The track arrives only one week after ‘Get Up and Dance’ and adds another piece to Cloonee’s forthcoming album, Are You Still You?. With the full project approaching, the UK-born, Los Angeles-based producer has been steadily revealing new music throughout 2026.

‘Back Of The Club’ sits firmly within the club-focused sound that has driven Cloonee’s rise. Running at 130 BPM, the track is built for the dancefloor, keeping the arrangement direct rather than overcomplicating the production.

Its release through Ministry of Sound also marks a change from ‘Get Up and Dance,’ which arrived through Cloonee’s own Hellbent Records. The label has become an increasingly important part of his career, serving as both a home for his music and a platform for other house producers.

Cloonee Builds Toward ‘Are You Still You?’

The new single adds to what has already been a busy release year for Cloonee.

In January, he teamed with Jocelyn Enriquez for ‘XTC,’ followed by ‘Free Your Mind’ with Prospa in March. He later revisited Groove Theory on ‘One Question’ and Nice & Smooth on ‘I Rhyme Quick,’ continuing his recent interest in connecting house music with recognizable vocals and records from outside the genre.

That momentum continued over the summer with ‘Good Girl,’ a collaboration alongside Prospa and Tristan Henry. Now, ‘Get Up and Dance’ and ‘Back Of The Club’ have arrived just seven days apart.

The pace points toward the larger project taking shape around Are You Still You?. Cloonee has already established himself well beyond individual club releases, selling out headline shows while taking Hellbent into its own events and expanding the label around his growing audience.

‘Back Of The Club’ brings the focus back to the dancefloor as the next stage of that rollout begins.

With more of Are You Still You? still to come, Cloonee’s latest release gives listeners another piece of the project before it arrives in full.

Listen Below to Cloonee – ‘Back Of The Club’

The post Cloonee Returns With New Single ‘Back Of The Club’ appeared first on EDMTunes.

It’s not every day that you get the chance to talk with Andrew Bayer, the author of countless Dance records across 20+ years, four artist albums (now five), and trend-defying sounds spanning Trance, Electro, Ambient, Electronica, and so much more to his own name, alongside so many records co-produced for the greatest names out there. Just to name a few, Above & Beyond, and Armin van Buuren.

Bayer is often considered — and should be if you don’t see him that way already — one of the true trailblazers of the Anjunabeats sound, and the slower, tinted-with-Electro Progressive Trance sound as well, marrying soothing, fly-away sounds with absolutely bestial growls and saws. Don’t believe me? Nine case-in-point mentions below.

Think of songs such as ‘Counting The Points’, ‘One Last Look’ as Signalrunners, or ‘Nothing Ever Lasts’ with Cosmic Gate. Now think of ‘England’, ‘To The Six’ with Boom Jinx, and ‘In And Out Of Phase’ with Matt Lange. Now think of ‘From The Past’, ‘Gaff’s Eulogy’, and ‘Celestial’. All of these, ALL OF THEM, are absolute diamonds of the history of Dance music. And they are all his. I could go on naming records but that proves my point already.

Last Friday, Bayer released his fifth artist album, A Light That Guides Weary Travellers Home, on Seven Lions’ Ophelia, marking a new chapter in his career, one in which he’s found a home outside Anjunabeats, his former home for decades, to venture out into a tangential space where feels are equally as welcome, just in a different container. The album is phenomenal, as you’d know after reading our review of it, and, well, we also landed a tiny little interview with the author of the piece himself!

We teased this a little during our review, and we’re so happy to put out this exclusive chat, which, as all our good interviews in here, turned into a sincere, heart-open conversation very quickly. You’ll get to know so much more about Mr Bayer, ranging from his views on life and music, how this album almost never happened, what these last years have meant to him, and you’ll even take home his favourite albums of all time to take home with you. If I keep teasing, it’s filler. Ladies and gentlemen, our interview with Andrew Bayer. Enjoy.

The Interview

(Please note, the bolded text represents a question, while the paragraph(s) following it represent Andrew’s answers.)

First off, massive congratulations on the release of A Light That Guides Weary Travellers Home. Would you mind sharing with us the story of how, why, and when this entire project came to be?

For a really long time, I was working almost exclusively with Anjunabeats, my whole life was essentially over there. But when I went on the Journey III bus tour with Seven Lions a few years ago—Jeff and I have been friends for over a decade—we started working much more closely together. That tour was such a pivotal, life-changing moment for me that I actually have “Journey III” tattooed on my leg!

I’ve always been a multi-genre artist at heart, but my live sets were historically streamlined into progressive 128 BPM electro-trance. My artist albums were explicitly designed for at-home listening, so I would create separate club mixes just to share those songs in a live setting. Perhaps the clearest example is In My Last Life / In My Next Life. Watching Jeff and the Ophelia crew build naturally multi-genre sets was a massive eureka moment. I thought, “I want to do this in my own way.” I started hanging out with the Ophelia crew much more, and they welcomed me in an incredible way. They pushed my creative boundaries and challenged me in ways I hadn’t experienced in years, encouraging me to combine my at-home album storytelling with my high-energy live sound in a cohesive way.

Historically, people were often confused by me as an artist because I operated in these two distinct lanes: non-clubby home listening and heavy club versions. Marrying those two worlds was the big creative leap for this record. On my previous album, Duality, disc one hinted at this idea, but the two sides were still separated. This time, the inspiration was to fully merge them, keeping the heartfelt, engaging songwriting while taking the energy up to eleven across multiple genres. Being surrounded by a new group of supportive friends who kept teaching me and challenging me created the perfect environment to make that happen.

You mention learning new things, which feels almost surreal because you’ve always been viewed as a technical pioneer. How do you create those moments of inspiration, and when does creativity usually strike for you?

Whenever I feel like I’ve stopped learning, I feel weighed down by it. Learning is the single most important element in keeping creativity exciting, it recaptures that raw, childlike inspiration you felt when you first started making music. When you get too comfortable, you stop growing.

This album was a massive experiment done on a purely selfish quest to challenge myself in every conceivable way. Anytime I listen back to my own discography, I can hear the moments where I was pushing myself versus when I was playing it safe. For this project, I deliberately disrupted my entire workflow. I switched DAWs to Ableton after more than 15 years on Logic, forcing myself out of my bubble even down to that very detail.

Do you remember a specific moment during the writing process where you felt like you had something truly magical in your hands?

One hundred percent. The very first song I wrote for the album was with Jonathan Mendelsohn, a track called ‘I Wish You Well’, which I initially rushed to get ready for Dreamstate a few years ago. Writing that track brought together several self-imposed challenges: adapting to Ableton, returning to 140 BPM trance, and weaving an emotional backdrop with personal storytelling.

