Airwave. Simulated. Such Is Life. Indicator. Awakening. The Mutalisk. Cosmomatic. Godd. Symsonic. C:/Del*mp3. The Anthem 2003. Cafe Del Marco. Beats At Rank-1 Dotcom. Automanual. After Me. False Light. Opus 17. Terminal 18!!. Top Gear. More Than A Life Away. Life Less Ordinary. Any Better, Or? This World Is Watching Me. Possible But Unlikely. And Then.... Organic. L.E.D. There Be Light. What Say?. Symfo. Unprepared. The Great Escape. When The Night Falls. 7 Instead Of 8. Africa. Elements Of Nature. My Trip. Floorlifter. Mighty Machine. 13.11.11. Backburn. Freudenrausch. Tribute. Juno. Rossen. Zenith. Alosaka. This World Is So Amazing. Subway Monsters. As we read through 20 years of track titles (most of them well-known and beloved by their respective fanbases and yours truly) it's instantly clear that Marco V, Benjamin Bates, Piet Bervoets & Benno de Goeij have left their footprints all over the History of Trance Music. The former are hailed as the architects of Dutch Tech Trance whilst the latter are considered the engineers of Dutch Anthem Trance. Alongside Johan Gielen and Marcel Woods, these gentlemen can easily be considered the original Elite of ID&T's flagship Sensation and Trance Energy events. And now they have finally poured their years of experience together for a heavyhitting peak-time collaboration. Ladies, gentlemen and everyone inbetween... Say hello to "We Finally Met"!
Was that epic b2b set Marco and Piet dropped at Electronic Family Festival last summer a hint of things to come? Whether that's the case or not, me and my friend thoroughly enjoyed that experience and whoever noticed that a Marco V & Rank 1 b2b set works incredibly well, concluded that the same might be true for a Marco V & Rank 1 track. So here we are then! The proverbial Opus 35 in the 20th Year of Rank 1... But before we get down to the funky business, a moment of appreciation please...
A Moment Of Appregiation... For The V-naissance
I am obviously infamous for my passionate ramblings about Rank 1's music, as evidenced by this tweet last night: [https://twitter.com/td_coates/status/1098668414569234432]. But you know kids, Marco V was another one of my heroes as I grew up with ID&T related Trance. He too went through several soundshifts like Rank 1 did and for the most part, I could appreciate that. Loved his early 2000s stuff all the way into 2010, with some exceptions here and there. Then, he lost me between 2011-2015. I did not like that direction he took and even today I can't really stand those releases. Fair play to him though, this applies to the majority of the guys I used to look up to until 2011. Some managed to turn that around though. I recall Sander van Doorn being one of the first of "The Fallen" to revive his sound for me with Get Enough. As Sander was slowly making his way back to my proverbial Appreciation Fields, so did Leon Bolier with his WSTLNDR alias, the Atmospheria album in particular hitting a sweet spot. Ferry Corsten revived Gouryella with Anahera, and his signature Trance sounds were revitalized through several releases leading to the Blueprint album: the lesson here was that Ferry was very much still a melodic mastermind as much as he had always been. He just needed the right mood for it. And as several of these former-heroes restored their "Hero Status", so too did Marco. I eventually ran into his tracks My Trip and Africa. The former a hard, raw, heavy, industrial like banger with an annoying-yet-infectious vocal, the second much more upbeat and addictive in its own way. These tracks might not have been of the epic level I was used to from him but I still enjoyed them a lot all the same. In retrospect they turned out to be the signs that things were about to turn for the better with Mighty Machine following a year later: what an incredible return to form!! This track took those token V sounds and riffs to a new level and wrapped them up in contemporary techniques to deliver one of my fave modern V tracks so far. When the main melody hits in the breakdown, I was blown away. And before I knew it, I was listening to preViews of Marco one after the other... The list since then has been impressive with powerful, uplifting/Techy anthems like Subway Monsters, Backpain, Tribute, Sakima, Muraco, Alosaka, Aranck and Symphony V all delivering the sounds, effects, rush and energy I've loved from Marco for several decades now. And with his latest effort in the guise of We Finally Met, we can add another polished entry to an evergrowing list that says "I've Still Got It". It fits perfectly in line with this rein-V-ted sound of his so my happiness regarding this collaboration goes beyond "just" being excited to hear from Rank 1 again: it's good to hear Marco again as well, especially as he maintains his current level of consistency, just like he did in the past. So massive props and thanks to you, Marco! Keep this up man, I am loving it. :)
And Now, dear reader, it's time to get funky.
01. Marco V & Rank 1 - We Finally Met (Extended Mix)
https://www.beatport.com/release/we-finally-met/2504527
There is no time to waste! When this track kicks off, there is already a boiling intensity to it with all manner of techy sounds setting the tone as early as possible. A teasing Trancey synth is in the background the whole time but suddenly raises in pitch alongside more climax effects as we enter the first minute. The V-vibe here is pumping and techy and boy, does it ever feel good! A teaser melody pops up at 01:23 whilst synthy stabs start hitting at fixed intervals from 01:13 onward, effectively filling this section with ever more energy. Those tasty stabs sound like Rank 1 to me! Okay, so we now approach 01:54 and the main melody begins revealing itself slowly but surely. We can tell by its arrangement that this is typical L.E.D. There Be Light era Rank 1: it's short, simple, memorable and sweet.
