jan johnston | www.bejbi.se – A webzine about electronic music

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quyWQ5zzICs&w=680&h=510]

This weekend’s classic comes from a dynamic duo who´s been active since 1994 under different aliases, for instance Body Heat, DJ Don & Svenson, T-Phobia, Boccacio Life. The aliases that this article will focus on are Airscape and Svenson & Gielen and this week’s featured track is Svenson & Gielen featuring Jan Johnston – Beachbreeze (Remember The Summer). (Buy on Itunes)

Lyrics:

You smiled
It helped me capture
Was no ordinary feeling
Sweet, ultimate, endless
You changed me forever
Awaken my passion

Theres no dark clouds in my world now
Theres no dark clouds only sunshine
Theres no dark clouds in my world now
Theres no dark clouds only sunshine

I’ll remember the summer forever
You took my lips
You took my hands
Took me to the ocean
Made love to me

I’ll remember the summer forever
You took my lips
You took my hands
Took me to the ocean
Made love to me
In the water
Water
Water.

The ocean
Serenading us
Being grown ups in the sand
Sweet, ultimate, rapture
an aura of our moments
You aroused
My, passion

There’s no dark clouds in my world now
There’s no dark clouds only sunshine
There’s no dark clouds in my world now
There’s no dark clouds only sunshine

I’ll remember the summer forever
You took my lips
You took my hands
Took me to the ocean
Made love to me

I’ll remember the summer forever
You took my lips
You took my hands
Took me to the ocean
Made love to me
In the water
Water
Water.

I’ll remember
Always
Always.

Ohh I’ll remember
Always
Always.

I’ll remember
I’ll remember
I’ll remember
Forever

I’ll remember the summer forever
You took my lips
You took my hands
Took me to the ocean
Made love to me

I’ll remember the summer forever
You took my lips
You took my hands
Took me to the ocean
Made love to me

I’ll remember the summer forever and ever
Always

Belgian born Johan Willy Maria Gielen and Sven Frans Yvonne Maes met in 1996 after being introduced to eachother by Oliver Adams who worked with Gielen on Body Heat. Oliver Adams quit the project in 1996 and Svenson joined instead.

Gielen was already using the Airscape-moniker together with Jos Borremans from 1992. After having some success with the Body Heat-project, Gielen asked Svenson to join the Airscape-project in 1997. The first 2 years (1997-1998), Jos Borremans was in the project and later left Airscape to pursue his own career.

The first single for Svenson as Airscape, Pacific Melody was a chart-success and peaked at no 27 in the UK chart. I really like the warm sound that they managed on that track.

The followup, Amazon Chant feels almost like something out of a fairytale, especially in the breakdown with it’s birdsounds, those warm strings and that chant. It was another chart-success and peaked at no 46 in the UK chart.

The first track I heard from Airscape was L’Esperanza. The track, released in 1999 peaked at no 33 in the UK Chart and was the first track without Jos Borremans and has that signature sound that most Airscape-tracks and remixes after 1999 has.

Airscape was also busy remixing other artists and of the earlier remixes i’d recommend you to take a look at Praga Khan – Breakfast In Vegas, Vengaboys – Kiss and Delerium – Silence.

Between 2000-2003, they put the Airscape-project on the shelf and started focusing their effort on the Svenson & Gielen-project instead. They still produced some remixes as Airscape but no original productions.

Their first release, Beauty Of Silence (with singer Christel Ferket) kept that signature-sound from Airscape and became another success. This was also the first year that Svenson & Gielen had their track become the official anthem for Trance Energy.

The same year also saw some major remixes from Airscape, including Chicane – Halcyon, Scooter – I´m Your Pusher, Alice Deejay – The Lonley One & Sylver – Turn The Tide. They also did a Svenson & Gielen-remix of Push – The Legacy

The 2001-single, Twisted (with singer Paul Mendez) is another legendary track. I especially love that hook after the break. Simply amazing! It was also the official Trance Energy-anthem for 2001.
The remix-work this year included Safri Duo – Played-a-live (as Airscape), Ultra – Free, Ayumi Hamasaki – Depend On You & Tiesto – Lethal Industry (as Svenson & Gielen)

2002 saw the release of We Know What You Did and Answer The Question. Both tracks were official Trance Energy-anthems. Of the two tracks, I prefer We Know What You Did, especially the part with the strings in the breakdown. Svenson & Gielen-remixes worth mentioning include ATB – Hold You, The Thrillseekers – Dreaming Of You & Lexicon 4 – Reach Me.

The last release as Svenson & Gielen, Beachbreeze (with singer Jan Johnston) was another legendary track. Though never released in England, only as an import from the legendary ID&T-label, it still reached no 163 in the UK chart. The working-name for the track was Ocean, but later renamed to Beachbreeze (Remember The Summer).

In 2003, Svenson announced that they were splitting and going solo. The last track they ever released was an Airscape-single, Sosei which were released the year after.

In 2009, Gielen revived the Airscape-moniker as a solo-project and released a new single, My Love (with singer Jes Breiden). The single is more pop-ish than previous tracks. Even the Johan Gielen-remix has lost the original Airscape-sound. He also re-released L’Esperanza with a new Svenson & Gielen 2009-remix. The 2009-mix is also slower than previous and alot more commercial than the original sound.

2010 also saw the release of the long-awaited debut album from Airscape, Now And Then which contains new collaborations with Josh Millstone, Cor Fijneman, Daniel Wanrooy, Mark Green & Ben Jujbregts, all under the Airscape-moniker.

