Trance news

• Best MIDI Controllers For Hybrid Studios Without Routing Headaches

  04-08-2026 01:33 via magneticmag.com
  
  The best MIDI controllers for hybrid studios need to control software instruments without treating external hardware as an afterthought. A controller can feel complete beside a laptop, then expose its limits as soon as a hardware synth or drum machine enters the setup. USB covers the computer connection, while five-pin MIDI lets the controller communicate directly with instruments that cannot host a USB device on their own.That difference becomes increasingly important as the studio grows.
  A con
  
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• Best Compact Digital Mixers: What I’d Buy in 2026

  11-08-2026 19:46 via magneticmag.com
  
  A digital mixer sounds like an excessive purchase right up until your live set has a laptop, a couple of stereo synthesizers, a drum machine, vocals, and separate monitoring all asking for a place to go. I have enough hardware connected around my own studio to know how quickly the channel count disappears, and taking that same equipment onstage adds a completely different set of problems. You need to know where every cable goes, you need access to the levels that could cause problems, and you ne
  
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• Red Axes Explain Why Tracks Still Need Time To Tell A Story

  11-08-2026 19:31 via magneticmag.com
  
  Red Axes (@redaxesofficial) have always sounded like a project built from records that were found, lived with, bent out of shape, and then sent back into the room with a new pulse. Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi started together in the post-punk and new wave world before reshaping their focus around house, disco, techno, edits, and psychedelic club music, and that background still explains a lot of why their tracks rarely feel locked to one clean category.Their Red Axes remix of Psycho Radio Vs LC A
  
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• How It Was Made: FairPlay & Roo (JO) – Al Jaw (Places & Spaces + Afro House)

  11-08-2026 19:09 via magneticmag.com
  
  Pete Tong signing a record from Jordanian producers FairPlay (@__fairplay) and Roo (JO) (@roo.music) to Places & Spaces already gives “Al Jaw” an interesting position, especially after Tong opened his IMS Ibiza set at Dalt Vila with it and later played it again at Blue Marlin. Support has also come from Black Coffee, Themba, and Robin M, giving the record considerable exposure around its August 7 release.The production itself is much less complicated than that early support might
  
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•  Ibiza Season Survival Guide for Touring Artists

  11-08-2026 19:04 via magneticmag.com
  
  Each summer, the island of Ibiza transforms from a restful island in the summer into the epicenter of the electronic music community.  For more or less five months every year, the island is less a holiday destination than it is a high-performance, flawlessly constructed performance ecosystem in which the world’s best top-billing and underground DJs, hospitality companies, promoters, and private aviation operators dance a carefully synchronized and choreographed routine. In the backgro
  
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• OBNE Beam Splitter V2 Turns One Guitar Into Three Takes

  11-08-2026 18:50 via magneticmag.com
  
  The idea behind Beam Splitter V2 is simple in the best way: make one guitar feel like it was tracked several times.Old Blood Noise Endeavors built the pedal around the sound of a guitar recorded in multiple passes, where each take has a slightly different drive character, timing feel, and placement. Instead of asking the player to recreate that in a DAW after the fact, Beam Splitter V2 puts the concept on the floor.A single input becomes three drive paths. Each path has its own Gain, Volume, and
  
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• SOUNDBOKS Lightboks Deal Brings Party Lighting Down to $200

  11-08-2026 18:44 via magneticmag.com
  
  End-of-summer party gear usually gets framed around sound.That makes sense to a point. A loudspeaker can carry a tailgate, rooftop hang, backyard party, college move-in weekend, or pre-game. But the thing people remember once the playlist is already handled is often the room itself: how it looked, how fast the energy changed, and whether the setup felt like someone actually thought about the atmosphere.That is where SOUNDBOKS Lightboks enters the conversation.The music-reactive party light is cu
  
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• Matt Fax On Jaytech, Ruben de Ronde, BT, And Creative Growth

  10-08-2026 19:29 via magneticmag.com
  
  Matt Fax (@mattfaxmusic) returns to Colorize with Innerframes, a four-track EP out August 5 that pulls together the darker, more futuristic side of his progressive sound without losing the melody and emotional detail that have followed him through the last decade of releases. Opening with “Till You Let Go,” then moving into “Tomorrow,” “High On Life” with 88Birds, and “Oddity,” the EP feels like a project rather than a loose run of singles, which i
  
