Almost four years after its release, the remix of the legendary early ’90s trance record is still featured in both trance and non-trance playlists and charts, breaking several records along the way
During the summer four years ago, two of the most influential figures in the recent techno scene, Charlotte de Witte, a true Belgian icon of electronic music in recent years, and her partner, Italian producer Enrico Sangiuliano, decided to revive a cornerstone of ’90s electronic music: The Age Of Love. What initially seemed like a successful musical experiment driven by the producers’ nostalgia, soon revealed itself to be something far more substantial and unexpected.
The desire among many producers to rediscover and reinterpret the great classics of electronic music has become a well-established trend, enriching DJ playlists worldwide for over two decades: after all, it’s undeniable that many of the timeless anthems in genres such as trance, techno, or house originated in the ’80s and ’90s, an era that laid the foundation for electronic music as we know it, giving shape to unforgettable melodies. The success of these tracks, however, isn’t just rooted in their original musical value, but also in today’s context: the evolution of taste, emerging trends, and what audiences currently want to hear – often transcending traditional genre boundaries – all contribute to breathing new life and, more importantly, new success into these remakes.
Age Of Love, for those unfamiliar, is the name of the French-Italian project that, back in 1990, gave birth to one of the first tracks ever labeled as trance music. Bruno Sanchioni and Giuseppe Chierchia (who passed away last year at age 71) produced the track that bore the same name as their project. Its legacy was amplified two years later by the legendary Watch Out For Stella Club Mix by Jam & Spoon, the most famous version of the track, which went on to become a trance anthem.
Fast-forward to 2021, specifically to its release date on August 13th: Charlotte de Witte and Enrico Sangiuliano presented their new version of the track, on DIKI Records Classics label: born during the 2020 lockdown – as the two said – while not overly reworked compared to the original record of 1990, it quickly became clear that the blend of a techno kick drum – reminiscent of late ’90s hard trance – and the evocative progressive-trance atmospheres of the original was remarkably effective. The track saw immediate success on dance floors across Europe and became one of the standout tracks of the second half of 2021:
Almost four years after the release of their remix, we won’t dwell on the never-ending debate about genre classifications, the purity of trance, or whether this track truly fits within that genre. What matters is what has happened since: the The Age Of Love (Charlotte de Witte & Enrico Sangiuliano Remix) has become one of the most played tracks at festivals and DJ sets around the world in recent years, and it continues to be a major presence at trance events today.
On the Beatport Trance Top100 – the leading platform for DJs, producers, and electronic music enthusiasts – the remix has remained consistently present since its release, spending years among the top ten best-selling tracks in the genre. To our knowledge – and excluding rare re-entries due to special events – no other track has managed to stay on the charts for so long in recent years.
Even today, the track is still played at events as an irreplaceable anthem, appearing frequently at major trance festivals. It has been heard multiple times at both mainstream trance events like A State Of Trance festival, and more niche gatherings like Luminosity Beach Festival, which is historically known for its dedication to pure trance. In short, the remix by Charlotte de Witte and Enrico Sangiuliano has been played virtually everywhere: It’s evident that, beyond the barriers imposed by record labels, which are sometimes restrictive to the success of potentially valuable tracks, many DJs and producers worldwide have recognized the potential of the remix.
The existence of such a powerful remix – techno at heart but heavily influenced by hard trance – has divided or united the purists of the trance scene, a genre that in recent years has increasingly embraced techno-infused sounds. One thing is certain: with this track, Charlotte de Witte and Enrico Sangiuliano seem to have passed an unexpected test of time with flying colors, one that will likely continue to yield legendary results.