Alex Wright
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Alex Wright's Trance Encounters
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Always Alive
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Blue Soho recordings
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Digital Society
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Emergent Shores
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Guest Contributions
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Guest Reviews
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Lange recordings
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Levitated Music
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Reviews
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Trance Reviews
GUEST REVIEWS: Alex Wright's August 2016 Top 5 Trance Encounters
The very talented UK based dj and producer Alex Wright, who has releases on top labels like Always Alive, Levitated Music, Sundance, Veritas recordings, Blue Soho, and Emergent Shores with support from the biggest trance djs in the world including Armin van Buuren, every month selects and reviews his Top 5 tracks of each month ahead of his radio show Trance Encounters that is streamed on 1mix radio every 1st Friday of every month with great success and big growing following. Exclusively for 1mix radio Alex Wright offers his top 5 trance encounters for August 2016. Alex Wright has studied extensively music production and he holds BSc degree in Audio & Recording Technology from De Montfort University, Leicester (DMU). Enjoy reading what he has to comment on each release with his knowledge as producer and dj and of course put in your diary a reminder to not miss his radio show.
1. Amir Hussain - Bombshell [Digital Society Recordings]
One of my favourite guys in the scene recently is back with another top class production on Digital Society Recordings, following on from his great remix of Lewis Duggleby & Mark Landragin's 'Rotation' and his huge track 'Ethica' from earlier this year. Bombshell starts with clean, well-balanced percussion and a warm, rumbling bassline before a bubbly, energetic chorded lead makes its way in with nice, euphoric female vocal phrases in the backdrop. As the chords begin to evolve and progress towards the breakdown, the euphoria and atmosphere gives us a taster of what is to come. The breakdown is met with welcoming, sparkly arppegios and the full chord sequence that is just calling for hands to be put up in the air. A cheeky pre-drop with a shortened kick gets the energy building before the kick filters down into a kick roll with suspenseful risers, then the full climax soars in all its glory. A no-nonesense, powerful, driving trance track from an exceptional talent!
Additional info:
▼ Connect with: Amir Hussain
▼ Connect with Digital Society Recordings:
Spotify: http://enhan.co/DSR-SP
Beatport: http://enhan.co/DSR-Beatport
Facebook: http://enhan.co/DigitalSocietyFacebook
Twitter: http://enhan.co/DSR-Twitter
SoundCloud: http://enhan.co/DSR-SC
2. Dreamy - Once A Lifetime [Price Trance Records]
The track is included on Uplifting Only 182
It was a pleasant surprise to receive a two-track promo from Dreamy in my inbox the other week, this one featured a floaty uplifting track as well as a darker, harder track under his Dark Matter alias. I personally preferred the former, as it has a nice heavenly atmosphere about it and a simple yet effective supersaw lead melody. The FX are on point, the pads create the perfect background atmosphere and the chord progression carries plenty of emotion. A very uplifting track from the Danish powerhouse that I gladly got to meet and watch perform at Luminosity Beach Festival this year!
Additional info:
3. Levekar Feat. Cassandra Grey - Darkest Light [Emergent Skies]
On the newly formed label Emergent Skies is Levekar aka one third of the short-lived Area51 project from Egypt with 'Darkest Light'. Showing he has an excellent ear and technical prowess in making quality, driving trance music. This vocal outing with up and coming vocalist Cassandra Grey from Lebanon is nothing short of amazing, the reverb used as ambience on her vocals creates an amazing wide atmosphere and the melody is catchy and bursting with life. Hardly any faults to pick with this one and I can see it doing big things on some packed dancefloors, here's to hoping!
Additional info:
● Connect with Emergent Skies:
Web: www.emergentmusic.ca
Facebook: bit.ly/Skies-FB
Twitter: bit.ly/Emergent-TW
SoundCloud: bit.ly/Emergent-SC
YouTube: bit.ly/Emergent-YT
Spotify: bit.ly/Emergent-SP
Instagram: bit.ly/Emergent-IG
● Connect with Levekar:
● Connect with Cassandra Grey:
4. Local Heroes & Linnea Schossow - Home (Allen & Envy Remix) [Lange Recordings]
Rising Leicester duo Allen & Envy have their own signature sound which is becoming more refined as time passes by, and for me this remix shows them taking another step towards sonic perfection. The intro features nicely layered wide mid basses before their characteristically warm offbeat sub bass is introduced with low key arpeggios and pluck patterns. Some nice reverse reverb FX on the vocals lead into the opening verse of Linnea Schossow's excellent breathy vocals. The phrase 'to feel at home' is called and some emotive, soaring pads establish the anthemic chord progression that is to showcase the chorus. The breakdown drops down to a sensitive and delicate level with excellently placed, spacious leads with Linnea singing the bridge and main chorus. Building up to the huge drop are crash cymbals, kick rolls and sweeps that fill out the frequency spectrum and unleash the power in the climax with maximum impact. A really nice balance between tough beats with a solid foundation and soft, floaty, leads and quality vocals!
