There’s a time and a place for everything, and now’s probably not the time to drop a dance-floor centric album. Consequently, Paul van Dyk has decided to put what would’ve been his upcoming artist album Guiding Light on hold. But fans aren’t getting nothing. The German trance visionary has instead chosen to release a “chill-out album,” titled Escape Reality.
The album aims to bring us on a musical journey to escape the uneventful, coronavirus-beaten reality we’re currently stuck in. Meanwhile, Guiding Light will be re-scheduled for release in summer instead.
The album drop proves that opportunities shine at even the toughest times. A personal side-project that Paul- alongside studio partner Roger Shah- had been working on for some time, Escape Reality comes at the perfect time, “with unexpected events giving its theme a higher purpose”.
“This project was, to the greatest extent, waiting in the wings. Reality can be unkind and while this release isn’t a remedy, it might play its part in helping us to clam down, relax, dream and escape reality.”
The Tracks
Escape Reality features sixteen of his most well-known tracks, each reworked into a warmer, softer interpretation representative of a more intimate and personal musical experience. Collectively, the album marks an exciting departure from Paul’s signature style — 135+ BPM trance that raises energy levels anytime, anywhere.
A glance at the track-list proves that the album is a creative masterpiece. Sure, there are tracks like ‘The Ocean‘ featuring Arty and ‘Guardian‘, which were chill-out to begin with. But others such as ‘New York‘ and ‘The Other Side‘ truly represent Paul’s artistic flair as he uses live instruments and studio arrangements to create the dreamy sounds permeating through the album.
Featuring yet more production methods, ‘Heart Like An Ocean‘ is rebranded with an after-hours style treatment, while ‘Only In A Dream‘ represents themes of hope with its break-of-dawn vibes. And finally, ‘Music Rescues Me‘ is revived with emotional male vocals performed by longtime friend, Johnny McDaid.
Sunday Sessions
Over the past month, Paul van Dyk has definitely helped make social distancing more bearable. From PC Music Nights to his latest Sunday Sessions, Paul has continued to engage with fans through his livestreams. The next session will be coming up on April 19 at 7pm CET, so don’t forget to tune in!
Check out his latest Sunday Session below!
