Markus Schulz: Scream 2

[numblock num=”8.5″ style=”3″]Trance family, prepare to close your eyes and open your ears (but read this first!). You’ll want to focus your whole body to take in Scream 2. Markus Schulz flexed every fiber in his being to produce this sequel to his 2012 Scream, and arguably expanded the definition of the trance genre.[/numblock]

Scream 2 should come as no surprise. Schulz, known to his fans as The Unicorn Slayer, is a trance powerhouse who has been DJing and producing since the early 90s. He has worked with incredible artists both inside and outside the genre he represents, including OceanLab, Gabriel & Dresden, Télépopmusik, and Madonna, just to name a few. Schulz always has his calendar packed so it’s a wonder he found the time to put together this most recent album for us, which truly stands out in its genre.

You’ll hear the voices of a variety of vocalists, many of whom were lesser-known artists who had never worked with Schulz previously. In the video documentary on the making of Scream 2, when asked how he chooses who he works with, Schulz acknowledges that he has worked with many talented and well-known artists and achieved a lot throughout his career, but reveals that he is more excited about discovering and working with new talent. In his words, “I just want to help other people be able to achieve their dreams.”

Schulz’ mission to connect with people and allow their stories to resonate with the world through music is carried out flawlessly on a number of tracks. Liz Primo, the vocalist in Blown Away worked with Schulz for the first time during the making of this album. For her, the song is deeply personal; it is about a friend of hers who was addicted to cocaine. Schulz gives the song a pace appropriate to the story that it tells, providing a landscape in which Primo’s voice has maximum impact.

The impressive variety in vocalists, melodies and song patterns allows Scream 2 to cover its bases in the entirety of the genre it represents, even perhaps expanding the definition of trance music.  We love Erase You with the beautiful voice of Lady V, which is both edgy and sad. Lord Knows, featuring Liz Horsman, is epic dancing material, and is followed by Fireworks featuring vocals by Paul Aiden—smooth trance perfection. In every track, it is evident that Schulz knows the power of the human voice and the depth of emotion it provides to trance music.

The only downside to this story must be the unfortunate fact that Schulz’ touring schedule this year will not be bringing him to the Pacific Northwest. (He’s only getting as close as San Francisco; what kind of conspiracy is this?!) Fear not friends; if history is any indicator, he’ll be back in our neck of the woods soon. Until then, eyes closed, ears open.

[symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”20px” margin_bottom=”20px”]The Breakdown:

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