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• Niall McCallum, ModeAudio’s Co-Founder, On Why Sample Packs Still Need A Human Ear

  10-08-2026 18:50 via magneticmag.com
  
  ModeAudio has built its name on royalty-free sounds that feel a little more considered than the average download folder. The company’s catalog now covers more than 400 collections, ranging from ambient textures, loops, one-shots, MIDI files, field recordings, and synth presets to more focused tools for Serum 2, Reason, Ableton Live, and other production environments. It also gives producers a few easy entry points into that world, including a free taster sound-pack page and a larger 885MB
  
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• Afriqua Talks Running His Own Career Without Waiting For Validation

  10-08-2026 18:36 via magneticmag.com
  
  Image Cred: youcancallmeo_Rebirth Records is marking 20 years with Rebirth 20 Part Two, out August 7, and the second chapter of the anniversary project digs deeper into the label’s roots, community, and creative DNA.
  The release brings together long-running Rebirth artists, hidden catalogue moments, and new reinterpretations from names including Red Axes, Darren Emerson, Soul of Hex, Elado, Valentino Kanzyani, and Afriqua, whose remix of Square Mode’s “The Wheel” appears
  
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• Shield Talks Rebirth Records, Long-Term Vision, And Rebirth 20

  10-08-2026 18:35 via magneticmag.com
  
  photos by Cosmo Rush (cosmorush_)Rebirth Records is marking 20 years with Rebirth 20 Part Two, out now as of August 7, and this second chapter looks deeper into the label’s roots, community, and creative DNA. The release brings together long-standing Rebirth artists, hidden catalog moments, and contemporary reinterpretations from names including Corrado Bucci, Chromatic Filters, Blue Mondays, Federico Baracco, Afriqua, Red Axes, Soul of Hex, Darren Emerson, Valentino Kanzyani, Ramonpang, a
  
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• Claudio Huston On Staying Grounded Inside DJ Culture

  10-08-2026 18:34 via magneticmag.com
  
  Rebirth Records is marking 20 years with Rebirth 20 Part Two, out August 7, and this second chapter looks past the most obvious anniversary names to focus on the label’s deeper relationships, hidden catalog pieces, and long-running creative community. The release features contributions from Corrado Bucci, Chromatic Filters, Blue Mondays, Matteo Gamba, Federico Baracco, Afriqua, Red Axes, Soul of Hex, Darren Emerson, Valentino Kanzyani, and Claudio Huston under his Memo Framed alias, whose
  
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• Federico Baracco Talks Confidence, Routine, And Rebirth 20

  10-08-2026 18:33 via magneticmag.com
  
  Federico Baracco‘s (@federico.baracco) Tribute” appears on Rebirth 20 Part Two, out now as of August 7, as part of the label’s 20-year anniversary project. The compilation looks deeper into the Rebirth Records catalog and community, bringing together long-standing label artists, hidden catalog pieces, and contemporary reinterpretations from names including Corrado Bucci, Chromatic Filters, Blue Mondays, Matteo Gamba, Memo Framed, Afriqua, Red Axes, Soul of Hex, Darren Emerson,
  
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• fig Releases “The Unknown,” a Melodic House Track About Finding Calm Without Answers

  10-08-2026 18:04 via magneticmag.com
  
  A lot of electronic music treats escape like the whole point.fig’s “The Unknown” works a little differently. The Nashville producer wrote the track during a stretch of life when he was trying to find a place to live, and the uncertainty around that period naturally found its way into the record. The result is not a song that pretends everything is fine. It is a track about learning how to keep moving when the next step is not clear yet.That gives “The Unknown” its e
  
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• LEWITT LCT 440 PURE Stereo Pair Review: Two Microphones, One Seriously Smart Investment

  10-08-2026 01:26 via magneticmag.com
  
  Table of ContentsOverviewLEWITT: Quietly Becoming One of Audio’s Best Success StoriesBuild Quality & DesignWhy Buy a Matched Stereo Pair Instead of Two Individual Microphones?SpecificationsWho Is This Stereo Pair For?Setting Them Up Inside Your DAWXY RecordingORTFSpaced Pair (A/B)Mid/Side?What Audio Interface Do You Need?Final ThoughtsOverviewThe Lewitt LCT 440 Pure stereo pair might just be the solution you have been looking for or didn’t know you needed! Stereo recording has qu
  