Reconnecting with Jonathan and creating something so authentic was a massive turning point. For years, I had locked my live sets into a strict 128 BPM template. Going back to 140 BPM—which used to be my starting template when I was a teenager—made me feel like a kid again in the studio. Realizing the depth of the story we wanted to tell made me say, “Shit, there’s so much more to this. I have to do a full album.” I have to thank Jonathan massively for kicking my ass into gear, and the Ophelia crew for diving in and helping me listen through hundreds of clips and demos.

When you listen back to a demo and get that obsessive feeling where you’re proud of it and instantly need to replay it, that’s when you know you’ve created something special. I’m a selfish musician, I have to make music for myself first. If people like it, that’s amazing, and if they don’t, honestly that’s amazing too. It has to click for me internally. Even playing the same chords I’ve used throughout my career felt completely fresh once I sped them up to 140 BPM. Piano parts that didn’t work at 128 suddenly clicked at faster tempos, opening up an entirely new playground.

Does the tracklist follow a specific narrative pattern or structure, or is it ordered purely by musical preference?

I take sequencing very seriously! There are many valid ways to structure a tracklist, but for me, it was intentionally ordered from start to finish. Releasing singles during the album campaign was actually quite painful because I was sitting in limbo waiting for the full piece to drop.

I view the album as a singular piece of music structured in three distinct acts, very much like a film. Each act has its own defined progression, narratively through the lyrics, sonically, and emotionally, and it all leads to a very specific closing piece.

To be completely honest, I still struggle to listen to the last ten seconds of the album without crying.

The final piece is quite frankly amazing. How did that closing track come together?

Oh, the first time I tested the final masters right before delivery, I was weeping on stage. The very end of the album, ‘Home’ features a voice recording of me feeding my son breakfast and him repeatedly saying “hi” back to me for the first time. Originally, I had a much darker, epic piece planned for the finale, but at the last moment, I realized the ending needed to feel like a pure celebration. Gemma Hayes came in and completely blew my mind with her vocal performance, and finishing the record with that recording of my son was the only right choice. I get choked up just talking about it!

People nowadays often use the phrase “this is my most personal work to date”, so I try to avoid that cliché. But this album is easily the most important achievement of my career. The entire process was hands-on, and doing so much of it myself gave me a profound sense of satisfaction. Knowing this story is permanently cemented out in the universe means I can go to sleep happy at night. I almost don’t care about how it performs commercially. It performs beautifully for me.

Moving away from the record for a while, you’ve inspired so many producers over the years. So we’d like to ask, who inspires you? Who got you into music originally, and who do you listen to when you need creative fuel, electronic or otherwise?

In the very early days, I was making trance over dial-up internet with people around the world. I was part of a duo called Signalrunners, which was my entry point into the industry. When I was 15 years old during spring break, I literally flew to Scotland to meet our record label! Judge Jules took a liking to our Signalrunners project, and we had this insane feedback loop where we’d finish a track, send it over, and hear it played on BBC Radio 1. Experiencing that as a teenager was a massive adrenaline hit. That specific experience isn’t really possible in today’s landscape with the way streaming works and how the industry prioritizes social media content creation over music itself.

In terms of ongoing inspiration, most of mine comes from outside electronic music. Within the electronic space, Clark has been a massive influence ever since my days at Berklee. The way he pushes dissonant, detuned elements into a beautiful electronic tapestry is incredible. Outside electronic music, I sound like a broken record, but Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens are my absolute go-tos whenever I’m at a loss for what to listen to. I was also inspired by the vocalists and collaborators I worked with on this record while putting the music together.

How I see you, and judging but what you’ve already told us, you constantly push your sound into new territory rather than staying inside one single genre or identity. Do you view that constant evolution as essential to who you are as an artist, that inability to “box” your sound?

Absolutely. If you get stuck in the same loop for too long without pushing yourself, the music becomes stale. To prevent that, I have to constantly set new technical and artistic challenges to overcome. This was, by a country mile, the most challenging record I’ve ever made.

I deliberately handled everything myself: the mixing, the mastering, learning string orchestration from scratch rather than outsourcing it, learning a new DAW, and managing the release without a traditional management team, relying instead on a wonderful group of supportive people. Those challenges keep you on your toes both creatively and within a modern music industry that can be a pretty scary place for artists right now.

To remain my most authentic self, I have to keep changing. This album is a radical shift, and I know a fair amount of trance purists might hear certain sections and say, “Oh, now he’s making dubstep!” But from front to back, the record reads as orchestral trance with moments of halftime energy that I wouldn’t even classify as dubstep. To me, those sections are deeply trancy, just a different flavor. More than a number on a screen, the essence of trance is that emotional undertone that makes you feel something. Opening up the floodgates to explore whatever tempo felt right was a massive inspiration.

Back to albums, since we’re already touching on this topic. What are albums in your eyes? I’ve talked to many who say they’re not really profitable, they’re quite unfashionable, the algorithm doesn’t like them, and so on. But yet artists keep making them and people keep consuming them. So what gives?

That perspective is a direct byproduct of a (scary) modern music industry that prioritizes rapid consumption over lasting art. Traditionally, albums were built to promote touring and generate long-term revenue. My own goals shifted quite a bit when I took parental leave to raise my son. I went dark on social media, stopped releasing music for a while, and then jumped straight into this campaign. Coming back was pretty traumatic because the industry doesn’t like artists taking time off. Your absence is noted immediately, and you’re expected to constantly sell yourself.

Historically, an artist would release an album, tour it, take a year off to write the next one, and repeat. That traditional cycle barely exists now because platforms demand constant output. But frankly, I don’t give a fuck about how the modern music industry works! People can look at my Instagram numbers or metrics, and I truly don’t care. I will always present my art in the way that authentically encapsulates who I am at the time.

After finishing Duality, which was a long, exhausting writing and touring process, I really felt lost and swore I would only release singles and EPs moving forward. But having that eureka moment with Ophelia reignited my spark. I am an album artist at heart, and this record reminded me that I will always make albums regardless of whether they are profitable or algorithmically favored.

You brought up the word “art,” which feels central to your ethos. Focusing on genuine creative expression over viral trends seems to be what keeps the process meaningful for you.

One hundred percent. I have willingly taken a hit commercially by refusing to engage in viral social media tactics or forced content creation. No shade to the people who enjoy that side of things, it’s just not for me. I enjoy writing music, feeling a deep connection to what I’ve made, putting it out into the world, and seeing what happens. The cherry on top is stepping on stage, playing music I’ve poured my soul into, turning it up loud, and dancing with people. That’s the ultimate celebration.

Social media pressure can feel completely disconnected from the actual craft of making music. It’s probably one of the things I like the least about today’s industry.

Exactly. I didn’t get into music to become a DJ or stand on stage, let alone make social media videos. Early on, I was petrified of getting on stage. But during the 2006–2012 Beatport era, seeing artists like Deadmau5 and Eric Prydz use DJing and live shows as a vehicle to present their own productions showed me a viable path forward.

