Church of Trance

This summer, Push returns to the album format with ‘Known Universe’ – the eighth longplayer in his eminent career. That 'known universe' specifically is the hardware-driven studio world that shaped his earliest work. The one that Mike Dierickx painstakingly reassembled in order to reconnect with the tools, challenges and workflows of his original environment. In doing so he’s nailed an album that’s “ the truest reflection of Push to date. ” ‘Known Universe’ has landed! ‘Keeping it real’ ... It was a thing back then and something that lies at the very bedrock of what - production-wise - Mike Dierickx did … and still does to this day. Over his studio lifetime, he hasn’t mutated, changed-to-order or had his sound knocked off course by fleeting trend. Not even the once. Being true to the craft has quite literally been his be-all and end-all. At points that might’ve cost him ground, but Mike had an oracle-like idea of what the long game looked like. Impactful music, made wi...

Having stopped to smell the roses for a few cycles, Roger Shah’s hallmark music compilation series returns to streams, stores and shelves in 2026. Onboard, naturally, is its usual, impeccable prog/trance/house blend of melodic-tropics, harmonic sonics, castaway chords, beachfront character and seaside atmosphere. Ready to do it to the summer, before the summer does it to us, here comes ‘Magic Island – Music For Balearic People 13’ !! As is his way, Roger Shah’s again pursued a one-hundred-percent exclusive material mandate for his latest ‘M.I. ’ excursion. To that end, he’s reunited his singing, songwriting and composing family of ‘Balearic People’ for lucky no.13. Those returning from the last edition alone include Pierre Pienaar, Rafael Osmo, Yelow, Ditoma, Clarks, Aytaro, Spy and, naturally enough, Roger’s Sunlounger alias - all contributing to its compound hybrid makeup. Adding to that family are actual blood-tied Shahs . Three years further on, Roger’s son Noah Shah has ...

Fusing two generations of artistry along a single conceptual thread,  Fisherman  ( Isaac Vissers ) lands his debut album with a project as deeply rooted in family as it is in music. ‘Metamorphosis’  takes inspiration from a series of twelve graphic works created in the early 90s by Isaac’s father, painter Jack Vissers, with the meaning of each canvas now reinterpreted as a corresponding piece of music. Across its twelve tracks, the album charts the human journey – one that moves from states of innocence and possibility, through the rebellious and aspirational stages, before finally reaching understanding, transcendence, and continuity. Whichever way you cut it, there’s never been an album quite like ‘Metamorphosis’ . Across its twelve tracks, the album charts the human journey – one that moves from states of innocence and possibility, through the rebellious and aspirational stages, before finally reaching understanding, transcendence, and continuity. Talking about ‘...

We had the opportunity to connect with Darren Porter during Luminosity in the Netherlands for this exclusive interview, where he reflects on the childhood spark that led him to Trance, the cinematic techniques that shape his signature sound, and the spontaneous creative flow behind his collaboration on “Potion.” He opens up about the personal battles that inspired his Reason to Rise label and explains its unique A&R process that's focused on quality. Along the way, Darren shares grounded advice for aspiring artists and shares the joy balance of music, relationships, and dog Teddy brings to his life. // WATCH // LISTEN Church of Trance · Exclusive interview with Darren Porter // READ TRANCE JESUS: Chris Blackburn reporting from the Netherlands for the fourteenth edition of Luminosity Beach Festival. I’m joined here for this special interview with a DJ who is no stranger to Luminosity and has released dozens of tracks and instrumentals and is a driving success behind a ...

Ironically perhaps,  ‘Finding Me’ owes its existence to a period of profound creative doubt on Ciaran McAuley’s behalf. After years of forward momentum, the Irish artist found himself questioning not only his own direction, but his relationship with music itself. At that crossroads, rather than forcing (what now only had the appearance of) progress, he chose to pause and fully acknowledge the rift. Then he turned into its headwind and harnessed that turbulence as the start-point for his recalibration. And that became the core of  ‘Finding Me’ . That type of reset often requires a little help from your friends and Ciaran found a wealth of that through a truly standout cast of collaborators. Amongst that cadre are studio mainstays like  Paul van Dyk ,  Roger Shah ,  Ferry Tayle , and  Sean Tyas , and singer-songwriters like  Audrey Gallagher, Christian Burns ,  Sue McLaren ,  Zara Taylor, Sarah Howells ,  Clara Yates, Deirdre Mc...

What happens when two producers — bound by a shared history, yet also significantly parted for fragments of it — rediscover the musical language that first brought them together? And then further, seal it with a 20-track first album as a two-piece? For Driftmoon’s Juraj Klička , and Miikka Leinonen , who in 2023, rejoined, seven years after his departure, the answer’s  ‘Moonstruck’ —a record born through (not to put too fine a point on it!), reunion. Featuring a constellation of talented co-producers ( Ruben de Ronde, Richard Durand, Robert Nickson, Hel:Sløwed  to mention a few )  and vocalists like  Sue McLaren Sarah Howells  and  Susie Ledge,   ‘Moonstruck’  is Driftmoon’s most ambitious studio work to date. “ Opus ” may not be too big a word. Divided into four lunar events, each echoing a stage in the duo’s timeline, they, alongside their creative allies, have delivered the most vivid, and indeed,  complete   Driftmoon LP to date....

“ Always, I have believed that artist albums need a purpose ” says Johan Gielen , “ and that purpose can’t simply be feeding the industry machine or the bi-annual expectations of a fanbase ”. Nonetheless, it’s been nigh on twenty years since ‘Revelations’ appeared, making ‘ Etherflow ’ less of a ‘return’ to the Johan Gielen longplayer, and more a musical reckoning for it. Fair to say then that expectations have been raised, and its taken the Belgium-born/Dutch-based legend three earth cycles of production to meet them. An album forged in grief, resilience, and a raw creative truth, ‘ Etherflow ’ isn’t just a long-awaited ‘next chapter’ . It’s part an epic celebration of life, and part an existential excavation of it - one that’s been written from the inside out and charged by the weight of lived experience. As Johan himself puts it: “ there’s the Beauty of Silence, but also ‘the beauty of absence” . ‘ Etherflow ’ though, is where that absence ends. What’s in a title then? Joh...