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• Roland Keeps the 808 Moving Forward

  08-08-2026 22:46 via magneticmag.com
  
  The TR-808 is one of those rare instruments that stopped belonging to the company that made it almost as soon as artists got their hands on it.Roland released the TR-808 Rhythm Composer in 1980, and the machine’s strange version of realism became its superpower. The kick did not sound like a real kick. The cowbell did not sound like a real cowbell. The whole thing sat in an uncanny space between imitation and invention, which is exactly why it kept spreading.Roland’s 808 Day 2026 cel
  
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• Factory Town Reveals Full Lineup for Hocus Pocus 2026:

  08-08-2026 00:41 via magneticmag.com
  
  Miami’s biggest Halloween celebration is officially taking shape. Factory Town and Insomniac have unveiled the complete lineup for Hocus Pocus 2026: <Dystopia Halloween>, returning to Hialeah’s sprawling nightlife complex from Friday, October 30, through Sunday, November 1.Now entering its sixth edition, the three-day festival will bring more than 100 artists across five stages to Factory Town, continuing its evolution into one of the most anticipated electronic music events on
  
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• The 15 Best Disco & Funk Tracks Of July 2026

  08-08-2026 00:27 via magneticmag.com
  
  July was a hot one, and I don’t just mean the temperature! It’s time again to listen to 15 of the best Disco & Funk tracks of the month, so whether you are a fan of Disco, Funk, Nu-Disco, Disco House, Yacht Disco, or anything in between, there should be something new for you to enjoy!Check out this month’s SoundCloud playlistRead Past Disco and Funk Charts HereD’Swing – Dream It ft. Lorna Harris [Razor-N-Tape]Danny Kane, using his 90s UK Garage moniker D’S
  
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• The Sway by Audima Labs Could Be the Most Innovative MIDI Controller of 2026

  07-08-2026 21:29 via magneticmag.com
  
  Table of ContentsBuild Quality and HardwareGesture Control and User FriendlinessSoftware and the Theory EngineCompatibility and SetupIn the Field: Illenium’s Sphere ResidencyPricing and AvailabilityFinal Thoughts – Who The Sway is For and Who The Sway is Not ForEvery few years a piece of gear comes along that makes you rethink what a MIDI controller is supposed to do. The Sway, from Australian-based startup Audima Labs, is one of those devices. Instead of keys, pads, or touchstrips,
  
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• Foreign Rider Clothing Spotlight: Durable Menswear for Nightlife, Travel, and Creative Culture

  07-08-2026 20:45 via magneticmag.com
  
  All images are courtesy of Foreign Rider ClothingThe best clothing for nightlife rarely starts at the club.It starts earlier. In the studio. In the airport. In the hotel lobby. At soundcheck. In the back of a rideshare. Outside the venue at 1:30 a.m. when the night has already gone longer than planned and the outfit still has to feel intentional.That is where Foreign Rider gets interesting.The brand is not presenting itself as clubwear, which is part of the appeal. Its foundation is closer to du
  
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• DeHusslar Turns Māngere Into Bass Pressure

  07-08-2026 19:44 via magneticmag.com
  
  Festival-ready bass music often gets described as if it came from nowhere.Big low end, distorted synths, a vocal element, a track title, a release date, and suddenly the record is treated like it was made only for the speaker system. DeHusslar, who this article was made in partnership with, has a new banger called “II VII V DUB,” and it has a more specific starting point than almost anything I’ve heard in a while.The new single, released July 31, comes from Māngere, South
  
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• Christian Hornbostel Lets “Eridanus” Breathe

  07-08-2026 17:43 via magneticmag.com
  
  Christian Hornbostel has never sounded especially interested in chasing the loudest part of the room.That is part of what makes “Eridanus” feel right for Magnetic Magazine Recordings. The track is not trying to force its way into attention with a cheap trick or a giant reset every sixteen bars. It works in a slower, more patient way, which makes sense if you have followed Christian’s wider body of work or read how he talks about the job of an artist in 2026.“Eridanus&rdqu
  
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• Lorna James Turns Classical Training Toward Trance on The Right To Be Forgotten

