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X-Dream – 10 Essential Tracks

X-Dream – 10 Essential Tracks

X-Dream is the German based Goa-Trance project of Marcus Maichel and Jan Muller, also known as Rough & Rush. Maichel was influenced by electro and reggae music, and started making electronic music in 1986, while Mueller studied sound engineering towards the end of the 80s. The pair first met in 1989, when Maichel needed his PC repaired, Muller was sent to fix it. During the same year, they decided to team up to start composing together.

At first, their style was leaning more towards techno music with hip-hop influences, but in the beginning of the ’90s they were introduced to the early stages of Goa-Trance in Hamburg (Germany) and decided to switch their music to this genre. In 1993, they started releasing their first Goa-Trance sounds and the first full length album “A Trip To Trancesylvania” was released the same year on Tunnel Records. In 1996, they released the second album “We Created Our Own Happiness”, featuring the unforgettable “trippy” early X-Dream sound. They also started composing in the meantime as part of other project names like “Children of Paradise” and “The Pollinator”. In 1997, they both started experimenting with side projects, Marcus and “The Delta” with the classic track “As A Child I Could Walk On The Ceiling”, and Muller as being part of the “Organic Noise” project with Ben Wierzoch. They have also remixed several tracks for other artists including Koxbox and the Saafi Brothers to name a few.

X-Dream, considered by many as one of the most inspirational trance acts of all time, are still performing regularly around the globe, spreading their signature sound and anthems from the golden Goa-Trance era

In 1998, they released their third full length album “Radio” on Blue Room Released, which was seen by many as the album that helped define a new genre. X-Dream introduced a much darker, more techy and minimalist sound which was at that time, groundbreaking. Continuing towards the same musical style, they released the “Irritant” album in 2002 on Global Trance Network, which was a massive hit and immediately sold out upon release. Their last full album released in 2004 “We Interface” featured their well-known minimalist sound approach and even contained vocals from Muller’s wife, Ariel. A new X-Dream tribute compilation featuring remixes from some of the most respected acts of the scene -such as Dickster, Shpongle, Atmos, Eat Static, Mad Tribe and many others- is just around the corner.

X-Dream @ Boom Festival 2016 -Photo by Tomer Elbaz-

X-Dream, considered by many as one of the most inspirational trance acts of all time, are still performing regularly around the globe, spreading their signature sound and anthems from the golden Goa-Trance era.
Trancentral has prepared for you 10 essential X-Dream tracks.