Generate Project is on-demand radio, music portal and blog. Stuff writer Kostas Voulgaris reviewed Life Simulation EP, Daniel’s latest release on JOOF Recordings.

Daniel demonstrates the diversity he has as an artist in the fullest measure. A testament to the above statement is his new EP which completely redefines him as it happens to be a trip towards him more progressive side.

A. Life Simulation

The EP’s signature title track is an instant gem, starting off in a slow manner progressing inch by inch ever while enthralling the listener arousing his curiosity of what will be coming around the corner. The magnitude of the track is indeed its progression. When the break in the track arrives we are compelled into a futuristic world, lush with spacey aural water droplets and sci-fi dialogue preparing us for the defining moment that follows with the peak of the track.

B. One Way Journey

This one delivers exactly what it promises. A moody, throbbing bassline welcomes us aboard our aural travelling experience followed by the perfect amount of techy tension combining sweet melody snippets and haunting choir chants thus enhancing the epic atmosphere of the track. Retaining elements from classic trance anthems such as Bullet In The Gun by Planet Perfecto, this is a one-way journey I’d gladly pack my bags and embark on.

It is evident that the choice of either of the tracks aparting this EP when played would instantly set the mood for a memorable dance music event.

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Text — Kostas Voulgaris

Introducing a major website update

It is here, as is promised.

It may look pretty the same as before, but there are some nice solutions in design and functionality has been added. Let’s take a look deeper.

Releases

On a release page, all new “Press”, “Feedback” and “Related” tabs have been added:

Now you can see at a glance all connected press reviews, artists’ feedbacks and more releases from this category. Really handy, I love it.

Call-to-action buttons:

Bright and big buttons let you download releases easily.

Photo albums

All-new photo albums with a nice image gallery and shortcuts navigation by pressing ← → keys. Works well on mobile devices too.

There are not many photos at the moment but will be added over time.

Press

Press section got an updated look and from now have subcategories for your convenience: “Reviews”, “Interviews” and “Articles”.

Podcast, mixes

Some other pages got updates too:

Misc

— A new elegant menu on top.
— Bigger font size.
— A new look of social buttons (thanks to Ilya Birman).
— A new “404” page.

Under the hood

— All-new new engine built from scratch to make the website works better and faster.

Welcome: www.daniellesden.com

Generate Project is an on-demand radio, music portal and blog. Stuff writer Kostas Voulgaris reviewed Daniel Lesden’s Thru The Stars EP, recently released on Digital Om Productions.

If you are one seeking tracks that take you on a mental and musical journey, look no further. Daniel demonstrates his vast interest in our cosmos with this EP which as can be seen is truly out of this world.

Mysteries of Time starts off in a somewhat mystical vibe as we find ourselves quickly leaving the known world behind us just by pressing play. There is an evident and unique breadth of“space air” within. Daniel introduces us to a trippy atmosphere reminiscent of the golden Goa trance period. He achieves this purpose by borrowing elements from old school trance as well as cleverly using some dubstepy effects to gain even more throttle. This one certainly is the most journey like of the two and will get you to ponder the mysteries of space as well as get your feet moving.

This EP is undoubtedly an epic space journey for your mind and feet.

Thru The Stars On Autopilot follows the general concept of the previous track with one major difference. This one really goes the extra mile as the track progresses. It certainly hits hard and is loaded with tons of energy preparing to be unleashed. This trip through the stars attains the speed of light as the listener is uplifted both mentally and physically. The genius use of robotic style vocals within enhances the whole space and sci-fi theme brilliantly.It is guaranteed to do major damage on any dance floor whether it is located in our world or another one far far away.

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Text — Kostas Voulgaris

Vând Sunete focuses on track recommendations and features everything from new releases to genre classics. This time he reviewed Daniel’s upcoming Life Simulation EP.

We continue our travels through the underground side of trance, this time courtesy of the latest release from JOOF Recordings. If a fortnight ago we saw Daniel Lesden make his debut on Digital Om, it’s now time to change labels as he returns to JOOF with the brand new Life Simulation EP. Let’s take a closer look at this double track material.

Life Simulation

Starting things off, the title track boasts a distinctively prominent base, which gives the entire ensemble a much heavier feel. The heaviness lifts as the break near closer, with FX and melody teases aplenty, and a fitting vocal sample to boot. Centring around the concept of intelligence and how it influences one’s ability to perceive the future, the sample acts as a nice transition into and from the breakdown. The break is expansive, with a near-surreal feel to it, and a goose-bump — inducing the return of the lead synth.

Seeing as trance is predominantly about the ratio between tension and release, Life Simulation has sufficient crescendos and releases to satisfy even the pickiest of fans. If you are to look at life as a series of ups and downs, the choice of title becomes entirely justified.

