music, 47(5), 682-699.
Karageorghis, C. I., & Priest, D. L. (2012). Music in the exercise domain: A review and synthesis (Part I). International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(1), 44-66.
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