When I perform now, it’s a complete release. If you’ve ever seen me play live, I dance like a total lunatic up there! By the time I step off stage, it feels like a full workout. I’m lip-syncing my lyrics, channeling drag performers, and losing my mind because it’s a moment of pure celebration. I’ve had comments online saying “he’s cringe” or “he’s doing too much,” but I don’t care.

My stage energy is heavily inspired by — and I’m so lucky to say this — seeing Kate Bush perform live in London: that time she came out barefoot in a muumuu, swaying around and completely losing herself in the music. That’s authentic self-expression. If being on stage for someone else is purely a polished photo opportunity, more power to them, but that’s not my vibe. I’d much rather look like an absolute mess on stage and genuinely feel the music.

How I see it, it’s exactly that absence of rationale, that sincere, nude madness on stage: that’s what builds a lasting connection with an audience. Call it passion.

We are currently experiencing a drought of authenticity across the industry, from AI-generated tracks topping charts to artists prioritizing content over craft. Seeing someone completely lose themselves in their work is deeply human. There’s a quiet underground community of artists and listeners who value genuine authenticity, and I firmly believe we are reaching a critical tipping point where people are getting sick of artificial content and seeking out real art again. But even if that underground never becomes mainstream, I’m equally happy remaining part of a tight-knit, authentic community. Suddenly, I’m underground!

What are your personal “comfort zone” records, the albums you return to when you need to reset yourself? Those that you can’t listen too often too so you don’t burn them out.

You are so right, you have to ration those special albums so you don’t burn them out! Bon Iver’s discography is a major seasonal comfort for me, as is Sufjan Stevens—his records Carrie & Lowell and Javelin are completely devastating, so you have to pick the right emotional moment to listen to them.

For newer music, Ignorance by The Weather Station gets played constantly in our house on the weekends; it pays a subtle, beautiful nod to Talk Talk’s experimental era and feels like a warm hug. For plane rides or for relaxation, Brian Eno’s Music for Airports and Stars of the Lid’s The Tired Sounds Of and Their Refinement of the Decline are essential for recentering. Also, A Winged Victory for the Sullen’s self-titled record is a total masterpiece that I have to save for specific, sacred moments.

Another huge record for me is Jóhann Jóhannsson’s IBM 1401, A User’s Manual. Jóhann’s work is that special kind of devastatingly beautiful. When I heard the news of his passing I was on tour in Poland. I collapsed onto the floor and sobbed, had to question how I’d go ahead with my show that night. His music really fed my approach to contemporary classical and ambient textures. If you strip back the electronic elements and heavy drums on my new album, at its core, it functions very much like a contemporary classical singer-songwriter record.

I love this question. If you could travel to the past and meet your past self, any number of years, maybe 10 years, maybe 15, 20, even more, however many you need to, what would you tell that younger Andrew? Were you worried about anything that was really not necessary?

That’s a heavy question. Growing up in the closet for a long time left me with very little self-confidence, both as a person and in my ability to contribute to the music industry. I was extremely hard on myself.

I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to believe in my own music and prioritize making music for myself. Because I lacked the confidence that I could build an actual career out of my solo music. I always felt I had to do outside work to facilitate it. I wish I had believed in myself more. I wish I could give my younger self a hug and say, “You’re going to be okay personally, you’re going to be okay as a musician, and you need to believe in yourself.”

Finally, for an aspiring producer reading this who looks up to your journey, what is the most powerful advice you could offer them?

Never stop learning. When I started out on dial-up internet, technique was heavily gatekept on old message boards and MSN Messenger before I went to Berklee. Today, there is an unlimited, free ocean of knowledge available at your fingertips.

Whenever I feel stuck or uninspired in the studio, I pull up my running list of tutorial links on my phone and watch other people work. Seeing what young creators are doing inside tools like Serum 2 completely blows my mind! If you ever feel like you’ve hit a plateau or gotten too comfortable, go onto the internet and learn from someone else. Take full advantage of how accessible knowledge is today, stay curious, and keep learning every single day.

Final Words

If you’ve read up to this point, I’m allowed to break character. What a privilege. Andrew was for years one of my absolute referents, and he still is. Still in high school I’d put on my trustworthy earphones and listen to record after record, wondering if he had a sort of Midas touch for music or what, and being absolutely hooked by, one of those artists I’d very confidently admit, helped cement my transition from Spinnin’ Records to the Trance scene.

Andrew says he’s a selfish musician. Well, in my role in press I’m a selfish journalist. I cherish moments like this one, where I’m allowed to meet those who shaped who I am today, while also serving as a proper instrument for them to open up in a much more human manner, leaving the artist persona and the streams and pie charts aside for a little while. I’m so thankful for this space that I have, and that funnily enough I also generate for others.

Andrew Bayer’s A Light That Guides Weary Travellers Home is out now. Stream below. And stay tuned to EDMTunes for the latest news and views from all across the Electronic space.

The post [INTERVIEW] Andrew Bayer Talks Latest Album, Music As Art, Career, And More appeared first on EDMTunes.

When it comes to Progressive music, a few names come to mind. Among those lies Budakid, a name synonymous with quality, heartfelt music for years. In fact, he’s spent over two decades shaping a deeply personal path in electronic music. His catalogue acts as a personal audio diary, earning releases on imprints connected to Sasha, Solomun, Max Cooper, and Guy J, alongside backing from tastemakers like Adriatique, Hernán Cattáneo, Bonobo, and Dixon.

In 2024, following a transformative period of creative isolation in the Austrian Alps, Budakid launched his independent imprint, Flores. Built on artistic integrity rather than industry trends, Flores serves as a home for both his own DIY output and curated music from close peers. Having played over a thousand shows across the globe, from festival stages like Tomorrowland, ADE, and Sónar to legendary clubbing institutions like Watergate and Paradiso, he continues to balance outstanding output with that human, natural aspect we’ve sadly lost in the Dance space lately.

Flores is, in fact, the home of Budakid’s latest album, Dreams Stretched Beyond. A walk through the unconventional, the raw, and even the new, Kevin’s latest journey is as much of a musical voyage as it is a life-mirroring one. But I’m not going to be the one talking you through it: we’ve had the pleasure of speaking to the man himself for this. We talked about the album, its meaning, Budakid’s life and career, and so much more. Dive in to find out!

The Interview

(Please note, the bolded text represents a question, while the paragraph(s) following it represent Budakid’s answers.)

Congratulations on the release of Dreams Stretched Beyond! It’s been a little over a month since it came out now, so we’d love to know your general balance of this time—how has the public reception been, what comments have you received, and how are you feeling about the overall response?

I’ve been making music for a very long time, 20 years in fact, and I’ve had several attempts at making an album. Every single time, I’d hit around the 80% mark, and at a certain point, it just wouldn’t click. I’d think, “Shit, what do I do?“, and I’d end up releasing everything as separate pieces and moving forward. But this time was completely different. It felt like people were almost expecting an album, and it feels like an “album time” in music right now with so many artists putting out full-length records.