It took me a couple of listen — throughs to connect with this one, but once I did, it was tremendously enjoyable to listen to.

One Way Journey

As opposed to its companion track, One Way Journey puts a slightly stronger accent on the atmosphere, with a haunting pad-laden and melodically accented journey towards the break. With a slightly shorter ‘breather’ period than the lead track, this one also does away with the vocal sample, instead of letting its FX-rich psy influences shine through. The final surprise is that sneaky gated synth which makes an appearance in the track’s second half. It’s probably my favourite part of One Way Journey and the reason why I slightly prefer this one over the other.

Preference aside, they’re both very well constructed, with elements that should please the underground crowd. No matter which of the two has gotten your attention more, you’ll be able to add it to your collection starting February 23rd, from Beatport. A couple of weeks later, it’ll come to the other digital stores, in case you’re a bigger fan of those.

Link to the original post
Text — Florin Bodnărescu

Vând Sunete focuses on track recommendations and features everything from new releases to genre classics. This time he reviewed Daniel’s latest EP, Thru The Stars.

With releases on JOOF Recordings, Borderline Music and Perfecto Fluoro, Daniel Lesden has certainly had productions featured on some high profile imprints in the trance world. February 9th sees him debut on India’s Digital Om Productions with a double track offering in the form of the Thru The Stars EP. Let’s take a closer look at it.

Thru The Stars On Autopilot

Psytrance is many things to many people, and everyone perceives it differently because they choose to focus on a certain aspect of the arrangement. For me, it’s about the atmosphere, and in particular, the quick changes that take place as the track is unfolding, so to speak.

I’m happy to report that Thru The Stars On Autopilot is a great example of psytrance done right, with great emphasis on the atmosphere, and lots of teasing that go on throughout. From its strategically placed, slightly sci-fi sounding vocal samples, to the little melodic snippets and FX sweeps, it manages to easily reel in the listener. I often approach these things like stories and have made the point in the past that for a track to be truly great, it has to capture your attention like a great story. Let’s just say there’s been a lot of attention capturing, somewhere around a dozen replays worth of it.

I wouldn’t want the other track to feeling neglected, so let’s move on, yeah?

Thru The Stars is a great example of Psytrance done right, with great emphasis on the atmosphere, and lots of teasing that goes on throughout.

Mysteries Of Time

The companion track takes the BPM down a couple of notches, giving the entire ensemble a slightly more mysterious feel. Atypical in the way it builds, it made for quite a fun listening session and a nicely laid-back alternative to the production above. There’s a little more emphasis on the progressive side of things, which I did enjoy a lot. It has a rather more pronounced, darker tone, making the choice of the title entirely justified.

There’s still time to pick a favourite, as the EP is headed for release on February 9th. Listen to the samples and see which one you like more.

Link to the original post
Text — Florin Bodnărescu

Vând Sunete focuses on track recommendations and features everything from new releases to genre classics, reviewed Daniel’s latest collaboration, Aurora.

Borderline Music had a great 2014, and to show my appreciation, I picked it as my label of the year. From the looks of it, this year looks set to be as great, if not greater than the previous. Why, you ask? Just look at what’s coming next.

Landing in at spot number 49 in the back catalogue is a tremendous collaboration between Daniel Lesden and Mekka that’s sure to please fans of the deeper, more progressive end of the trance spectrum. Aurora, as it’s been dubbed, brings together bits from progressive, influences from psy, built around a great melody and introduced as part of a rather non-standard build, to create a really unique sound. The atmosphere is great, the progression is very enjoyable and the end result is something I’m definitely going to keep in my playlists for the foreseeable future. Congratulations to Jake and Daniel. You nailed it with this one, guys!

Aurora brings together bits from Progressive, influences from Psy, built around a great melody and introduced as part of a rather non-standard build, to create a really unique sound.

I know taste is subjective, but the quality is not. This here, is absolutely quality, something that’s become a regular thing over at Borderline HQ. Don’t take my word, have a listen to the sample below and hear for yourself.

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Text — Florin Bodnărescu

Flux BPM Online is a blog featuring reviews, interviews, and events. Dimitri Kechagias wrote his verdict of the latest Daniel’s single, Aurora.

At the nearby picturesque city of York is based on Activa’s label Borderline Music. The exceptional record label manages to stand out from the crowd and get high placements at the various download shops trance charts. The brand new release is an exceptional mixture of well-produced psytrance with heavy doses of acid and magnificent melodic themes running through it. The result is the track Aurora by Daniel Lesden & Mekka. High-class composition that can be played on melodic uplifting trance and psytrance sets alike. The psy kick and bassline are present along with various colourful euphoric sunny Ibiza styles synthy themes, airy pads and great atmosphere as well.

