29 September 2023 - Signalling a new era for Trance Wax, ‘Open Up The Night’, the highly anticipated second studio album of the Belfast-born DJ and producer, dropped today via Armada Music.
Serving as a love letter to clubs, the sixteen-track journey through nostalgia-infused, genre-crossing modern trance marks Trance Wax’s evolution from his early days of adapting trance classics for today's dance floor. He now homes in on new, club-minded interpretations of the sound, showcasing an expansive sonic palette.
Artwork designed by acclaimed visual artist Dan Tombs, who is most notably responsible for creating and performing visuals for John Hopkins’ 'Singularity' tour, Fred Again.. and, most recently, Nia Archives.
Created first and foremost with a club setting in mind, the album builds track by track, mirroring Trance Wax's approach to a DJ set.
"I didn't set out to write an album, it just happened, really," said Garry McCartney (Trance Wax) on the origins of 'Open Up The Night'. "DJing in clubs was something I really missed when we couldn't do it a couple of years ago, and I suppose I channelled that yearning for being back behind the decks and in front of a crowd into making these tracks."
Setting the tone is the album's title track, spearheaded by dark sound effects, heavy drops and a nostalgic vocal sampled from Terrence Parker’s ‘Open Up Your Spirit’. By the album's fourth track, 'Aslan', listeners are introduced to themes of drum and bass, married with the hallmarks of a Trance Wax record. The euphoria continues to build in tracks such as 'So Alone', 'Adeya' and 'Artificial Intelligence', with a sonic foray into techno and elsewhere breakbeat-infused iterations of trance.
“This album really is a club record, so listeners will notice a switch-up in BPM compared with the last album,” Trance Wax goes on to explain. “It's a reflection of what I love listening to, be it trance or other genres, but it's mostly the product of a good few years of experimentation and thinking outside of the box. Besides a handful of samples, everything has been made from scratch, which I'm really proud of.”
The album is rounded off with 'Rhythm Of The Night', a bootleg of Corona’s 1993 hit that was released digitally for the first time back in August. Previously available only on a limited 646-copy vinyl run, the track has been highly requested by fans and DJs alike following support from tastemakers such as Romy of The xx, Job Jobse, Keinemusik, Âme, Michael Bibi and more.
‘Open Up The Night’ is now available via Armada Music as a high-quality double pack vinyl and via streaming platforms.
For all release assets (artwork, streaming link etc.), please click here.
For Trance Wax's press kit, please click here.
For more information please contact Charlotte.
It was almost inevitable that growing up with a love for trance would eventually result in Garry McCartney releasing his own interpretations of the sound. From Trance Wax’s origins in 2016 as an outlet for the Belfast-based artist’s remixes of the genre, the alias of Ejeca is firmly cemented as a key player in the contemporary trance landscape.
He now shifts into a fresh artistic chapter, having shared the previous self-titled album via Anjunabeats amidst a period where dancefloors were merely a figment of the imagination. Sophomore album ‘Open Up The Night’ via independent dance label Armada Music is a club-oriented 16-track heater, championed by frontrunners including The xx’s Romy, Keinemusik and KI/KI. Trance might be the genre becoming cool again - seminal international names including Bicep, Solomum, Tiësto and Calvin Harris are playing, or producing, the sound - but Trance Wax remains firmly rooted to his ethos. He is unafraid to be pioneering within the scene to distinguish himself, exemplified through his live setup, although the pride he feels witnessing the success and acclamation of music he has shared for years is immense.
This artistic drive of Trance Wax - unapologetically sharing the genre he loves in innovative ways - directly correlates to the recognition garnered since the birth of the project some years ago. A Radio 1 Essential Mix in the alias’ early days set precedent for the forthcoming success for the already-respected artist, landing during a period where the genre was almost taboo to audibly enjoy. Add a front-running Boiler Room in Montreal, a helping of self-titled US-based radio shows with Insomniac and a string of sold out white label vinyl to the mix - plus collaborations with icons of the trance genre including Ferry Corsten and Moya Brennan, plus remixes for key players including Solomun and Agents Of Time - and you can understand the scale of appreciation for Trance Wax.
About Armada Music
Armada Music is the biggest independent dance music label in the world. Founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron (CEO) and David Lewis, the label manages an ever-growing catalog of over 40,000 tracks, built up across twenty-plus years of specialized dance music exploitation.
Representing artists such as Armin van Buuren, ARTY, D.O.D, Eelke Kleijn, Jan Blomqvist, Loud Luxury, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Tensnake, THEMBA and Yulia Niko, Armada Music amasses more than one billion streams per month, airplay on leading radio outlets such as BBC Radio 1 and Sirius XM, and top positions in the world’s most notable charts. The label also takes great pride in major achievements such as Armin van Buuren’s GRAMMY nomination for ‘This Is What It Feels Like’, Loud Luxury and Brando’s ‘Body’ surpassing one billion streams on Spotify and breaking artists such as Lost Frequencies into global stardom.
Across offices in Amsterdam (HQ), New York, London and Laren (NL), Armada Music offers a truly global appeal to its growing roster. The label has its own club, radio studio and multiple production studios, and hosts various live formats. Producer platform Armada University, which offers educational products and opportunities, shows the label’s sustained effort to nurture the next wave of talent.
In 2023, Armada Music launched BEAT Music Fund, the world’s first dance music investment company, that acquires catalogs with the mission of honoring, representing and reinvigorating them. BEAT’s portfolio will continue to grow; in the first six months following its launch, BEAT acquired the catalogs of, among others, electronic music star ARTY, house and techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Records, legendary NYC-based house label King Street Sounds and chart-topping producers Chocolate Puma.
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