Curiously enough, the breakdown is pretty minimalistic but don't let that you fool you into thinking it's not well executed, because it is: I love it when elements from a track's opening phase are constantly present and then slowly fade away in the background: that teaser synth in the opening segment of the track? You can subtly hear it slip away as the break commences: nice touch! Now, the main melody "pulls a L.E.D." by fooling you with its gentle and tenderness. At 02:38 we can hear a V-synth laced on top of that gentle melody as guidance to this main lead. Then at 02:52, the addition of a complementary, alternative melody follows as the tension slowly rises with a very minor pitch effect and white noise swoop growing stronger. 03:06. Hands In The Air Time! Here is where the track's main riff is unleashed in full force so logically many of us will close their eyes here and picture being there in front of the DJ booth as this goodness drops as we smile from ear to ear.
You know what gets me about this fully-powered, "no compromises" riff? I can't tell whether it's typically Rank 1 or typically Marco V because it sounds like both of them at the very same time! This riff is the pure synthesis of their respective signature sounds and energies morphed into something powerful that transcends both sets of artists. And yeah, it simply rocks... When that kick smashes into your eardrums at 03:20, you know the climax is gonna hit the spot. Said climax has some nice synth distortion going on at its peak which vaguely reminds me of the synth-bending they did in This World Is Watching Me. As We Finally Meets finally reaches that peak, the drop hits like you'd expect it to: hard! The main melody is now being performed by a more distorted techy synth and backed up by a Trancey variant for extra power a little further on. This is the brilliance of simplicity: I can't stop bopping my head to this part, despite the short melody! It's so damn addictive and all the accompanying elements just fit together so well! And the drive in this track, GAH!! I would say I had almost forgotten how good Rank 1 and Marco V can sound when they go No-Bullshit Tech on us, but the truth is, I haven't forgotten. God I've missed this... But all good things must come to an end: At 04:32 the main part gives one final climax but it's even more wicked than the one at the end of the breakdown: they set the reverb free in all its warm, echoing ferocity... The fx in this track are truly delicious. :)) It's a huge final drop before the track commences its winding-down phase. And even with the main part over, the energy in this track remains high, an unrelenting steed, galloping over the Fields Of Tech. The final few seconds are upon us. Sadness beckons. However, this being Rank 1 we're talking about, they have one final trick up their sleeve. The final 17 seconds of the track we hear the track go into one, final heavily delayed, SICK final effect before dying off... Pffffft, ridiculous.
02. Marco V & Rank 1 - We Finally Met (Original Mix)
https://www.beatport.com/track/we-finally-met-original-mix/11579332
Alright, so if you read the above description of the extended mix, I am a bit sorry to report that this "original mix" is basically the above MINUS the build-up and winding down phase after the second big climax. I've bought it because I am a collector and I want to own every officially released version of Rank 1 tracks and remixes. But in my honest opinion, this version is redundant. Serves well as promo / teaser mix but stick to the extended one, that one is what it's all about, baby.
So?
Melody wise both artists have made more iconic, more sweeping melodies than they used here. But. From a technical viewpoint and from a Tech Trance viewpoint, this track is executed in a proper manner. Enough fx and teasing elements to create a constant energy throughout. A melody that is easy to remember, thus easy to hum along to, thus easy to get addicted to. It sounds crisp, raw, loaded and I can't wait to hear it live. It has the signature sounds/tricks of both Marco V and Rank 1 all over it. This doesn't sound like anybody else: it sounds exactly like the guys involved should sound in 2019, given the way their sounds changed over the years. Okay, okay, so it might need a couple of listens to grow on you because it's melody is not its most defining trait (though I personally feel it gets the job done)... But once you allow it grow on you, you will be able to appreciate how well it flows and how happy it makes you. The team-up that many of us have wanted for ages does what it's supposed to do and it does so with class. It feels like the good ol' ID&T days again except we're in the here and now and can savour this greatness in real time rather than mooching of nostalgia.
To Conclude...
This track is ready to rock dancefloors and should be able to remain relevant heading into the festival season a few months from now... It's simple but effective and that has secretly always been the key to Rank 1 tunes. With Marco's renewed Tech Trance sounds going strong for over three years now, this track should be able to find traction with a variety of shows ranging from ASOT to GDJB to Outburst Radio and so on. As always, I hope we'll hear more from the Rank 1 guys this year. Me thinks it would be EPIC if the next single would be another Tech-oriented track as I've been craving me some Top Gear, Floorlifter & Fire Wire (Rank 1 Remix) styled follow-ups! And seeing how they had fun with distortion fx in this track, they might just be on to something (HELL YEAH TOP GEAR FOLLOW-UP!!). We'll just have to see where it goes though. It wouldn't surprise me if we get yet another Airwave Rework to celebrate their 20-year anniversary as Rank 1 this year, perhaps with 19 remixes to complement the package and as a joke (one remix for every year... Seems like Rank 1-ish humor to me :P). Obviously, seeing how good We Finally Met sounds, I would deffo enjoy a follow-up to it some day. I just hope it won't take them another 19 years to make that happen though! xD
Time to wrap this up. Piet & Benno? Just do your thing. You guys always come through in the end. I wouldn't have been a fanatical Rank 1 loyalist for the past 14 years if that hadn't been the case. ;) And Marco? Please keep this up, man. Your streak has been flaming hot for three years straight and I'm glad to see you put out banger after banger that combine the melodies/crazy sounds you are known for with a modern touch. I am very grateful to you gentlemen for this collaboration, it feels like things have come full circle now and as a fan of both of you, my mind can rest at ease knowing that when You Finally Met, it rocked just the way I hoped it would. Obrigado.
As for you, dear reader... Stop lingering about and grab this tasty badboy now: https://www.beatport.com/release/we-finally-met/2504527
| Single Review | February 7th - February 22nd 2019 |
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