Additional info:
5. Miroslav Vrlik & Martin Jurenka - Reach Me (Extended Mix) [Always Alive Recordings]
Using interesting FX to start things off is Always Alive regular Miroslav Vrlik alongside Martin Jurenka, with driving hats and splashy rides in the intro of 'Reach Me' before bringing in lush atmospheric sounds and rising white noise FX. Well-designed acid sounds pan across the stereo field with snare fills separating 8 and 16 bar sections to keep things fresh, and his quintessential female vocal cries are there to add the icing on the cake. As the breakdown approaches, we are met with some lovely warm pads and side-chained, filtered down vocal FX. Tasty piano touches add to the textured lead melody that makes the listener recognise they are in for a treat as things build towards the climax. A pronounced pitch riser takes hold of things along with the snare and kick rolls before filter cutoffs open and bass in unleashed to bring out the lovely, floating Miroslav style once more. A top-class uplifter executed in style for me!
Additional info:
Connect with: Miroslav Vrlik
Connect with: Martin Jurenka
Connect with Always Alive Recordings:
Spotify: http://enhan.co/AlwaysAliveSpotify
Beatport: http://enhan.co/AlwayaAliveBeatport
Facebook: http://enhan.co/AlwaysAliveFacebook
Twitter: http://enhan.co/AlwaysAliveTwitter
SoundCloud: http://enhan.co/AlwaysAliveSoundCloud
Latest Alex Wright News
The unstoppable Alex Wright is on great shape lately delivering three fantastic releases on different record labels. Check them out below..
1.Manuel Rocca - Against The Wind (Alex Wright Remix) [Levitated Music]
After the great success of our 50th release, 'Against The Wind' by Venezuelan rising star Manuel Rocca, we continue with the celebration. Now we present you 'Against The Wind' The Remixes: Part 1, which includes two stunning mixes by Alex Wright and Mhammed El Alami & Muhib Khan. English revelation Alex Wright delivers his brilliant and catchy version, while Moroccan sensation Mhammed El Alami has teamed up with Muhib Khan to create a magical summery interpretation.
Additional info:
2.Alex Wright - Maiyano (Original Mix) [Blue Soho recordings]
Rising UK producer Alex Wright provides the next instalment on Blue Soho.
Whenever you see Alex Wright's name on a release you know it is a guarantee of quality although with 'Maiyano, Alex has taken this one step further producing one of the potential anthems of the summer.
Alex supplies one of the finest debuts we have heard in some time that delivers where it really matters. Maiyano is packed full clever flow, delicate breakdown and rip roaring melody that will take clubs by storm over the coming months, this is vintage style trance at its very best.
Additional info:
3.Alex Wright & Valiant - Playa Dorada [Emergent Shores]
Bringing sun-kissed, beachy vibes to the shores is uplifting trance talent Alex Wright and his university friend Kieran Johnson aka Valiant from Nottingham, UK with their track ‘Playa Dorada’. This chilled, melodically driven adventure interweaves layer upon layer of interesting counter melodies together with skill to allow for a blissed out breakdown before building into a rewarding, up tempo main section.
Bringing his signature warmth and class to proceedings with the first remix is none other than Talamanca, using elegant pianos and vocal refrains to add a bit of extra flavour to the sonic palette, with top notch production values and sound design. Giving a more energetic angle on the original theme is Maglev, with clubbier groove elements and a mesmerising, impressively atmospheric breakdown.
A perfect soundtrack for summer with all three angles of the progressive sound, here is ‘Playa Dorada’.
Additional info:
● Connect with Emergent Shores:
Web: www.emergentmusic.ca
Facebook: bit.ly/Shores-FB
Twitter: bit.ly/Emergent-TW
SoundCloud: bit.ly/Emergent-SC
Youtube: bit.ly/Emergent-YT
Spotify: bit.ly/Emergent-SP
Instagram: bit.ly/Emergent-IG
● Connect with Valiant:
If you missed it, you can listen to this month's episode of Trance Encounters below! New music from myself, Allen Belg, Amos & Riot Night, Dennis Pedersen official, First Sight, Mhammed El Alami, Sam Laxton, Suncatcher, The Cracken, and many more.
Don't miss Alex's Wright Trance Encounters on 1mix radio every 1st Friday of the month from 20.00-21.00 for the very best in trance and progressive. If you wish Alex to feature your track in his show and reviews or to book him for your next trance event please email him: alex_dj[at]live[dot]co[dot]uk
▼ Connect with Alex Wright:
