- Neo-trance from the label that does it best.
- Stephan Bodzin's sound is everywhere. The Moog specialist is one of the most influential producers of the decade, his melodic, vibrant sound—dubbed "neo-trance"—inspiring the producers around one of dance music's most popular crews, Afterlife. Bodzin's influence is all over Miracle Of The Rose, the new Afterlife EP from Denis Horvat. Its melodies soar with the euphoria of classic trance, kept in check by lean, slo-mo grooves. In other words, it's classic Afterlife, a label that settled on this sound years ago.
But there's something about Miracle Of The Rose that's funkier than most other Afterlife releases. On "Divin," it's the clap that adds a housey touch to an otherwise chrome-like background. The title track is deeper, only this time the groove is crisp, a motorised chug that keeps things steady while synths ring out above. Then there's "Noise," the EP's highlight. There's more energy and the drums kick harder, trance chords entwining with vocals as the energy goes up, down and up again. Miracle Of The Rose shows that, while Afterlife might have dance music's most predictable sounds, there's still space for Stephan Bodzin's followers to explore.
Tracklist01. Noise feat. Lelah
02. Miracle Of The Rose
03. Divin
04. Royale