People have been very surprised because the record shows so many different sides of who I am. Historically, I always tried to keep Budakid strictly as instrumental electronic music, mostly without vocals or singing. Over the last few years, I began experimenting more with singing and expanding those borders. It was an adventure in reinventing myself, asking who I am as a human being and what I stand for. I handled the vocals, played bass guitar, and did everything myself. I think people didn’t expect such an intensive DIY project. I even released it on my own imprint, Flores, specifically so I could retain 100% creative control over the entire package—not just the tracks, but the visual direction, photo shoots, and press texts too.

The public reactions have been genuinely positive. As for the metrics side, it’s a tricky time in the industry with the rise of AI. I’ve heard that over 50% of the music coming online nowadays is made with AI or partly AI. As an old-fashioned producer—which I definitely consider myself to be—it’s a challenging climate. For me to make a track takes weeks, if not months or years. Fighting against an industry moving at such an artificial, ultra-fast pace is something I’ve reflected on deeply. On the statistical side, some tracks got picked up by algorithms and some didn’t, but for me, it was never purely about metrics. It was a personal journey I wanted to finish from start to end. By the time the package was finalized six months ago, I already felt completely fulfilled. I barely even check my statistics now.

Could you take us back to the beginning of the project? How was the first idea born, and how did it naturally develop into your very first finished debut album?

For a long time, I was genuinely afraid of doing an album. A debut album carries this heavy weight—it represents a definitive statement of what you stand for as an artist, and for almost a decade, I simply wasn’t ready. I was curious, constantly trying out new sounds, and exploring.

Then, two years ago, I moved to a remote place in the mountains in Tirol. When you live in a city, you get so many unconscious triggers and inputs that constantly influence you. But being isolated here in nature for two years without external musical influences forced me to deep dive into my own belief system. I became my own judge, with nobody else to project onto or seek immediate validation from. That was incredibly special because it allowed me to create something far purer and straight from my heart than I ever could have produced before.

It’s something I would recommend to any musician or creative: detach yourself and unplug from the city. Go to a place where there is actually nothing, deep dive into your own belief system, and ask yourself, “What am I, and what do I actually like?” Over those two years, I created around 30 potential tracks without using any external references, and only 10 made the final cut.

Initially, I thought about releasing them as three separate EPs and bundling them together as a big statement. But as the core tracks started leading the way, I realized they shared a cohesive sound, story, and ideology. The album wasn’t made with the rigid intention of “I am going to sit down and make an album.” If I had intentionally forced it, it probably wouldn’t have worked. The album essentially created itself out of my process of self-acceptance.

Could you share a studio detail or personal moment linked to the creation of one of the tracks that really stuck with you throughout the production process?

What I love most about production is the raw writing process—jamming, writing stories, and creating initial vibes. Sometimes I’ll sit at the piano, play a chord progression, and just sing over it as a casual jam for myself. Other times it’s a sequence on a synthesizer.

The most special moment for me in the studio is that exact instant where an idea clicks. It doesn’t happen every day because it depends on multiple aligning factors: your emotional state, your current life situation, and your physical surroundings. But when a draft sticks with me and stays in my head for several days, it’s a natural signal from my gut that I need to move forward and finish it.

Looking at your career as a whole, who or what inspired you to step onto the path of becoming a musician in the first place?

Music was always something playful for me. I never set out with an explicit goal of “I want to be a professional artist.” I just loved making music, and the artist shape naturally formed around that passion over time.

I started out playing drums as a young kid, and I had a small keyboard. One day, my cousin introduced me to a Digital Audio Workstation on a computer and said, “Kev, you can actually play the drums on the computer now.” As a 90s kid who was completely obsessed with technology, something magical clicked in my brain. I immediately deleted all the computer games off my hard drive and replaced them with music software. Instead of playing video games after school, my friends and I would sit around making beats.

Later on, there was a popular Dutch social media platform called Hyves, which was like the Dutch equivalent of Myspace. They launched a tool where you could upload audio clips and tracks directly to your profile. Other Dutch musicians were uploading their tracks, so I started publishing my early music there too. That was the moment the public-facing artist was created, even though at the beginning, I didn’t care about an image or branding at all. It was just a hobby I loved.

Throughout all your years touring and releasing music, what is one stand-out memory that lives in your mind as something truly extraordinary?

Two specific memories immediately pop into my head. The first was getting to play a set on the Great Wall of China, which was an absolutely stunning, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The second was playing a full moon party in the jungle of Koh Phangan in Thailand about ten years ago. They picked me up from my hotel and drove us for nearly an hour through dense, winding jungle roads up into the hills to reach this totally remote beach setup. I remember sitting in the back of the car joking with another DJ from Berlin, feeling so surreal and excited just driving through a jungle to play music. Those two moments are always right at the top of my mind.

We heard through the grapevine that there might be a remix album for Dreams Stretched Beyond currently in the works. What details can you tease about that project?

I’m honestly amazed by the remixes. I didn’t expect these incredible artists to touch the tracks I laid down on the album, so I’m deeply grateful for the twists they’ve given them.

The roster consists mostly of artists and DJs I’ve personally crossed paths with or who inspired me on my journey up to this point—people whose records I’ve listened to on repeat at home, artists I respect immensely, or peers I’ve worked with for years. I can’t drop specific names just yet, but some acts will be a huge surprise, while others will feel very obvious because of our history together.

Having complete creative control through Flores meant the curation had to mean something personal to me. It wasn’t about asking, “Who has the most streams or the biggest social media reach right now?” It was about asking, “Who genuinely means something to me musically?” For example, I went to a festival last year and saw a set by one of the remixers. It was one of the best sets I’d heard in years—the music touched me so deeply that I went on a complete deep dive into his catalog afterwards. Asking him to remix a track felt like a beautiful, full-circle moment.

It’s really refreshing how much emphasis you place on personal meaning. Releasing through your own label clearly gives you the freedom to make those decisions without interference.

Absolutely, and that’s how I always wanted it to be. That freedom is probably the main reason I was able to finally release an album now. I can stand 100% behind the entire expression—from the music down to the cover artwork, press releases, and photo shoots.

Learning to be that convinced of myself and what I stand for is the biggest lesson I learned during my two years of isolation in Tirol. I became brave enough to say, “F*ck it, this is who I am. Take it or leave it, I’m making the music exactly how I like it.”

You mentioned living in Tirol before recently moving back to Berlin, and you’ve been living in many places aside from those two. Could you give us a summary of how these different places impacted your life and musical outlook?

I grew up in a small town in the Netherlands called Grave, right near the German border, and lived there until I was 18. At the time, Europe felt huge to me, I had only ever traveled to Spain once. Then, during my graphic design studies, my school asked if I wanted to do an internship abroad in Bangkok. My English wasn’t very good at the time, but I thought, “Yolo, let’s go.” Experiencing a massive metropolis like Bangkok alone at 18 completely blew my world open.

