First State changes course on new artist album Changing Lanes
Black Hole Recordings has a sixth sense when it comes to discovering talented artist. That’s a given, considering the label’s impressive catalogue. The series of artist albums emerging from the Black Hole Recordings roster is not only nodding heads in The Netherlands; these successful albums enjoy foreign success and are spoiling the international musical taste buds time after time. The most recent offering comes from the highly acclaimed project First State, who proves by releasing the album Changing Lanes the well of Dutch quality trance producers is nowhere near empty.
Behind the First State project goes a man whose name belongs to the highest regions in trance hierarchy nowadays: Sander van Dien. Starting off as a two man project - co-producer Ralphie B, known for his monster hit Massive, left the project in 2009 -, First State cemented its place amongst the champions in the trance and progressive scene. First State productions invariably claim a spot in DJ sets and radio show play list of the biggest of the biggest, amongst others Armin van Buuren’s A State Of Trance show and Tiësto’s award winning radio show Club Life.
During the last three years, Sander van Dien expanded his personal catalogue with international First State releases like Falling (featuring Anita Kelsey), Evergreen, Your Own Way (featuring Elliot Johns), the Beatport #1 single Off The Radar and My Sanctuary, which Richard Durand personally handpicked to be his opening track for his In Search Of Sunrise 8 compilation. When it comes to remixes, Sander van Dien has earned massive credit by producing reworks for the likes of Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Filo & Peri and 4 Strings.
As a DJ, Sander van Dien was to regularly be found in the booth of notable events like Trance Energy, Gatecrasher, Godskitchen, Tomorrowland and many more. During the course of his career, his DJ abilities have been archived on one of the episodes of the infamous In Trance We Trust compilation series, an honor only within reach of the biggest artists in the scene.
The album Changing Lanes marks the second album for the talented First State, after the well received debut release Time Frame in 2007. Changing Lanes not only represents a change of course in a musical sense, it also reflects the new direction since Sander van Dien took on First State as a solo project. Changing Lanes offers a unique blend of quality EDM with a brilliant fusion of indie rock & pop vocals and handpicked electronic elements that deliver a unique taste of First State’s groundbreaking magical sound. Twelve fantastic, well balanced trance and progressive songs are to be found on Changing Lanes on which First State receives vocal back up by a.o. Elliot Johns and Sarah Howells.
Track list:
01. My Sanctuary
02. Exeo
03. Surrounds Me (featuring Elliot Johns)
04. Cape Point
05. Cross The Line (featuring Relyk)
06. Mojave
07. Reverie (featuring Sarah Howells)
08. Butterfly Effect
09. Breathe On Me (featuring Elliot Johns)
10. Brave (featuring Sarah Howells)
11. Primate
12. As You Were
As of today, First State - Changing Lanes is available in music stores worldwide, online on a.o. Amazon and blackholeshop.com. In digital format, the album is available on a.o. iTunes and Beatport.
Links:
Enhanced Recordings official website
Black Hole Recordings official website
Capitan official website