When I look back to the results of what the dream team of Johan Gielen and Sven Maas accomplished under those active years I see true classics. Classics that will live on forever, both in their original material and also their remixes.

Back in the days when I started listening to trance I knew that if the sleeve mentioned either Airscape and/or Svenson & Gielen, there was some really good tracks inside. I still play loads of their stuff on my stereo and they always gives me goosebumps, and sometimes even tears of joy.
Their music will live on in my memory forever.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5C4gHY68gk&w=680&h=461]

The next classic is actually a remake of an older track. The track i’m thinking of is Cosmic Gate featuring Jan Johnston – I Feel Wonderful (AM to PM Remix) (Buy on Itunes)

The original track which its based on, Freefall featuring Jan Johnston – Skydive, released back in 1998 was made by Alan Bremner and Anthony Pappa and used the same vocals by Jan Johnston as Cosmic Gate did.

Cosmic Gates track is a real progressive monster, especially when listening to their extended version, the AM to PM remix which is nearly 11 minutes of pure orgazm.

Nic Chagall and DJ Bossi, real names Claus Terhoeven and Stefan Bossems, began producing under the Cosmic Gate-name back in 1999 and their older material was more to the hard side of trance. Their music has since then evolved to the more progressive side of trance.

Just look at some of their hits since this track came out:

”Body Of Conflict” (featuring Denise Rivera) (2007)
”Not Enough Time” (featuring Emma Hewitt) (2009)
”Sign Of The Times” (2009)
”Under Your Spell” (featuring Aruna) (2009)
”Barra” (2010)
”The Theme” (2011)
”Be Your Sound” (2011)

Just ”Be your sound” was IMHO one of the best tracks from last year, will probably feature that track sometime in the future!

Also worth noticing is that in 2006 Nic Chagall released some tracks under his own name and went around DJ’ing. He released a track called Monday Bar which (IMHO) is linked to the fact that he played for Monday Bar in sweden the same summer.

Lyrics:

I feel wonderful

The first moment, before the first touch
We know the longing, we have to hold each other
I will drown you in love, must suffocate your needs
Now we’re healed
We have our own language

I feel wonderful, I could skydive from the moon
Sail an ocean, on my fingertips
When the wind screams my name, take his hand
I’m free, to run, run, run, to you..

I feel wonderful..

The first moment, before the first touch
We know the longing, we have to hold each other
I will drown you in love, must suffocate your needs
now we’re healed
We have our own language

Collect your words, I have them when you’re gone
I silently smile, I even miss you in my sleep
No rush, no lust, no lies
This journey is our love
You’re my hero, from heaven did you come?

[x2]
I feel wonderful, I could skydive from the moon
Sail an ocean, on my fingertips
When the wind screams my name, take his hand
I’m free, to run, run, run, to you..

This is one of those tracks that you just want to close your eyes and feel Jans lyrics flow thru your body.

Goosebump-points:

1:00 when the bass kicks in
2:13 when the synth kicks in
3:38 when the lyrics starts
6:46 when the break comes

Jan Johnston, who was one of the best singers back then, sang on most of my favourites from that timeperiod.

Just check out some of her resume:

1995 Libra Presents Taylor – ”Anomaly – Calling Your Name” UK #71
1997 Submerge – ”Take Me By the Hand” UK #28
1997 BT – ”Remember” UK #27
1998 Freefall – ”Skydive” (single release, re-issued in 2000 and 2001) UK #75 (1998), UK #43 (2000), UK #35 (2001)
1999 BT – ”Mercury & Solace” UK #38
1999 Libra presents Taylor – ”Anomaly” (Remix/Re-release with new video) UK #43
2000 Tomski – ”Love Will Come” UK #31
2002 Cosmic Gate – ”Raging (Storm)” UK #48
2003 DJ Cor Fijneman – ”Venus” UK #109
2003 Paul van Dyk – ”Nothing But You” (also featuring Hemstock & Jennings and Kym UK #14.
2003 Svenson & Gielen – ”Beachbreeze” UK #163 (through import sales) (Originally titled ”Ocean”)
2004 Serge Devant – ”Transparent”
2005 Cosmic Gate – ”I Feel Wonderful” (an update of her song recorded with Freefall ”Skydive”) UK #122
2006 Leama & Moor – ”Waiting” (originally titled ”UR My Book”)
2007 DJ Shah – ”Beautiful”
2010 Tenishia – ”Flesh 2010” (an update of her track ”Flesh”)
2010 Dave D’Mello – ”Remember” (an update of her track with BT)
2011 Cosmic Gate – ”Raging 2011” (an update of the track released in 2002)

The cool thing is that Cosmic Gate is still sounding fresh after nearly 23 years in the music industry. I hope to hear more tracks in the near future that will give me special feelings and goosebumps. In this case, i’m not worried at all.

Tracks and remixes related to this post:

Freefall – Skydive
James Horner – I see you (Cosmic Gate Remix)
Kyau vs Albert – I Love You (Cosmic Gate Remix)
Cosmic Gate – Be your Sound (Extended Mix)
Cosmic Gate – Fire Wire (DJ Scot Project Remix)
Svenson and Gielen feat Jan Johnston – Beachbreeze
BT feat Jan Johnston – Remember

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Etikettarkiv: jan johnston

Classic FTW: Svenson & Gielen – Beachbreeze

Classic for the Weekend: Cosmic Gate feat Jan Johnston – I Feel Wonderful (AM to PM Remix)