The two icons of uplifting trance and the legendary voice of the American vocalist join forces for a track together
The careers of some music producers often follow such distinct and captivating paths that the potential of a collaboration between them may go unnoticed. This is the case with Richard Durand and Ciaran McAuley, who, until now, had never joined forces to create a track together, despite crossing paths vwith a remix two years ago (Richard Durand’s It’s Not Too Late, 2023). That moment, however, now seems to have arrived, with the addition of JES, an artist who, after a long career filled with personal successes and collaborations with top-tier DJs and producers, is currently experiencing yet another artistic rebirth.
But let’s take it step by step: Richard Durand has been topping trance fan charts for years, consistently releasing purely trance productions year after year. Although he has been a prominent figure in the trance scene since the early 2000s – with high-quality releases on Black Hole Recordings and Magik Muzik – the true breakthrough in his career came in 2018 with Christina Novelli and their track The Air I Breathe, which was voted #1 by A State of Trance listeners that year (and followed by Save You the next year, which ranked #2). Since then, as mentioned, he hasn’t slowed down.
Ciaran McAuley, on the other hand, is one of the most charismatic faces of uplifting trance in recent years. Even in this first half of 2025, he has already gifted us with a few standout tracks from his upcoming album: The Party (with Shelby Merry), Not Letting Go (with Roger Shah and Sue McLaren), You’re Enough (with Christian Burns) and Hurricane (with Nicholas Gunn and Audrey Gallagher).
Alongside one of the most iconic trance voices of all time, Jes Brieden – who recently released the vocal pop track What If – their upcoming track Separate Ways will soon be released on Black Hole Recordings. The track was premiered this past Thursday by Armin van Buuren during episode 1230 of A State Of Trance:
Needless to say, it’s already shaping up to be one of the most beloved tracks of 2025, blending an iconic and instantly recognizable voice with deeply uplifting atmospheres and a powerful trance drop. All the right ingredients are in place; now we just have to wait for the release date.
Keep an eye on these three artists: 2025 might still hold some incredible surprises from each of them !