A State of Trance 2004

For many (well, my brother anyway), Armin van Buuren is the world’s greatest trance DJ. Whether you subscribe to that or not, it’s undeniable the man has an ear for a catchy tune, and so this latest double-disc release should do reasonably well.

Armin’s fans say his music is otherworldly in the true spirit of the dance genre, with uplifting, melodic tracks his speciality. Despite Armin’s stated move to the “roots”, early-Oakenfold days of trance, ‘State of Trance 2004’ is designed to get the dancefloor pumping.

Those preferring hard trance will ultimately be disappointed, as many of these tracks are softer in nature. But whether his longtime fans will appreciate his “back to basics” movement is also in question — the consensus seems to be that Oakenfold did it better, and it’s probably worth hauling out those mid-90s CDs when you’re feeling nostalgic.

Nevertheless, ‘Satellite’ from Oceanlab is a classic, and its inclusion will be appreciated by many. Other favourites are the brilliant Mono’s ‘Rise’ and ‘Totally Fascinated’ by M.I.K.E.

Great if you’re into Armin’s new sound, but do give it a listen before you buy!