Released: February 19, 2021
I’ve always steered clear of compilations like this. The reasons became painfully clear as I listened to Trance Party 2021.
First, it’s not a mixed set. Part of the joy of this kind of music is the seamless movement from one song to the next, one mood to the next.
Second, there’s no flow. Anyone who lovingly crafts a mix – whether it’s an old school mixtape or a Spotify playlist – knows that flow matters. These songs don’t flow, they’re duct taped together.
Third, this doesn’t reflect 2021. I’m always good with hearing “Born Slippy” but don’t tell me it’s from 2021.
The fourth reason brings up what Freud called the narcissism of small differences. That’s basically where people who share something important find tiny ways to subdivide it until they start fighting with each other. At the risk of contributing to the narcissism of small differences in dance music, this is not trance.
Fifth, the intent of this record is rotten. Good mixes take the listener on a journey. The only journey here is the money moving from your Spotify subscription to the wallets of UMG’s C-suite.
Don’t waste your time on this. There are some good artists here, so go dig deep into some of their mixes. Apparently, Pete Tong even has some kind of radio show or something. Who knew? Maybe you could check that out instead.