The hype is real, y'all. Marco V and Rank 1 Finally Met for an official collab and it is out now! Grab it here: https://www.beatport.com/release/we-finally-met/2504527
But What If I Told You... They actually Met Once Before? If you are newer to the
Trance scene, this might intrigue you so sit back as I give you a
little bit of a history lesson. It might explain why the Rank V collaboration We Finally Met is such a big deal for longer time fans like myself. Read on... :)
A Long Time Ago, In A Trance Scene, Far,
Far Away...
Back in 2000, the likes of Tiësto, Ferry
Corsten, Armin van Buuren, Rank 1, Marco V, Johan Gielen and Marcel Woods were
all garnering attention throughout Europe with massive sets and/or epic tracks.
Interesting fact about these guys is that most of them lived in close proximity
in areas ranging from Rotterdam and Leiden to Breda. Marco V would often partner with Benjamin Bates in these early days and together they more or less pioneered the Dutch Tech Trance sound. On the other end of the Trance Spectrum there were Piet Bervoets and Benno de Goeij: they made nearly a 100 releases together and apart from 1997 onward but in 1999 they started "Rank 1" and before they knew it, this new project was giving shape to the Dutch Anthem Trance sound. Two duos, vastly different sounds but they would cross paths one day.
On one afternoon, they did. Piet Bervoets, Benno de Goeij, Marco Verkuijlen and Benjamin Kuyten were all together in the studio, jamming, having fun. This productive session led to a track that combined all their ideas into one. Marco and Benjamin had one version and Piet and Benno would later create their own version for their Sensation 2001 live performance. This collaboration seemed to cause quite some hype back in the day, evidenced by its inclusion in the FAQ section of Rank 1's old website. That's not so crazy, considering both Marco V and Rank 1 were really blowing up in the scene back then. So when two talented artists join forces, there is a reason to be hyped! Sadly, hyped as the track was, the guys were coy about for years on end and it never saw a release. Then, in a 2006 interview, Piet clarified this collab would never be released since they made it for fun and it "shouldn't always be about the money". Despite never seeing an official release, this collab (which has been called "Untitled", "Surprisingly" and "The Awakening") saw two fanmade reconstructions (see links below). It might not have been engraved in the Lore of Trance like Simulated and Airwave but it sure as hell was beloved by the people that heard and raved to it.
On one afternoon, they did. Piet Bervoets, Benno de Goeij, Marco Verkuijlen and Benjamin Kuyten were all together in the studio, jamming, having fun. This productive session led to a track that combined all their ideas into one. Marco and Benjamin had one version and Piet and Benno would later create their own version for their Sensation 2001 live performance. This collaboration seemed to cause quite some hype back in the day, evidenced by its inclusion in the FAQ section of Rank 1's old website. That's not so crazy, considering both Marco V and Rank 1 were really blowing up in the scene back then. So when two talented artists join forces, there is a reason to be hyped! Sadly, hyped as the track was, the guys were coy about for years on end and it never saw a release. Then, in a 2006 interview, Piet clarified this collab would never be released since they made it for fun and it "shouldn't always be about the money". Despite never seeing an official release, this collab (which has been called "Untitled", "Surprisingly" and "The Awakening") saw two fanmade reconstructions (see links below). It might not have been engraved in the Lore of Trance like Simulated and Airwave but it sure as hell was beloved by the people that heard and raved to it.
Now then, let's us check out the version which I assume we can call the original. I found a Marco V at Trance Energy 2000-09-30 set on Mixcloud, you can hear Untitled coming in at about 16:33:
Rank 1 vs. Marco V & Benjamin Bates - Untitled [16:33 - 23:37]
The build-up's bassline has a synth
back-up that is typical oldskool Marco V whilst the bassline itself sounds
similar to Rank 1's 2000 releases: short, simple and funky. At 17:42, the
build-up sounds go all V on us whereas the percussion effects are more R1-like.
When the breakdown approaches, things get typically Rank 1 with the calm-loud
dynamic that made the likes of Airwave, Superstring (Rank 1 Remix) and
Awakening some of Piet & Benno's most beloved releases of all time. The
drop follows and we get an anthemic main part, a synthesis between the Rank 1
saws and the Marco V bassline groove. As the main saws fade, the deep groove
returns and as was tradition in the good old days, we get a reprise with a second
climax: those happy saws get to do their thing again and we get to dance to
this Classic Trance goodness!
Rank 1 vs. Marco V & Benjamin Bates - Untitled (Live At Sensation 2001)
Rank 1 vs. Marco V & Benjamin Bates - Untitled (RCS's oldschool version)
Rank 1 vs. Marco V & Benjamin Bates - Untitled (Zoxfeld's live-act version)
So was this the best work they did back then? Not necessarily but it was (and in my opinion still is) a mighty fine tune. You hear as much Rank 1 as you hear Marco V in it and both styles compliment each other well: I'd say it sounds more advanced then the majority of Marco & Rank 1's productions back in 2000. Compare Such Is Life (or Awakening) to Airwave purely in terms of detail and technical prowess. This Untitled collab sounds much closer to that level than it does to its late '90s counterparts (Airwave, The Citrus Juicer, Black Snow and Reachers Of Civilization (Rank 1 Remix)). It's a pity it never got released...
On a brighter note, whether it's 2000 or 2019, putting these guys on the same record is never a bad idea. Most Rank 1 collaborations throughout the years have been all about combining Best Of Several Worlds and We Finally Met is no exception. If WFM is to set the standard, I want another Rank V collaboration to happen in the future! Don't you? ;)
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