In Search of Sunrise 7: Asia

By continuing with the "In Search Of Sunrise" series into its seventh edition, (DJ) Tiesto (real name Tijs Verwest) shows that he isn't afraid to keep trying to improve, nor broaden the horizons of those who call him the best DJ in all of trance music.

The 2008 edition, recorded in Asia, is another double-disc set that begins with a more chilled-out selection on Disc One, followed up by a heavier, more euphoric listing on Disc Two.

Disc One, beginning with Banyan Tree's "Feel The Sun Rise", despite its title, immediately evokes a scene of cold beer at sunset for this reviewer, but from there, it took until the sixth track, Rachael Starr's "To Forever", to really get going. The latter's lyrics are hardly the most inspiring, but it's got enough groove to feel meaningful.

"Get Lifted" continues things in a positive manner, with a more uplifting attitude, and back to that image of summer, and that's followed up by a great track in "Ride", which startlingly features acoustic guitar, and a vocal with is not a million miles away from sounding like Bono.

That said, the first really interesting vocal is reserved for Floria Ambra on "Denial", and from there, the disc finishes off in an edgier mode, with "Reason To Believe" and "Power of You" providing a heavier end to proceedings.

There's no doubt that for all that Disc One was as the "chillout" CD, with the long build to the aforementioned "Reason To Believe" and "Power of You", Disc Two is the more dance-orientated. After a beautiful vocal into from Jes on "Blossom", "Crossroads" shows the real way to start a mix, with an uplifting beat setting this CD's stall out to really rock.

Mind you, Beltek's "Kenta" threatens to ruin all that good work with a disjointed track, which just seems out of place here. Thankfully, the rest of the tracks don't have that negative feel, and from here-on-in, it's the party material that Tiesto has always been noted for, and which had the Parken Stadium, Copenhagen crowd, for the Elements of Life DVD recording, grooving for nearly four hours. Of particular note are Carla B's "Just A Thought", Kimito Lopez' "Melkweg", and the penultimate track, Der Eremit's Tanz der Seele.

The only breath for air comes from "Wherever I May Find Her", though it too has its moments. There's another beautiful fade-out, though, when it comes to Disc Two, as we finish with "Beyond The Stars".

In conclusion, "In Search of Sunrise 7: Asia" tries once again to be about more than just trance music, but also about creating an ambience to suit the listener's mood. But, as Tiesto's long-time fans are often heard to say, it's when it comes to his bread and butter, quality trance music, that Tiesto shines.

For those people, myself included, Disc Two proves to be a much stronger effort than its predecessor, and that fact makes this set, overall, a winner for all fans of the genre.