[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzmLnGWzqtw&w=680&h=491]

Dutch superstar-DJ Ferry Corsten has always been one of my favourite Djs/Producer so it was pretty hard to choose which track to write about. With some 20 aliases and several huge collaborations in projects like Vimana & Gouryella (with Tiesto), Veracocha (with Vincent De Moor) & Starparty (with Robert Smit).

After some thinking I ended up with one of his first major hits. I’m talking about Moonman – Galaxia.

The track, released back in 1996 was on Ferrys first major chartrelease, Moonman – Don’t Be Afraid, but only as a B-side. Before the Moonman-project, Ferry had released some other tracks in various styles, including Gabber. With the success of Moonman, Ferry took the step into Club-House and Trance.

People who bought Don’t Be Afraid loved Galaxia more than the original so the record-company decided to release Galaxia in 1996 as a single, now with remixes by DJ Errik, Quattara & Crimson Dawn. It was even released as a vocal track with vocals from Chantal.

The really big breakthrough came in 2000 with the Solar Stone remix which was the version most major Djs played and is still playing.

A fun fact about Galaxia is that Ferry remade it as a chillout-track called ”symphonic remake” that was played before the ceremony at his wedding in 2002. The same version is also included on his Infinite Euphoria compilation released back in 2004.

Moonman only released 3 singles, the last single was First Light and released in 1997.

1997 also saw Ferry and producer partner Robert Smit starting their own label dedicated to dance music, Tsunami.. Tsunami was a sublabel to Purple Eye Entertainment b.v. On the label, Ferry released most of his major releases, including System F & Gouryella.

From 1998 and onward, Ferrys biggest project was System F. The first single, Out Of The Blue became an instant hit and also the title of the first album.

The single, first released as a white label in december of 1998 had its official release in 1999 with some remixes. But all major Djs only played the original. Later in 1999, Ferry released a version called 5AM Remix which also got some major airplay.

Out Of The Blue is one of those tracks where you sing along with the non-excisting lyrics, usually a major goosebump-moment!

A cool fact is that superstar-DJ Paul Oakenfold had the original white label but lost it before hearing it. After hearing other Djs played it, he had to have it so he bought it off a friend for 1.500 Dutch Guldens (now about € 750,-).

The second System F-single, Cry (together with Robert Smit) featured vocalist Saskia Lie-Atjam came out in 2000 with remixes from Ferry Corsten, Oliver Lieb & Rank 1 just to name a few. The single toped some charts including #20 in the UK charts.

The next major release was under the Gouryella-moniker (together with Tiesto. Their first single, Gouryella was released in May 1999 and came with an awesome Armin Van Buuren-remix, simply namned Armix. The single reaced #15 in the UK charts.

The second single, Walhalla also became a chart-stomper with a #27 position in the UK charts. The original was without vocals but was later re-released with vocals from Rachel Spier.
IMHO, the vocals ruin the track and I prefer the non vocal version.

In the beginning of 2000, Gouryella released Tenshi, and after this track, Tiesto left the project. There was also a fourth single, Ligaya released in 2002, but this time Ferry was alone. It featured Patty Gaddum on vocals.

Another project worth mentioning is Veracocha (together with Vincent De Moor). They only released two track, Carte Blanche and Drafting in 1999. Carte Blanche made a huuge impact on the trance-scene and is still getting fresh remixes but IMHO, the original is the best.

From 2001, Ferry put most of his effort into the System F-project and saw the release of his first album, Out Of The Blue which featured so many classics.

Tracklist:

1. Lost In Motion
2. Indian Summer
3. Out Of The Blue
4. Elevate
5. Insolation
6. Cry
7. Needljuice
8. Soul On Soul
9. Exhale
10. Solstice
11. Mode Confusion
12. Cry Unplugged

The same year also saw the release of the singles, Exhale (with Armin Van Buuren), Soul On Soul (with singer Marc Almond) and Dance Valley Theme, all major hits.
In 2002, System F released Solstice and Needle Juice and the year also saw the first release under his own namn, Ferry Corsten with the single, Punk.

The year after still saw some System F-releases like Together / Ignition, Sequence, Start!, Spaceman and Spread Your Wings / Reaching Your Soul aswell as the first Ferry Corsten Album, Right Of Way.

