Two trance legends in a studio in 2026 could have been a disaster, and “Metaverse” absolutely is not. Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten have been headlining since before half the people dancing to this were born, and the shock is how current it sounds — no nostalgia lap, no dusting-off of an old sound. The kick is modern and punchy, the supersaws stacked the way they’re built now rather than the way they were in 2001, and the whole thing drives with real purpose. Underneath, though, the DNA is pure classic trance: a long, patient build, a breakdown that strips back to one wistful melody, then a release that feels earned instead of merely loud. That lead line in the second half is the kind of melody that used to make people cry at 4am in a Dutch field, and honestly it still might. What gets me is the restraint — neither of them chases the current trend of going as hard and fast as humanly possible. They let it breathe. It’s euphoric without ever becoming exhausting, which festival trance forgets constantly. And it survives being called “Metaverse,” which in 2026 is no small miracle.
January
Chrome Daydream
Chrome stars, jelly hearts and holographic colour. A nod to the glossy, optimistic graphics of the early web.