The Voices Of Trance
Have you ever wondered who the voices are behind some of the biggest trance tracks of all time? Big names like Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, ATB and Above & Beyond are well known for their lush melodies and soaring vocals. Big kudos is given to the producers of these tracks, but credit is rarely given to the vocalists.
It is not surprising that you notice the same vocalists in a string of trance hits. Their voices are as comforting as they are familiar. We have their voices in our subconscious, our memory banks……but who are they? You hear the line frequently in music circles “Ah yes, this is the same person who sung on X track….What was his/her name again?”
ROBERTA CARTER HARRISON
Roberta Carter Harrison is one such example. Personally, I believe she has one of the most distinctively beautiful voices in trance music. Originally from Canada, she is lead singer of the group the Wild Strawberries. If you mentioned that to a trance fan, you would probably get the response ‘huh’? However, if you mention the fact that she provided vocals on many ATB tracks including Let You Go, I Don’t Wanna Stop, Hold You, The Long Way Home, You’re Not Alone and most recently Swept Away, then they would definitely know who you are describing.
Hailing from just outside of Toronto, Canada, Roberta formed the group the Wild Strawberries with her husband and high school sweetheart Ken Harrison. The two set out to produce indie-pop records for the Canadian masses and have put out quite a few releases over the years. Due to creative differences with their record label Nettwerk in 1999, the Wild Strawberries ended their reliance on record labels and decided from then on to release their tracks independently. After being scooped up by ATB, the group released seven singles in Europe. “We sold more records the first week out in Germany than we did our entire career in Canada” comments Roberta. It seems the trance world is irrevocably hooked on Roberta’s distinctive vocal talent and heartfelt lyrics.
Check out this You-Tube clip from the Wild Strawberries
TIFF LACEY
Tiff Lacey is another veteran in the trance scene. She has lent her vocals to some of the biggest trance names of all time, including: ATB, Matt Darey, Paul Oakenfold, Cosmic Gate & Filo & Peri. Lacey confesses that her career actually began with a demo for the hugely successful Paul Oakenfold track ‘Hypnotized’. Lacey comments, “I sang the vocal and not much happened for a while and then I found out I would be the vocalist on the track. Suddenly I found myself with a manager and some interest in who Tiff Lacey was.” Lacey also forms part of an electro-pop band called Rubikon.
Tiff’s vocals can be found on the following tracks & more:
Paul Oakenfold – Hypnotized (2002)
ATB – Ecstasy (2004)
Headstrong – Close Your Eyes (2005)
Filo & Peri – Dance With A Devil (2005)
Matt Darey – Always (2006)
Cosmic Gate – Should’ve Known (2006)
Flash Brothers – Faith In Love (2006)
Michael Badal – Don’t Be Afraid (2008)
Check out this clip of the track that began Tiff Lacey’s career
JAN LOECHEL
One could argue that the majority of trance tracks feature female vocalists. However, if a male vocalist is to be named at all, Jan Loechel is your man. He is mostly known for his production and vocal work with 4 Strings and also features quite heavily on ATB’s last three albums Seven Years, Trilogy and Future Memories. Very few people actually know that Loechel also wrote the lyrics for 4 String’s hugely successful Take Me Away, although Vanessa Van Hemmert ended up singing them.
Jan has recently formed his own music publishing company called Sunwater Music and has written and co-written many tracks for both rock/pop and trance artists. One of his most recent projects is the collaboration with ATB in the new group JADES, which features on ATB’s latest album Future Memories.
Check out the video of Jan with ATB in the 2005 rework of 'Let U Go'
JUSTINE SUISSA
While many voices of trance have their own side projects, very few have actually formed groups with the producers they sing for, except Justine Suissa. Justine has actually received the prestigious title of ‘Queen Of Trance’ thanks to her winning an award for the Top Trance Vocalist of 2003 by the trance.nu website. Justine’s gorgeous vocals can be heard on many trance records over the years and her work with Above & Beyond on the project Oceanlab actually began by pure accident. “Justine was working in a really high-end bathroom shop opposite the Warner Brothers offices, and one day I went in to enquire after a lovely rug in the window. And there I spied this gorgeous girl behind the counter. I asked if I could get a discount on the rug if I took Justine to lunch and, amazingly, she said yes! And we became friends, although I never bought the rug - Justine bought it for Christmas for me a couple of years back. I had no idea she was a singer at the time” muses Tony from the group. Oceanlab essentially is Above & Beyond with Justine Suissa and rather than being just a feature, she is a fully fledged member of the group who co-writes and sings on all of the tracks.
Justine’s dulcet tones can be heard on many trance records over the last decade, including:
Chicane – Autumn Tactics (1999)
Armin Van Buuren – Burned With Desire (2003)
Masters & Nickson – Out There (2003)
Robbie Rivera – Float Away (2003)
Oceanlab – Satellite (2003)
Markus Schultz – Somewhere (2004)
Armin Van Buuren – Wall Of Sound (2005)
Check out a clip of Oceanlab’s first single ‘Clear Blue Water’
So next time you’re out on the dancefloor and Armin Van Buuren / ATB / Tiesto / Above & Beyond et al drops a track with a beautiful, soaring vocal, spare a thought for the voices behind the music who aren’t always in the limelight……..Would this tune be as good as it is without the awesome talents of these voices of trance music?.... I think not.
Author: Tim Little (6/09/09)