Search - Armin Van Buuren :: Universal Religion 2008

Awesome timing for new mix CD!

chuckno | Bothell, WA | 12/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was finally getting bored from all the previous mix albums released throughout the year (Tiesto, Above & Beyond, Thrillseekers, etc) and then I saw this on iTunes 5 days before it's release! I love the live mix and it should be a requirement that every DJ put out one live mix a year. You can feel the energy of the crowd and for some reason it makes the music seem that much better. I love the first two tracks as they create a great intro to one of the best sets list of the year. I would have to say "Resound" and "How Long" are my favorites with "Resound" being the best anthem-like track since Above and Beyond's "Good for Me". The version I bought on iTunes has 16 tracks and I'm not sure if Amazon is missing them or if this release doesn't include them. Find out first because the last two tracks, 15 and 16, are just as good with 16 already being on his State of Trance 2007 mix! Definitely get this album!"

Very good

Orlando Colombo | Caracas Venezuela | 02/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Armin as usual has done a great job on this mixes. I just can not stop listen to it. I strongly recommend this product for those who really like dance on the best Armin Van Buuren style."

Best Trance album in years!

Nathan Beauchamp | Oak Park, IL USA | 12/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Truly amazing trance albums come along so very rarely. This is one them. It's fantastic, and on par with some of the greatest of all time, like Oakenfold's Tranceport or Seven Ways by Paul Van Dyk. Armin Van Buren has almost gotten to this point before in State of Trance 2006, but this album really takes things to a whole new level.



I knew this was a special album half way through the first track "Another Day on the Terrace," when the audience first begins to cheer; I literally felt chills. The rhythm building into a crescendo of sound, and then the crowd clapping out the beat. I'm not normally a live music fan and prefer the more polished sound of studio albums, but sampling the live audience into this track was masterfully well done.



Each song builds off the last, making the CD feel seamless and like a complete work of art. Trance is best when served with more than just a great beat; its those small touches like the live audience, careful synthetic melodies in the background, songs that ebb and flow together, making them more than just individual tracks and into something more. Call it ecstatic trance, call it 'religious' trance, call it whatever you want, but this CD has that oh so hard to define 'it' that separates it from the rest of the track.



Now on my favorite CDs of all time list, Universal Religion is one of the most satisfying trance collections ever assembled. If you enjoy trance, this is a must, must MUST have.



Just buy it."