Today, if you ask trance listeners if they have heard of Gouryella, you may get the proverbial deer-in-the-headlights look more often than not. With the rise of new music producers and DJ’s exploding into the dance scene at an unprecedented rate, it can be hard to keep up. But chances are, if you have been in the electronic dance music scene for more than a decade, Gouryella, a Dutch duo started by Ferry Corsten and DJ Tiesto, is a household name for you. With tracks like Walhalla, Gouryella, Tenshi and Ligaya played by the biggest DJ’s across the globe throughout the early 2000’s, and remixed by mega producers such as Armin Van Buuren, Rank 1, ATB, Transa and Scooter, Gouryella brought high credibility for their uplifting trance creations. Fans all over the world, whether raving in warehouses, dancing in the club or even at a house party, embraced the sound of Gouryella and the emotional energetic pull it resonated. During a time when trance music was actually trance music, Gouryella guaranteed to take listeners on a journey of personal surrender – the familiar sentiment of being in a state of “trance”, for which the genre is popularly named after. The music had such magnetism, manifesting as a universal unspoken language with an ability to take the mind, body and soul through a voyage that was simply cosmic. When Gouryella and Walhalla were released in 1999, both became Gold records; the dance community craved that undeniably authentic sound.

 

Recently, I asked a southern California trance veteran what he missed the most from the old days. His answer: “That’s easy, the music. In the beginning, when producers created a trance song, there was a certain energy and love mixed into it. Like making a recipe. You could always feel it, every single time. A track wasn't just a track, it was a language, an emotion, sort of leaving a thumbprint on your soul. It would release certain feelings that you just can’t get from anything else. I miss the experience and effects that good music can give you.” That is trance.

15 years later, the trance sound has morphed into something markedly different. Ferry Corsten confirmed the changes over the years, in an interview with www.youredm.com, “…there’s no journey. With so many artists packed on the festival lineup, there’s no soul anymore.” More dance music legends agree with Ferry and are starting from scratch again, with a more original sound, in stark contrast to the pop-vocal, banger sound that took trend in recent years. “The scene has become more about the popularity, production and stage rather than the music, the reason why we are all here in the first place,” said longtime dance music producer and international DJ Roger Shah.

Ferry Corsten listened to his fans’ request to resurrect Gouryella, and announced in May that Gouryella is officially back! In the same Your EDM interview from above, he stated, “It’s a combination of both of these things: the first being the real demand of die-hard trance fans that want it back. Second, it’s my own desire for the sound to change. I just want music back music in the musical sense of the word: good melodies, amazing tracks that actually tell you something other than fist pumping and jumping.”

‘Anahera’, a modern, more sophisticated sound that still captures a perfect classic trance melody, is the first released track under the alias and trance fans around the globe have wholly embraced the new Gouryella, taking to social media to thank Ferry for saving trance music. Anahera has been Beatport’s #1 track for the past 2 weeks.

 

Thank you, Ferry Corsten, for not only listening to the audience, but also speaking candidly to the public about the lack of originality today in trance music.

One final question remains, and fans want to know... will DJ Tiesto ever come back to his roots, possibly joining forces again, to complete the infamous duo, Gouryella? Only time will tell…

Words By: Jarin Love

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