The album Intensify by Way Out West, the alias of prolific producers Jody Wisternoff and Nick Warren, released in 2001, represents a true turning point between melodic trance and electronic music in its broadest sense. At the time, trance naturally intertwined with more sophisticated electronic sounds, and this work by the English duo stands as clear evidence of that evolution.
Among the singles released in 2002, Mindcircus stands out: a downtempo/breakbeat track featuring the vocals of Tricia Lee Kelshall which found its ultimate recognition through the Gabriel & Dresden remix. At that time, the Californian duo were experiencing a remarkable rise in popularity, and many of the tracks released during that period, especially under their most well-known aliases, are now considered milestones in the history of trance music. This remix is no exception.
The Gabriel & Dresden remix of Mindcircus, released on Distinct’ive Breaks, gained significant recognition within the trance scene and became one of the tracks featured on In Search of Sunrise 3: Panama, the iconic compilation mixed by Tiësto and released that same year: this inclusion further cemented its impact on the scene.
As a whole, the remix perfectly embodies, particularly in its chorus, the “complexity” that defined early 2000s trance: a complexity that helped establish trance as the most renowned and influential electronic music genre of its era: a purely trance-driven sound that embraced the rave and electronic atmospheres of the 1990s, resonating with a broad and diverse audience.
The version from the official 2002 release:
Mindcircus (Original Radio Edit) 3:33
Mindcircus (Gabriel & Dresden Radio Edit) 3:42
Mindcircus (Phunk Investigation Remix) 6:25
Mindcircus (Fred Numf vs Etienne Overdijk Remix) 6:04
Source: Discogs.com