After returning, I moved to Tilburg in the south of the Netherlands to study at the music conservatory for four years. Before that, I was working full-time as a 21-year-old graphic designer in an office sitting with 35- and 40-year-olds. I felt completely misplaced and realized I wasn’t ready for a standard corporate life. I wanted to invest time into music, so enrolling in a four-year degree allowed me to dive deep, study theory and production, and log thousands of hours honing my craft.

I actually graduated cum laude with a 9.5 out of 10! Red Bull Music Academy even invited me to record a session at their studios, but I turned it down because I honestly didn’t feel artistically ready yet. Sometimes I still reflect on that decision, sometimes I regret it too, but I think it was wise for where I was mentally at 25.

After graduating, I realized living in Amsterdam would be financially tough, whereas Berlin was far more accessible, affordable, and had a huge resonance with my sound. A friend texted me saying she had a free room in her student flat in Berlin, so 10 years ago, I moved my creative space. I lived in Berlin for eight years before my partner and I decided to move for some time to Tirol, which happened two years ago.

Touring constantly keeps your nervous system on high alert, and coming home to a busy city meant I could never fully unwind. Moving to nature allowed me to step off the wheel. But after two years in quiet isolation, we felt our story there was complete and we craved a social life again. Last winter, we moved partly back to Berlin. Being isolated made me realize just how much I value active social connections and seeing my friends regularly.

That contrast is fascinating. People often assume club producers need to live in the middle of constant nightlife stimuli 24/7, but stepping back seems crucial for processing those experiences.

Exactly. At one point in Berlin, I was out at clubs every single weekend, eager to explore new artists and support colleagues and friends. But I view life as a metaphorical backpack. Every experience, party, or travel memory gets tossed into that backpack. If you keep stuffing it without stopping, it overfills.

Sometimes you have to stand still, unpack those memories, and properly process and reflect on them. Reflection is an essential part of the creative journey. If you only move forward at full speed without looking back rationally, you burn out.

If you could collaborate with anyone—unrealistically or realistically—who would be your ultimate dream collaborator?

My personal musical taste spans a wide spectrum outside electronic music—I listen to stuff like Scandinavian jazz, surf rock, and Australian psychedelic rock. But my absolute biggest dream collaborator would be Thom Yorke.

It’s not even about his fame; it’s about his philosophy, his theoretical mind, and his raw approach to creation. Honestly, I wouldn’t even need to collaborate—I would happily just sit in a studio corner and watch him work his process. Radiohead has been a constant soundtrack on my life journey for as long as I can remember.

What are your top favourite albums of all time—the records you constantly return to?

Caribou’s Swim from 2010 is an album I’ve listened to for almost half my life—I know every detail so well I can replay it in my head on command. Radiohead’s In Rainbows is another massive favourite. Most Radiohead records, mind you.

Tycho’s album Dive was also huge for me because it combined atmospheric electronics with live guitars in a way that bridged two worlds seamlessly. Outside Dance music, I listen to a UK band called Headache. It’s spoken-word over breakbeats, delivered in a goofy, philosophical way. It’s almost like meditation for me—it completely turns off my overthinking brain and puts me into a dream state.

If you weren’t working in the music industry today, what other career path could you see yourself following?

My dad was a painter and graphic designer, and half my family works in design, so visual thinking was taught to me from a very young age. While I enjoyed design, working for corporate clients means constantly following someone else’s rigid rules regarding page counts and colour formats. I prefer expressing my own philosophy rather than executing someone else’s brief.

My other true passion from a very young age is food, I’m a complete food head! I actually considered starting a culinary blog while touring the world to document all the incredible dishes I was served. Becoming a chef would definitely be my alternative path.

Cooking and making music share the exact same creative DNA. In both crafts, you take a few raw ingredients and combine them based on personal taste: you add extra salt if you want it more savory, or you add extra drums if you want the track punchier. You are taking basic elements and constructing something complete for human senses—one for the ear, one for the mouth.

Finally, what piece of advice would you offer to a young, emerging producer starting out on their journey today?

My primary advice is to focus entirely on the joy of creating and remaining curious. Do what you love doing, regardless of whether it brings commercial success. Some people love going fishing every weekend even if they have zero intention of becoming a professional fisherman. That’s how I approach music—it keeps me curious and keeps my soul fulfilled long-term. Success can be a lovely byproduct of your passion, but it should never be the primary goal.

Secondly, do not be afraid to be unique. Nowadays, young artists go on social media, see someone having success with a specific sound, and immediately try to copy it to achieve the same result. But to build a lasting, meaningful body of work, you have to stand against hypes and explore uncharted ground. Embrace your own self-expression rather than mimicking someone else’s. Skill, patience, and authentic identity will always outlast trends and shortcuts.

-End of interview-

Final Words

Thank you so much to Budakid and the team who made this interview possible. It’s always great to hear insights, reflections, realisations and stories from those artists who lead and rock a certain angle in music. And this talk was nothing short of outstanding for the level of depth Kevin and I achieved. He’s a really good lad.

Listen to Dreams Stretched Beyond, Budakid’s latest long-play, below. And stay put for remixes coming very soon.

The post [INTERVIEW] Budakid Talks Dreams Stretched Beyond, Career, Purpose, And More appeared first on EDMTunes.

I know many people out there listen to albums as a collection of singles, a view that is even backed up in today’s industry with the act of lifting singles ahead of the full LP’s release date. And while that is a totally fair way of consuming an album…

If you’ve read my reviews in the past, you’d know I always treat albums as a full story rather than a fragmented collection of songs. And I value very dearly when an artist thinks the same and ideates their baby as a tale and not a compilation. I’m lucky to know firsthand that this record in particular was crafted to be understood as an undivided, full-length concept.

The Light, The Travel, The Home

I’ve always looked up to Bayer’s work. And I’m happy to officially catalogue this album as a monumental release. What makes it so compelling is that his core identity remains unmistakable: it’s uniquely, unequivocally Bayer-esque. I haven’t been online too much to check but I’m sure there’ll be people out there saying, “Oh, he’s changing directions, again; where is the thread to the earlier Andrew?”, but there is! You can feel him. You can hear him; you perceive his hand in every arrangement, it’s just another outfit, or a differently shaped vase for the same liquid contained inside.

And frankly, that container isn’t even so dramatically different. There are new textures, some detours, and the elephant in the room called the Ophelia sound. And we’re therefore allowed to experience Andrew Bayer in a different landscape than before, weaving the scent of old school with threads of current Melodic.

Pure, Nude and Sincere

Beyond the technical achievements, however, the record offers a truthful, genuine reflection of life, painting a picture that is a still photograph of Bayer’s past years. Concepts involved are family, touring, comfort zone, experimenting, feeling alive, and many others that you’ll get to read very soon when we reveal our exclusive interview with this guy. (Oops, did I just leak something?)

