Etikettarkiv: rank 1

Classic FTW: Cygnus X – The Orange Theme (Bervoets & De Goeij Remix)

You very often find an artist/project that makes one hit and then disappears. The next project had 2 major hits in the trance community, 2 big tracks that defined early trance. So which track am I talking about? It’s ofcourse Cygnus XThe Orange Theme (Bervoets & De Goeij Remix).

Cygnus X started out as a project with German producers Ralf Hildenbeutel & Matthias Hoffmann in early 1993.

Matthias Hoffmann started out as an studio guitarist for artists like Quincy Jones and Sheila E but changed his musical interest after listening to dancemusic. Matthias started releasing his own material from 1988 and onwards.

He was also one of the founders of the Eye Q-label together with Sven Väth and Heinz Roth. It was also around that time that he met Ralf Hildenbeutel for the first time as Ralf worked as a studio partner for Sven Väth.

The Cygnus X-project took shape in early 1993 and released their first single, Superstring on Eye Q Records.

The first releases were an EP with Superstring and Positron and later in 1994 you saw remixes from Oliver Lieb and Cygnus X themselves. The big breakthrough for Superstring came in 2000 when Rank 1 made their famous remix. Rank 1’s remix got them a top 40 hit and peaked at no 33 in the UK chart.

Worth noticing is that Superstring (Rank 1 Remix) was the Sensation 2000 Theme.

What I really like is that Rank 1 made the track warmer than the original which is abit cold and dry. Superstring was released on a total of 26 releases and licensed to labels like Xtravaganza and Bonzai just to name a few.

cygnysx-orangetheme

Their next big track came in 1994 with The Orange Theme. By this time Ralf has already left the project.

The Orange Theme was based on the thememusic to the movie A Clockwork Orange by Walther Carlos.

The original track was pretty huge but it was first in 1999 with remixes by Ferry Corsten, Solarstone, Bervoets & De Goeij (a.k.a Rank 1) and Man With No Name that the major breakthrough came.

The new remixes also gave Cygnus X another chart position, this time at no 43 in the UK chart. I just love how the track builds and builds and then a major breakdown. Major Goosebumps!

The Orange Theme has since been remixed by many more and reworked by artists like Deadmau5
.
Cygnus X version has been released on a total of 31 versions and licensed labels like Hooj, ID&T and Bonzai just to name a few.

In 1995 Cygnus X released their only album, Hypermetrical.

A fun fact is that the album doesn’t contain Superstring at all. The only track produced with Ralf on the record is Turn Around.

The album also spawned a few singles like Kinderlied (1995), Turn Around (1995), Synchronism (1995), Hypermetrical (1996) and Positron (2002) but none of the were the range of the ever so popular Superstring and The Orange Theme.

A cool fact is that Positron became the anthem for Trance Energy 2003

Cygnus X also released Collected Works in 2003 with all the hits to date (including Superstring) plus remixes from Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buuren, Marco V, Rank 1 and Future Breeze just to name a few.

For me, the 1999/2000-remixes of Superstring and The Orange Theme were 2 tracks that defined trance when I first started listening on a major scale. I was more into house at the end of the 90’s. What fascinated me back then was the major effort the remixes put on their work. When you saw a track from Cygnus X you knew that cool remixes would follow.
And most often, it did!

Related tracks:

Cygnus X – Superstring (Original Mix)
Cygnus X – Superstring (Rank 1 Remix) [Official Video]
Cygnus X – Superstring (Oliver Lieb Remix)
Cygnus X – The Orange Theme (Original)
Cygnus X – The Orange Theme (Moonman’s Orange Juice Mix)
Cygnus X – The Orange Theme (Solar Stone Remix)
Cygnus X – The Orange Theme (Man With No Name Remix)
Cygnus X – Positron (Original Mix)
Cygnus X – Positron (Armin Van Buuren Remix)

Short Interview: Millaway


We hooked up with the predicted superstar, Millaway, in his studio in Stockholm for a quick interview.

Hi, Millaway, how are you?

I’m fine, thank you.

Are you working on something new that is soon up for release?

Yes, I have a couple of remixes that is already done and just waiting for a release date. I think some of them will be released now in December and the rest in 2013.
I’m actually working on a couple of original tracks for the next year. None of them are really finished yet since I’m working full time I’m having a hard time finishing them right now, but I will get there, eventually!

Tell us about your newly released mix of Christian Rusch’s Numb

Yeah, Future Sound of Sweden and Christian Rusch approached me, actually just a week before the deadline of the remix requests. And when I got the package I really enjoyed the track and I have enjoyed Christian’s productions in the past as well. It was really nice working with the track and I actually finished the track in time as well, one week is actually quite good for being me. It was really fun and I’m really satisfied with the result.

How long does it generally take for you to produce a tune?

It’s really different from time to time. I still have a track I started with back in 2009 and I’m still not finished with it. I’ve reworked it four times and now I have four different versions of it. I still love the melody but it’s not yet the standards I expect from myself.
I think my speed records for a track is three days. But I had to go back to it a week after and correct some minor details of it.

What inspires you the most when you’re composing: people or places?

I think it’s a mixture of both. If I leave the studio for a couple of days just enjoying the environment around me, meeting people, attending clubs usually do it for me. When I get home after a great evening and I’ve heard a really great tune with a massive drop which I like and want to reproduce myself.
I think the environment is the main source of inspiration, you can work a lot easier when you got a feeling after an experience.

Do you remember where you were when you first heard one of your own productions on the radio? How was that feeling?

It was a great feeling. The first time was on a radio station called Digitally Imported, some dj played one of my track, and it was an amazing feeling hearing a live set on a MondayBar Cruise when the dj played it.
I also had a fun experience at a store called Webhallen here in Stockholm where they played one of my tracks in the radio system in the store. I was standing in the queue waiting for the service and of course no one else noticed it, but that was the first time I actually heard it in a store and in an environment I didn’t expect.

What is the most radest support you’ve got up until now?

I think some of the biggest names is still Markus Schulz and Paul Oakendfold. But what means the most for me is actually the support from Rank1. They got me into trance several years ago. I started to listen to another of their alias, Dutch Force, and their famous track Deadline. It got me into trance, I’ve seen them live and several years later they supported my tracks in their radio show which meant truly a lot for me since I still admire them so much, it was quite unbelievable to hear them commenting on my tracks and play it.

Do you aspire to hit the decks someday, or are you pleased with the producing?

Right now I’m pleased with the producing part, cause I want to climb higher before I start DJing more. Several years ago you could actually hit the decks as a DJ and work your way up and then start to produce your own tracks.
Nowadays you have to make really good music before you start to DJ and not the opposite way around.
I’m focusing on my tracks and hopefully it leads me to more time at the decks in the future.

Thank you very much for taking your time to meet us!

Thank you for coming to my studio and visit me, hope you’ll and everyone enjoys the track!

Interview and pictures by Patric

A version of this interview and Millaways remix of Christian Rusch’s ”Numb” can be listened to in our podcast, Podgressive ep. 36.
And if you want to know even more about Millaway, check out the mix he did exclusively for bejbi.se back in 2011.