Building on the success of the first Hard Trance Europe compilation, HTE burst out of the blocks pretty sharpish with this pair of mixes, cutting straight to the chase for some instant adrenalin hits. There is no shortage of talent here, with Lab4, S.H.O.K.K., Andrea Montorsi & Luca Antolini and Nick The Kid on mixing duties – each with 40 minutes to wreak havoc. All are excellent but Nick The Kid’s stay in the mind the longest, K90’s ‘Awakening’ panning out nicely before dropping in with some power. Scot Project cuts up ‘D (Don’t Go)’ really well, while JTB’s Qontakt dives deep for its breakdown before coming back with a probing riff. S.H.O.K.K.’s ‘Souvenir’ and remix of K90’s ‘One Night In Camden’ are also big hitters, and from the Andrea Montorsi & Luca Antolini selection their remix of Ali Wilson and Chris North’s ‘Wanna Play’ is a strong feature. What HTE do so well here is combine a melodic approach with tough rhythms and nippy tempos, the BPM always around the 140 mark at least. This second volume does a great job of showcasing their sound, while lifting the listener – and dancer – to a much higher place.
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
VARIOUS ARTISTS – HARD TRANCE EUROPE VOLUME 2 (HTE RECORDINGS)