  07-08-2026 17:36 via magneticmag.com
  
  Lorna James’s The Right To Be Forgotten lands with an unusual amount of backstory for a dance album. James is a classically trained pianist and composer, a former human rights barrister, a BBC Introducing-supported artist, a FreshSoundz Radio resident, and now an electronic producer pulling deep house, melodic house, trance, piano writing, string movement, breakbeats, and soprano vocals into one 12-track statement.Check The Music On Beatport HereThat could easily become too many identities
  
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• Vancoo Makes His Where The Heart Is Debut With “I Can Feel It”

  07-08-2026 17:24 via magneticmag.com
  
  
  Vancoo’s “I Can Feel It” lands on Where The Heart Is with the kind of patient emotional pull that fits the label well. The Moscow-based producer and DJ has been working across Organic House and Downtempo for years, with releases on The Purr, Kosa, Journey Of The Soul, HOROSHO., Try To Find Sound, Botanica, One of Those Days, Chuvstvo Ritma Rec., and Under The Palm Trees, but this single marks his first appearance on Where The Heart Is.That debut context gives the record a littl
  
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• Mastering The Mix MIXVAULT Makes EQ Feel Less Like Guesswork

  07-08-2026 17:13 via magneticmag.com
  
  Mastering The Mix has released MIXVAULT, a new EQ plugin built around a simple idea that solves a very real mixing problem: most EQ decisions are harder to trust when level changes start fooling your ear.MIXVAULT is described by Mastering The Mix as a “fast, smart, honest EQ,” and the plugin earns that description by making level matching part of the workflow from the start. Every move is loudness-matched in real time, so when you boost, cut, audition presets, or bypass the plugin, y
  
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• Monkey Safari Lean Into French House Warmth on “Future”

  07-08-2026 17:02 via magneticmag.com
  
  Monkey Safari’s “Future” feels like the track in an album rollout where the lights change. After the emotional pull of “Otherside” and the more direct floor pressure of “Okonokwa,” the German duo’s third single from You Don’t Know What To Do turns toward old-school French house, filtered disco chords, and a warmer kind of repetition.Out now via their Good Vibes From Paradise imprint, “Future” is not trying to disguise its referenc
  
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• AlphaTheta Brings New DJ Gear to DJX

  04-08-2026 21:41 via magneticmag.com
  
  A DJ trade show is a different test than a launch video.The product can look polished online, the spec sheet can read well, and the demo can hit all the right lines. Then it lands in front of working DJs, mobile crews, club regulars, wedding selectors, bar residents, educators, and gear nerds who want to know how fast it feels under the hand.That is why AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ’s return to DJX 2026 is a smart calendar moment.The 36th annual DJX tradeshow and exhibition runs August 10 to 13 at
  
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• Sunset Shades Rebuilds “Hold You” From the Inside

  04-08-2026 21:29 via magneticmag.com
  
  A safe remix keeps the vocal, adds a bigger drum section, pushes the drop a little harder, and calls the job done.Sunset Shades took the harder route with his official remix of Jasper Tygner’s “Hold You.” The original already had its own emotional lift, built around Tygner’s synth work and euphoric production, so the obvious move would have been to polish around that feeling and keep the arrangement close. Instead, Sunset Shades pulled the track apart and rebuilt it into
  
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• KRK Gives Studio Monitors Wireless Control

  04-08-2026 20:57 via magneticmag.com
  
  Table of ContentsKRK Mesh is the real headlineThe acoustic tuning side is seriousThe V4, V6, and V8 choices are about room scaleConnectivity and installation details round it outStudio monitors used to be sold around one question: how do they sound?That question still matters, obviously, but the room around the speaker has become just as important. Producers are mixing in spare bedrooms, small studios, treated garages, writing rooms, post rooms, Atmos setups, and hybrid spaces where the monitors
  
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• Bruno Marc Sneakers Fit the Festival-to-Club Run

  04-08-2026 19:30 via magneticmag.com
  
  Festival and club footwear has a way of exposing bad decisions fast.A shoe can look good in the mirror and still fall apart once the night turns into a mile-long walk to the gate, a hot floor, a rideshare wait, and a late food stop afterward. Summer makes the problem worse because heat, sweat, and concrete are ruthless. The best pair is usually the one you stop thinking about because it keeps up.That is the lane Bruno Marc is aiming for with its latest sneaker lineup. These are not statement sne
  
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