Tiesto - In Search of Sunrise
Tiesto
This is a bit of a flashback, but the unmixed versions have just been released and they’re so worthy of mention, I couldn’t resist. The first volume of In Search of Sunrise was released in May 2000, and the sequel followed quickly in December. What began as just another mixed-set series became a worldwide phenomena and one of the most successful compilation series ever. Now on its eighth installment and handed off to Richard Durand, the In Search of Sunrise series flawlessly captured in 2000 a snapshot of the best in trance and progressive. It brought to light so many artists and producers that defined the genre; it also provided first light to tracks that later became classics and dancefloor staples. The first two volumes were recently re-released as unmixed digital packages, all tracks separate and in their full length glory, and it just serves to remind of how successful Tiesto was at selecting standout tracks amongst all the uninspired and nearly identical club releases that flood the bins.
Volume 1 set the tone of the series with tracks like “Anomaly (Calling Your Name),” famously used as the backdrop for Jason Biggs and Shannon Elizabeth’s shaved beaver scene in the film American Pie. Billie Ray Martin’s Honey was remixed by Chicane, which went on to be included in a zillion compilations and was given a update remix treatment in 2003. BT’s “Mercury & Solace” comes from when he was still more of an indie artist and hadn’t yet achieved his mainstream crossover appeal.
Volume 2 followed the initial release’s success with a deeper sound, with tracks like Rui Da Silva’s “Touch Me” featuring vocals by Cassandra Fox (or Cass now), which even today remains a staple and has been remade and remixed endlessly. Salt Tank’s beautifully lush “Eugina” was remixed by Michael Woods — another track that has been included on a zillion compilations. And the new vocal mix of Cass & Slide’s “Perception” turned the intricate, nearly 11-minute instrumental original into a haunting poem by Naimee Coleman.
