A new musical adventure begins for the Rainbow duo, after a series of various trance successes
The second boss of A State Of Trance emerges from yet another long year filled with successes and fresh developments. Under his NRG2000 alias, Ruben de Ronde has opened a new chapter in his career, marked by a revival of late-90s and early-2000s trance sounds, a trend that has increasingly taken hold in the trance scene lately. This new project has already brought collaborations with Ferry Corsten (New Inner Way and Rise Up) and the legendary Mauro Picotto (Check This Out). More tracks and collaborations under the NRG2000 name are expected throughout 2026, though not exclusively tied to this alias.
Ruben, in any case, has never abandoned his progressive trance roots,evident in this year’s releases such as Brim with MRPHLNDR and Free Falling with UUFO and Nikol Apatini. Many of his biggest and now iconic productions belong to that subgenre of trance of which he has become a definitive representative.
Among these is a track that has become truly legendary in the trance landscape of the past decade: Rainbow with Estiva. Released in 2018, it has become an essential and irreplaceable staple at virtually all major trance events in recent years.
Ruben has developed a strong artistic connection with Estiva over time, thanks to their remarkable musical affinity. Beyond Rainbow (and Intergalactic released the previous year together with Rodg), it seemed only natural that more collaborations would eventually emerge. The producer from Reeuwijk has, over the past years, established himself as a top-tier figure in the progressive scene in the Netherlands and beyond, often blending his unmistakable style with projects leaning toward progressive house, particularly through releases on Colorize (Enhanced Music). On this label at the end of April, Steven released his album Embrace, an important and interesting work tat perfectly describes his new musical development.
During the special B2B set between Ferry Corsten and Ruben de Ronde last February at Ahoy Rotterdam for A State Of Trance 2025, the two artists played some of their major hits together, as well as new tracks from their personal catalogues and fresh collaborations. Among these was ArenA, the powerful new collaboration between Ruben de Ronde and Estiva. We heard this track during that iconic moment, but it wasn’t actually the first time: ArenA had already been played the year before during Ruben de Ronde’s set at ASOT 2024 Destination, where many fans first got a taste of its energy.The track is set to be released soon (and is already featured on the A State Of Trance Ibiza 2025 Compilation) under their brand-new alias: EBENEZER. This project name made its console debut back in November 2023 at Dreamstate SoCal
The track flawlessly blends the techniques the two Dutch producers have honed in their recent releases, delivering a fully progressive sound defined by rising harmonies and melodies, punctuated by forceful driven drops.
Ebenezer will also be one of the names featured at next year’s event celebrating the 25th anniversary of A State Of Trance at Ahoy Rotterdam, where the duo will showcase not only Arena but undoubtedly other new tracks we can’t wait to dance to and enjoy.