It’s one of those tracks that can capture your imagination and is brave attempt to cross the forbidden boundaries between the two trance camps and bridge their separate worlds.

The track has as a strong asset that it builds slowly and adds strong sound layers until to reach that climax that melodies and rough acid are working together to mesmerise the audience and win its attention. It’s one of those tracks that can capture your imagination and is brave attempt to cross the forbidden boundaries between the two trance camps and bridge their separate worlds. In my opinion, many influences in any track can benefit the final result and on this track, it’s easy to understand how much the variety of sounds and composition techniques have enhanced the mouthwatering final result that is Aurora. Pure gold, love It!

Link to the original post
Text — Dimitri Kechagias

Andrew Quigley, Your EDM’s head Trance writer, reviewed The Human Element.

We here at Your EDM are huge fans of the underground sounds of John oo Fleming and his illustrious producer pool of JOOF Recordings, but if there ever was a yang counterpart to John‘s yin, it would be the monstrous talents of the legendary Christopher Lawrence, whose exploratory tastes in Trance, Psy and Progressive continue to broaden the expanses of many die-hard listeners around the world. Both Christopher and John are very good friends with each other and while they are not spinning together in their special Back 2 Back sets, they are hard at work in the studio, releasing collaborative singles such as the acidic Dark On Fire and the frantic Predator.

Christopher‘s mainline label, Pharmacy Music, continues to be a great platform to unveil new and promising Trance talent, and some artists that have gotten a much needed shot in the arm in their budding careers include upcoming producers Casey Rasch, Frost Raven and Mark L, as well as high ranking Psy regulars Mechanimal and You Are My Salvation. This time, Lawrence teams up with fellow Trance artist, Jonathan Allyn, on a brand new single entitled The Human Element, and while the Original kicks some serious ass on its own, it is the explosive power of longtime Your EDM favourite Daniel Lesden that offers a no-frills Progressive Psy barnstormer to wildly bang off the rails to.

Apart from reviewing his stellar debut album, Chronicles Of The Universe, he has also wowed us with his single of Mirai, which was released on JOOF Recordings back in July. While this remix is considered ‘Progressive Psy’ in its clearest sense, it doesn’t mean that this piece doesn’t come without switchblades and nail guns tucked away in its hidden pockets, and Daniel Lesden‘s rework is certainly spiked with an extra jolt of lethal caffeine to whip your butt out of your seat. Apart from the usual groove inducing basslines, (which sound particularly clean; even by Daniel‘s standards), the piece also includes the advent of percussive basslines that hearken back to Coming Soon‘s rhythmic, Full On productions, which is not only a nice tip of the hat towards their general direction, but it also intensifies the basslines to a furious drive that shatters through the regular arrangement and transforms it into a piston based machine of raw power and fury. One part of the piece that we love is the supremely gorgeous section that cuts away all of the percussion and extra noises while leaving us with a singular bassline and a killer atmospheric eruption that rushes head-on into the senses and releases all inner inhibitions.

The clash of wondrous, mysterious melodies and full-on, almost industrial styled main phrases show us the growing maturity of this class producer and shows us just how much he stands out from the rest of the pack within the Psy Trance genre.

The breakdown features some of Lesden‘s beautiful arrangement prowess within the melodic department and the sudden declaration of sounds and textures all culminate into a massive bassline that slams us head-on with full Progressive rage. The clash of wondrous, mysterious melodies and full-on, almost industrial styled main phrases show us the growing maturity of this class producer and shows us just how much he stands out from the rest of the pack within the Psy Trance genre.

Daniel Lesden‘s remix to Christopher Lawrence & Jonathan Allyn‘s The Human Element is out now on Pharmacy Music via Beatport, so make sure you purchase a copy and support real talent!

Link to the original post
Text — Andrew Quigley

Catch The Beat is a blog of electronic music, running by Jayden Kouli and his team. They showcasing the tracks to share passions and to build a community that unites through music. This time Jayden reviewed Daniel Lesden remix of The Human Element, just released on Pharmacy Music.

Psytrance is just one of those genres that you have to listen to and get lost within, it gives you that outer-world experience and it takes you to a place that you didn’t think existed. The Daniel Lesden remix of Christopher Lawrence & Jonathan Allyn — „The Human Element“ is just one of those tracks and damn how we love the faster BPM, sending you on a journey.

The tune will awaken all your senses and bring you to a higher state of consciousness, bring on the perfection and let it hit you like a truck.

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Text — Jayden Kouli