Change is a double-edged sword. Though we keep pushing forward on the premise that standing still means trailing behind, we remain fearful of the unknown and how it may disrupt all we feel comfortable with. It's the same with music. We laud artists for breaking new ground, yet we're hesitant about accepting new styles because we're scared it might irrevocably change the sound we love. With 'A State of Trance Year Mix 2023', the twentieth installment of the annual year mix series, Armin van Buuren shows that it's not a matter of choosing between the old and the new.
With its diverse and innovative, yet legacy-upholding selection of 111 tracks, the year mix of 2023 exhibits that the future of music doesn't demand renouncing the past. Featuring productions from the likes of Armin van Buuren, AVIRA, Bryan Kearney, Chicane, Eelke Kleijn, Ferry Corsten, Gareth Emery, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Miss Monique, Laura van Dam, Rank 1 and Ruben de Ronde, the mix album exemplifies that ingenuity doesn't need to come at the cost of a beating heart.
Whether in music or anywhere else, technological advancement will never function without a soul like ours. And it will never be able to replicate our union in A State of Trance.
