RAM, Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Alex Di Stefano - Grotesque 350

Where else can you find a Brazilian-style carnival in Europe in the thick of December and (just to hedge our bets!) taking place in a former grain silo?!! Yes indeed, in a riotous blaze of colour, clamour and glamour Grotesque’s year-sign-off fiestas its way back into Rotterdam’s Maassilo complex this month.

For their now annual winter-weather-beating ‘Cirque du Trance’ RAM has assembled a 20+ strong DJ contingent for its four area affair. He’s been joined by two of that number to mix up the event takeaway -‘Grotesque 350’ - the album. Two for the price of one, Alexs M.O.R.P.H. & Di Stefano were the men getting the call-up and they join the Grotesque ringmaster in mixing up 350’s comp storm. Collectively they’ve delivered a trio of discs, packed to their limits with you the freshest, finest & most exclusive trance available.

From amongst its near 60-track order, you’re in line for (naturally enough!) masses from the trinity themselves. That includes ‘Youniverse’ - this year’s Grotesque event anthem (itself marking a first time studio partnering between RAM and Alex M.O.R.P.H.). Further there’s audio from a processions of legends (Paul van Dyk, Markus Schulz, Giuseppe Ottaviani to give you an idea). Heritage acts abound too - Tiësto, Hennes & Cold, Scot Project, Joy Kitikonti, to name all featuring. There’s a load more besides, with the genre’s most respected & revered (talking: Mark Sherry, Richard Durand, Simon Patterson, John Askew, PureNRG, Sean Tyas, Ferry Tayle + a host of others) bringing their studio-ware.

‘Grotesque 350’ is on the launch pad, so buckle up! The final word in your trance-year is here!   

First off the mix-blocks is RAM, who lets rip with his and Susana’s latest ‘Northern Star’, chasing it with ReOrder’s reorder of ‘Someone Like You’. Likewise, Talla 2XLC’s number comes up twice in quick succession with most recent singles ‘The World In My Eyes’ & ‘Till Tomorrow’ quick to RAM’s decks. Dan Thompson’s retake of Allure & JES’ Show Me The Way’ is deployed, before RAM pulls the trigger on his and Alex M.O.R.P.H.’s killer Grotesque 350 anthem-uplifter ‘Youniverse’. 

Mr M.O.R.P.H. opens his mix’s account with  ‘Moonrise’ - his own first venture with Mhammed El Alami. From the trance music trucker heads onto tougher sonic terrain, working Sean Tyas’ treatment of ‘Slow Emotion 2’ from Giuseppe Ottaviani into DYRM’s mix of Markus Schulz/JES collab ‘Calling For Love’. Kicking the mix up another gear, he drops his own latest (DJMag 9/10 ranked) outing ‘Running for Peace’. That in turn lights the path to his Alex’s just-out update of Kamaya Painters’ classic ‘Wasteland’ + his bespoke Grotesque 350 retell of Neelix’s ‘You Can Change The World’. M.O.R.P.H.’s mix rounds off in rousingly anthemic form through David Forbes presents Hal Stucker’s ‘Stars’ and Paul van Dyk’s reteaming with & Plumb, ‘Music Rescues Me’.

On his disc, Alex Di Stefano toughens the compilation’s sonic silhouette further still with a rapid-fire track succession, featuring no few than 21 tunes. 2nd Phase rebuild of Joy Kitikonti’s ‘Joyenergizer’ sets the bar, and from there he blazes with ‘Keep Moving’ from HP Source, Grotesque A&R Daniel Skyver’s ‘A Bolt From The Blue’ and his own ‘Fast Forward’. The midpoint of the mix is marked by Scot Project & Mark Sherry’s ‘Acid Air Raid’, before Grotesque 350 hits its home straight with Sherry x Durand pairing ‘Cosmic Dawn’, ‘Midnight Oil’ from John Askew, and - for its final action - Simon Patterson revision of Astrix’s ‘Take A Shot’.

‘Grotesque 350’ - the album is available online, through physical stores and via streaming sites