That sincerity with which this album was written is incredibly special. In today’s music ecosystem, where creative decisions are too often dictated by stream counts, short-term metrics, and corporate pie charts, a project like this shouldn’t be taken for granted. Andrew remains an artist who uses music as a vessel to tell genuine stories. TikTok could never.

Writer’s Picks

While the entire tracklist flows seamlessly, a few specific moments took hold of me. ‘Raindrops‘ is an absolute standout—quite possibly my favourite track on the entire LP. The piece immediately before it, ‘If It Kills Me’, provides a brilliant contrast, but I just am too much of an emotion seeker to position it over ‘Raindrops’. When the hairs in your arms rise, that’s when you know it’s special.

And speaking about that, at the end of it all, the closing track, ‘Home‘, had another one of those moments waiting for me to arrive. It is an excellent way to close the story. It’s the happy ending, it’s the victory cry, but a tender, soft cry at the end of the day. ‘Home’ ties every preceding story together, bringing the overarching journey to a fulfilling, nude, vulnerable close.

Allow me to drift away for a bit. To visualise my perceived structure of the album and its closing, imagine driving down a massive, six-lane motorway. The album’s songs jump from lane to lane, weaving through traffic, and shifting gears. Every track serves a distinct purpose, and every placement on the tracklist feels just right. Then, after miles of wide-open highway, the road narrows. You end up going down a quiet, single-lane passage leading directly to a warm house at the end of the lane.

That is precisely what ‘Home’ achieves. It siphons all the grand, powerful elements of the record down into a singular, delicate point of arrival. It feels brave, personal, delicate. A true rare feat in modern electronic music, and a moment I devoured in awe.

And don’t get me started on the absolute end of the album. You must experience those final ten seconds. They give me the goosebumps every single time. Those closing moments really anchor the multi-year journey of A Light That Guides Weary Travellers Home. If you ever had a “why?“, those last moments are the undeniable answer to why this album needed to exist. That is true power.

Andrew Bayer – A Light That Guides Weary Travellers Home Tracklist

1. Shield From Harm with Vök
2. I Wish You Well with Jonathan Mendelsohn
3. Luminous World with Richard Walters
4. The Fifth Movement
5. Afterlight with Jonathan Mendelsohn
6. Path Of Little Deaths with Cross Record
7. If It Kills Me with STAR SEED
8. Raindrops with Gemma Hayes
9. Burn For You with Vancouver Sleep Clinic
10. Home with Gemma Hayes

Final Words

I don’t know if there’s something I haven’t said about the album already. And, at the same time, I don’t think my words could ever equate the amount of wordless language present in this wonderful, wonderful piece of work. These albums seem to reach me at the right time in life every single time. Call it destiny, call it God, call it matrix, but every time that an album comes my way and it challenges my comfort Trance & Organic House bubble, it ends up marking me. In a way, they are a lighthouse to guide me to a safe shore of that current chapter in life.

Bayer’s latest is no exception to that magical thing that happens to me. I hope it heals you too.

Listen to Andrew Bayer‘s brand-new album, A Light That Guides Weary Travellers Home, by hitting the ‘Play‘ button on the Spotify player below. Also, click here to support the release on your platform of choice. Be sure to follow our page to stay up to date on the latest news and views regarding our beloved Dance music industry.

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AURA

AURA represents the connection between Lens and the crowd. She states that music has always been her escape, and that she is able to create new things with those emotions. Lens has always been proud of her raver roots. Since she was younger, the artist has been able to create introspective worlds inside her mind while at nightclubs to find unlimited freedom. As a result, this album reflects on her journey.

The album reflects on the balance she has thoroughly achieved in her life. She expresses that the album reflects her life experiences, starting in smaller nightclubs and driving into the night for different gigs, and of course, to bigger festivals and shows. Moreover, she has drawn inspiration from her life as a mother, founding her label, EXHALE.

Amelie achieved playfulness and lightness within a high-energy album. From ‘falling into acid dreams’ to ‘run’ and ‘4am in RSO’, the artist achieves a concoction of intimate beats, emotional vocals, and power. The album takes us through the amplified bangers and the more hypnotic rumbles.

Album Release Celebration

In celebration of the album’s release, Amelie is performing a one-off, never-done-before event in Antwerp, Belgium. She will play a set in front of the city’s KSMKA fine arts museum, with a crowd of 14,000 fans excited to hear the album played out live for the first time. For up-to-date live dates, please visit here.

Amelie Lens

Amelie Lens was born in Vilvoorde, Belgium, and raised by her grandmother from the age of five. She discovered electronic music at fifteen, after attending Dour Festival in 2005, an experience she has described as life-changing, and gave up a career in fashion modelling in 2014 to pursue music full-time.

Since then, she has become one of techno’s defining names, a regular headliner at Awakenings, Tomorrowland, Sonar and Time Warp, and the founder of two labels, Lenske and EXHALE, the latter now also a globally touring event series and the home of her monthly radio show. AURA marks her first full-length album after a decade-long career built on relentless touring, razor-sharp production, and an unfiltered commitment to the dancefloor.

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Throughout the track, ‘Damaged’ heavily incorporates euphoric trance elements over an airy and melodic vocal. Despite the melancholy lyrics and general theme of regret, the song is uplifting at its core, with gorgeous piano notes and fluttering synths coming and going in waves. The infectious energy of ‘Damaged’ keeps audiences dancing through emotional moments, and the track makes for a perfect reprieve when slotted into an intense live set.

Within the context of Panic Attack, ‘Damaged’ further raises expectations for the already exciting album and exemplifies Eli Brown‘s range as a modern techno artist as he showcases the track’s stylistic differences from previous singles ‘Electrify’ and ‘It’s Like That.’

Eli Brown’s Panic Attack tour commences September 25th in Miami and concludes in London in November. For a full list of tour dates, club shows across the world and upcoming festival appearances, visit his official website.

The post Eli Brown Drops ‘Damaged,’ His Third Single from Upcoming Album appeared first on EDMTunes.

“People think dance music is superficial. But they’ve got it all wrong. The dance floor is not just a place. It’s a threshold, a ritualistic space. Where movement replaces language.”

Blending Chicago house, Detroit techno, two-step garage, acid house, and everything in between, Madonna returned to the dance floor with Confessions II—her most critically acclaimed album in over two decades and 10th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. More than a sequel to 2005’s disco-inspired Confessions on a Dance Floor, the album is an impassioned love letter to the history of dance music, propelling listeners through the emotional arc of a raging night out—from the anticipation before the first drink to the euphoria of the dance floor to the quiet reflections that arrive at sunrise. But more on that later.

