The Progressive Trance duo of the moment have just gone one step further in their musical journey.
“Two minds, each with extensive knowledge in their fronts“. That’s one accurate way to describe Digital Drift, the conjoint alias of Polish legend Nitrous Oxide and English mastermind Simon Gregory. We’ve been following their craft for a while, having witnessed the release of their debut proper Digital Drift single, ‘Tension‘ almost a year to the day, and ‘Apollo‘, their follow-up tune, among others.
And well, today’s newspiece was bound to happen at some point. When you’ve got a sound like this going on, coming from the hands of two artists who have been shaping the sound of the Trance genre for well over a decade, the time simply comes. One day, the calling is heard and followed: to further consolidate the essence of the Digital Drift project with an artist album.
Droids
The first-ever Digital Drift LP was crafted with amplitude in mind, and envisions not only a ride through the duo’s sound, but a proper full meal on everything feastable about Trance. From more old-school resembling textures to mould-breaking flirts with neighbouring genres such as Melodic Techno, your Droids ticket accounts for a 70-minute-long ride through light, heavy, bright, dark, and everything in between.
Through 15 meticulously crafted pieces, you get a comprehensive listening experience, a tale primarily told by saw waves coming together to form airy pads, detuned and hard-hitting leads, and even acid droplets at times. While the vast majority of the project is exclusively Digital Drift, three tracks see the duo join forces with leading acts in the industry, namely, Sean Ryan in ‘Come Away‘, Aneym in ‘Here I Am‘, and Ruben de Ronde in ‘Sunrise‘.
Chris and Simon further explain their vision of the whole Driods chapter. As they told our site: “Our aim was to take [listeners] on a journey from beginning to end with a series of musical performances that cover everything from chilled progressive vibes, through vocal uplifting, big room and all the way back down to a euphoric finish“.
“We have worked hard over the last year to bring together a compilation of tracks which we feel encompass everything we love about trance music.”
-Digital Drift
Writer’s Picks
Let’s address the elephant in the room, first of all: I love Progressive Trance. I’ve been a follower of the genre since at least 2015, and through the years I’ve grown to adore some hidden gems of the sound. Also another huge elephant: I’m a fan of both Nitrous Oxide and Simon Gregory on their own, so having them develop a co-sound — which is essentially Progressive Trance squared — has me quite excited.
That said, my absolute favourite track on the album was ‘Nebula‘. This one is a nod to the past, everywhere you look. I guess that’s the reason why, while giving the album a listen from start to finish, this one made me open my eyes and stop everything I was doing to feel the vibe. It’s definitely one of the calmer pieces, but the sheer atmosphere it builds with the vocal beds, the toned-down pads, the Aalto-resembling legato lead, and the elegant elements in general, give the track that mid-2000s / early-2010s Progressive Trance feel. Not overwhelming, not underwhelming. Just enough. Smartly enough, though. ‘Just A Dream‘ and ‘Sunrise‘ also rank high on my list because of the depth of the breaks and how they are both able to submerge you in an eyes-closed Trance state.
Digital Drift – Droids Tracklist
- Incoming
- Never Fall Again
- Nebula
- Come Away with Sean Ryan
- Just A Dream
- Stratos
- Take Me Higher
- Here I Am with Aneym
- Sunrise with Ruben de Ronde
- Still Want More
- You Don’t Mind
- Smacked
- The Temple
- Strobe
- Droids
Final Words
We’re so glad to have two acts as huge as Nitrous Oxide and Simon Gregory keeping the Progressive Trance flame alive. It’s not easy, it’s not nearly as fashionable, and I believe that makes it even more valuable, since producing an entire album in this genre, in the current era of music, requires not only determination, but a gigantic love and passion for the sound. With that in mind, you can be sure that jumping into Digital Drift’s Droids will make you meet pure Trance of the highest order.
Listen to Digital Drift‘s debut artist album, Droids, below, as your usual Spotify player is awaiting. Otherwise, follow this link to support the release on your platform of choice. And stay tuned to our page for the latest news and views from our beloved Dance music world.