Tracklist:

1. ”Sublime” – 7:46
2. ”Whatever!” – 4:47
3. ”Rock Your Body, Rock” – 5:15
4. ”Right of Way” – 7:46
5. ”Kyoto” – 6:10
6. ”Holding On (feat. Shelley Harland)” – 3:47
7. ”Sweet Sorrow” – 6:15
8. ”Hearts Connected” – 6:37
9. ”Punk” – 4:45
10. ”It’s Time” – 5:22
11. ”Show Your Style (feat. Birgit)” – 3:10
12. ”Star Traveller” – 6:13
13. ”Skindeep” – 3:44
14. ”In My Dreams” – 6:03

Punk, Rock Your Body, Rock and It’s Time became huge chart-successes in the UK.
2004 saw the release of the singles Everything Goes, Right Of Way and Sweet Sorrow
.
In 2005, Ferry started his own label, Flashover Recording and the single Fire was the first on the new imprint. Fire featured Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran-fame on song.

They year after, the second Ferry Corsten album saw the light of day, L.E.F. The title of the album stands for Loud Electronic Ferocious and sees Ferry going deeper into the electro-trance-path that he took with the first album. It features a new version of Punk with new vocals by Guru (of Gang Starrfame) called Junk. Junk did well in the charts, including the dutch chart where it was featured in the top 20. The album also featured Into The Dark (with Howard Jones on vocals) which is an alltime classic IMHO.

In 2007, Ferry premiered his own radio show, Corstens Countdown. It also saw the first version of Full On Ferry-event.

The third album, Twice In A Blue Moon, released in september 2008 had its official release at the second Full On Ferry-gig. It featured the singles Brain Box, We Belong (with Maria Nayler on vocals), Radio Crash & Made Of Love (with Betsie Larkin on vocals).

My favourite from the album is without no doubt Made Of Love. The track were supposed to be an instrumental but Ferry felt that it needed vocals after testplaying it on some gigs.

The album came out as a remixed album, called Twice In A Blue Moon Remixed with remixes from Rafael Frost, Lange, Solarstone, Ummet Özcan, Ashley Wallbridge and Markus Schulz just to name a few.

Meanwhile doing all his tracks, Ferry has been busy remixing other peoples material. Here is just a few picks:

Apoptygma Berzerk – Kathy’s Song
Art of Trance – Madagascar
Ayumi Hamasaki – WHATEVER
Bobina – Invisible Touch (Ferry Corsten’s Touch)
BT – Force Of Gravity (Ferry Corsten Remix)
BT – Suddenly (Ferry Corsten’s Fix)
Corderoy – Sweetest Dreams (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Cosmic Gate – The Truth (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Duran Duran – Reach Up For The Sunrise (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Embrace – Embrace
Faithless feat. Boy George – Why Go (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Faithless feat. Dido – Feelin Good (Ferry Corsten Fix)
Kai Tracid – Conscious (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Kamaya Painters – Endless Wave (Albion Remix)
The Killers – Human
Markus Schulz – Do You Dream (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Matt Darey presents Mash Up – Liberation (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Moby – In My Heart
Moby – Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad
Nelly Furtado – Do It (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Novastar – Because The Remix
Oceanlab – Clear Blue Water
Rank 1 – Awakening (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Shiny Toy Guns – Le Disko (Ferry Corsten Remix)
Solarstone-Late Summer Fields(Ferry Corsten Remix)
Tiësto – Kaleidoscope (Ferry Corsten Remix)
U2 – New Year’s Day
William Orbit – Barber’s Adagio for Strings
William Orbit – Ravel’s Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte (Ferry Corsten Remix)

2011 saw the release of 3 new singles, Feel It & Check It Out. It also saw the collaboration between Ferry and old friend Armin Van Buuren for the single Brute.

The latest album, WKND, released in 2012 features some promising new vocal tracks. I’m guessing that 2012 will be a ”ferry” big year for Ferry and hopefully it won’t be the last you hear from him.

Related tracks:

Moonman – Galaxia (Symphonic Remake)
Moonman – Galaxia (Vocal Edit)
System F – Out Of The Blue
System F – Cry (Rank 1 Remix)
Gouryella – Walhalla
Veracocha – Carte Blanche
Ferry Corsten feat Betsie Larkin – Made Of Love
Ferry Corsten feat Howard Jones – Into The Dark
Ferry Corsten & Armin Van Buuren – Brute