On May 15, 2000, what is still considered the most iconic remix in the history of trance music was released
It often happens these days that the releases anniversaries of some of the most iconic historical trance records are being celebrated more and more frequently. This is partly because there’s a growing trend towards reviving those “old school” trance sounds, whether by new producers or legendary veterans of the genre, riding the wave of nostalgia – who reinterpret them through refined DJ sets or new releases. It’s also because the 25th anniversary marks a symbolic milestone for many tracks, and the years between the late ’90s and early 2000s are packed with records that shaped the history of the genre, as we well know.
Some of these successes, however, were born from a fusion of sounds not originally associated with trance, like the track, or rather the remix, that we celebrate today: but to tell you the story of this masterpiece, we have to go back more than twenty-five years.
Canadian artist Rhys Fulber and Austrian-Canadian Bill Leeb made their debut as Delerium in 1988 with the album Faces, Forms, and Illusions: these were the years when electronic music was embracing ambient, downtempo, and new age influences, giving rise to projects that achieved a immense international success, such as Enigma, known worldwide for the legendary Sadeness Part I from 1990, or indeed Delerium; several albums followed throughout the ’90s, leading up to one of their most iconic releases: Karma, in 1997. From this album, was released two years later the incredible track Silence, featuring Canadian singer and co-producer Sarah McLachlan.
Blending downtempo atmospheres with strong new age elements and even Gregorian chant (Gloria in excelsis Deo), Silence became the defining track of Delerium’s career.
Exactly twenty-five years ago, on May 15, 2000, on the Belgian label Yeti Records (and later on the more well-known Nettwerk), DJ Tiësto released what would go on to be recognized as the most iconic trance remix of all time: officially his remix of the track, called Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan – Silence (DJ Tiësto’s In Search of Sunrise Remix):
There is practically nothing left unsaid about this incredibile song in the twenty-five years since its release: originally born as an ambient/downtempo masterpiece by Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber (who would later continue with the project Conjure One, starting in 2002), and supported by the ethereal voice of Sarah McLachlan, Silence crossed paths with the DJ and producer from Breda who was then at the peak of his creative output. One could say that, although Tiësto was already highly regarded in the trance scene, it was the release of this remix that gave his sophisticated, elegant, and powerful trance sound the definitive boost towards global stardom, ultimately crowning him the undisputed king of trance music, at the time.
Tiësto’s remix of Silence reached the Top 20 in many international dance charts in 2000 and became a symbolic track of his career and later, of trance and electronic music as a whole.
However, this is not the only rearrangement that Tiësto has performed during his career: a few years later, released not as a remix but as a real reworking under his own name, Tiësto will get his hands on a classical symphony, already covered by previous artists, remembered as one of the most iconic songs ever for the trance genre: but this, however, is another story to tell.
The evocative and intriguing sound of Silence did not go unnoticed by other trance artists of the time: Johan Gielen and Sven Maes, under their legendary alias Airscape, released their spectacular, bringing out the incredible potential of the song, in the same year. In 2004, a new series of remixes by Above & Beyond, Marcel Woods and Filterheadz, gave new life to the track, included in the EP Silence 2004.
The anniversary of the first release of Silence Tiësto’s remix coincides with the awaited Tiësto’s awaited In Search Of Sunrise set scheduled on May 18th at EDC Las Vegas from 4:10 AM to 5:30 AM (Pacific Time Zone): from the name given to his DJ set, the same used for his legendary remix of Silence and not only, fans hope that Tiësto can perform a DJ set characterized by those unmistakable trance sounds that made him famous.
So let’s enjoy Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan – Silence (DJ Tiësto’s In Search of Sunrise Remix), from one of his legendary Tiësto in Concert performances: