Put to sea in the midst of a bustling era, the Elysian project has declared trance is still alive and well. Consisting of Ilan Bluestone, Maor Levi, and Emma Hewitt, the supergroup surfaced unannounced in April of this year with debut “Moonchild,” which witnessed three of the most formidable scene players coalesce for a new vision. Despite each artist having individually fruitful schedules, Elysian’s formation came as a no-brainer to the trio, who have all previously collaborated to varying degrees. Most of all, the collective represented the opportunity to explore uncharted territories in the form of combined idiosyncrasies. So landed Water. The inaugural EP from Elysian delivered a formidable execution of nostalgic dance music, harkening to early days of trance dominance without duplicating the beloved sound. While the eponymous track instills chops reminiscent of the vocal trance epoch, Bluestone and Levi’s mammoth “tronce” stylings breathe new life into the long-lived trope. Similarly, “Beyond The Comfort Zone” and “Moonchild” reap the euphoric cross-marriage of old and new trance forces, with rapturous female vocals clashing harmoniously with industrially-charged production. However, Elysian’s willingness to broach non-electronic spaces as witnessed in “Little Star,” shows the project’s vision is defined not by genre, but by innovation. Dancing Astronaut spoke to Elysian about the story behind their origination, 80s inspiration in “Little Star,” and more. Read the full roundtable interview and stream Water below.What’s the story behind the formation of Elysian? You’re all highly respected in the sounds you’ve carved for yourselves. What do you hope to achieve by teaming up as Elysian?How do you approach the songwriting and production process as a trio?What’s the vision behind Elysian?Despite Elysian mainly being a trance project, your new EP, Water does explore beyond that. Specifically “Little Star,” harkens to a nostalgic, more classic non-electronic sound with elements like the sax and rock ballad structures. What inspired the direction of this track? I’ve heard Elysian has a special live performance planned for when shows return. Can you give a sneak-peek of what’s to come? As prolific artists with extensive careers in the progressive and melodic trance scene, what do you feel is lacking right now? What has you excited?What’s in the pipeline for the coming months? Featured image: Lauren LuxenbergTags: Anjunabeats, elysian, Emma Hewitt, Ilan Bluestone, maor levi, Trance, Water
Categories: Features
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