Paul van Dyk’s new album: sneak preview

Paul van Dyk’s new album: sneak preview

5 July, 2007 | 3.32AM

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News:

Fans of Paul van Dyk will be relieved to learn that the German trance superstar hasn’t done a ‘Paul Oakenfold’ on his new album. Despite initial fears that PvD might have gone all commercial on his new album ‘In Between’ like Oakenfold did with his dire 2006 album ‘A Lively Mind’, Beatportal can reveal that the LP is very much a dancefloor-focused album.

There are classic PvD full on instrumental club bangers as well as vocal trance numbers.

Paul van Dyk even flirts with electro house on ‘In Between’.

Beatportal was privileged enough to receive a sneak preview of Paul’s new album and here are brief reviews of each track on the LP, ahead of a full feature interview with Paul van Dyk in August.

Paul van Dyk ‘In Between’ - Tracklist overview

1. ‘Haunted’
Album opener ‘Haunted’ is a broken-beat floaty trance number with a downtempo vibe. Female vocals add a touch of class.

2. ‘White Lies’ feat. Jessica Sutta’
Beatportal almost died of laughter when we heard that Paul van Dyk had enlisted the vocal services of Pussycat Doll’s Jessica Sutta for his new album. After all, the manufactured female pop group doesn’t exactly have much credibility outside of its 12-year-old fanbase. But surprisingly, ‘White Lies’ is not actually that bad. Sutta’s vocals manage to stay just on the right side of the cheese barrier, and work quite well with the bouncy electro house beat underneath. This could be a big crossover hit for Paul van Dyk if decent club remixes are released.

3. ‘Sabotage’
Like a pre-emptive strike, straight after the poppy vocal-led ‘White Lies’, track number three on ‘In Between’ is a straight-up instrumental electro house dancefloor destroyer that is likely to dissuade Paul van Dyk’s clubber fanbase from throwing his new album out of the window. The track also showcases a new more gritty side to PvD - this restores some much needed credibility.

4. ‘Complicated’ feat. Ashley Tomberlin
Classic female vocal-led PvD trance action. A decent club track that will also work well on the radio, but nothing original.

5. ‘Get Back’ feat. Ashley Tomberlin
This is the first of two collaborations with producer Alex M.O.R.P.H. on ‘In Between’ and probably one of the best tracks on ‘In Between’. Rocking tech trance beats, understated female vocals from Ashley Tomberlin and a rolling glitchy electro bassline means this track has real crossover potential. If trance needed a fresh start, ‘Get Back’ would be a good place to begin.

6. ‘Far Away’
The driving 140bpm trance that made Paul van Dyk famous is on display here. ‘Far Away’ is an instrumental track with a huge hands-in-the-air melodic breakdown. This has been done a million times before, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

7. ‘Another Sunday’
‘Another Sunday’ is a pumping trance track complimented by a decent male vocal and snare builds. Nothing extraordinary, but Beatportal can see this destroying trance clubs.

8. ‘Talk In Grey’
‘Talk In Grey’ sounds very much like Gabriel & Dresden. Strong male vocals, happy melodic trance that doesn’t get too cheesy, and with real pop potential. Don’t be surprised if this is one of the tracks released as a single with a video.

9. ‘In Circles’
The second Alex M.O.R.P.H. collaboration is an instrumental piano-led trance track with floaty chords and a chunky beat. One of the best tracks on the album - a definitive club smash.

10. ‘In Between’
The lead track on the album is a gorgeous deep trance number that showcases Paul van Dyk’s flair for creating atmosphere, as well as his ability to mould thought-provoking sounds. A standout track indeed - this is poignant and inspiring.

11. ‘Storm Skies’ feat. Wayne Jackson
‘Storm Skies’ is melancholic trance with male vocals. Exactly what one would expect from PvD.

12. ‘Detournement’
This track is instrument tech trance with a rolling electro bassline and soaring pads. The breakdown is a beautiful, violin-led moment and is a totally hands-in-the-air hug-random-gurners moment.

13. ‘New York City’ feat. Ashley Tomberlin
‘New York City’ is a collaborative effort with Starkillers and Austin Leeds. Again this is similar to Gabriel & Dresden - credible electro trance with female vocals.

14. ‘Castaway’
Female vocal-led trance with a big breakdown. The vocals are modest and allow the pumping trance beats to dominate.

15. ‘Dolce Vita’
Again, classic PvD. A pumping instrumental trance track with a huge breakdown. This isn’t so much as 2007, as 1998.

16. ‘Let Go’ feat. Rea
‘Let Go’ is one of the best tracks on the album. There are Depeche Mode-style male vocals over an electric guitar-led trance groove with live drums. This will work on both the radio and in the clubs. Quality.

17. ‘Fall With Me’
Paul van Dyk uses the vocal talents of Talking Heads’ frontman David Bryne for ‘Fall With Me’. The result is a poppy rocky trance number. Good stuff.

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