As part of one of the wildest album rollouts in recent memory (a partnership with the gay dating app, Grindr, for one?), Madonna welcomed her fans to the latest edition of “Club Confessions” at Brooklyn’s Knockdown Center this past Saturday, July 11. It marked the fourth iteration of Confessions II brought to life in rave form, with previous editions hosted at The Abbey in West Hollywood, Paradis Latin in Paris, and Magazine in London, plus a surprise performance in Times Square.

Celebrating the album’s success on Instagram, Madonna shared, “My dream was to make people dance this summer!! To bring people JOY!” And that’s precisely what she did last weekend, joined by longtime collaborator Stuart Price—co-producer of both Confessions II and Confessions on a Dance Floor—alongside a stacked DJ lineup featuring Honey Dijon, Fcukers, Junior Sanchez, and Sam-E. 

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Inside Club Confessions

Fans entered the venue through a larger-than-life recreation of Madonna’s legs—yes, you read that right—and a 2000s-style speaker, as seen on the album’s first promo image. Inside, walls were covered with floor-to-ceiling patchworks of wheat paste posters in the style of Madonna’s promotional artwork seen filling the streets of cities across the United States and Europe. 

Continuing through a laser-filled, forest-themed hallway, Knockdown Center brought to life the “Good for the Soul” sequence from Confessions II: The Film, a visual project spanning the first five songs off the album that premiered at the Tribeca Festival last month. At the bar, fans were treated to Madonna-themed cocktails (thanks to her partnership with Absolut) under LED recreations of the album cover, as Fcukers opened with a high-energy set.

A little after 1 a.m., the house lights dimmed and Stuart Price took the decks. Moments later, Madonna emerged to what may have been the loudest roar Knockdown Center has ever heard, as the unmistakable intro “It’s Motha!” rattled through the warehouse. Behind them, the full-stage LED screens flashed the album’s track list, promotional visuals, and one unmistakable word in floor-to-ceiling lettering: “MADONNA.”

Madonna Hits the Stage

Madge and Price kicked off the night with “One Step Away,” a hypnotic house-inspired track with an opening manifesto that tells us what the album is all about: “The dance floor is not just a place. It’s a threshold, a ritualistic space.” A smooth transition into “Love Without Words” was met with cheers from the crowd, as the dark and sensual house track opened with another spoken-word intro from M.

What followed was neither a traditional Madonna performance, nor a traditional DJ set. Yes, Madonna sang on-and-off while dancing atop the decks during the sensual and experimental “School” (showing us just how flexible she is, even at 67 years old). And yes, Price left his indelible mark on the warehouse venue, mixing the album’s songs with old-school house classics like Marshall Jefferson’s “Move Your Body” and Mixmasters’ “In the Mix.” But what truly followed was Madonna showing us why she made this album—to make people dance. 

Despite the sea of phones, the night became a living thesis statement for Confessions II. The album wasn’t meant to be a collection of trending singles, as Price recently revealed in an interview with Attitude. “We wanted to go against the grain,” he shared, when explaining why they chose to create the nonstop mix heard on the album. As seen at Knockdown Center, Confessions II was built for packed warehouses, sweat-soaked clubs, and most importantly, strangers losing themselves on the dance floor together.

While the event was chock-full of celebrity guests, most dancing behind Madonna and the decks (Kaytranada, Pabllo Vittar, Debi Mazar, Frankie Grande, Sky Ferreira, and Kim Petras, to name a few), the real magic was in the crowd. When Madonna took the mic, declaring “Everyone here is a work of art,” it was clear even she realized that the vision behind Confessions II had become a reality. The “Danceteria” lyric tease was followed by what seemed like every person in attendance scream-singing each word of the ‘90s house-inspired track—a reaction that made her break out in laughter and surprise.

Price and Madonna played a set spanning a little under an hour. The duo covered dance heavy-hitters off the album, mixed alongside classics from M’s back catalog, before ending the set with timeless hits from the original Confessions, “Hung Up” and “Get Together.” Honey Dijon closed the night with her signature rhythmic grooves, starting off with her unreleased remix of Madonna’s 1983 classic “Physical Attraction.” Fresh off day one of her own “Love Sensation” daytime event at Knockdown Center’s outdoor venue, The Ruins, she kept the warehouse moving well into the early morning.

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Confessions II: A Masterpiece Built for the Dance Floor

Be it through the album itself or its legendary promotional campaign designed specifically for the clubs and the fans that fill it, Madonna has changed the game once again—over four decades since her debut. What ultimately makes Confessions II remarkable is how deeply she immersed herself in dance music history while weaving some of the most vulnerable, biographical, and ‘confessional’ songwriting of her career into its fabric.

Her reverence for dance music is reflected in the multitude of sub-genres present on the album, the creative samples used throughout (Lil Louis’s “French Kiss” on “I Feel So Free,” Inner City’s “Good Life” on “Bring Your Love,” Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” on “Danceteria”), and across the album’s production credits.

Confessions II is produced by Price and Madonna herself, with additional credits to some of EDM’s heavy hitters. Martin Garrix co-produced “Bizarre,” a synth-pop club track that the Dutch superstar has been performing ever since its debut at the Barclays Center in June. PARISI, the Italian electronic music duo, provided additional production on four of the album’s tracks: “Love Without Words,” the Sabrina Carpenter duet “Bring Your Love,” the hard-hitting “Everything,” and the downtempo “Betrayal.” And while not on the main album, Honey Dijon’s remixes of “Bring Your Love” are featured on the remix package, Confessions II: Afterhours Edition, alongside “Love Sensation” remixes by Floorplan and Saltue. 

This is an album that undoubtedly deserves a full listen from start to finish. Lyrically, the album features some of Madonna’s most vulnerable and introspective songwriting to date: a heart-to-heart with her daughter (“The Test”), a scathing rebuke of her stepmother (“Betrayal”), the grief of losing her brother (“Fragile”), reflections on her early life as a struggling artist in New York (“L.E.S. Girl”), memories of the chaos that characterized her marriage to Sean Penn (“Bizarre”), and an autobiographical retelling of the friends and artists who shaped her creative life (“Danceteria”).

But the album’s structure is what truly makes it shine. Sequenced as a continuous DJ set, Confessions II unfolds as both a night out and a reflection on Madonna’s life, with each chapter of the evening mirroring a different emotional moment in her story.

“I Feel So Free” through “One Step Away” captures the anticipation of a legendary night and the rush of excitement heading to the club. “Bring Your Love” to “Read My Lips” throws the club doors wide open with the joyful bliss of dance floor happiness and the community that comes with it.

The run from “Everything” to “Bizarre” might be one of her best, raising the energy to peak euphoria when the vibes are just right and the energy reaches its pinnacle. “School” shifts into the more experimental, grimy sounds of the afterparty, while “Fragile” becomes the night’s ‘crying on the dance floor’ moment.

The album’s four final tracks, “My Sins Are My Savior” to “L.E.S. Girl,” represent the quiet moments that follow a great night—the reflective Uber ride home, the sun rising over the city, the birds chirping as a new day arrives—and the thoughts that inevitably accompany it.

