Aly & Fila – Future Sound Of Egypt: Volume 1
Pin ItAly & Fila is a name that every trance fan should now have heard of, with their FSOE radio show, their own productions and endless selection of borderline perfect remixes. Volume 1 of ‘Future Sound Of Egypt‘ has been an album I personally have been looking forward to for quite some time, but does it live up to my high expectations?
The answer is a 100% yes! I have to be blunt, there’s just too many tracks on this mix that deserve a review of their own, I simply can’t write what I want to, so you’ll have to make do with me picking out my favourites and trust me the other rest of the mix is just as good.
So as any Aly & Fila fan will know, the music they play is hard and fast. Disc 1 starts off fairly mellow, but it doesn’t take long before those speakers start to tremble. Soul & Senses’ "Beautiful" is a really nice track, but it’s almost a carbon copy of Mat Zo’s "Rush" which is why when you listen to it, you may think "That sounds familiar" but a nice track none the less which kicks off the Disc.
There’s another big name on here, his name is Ben Nicky. His remix of Arctic Moon’s "Adelaide" is simply out of this world! It has the hands in the air moments, it has the pace, but also has the bass and the odd dubstep-esque wobble thrown in for good measure.
Solarstone’s "Touchstone (Aly & Fila Remix)": do I have to write about this or can I just leave it there? Ok I’ll write about it. This is my favourite track from the last five years at least. In fact, it wouldn’t be out of place had it been released in the so called ‘golden era’ of trance. It has the uniqueness that so many tracks nowadays lack and gives you that rush through your body that trance has missed in recent years.
So anyway, after that I needed a break, not because it’s boring of course, but because it’s filled with so much euphoria that my body could take no more, so I relaxed myself and got ready for another injection of amazingness and put on disc 2, but after a first disc filled with such euphoria, would it be possible for Aly & Fila to have any tracks left fit to live up to their high standard?
Yes they did, they had a whole disc full! For me it kicks off around midway through Vast Vision’s "Ambrosia (Arctic Moon Remix)" which again is full of energy, the type of energy and emotional break down that is typical of Aly & Fila’s sound, the sound which has made them so popular.
This sound continues through out the mix, not in a same, boring way, but in a way that you don’t realise just how quite the tracks are being played, like a good night out, you don’t want this to end.
We move onto Sergey Nevone & Simon O’Shine’s "Balearic Island (Coll & Tolland Remix)". This track is pure bliss! It’s fast, it’s emotional and above all just makes you want to dance the night away, it’s like bringing the club home.
With other tracks such as Gaia’s "Aisha (Aly & Fila Remix)" and ‘Philippe El Sisi’s "Era" also thrown in there, you can start to imagine now just how old school this mix is, but for a change it isn’t a ‘classic’ compilation.
The last track is the super Max Graham with "Nothing Else Matters (Aly & Fila Remix)" (feat. Ana Criado) I’ll be honest, I prefer the original much more than the remix and it’s a bit to high energy to end a mix on in my opinion. That’s my one and only down point about the whole release. If you haven’t already, then go and listen to the original of that.
Verdict
Out of 10, I’d give this release a 9.5/10. Because nothing is ever perfect, this is very close though. It loses a lot of the progressive, slower trance that’s everywhere these days and keeps it pure. For those who like it fast, not many vocals and a heavy use of a synthesiser, this is for you!
For more info related to Aly & Fila check out the following links:
www.alyandfila.com
www.twitter.com/alyandfila
www.facebook.com/alyandfila
www.myspace.com/alyfila
Reviewed by: Matt Lees
