Will Holland – Enhanced 100
Pin ItIf you’ve been following the trance scene post 2005, then without a doubt you will know the name Enhanced Recordings. From the first baby steps Enhanced took when starting out, to the modern day widespread acknowledgement as one of the best labels out there, the UK based label is one of very few to stick to the distinct sound of trance without selling out for commercial success, along with keeping each new release unique from the last.
During that time, Enhanced have worked their way up towards 100 releases, a fantastic achievement by anyone’s standards. To celebrate the 100th release, Will Holland, the main man behind the label, has put together a 2 disc compilation. One disc filled with “classics” as voted for by the fans, while the other disc is filled with fresh out of the oven remixes.
Disc one, “Classics”. No one can deny that it’s a disc filled with a ridiculous amount of quality, but to call them classics is at the very least pushing the boundaries of the meaning of the word. I would expect older fans of the label to be quite disappointed, given that over the years, going back as far as far as Enhanced’s first releases, the music was fantastic and to not have very much older music on there is somewhat disappointing.
Newer fans, though, will no doubt be very happy with the track list. Tracks such as ‘Estiva – Next Level’, ‘Temple One – Zebra’ and ‘Daniel Kandi & Phillip Alpha – If It Ain’t Broke’ are some of the more recently released tracks included on the Classics disc, and in the future they may well be considered classics as there is little doubt they’re quality tunes.
Perhaps, though, letting the fans vote on their favourite tracks was a bad idea? Or maybe the only thing wrong is simply the name? I suggest that “Fan Favourites”, or something similar, would have been a less misleading name for the disc and would of cancelled out the (few) negative comments surrounding the track listing. Thought, despite the misleading name, the disc is still very strong.
Onto the “Remixes” disc. Right from the off you get a sense of amazement with Nuera’s Intro Remix of Sindre Eide’s ‘Piovere’, a track that’s simply perfect for starting off any great trance album. Now the standards have been set, it’s important for them not to drop, and they don’t. As the mix progresses, the quality only seems to get higher, which is typical of Enhanced and is one of the many reasons why they’re where they are now.
Daniel Kandi’s remix of Will Holland’s track ‘Timeless’ and Estiva’s beauty ‘I Feel Fine’ remixed by none other than Suncatcher are just two of a fantastic selection of tracks. The only thing that lets the disc down is that there are a few tracks with that tedious plucked melody, which can get on your nerves after a while.
Conclusion
Overall, Enhanced have put together a strong compilation, with a lot of banging, high tempo melodic trance and very few flaws, but still lacking that final punch to make it a classic.
7.5/10
For more info related to Will Holland check out the following links:
www.willholland.com
www.twitter.com/Will_Holland
www.facebook.com/willhollandofficial
www.myspace.com/officialwillholland