It’s rare these days that an album takes its listeners on a true journey, both musically and metaphorically. But Madonna does just that here. Instead of chasing contemporary pop trends or taking a stab at radio-friendly pop EDM (as previously heard on 2012’s MDNA), Madonna not only invites us into her world, she reconnects with the underground that shaped her own. House, techno, garage, acid, disco—Confessions II celebrates dance music in its purest forms. Forty-three years into one of pop music’s most decorated careers, she remains a student of the dance floor as much as its queen.

She may not be the first artist that comes to mind when people think of rave culture. But perhaps she should be. Even for one night in Brooklyn, Madonna reminds us that she never truly left the dance floor. And Confessions II is a reminder that long before dance music conquered the mainstream, Madonna was helping bring it there. If this album proves anything, it’s that her relationship with dance music has always been one of participation and admiration, rather than imitation or capitalization. She’s always spoken the language of dance music. Confessions II is simply her most fluent conversation with it in decades… if not her entire career.

So go on, meet Madonna on the dance floor and give Confessions II a worthwhile listen.

The post Madonna Brings ‘Confessions II’ to Life at Knockdown Center’s ‘Club Confessions’ appeared first on EDMTunes.

Over the years, Hardwell has remained one of electronic music’s defining festival artists. From shaping the big room boom of the 2010s to reintroducing harder and more techno-driven sounds into his recent sets, the Dutch producer continues evolving while staying connected to his roots.

The new remix EP reflects that evolution perfectly. Each track explores a different side of festival music while still keeping Hardwell’s signature mainstage energy at the center.

‘Countdown 2026’ – Hardwell & MAKJ

The EP opens with ‘Countdown 2026’, a refreshed version of the explosive collaboration between Hardwell and MAKJ. The track leans heavily into aggressive festival synths, punchy kicks, and dramatic buildups designed for massive crowds.

Even years after its original release, ‘Countdown’ still feels built for peak-time mainstage moments. However, this updated version adds a sharper modern production style that fits today’s harder festival sound.

‘How We Do’ (NLW Remix)

Next comes the NLW remix of ‘How We Do’ by Hardwell and Showtek. The remix keeps the original’s energetic identity alive while adding a more groove-focused and modern big room approach.

NLW brings cleaner drops and tighter percussion to the track. As a result, the remix feels both nostalgic and current at the same time. Fans of classic festival EDM will likely connect with this one immediately.

‘Not Alone’ (Bass Modulators Remix)

One of the standout moments on the EP arrives with the Bass Modulators remix of ‘Not Alone’ by Hardwell and Dyro.

The track shifts fully into hardstyle territory with massive kicks, emotional melodies, and an intense drop built for late-night festival crowds. Bass Modulators injects the remix with raw energy while still preserving the emotional atmosphere of the original record.

The combination of Dyro’s melodic influence and Bass Modulators’ hardstyle production creates one of the heaviest moments on the project.

‘Encoded’ (2ACES Remix)

Closing the EP is the 2ACES remix of ‘Encoded’, one of Hardwell’s early career classics.

Rather than completely reinventing the track, 2ACES modernizes it with updated sound design and a faster, more aggressive edge. The remix balances nostalgia with contemporary festival production, giving longtime Hardwell fans a fresh take on a beloved anthem.

Hardwell Continues Evolving His Sound

Across all four tracks, the remix EP showcases the different genres and styles currently shaping the festival circuit. From big room and progressive influences to hardstyle energy, the project highlights Hardwell’s ability to bridge multiple corners of electronic music.

At just 12 minutes and 52 seconds long, the EP delivers a quick but high-energy listen packed with festival-ready moments. More importantly, it reminds fans why Hardwell remains one of dance music’s most influential mainstage artists.

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Blending euphoric dance production and heartfelt songwriting, OASIS marks Walker’s most expansive body of work
to date. At the center of the album is the focus track ‘Us,’ a summery collaboration with multi-platinum
country artist Dustin Lynch. Built around soaring melodies and an anthemic energy, the track captures the spirit of
the album’s larger sonic world.

Oasis

Country/Dance Pop never felt this good; the LP focuses on strong vocal appearances. Featured vocalists include Zeke Finn, Bryce Vine, VAVO, Derek Fein, Jazara, Josie Dunn, Danielle Bradberry, Maryon King, salem ilese, and Nathan Nicholson. Strong emotions build up through the guitar arrangements throughout the album. Moreover, inspiring arpeggios and energizing synths build into main-stage euphoria.

Throughout OASIS, Walker joins forces with coveted producers, including electropop duo TELYKAST, Trio Good Humans, RYOS, and Steerner. Each artist brings their fresh and special take on the themes of freedom that Frank Walker expresses within the album. Tracks such as ‘Ocean Eyes’, ‘Sky’, and ‘Run with the Sun’ express how your loved one can make you feel free and powerful. Meanwhile, songs like ‘Find My Way’ and ‘My Blood’ focus on the empowerment one can find with music itself.

The album balances out all the feel-good lyrics with stronger and more realistic emotions, seen in tracks like ‘Desperado’, ‘Remember Us’, ‘All Cried Out, and ‘Can’t Take It’. The ending track, ‘What Love Feels Like’ recruits the harmonious and stunning vocals of Nathan Nicholson. Inspiring through his powerful projection, the song explodes in pure bliss. It perfectly closes out the LP.

Frank Walker in 2026

It’s been a banner year for Frank Walker, who graced the mainstage at Ultra Miami. In addition, he cracked the Top 10 at Canada Top 40 with ‘Lay It On Me’ with Josh Ross and Norma Jean Martine. Most recently, he dropped a collab with Timmy Trumpet and legendary dance vocalist John Martin called ‘All My Life.’

The post Frank Walker Connects With Deeper Melodies In New Oasis LP appeared first on EDMTunes.

When his historic In Search of Sunrise remix of Delerium’s ‘Silence’ dropped in 2000, it became an international phenomenon, paving the way for his debut solo album In My Memory (2001). Tracks like ‘Lethal Industry’ and ‘Suburban Train’ defined an era, ultimately making him the first solo DJ to sell out stadium-scale shows and perform live at the Olympic Games. For millions of day-one headliners, Tiësto was trance.

The wait is officially over. During a chat with DJ Mag during EDC Vegas, Tiësto confirmed a full-length trance studio album, marking his first dedicated exploration of the genre in a generation. His most recent trance productions include popular hits ‘Bring Me To Life’, ‘Beautiful Places’, and the soon-to-be-released ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’.

“My connection to dance music has never been stronger. Playing these new sounds live and feeling the energy from the crowd has been unbelievable! It’s pushed me into this new era… This moment feels more authentic and exciting than ever.”

-Tiësto

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Tiesto recently played a trance set at EDC Las Vegas, teasing new IDs and his exciting return to his roots:

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