By: Kerry McNeil

DJ and record producer Richard Durand will release his sophomore effort, the much-anticipated Wide Awake, March 14th on Magik Muzik/Black Hole Recordings.

A follow up to Always the Sun (2009), Durand’s masterful meshing of trance, club, house, and everything in between has made his latest album a breathe of fresh air for trance fans, but it is sure to simultaneously expand his fan base across many electronic sub-genres.

Trance fans will appreciate Durand’s familiar style of energetic dance-floor-ready tracks such as “Airwell,” “Open Range,” “Incredible Music,” “Tigers Apology,” and “Crystal,” (featuring protégé Alex O’Rion), but Durand proves that he has more than just those tricks up his sleeve on Wide Awake.

“When I started this album, I knew that it wouldn’t be ‘Always the Sun Pt. II’ - I didn’t feel there’d be any sense in covering exactly the same ground again,” said Durand in a press release, “I wanted each successive track I produced to have a different feel and tone than the last. This method has led to a long-player I’m extremely happy and proud of. Now, more than anything, I’m looking forward to taking the music into the clubs and seeing the crowd’s reactions to it!”

And crowds are sure to have a positive reaction to some of the cross-genre tracks on the album, such as the house-infused “Robotic,” and rapidly-paced electro jams like “Real Deal,” “Disturbed,” and “Frozen Dreams.”

Durand also has an impressive line-up of singer/songwriter collaborators on Wide Awake, such as the beautifully airy vocals of Ellie Lawson on the title track. Lawson co-wrote the lyrics and melody with Durand and her performance only elevates Durand’s work.

Other collaborations are the melodic and melancholy vocals of Christian Burns on “Night and Day,” JES’s anthemic contribution on “N.Y.C,” and the quick, staccato vocals of London-based pop musician Kash on “Explode.”

Wide Awake is not just a bunch of trance-heavy dance tracks. Instead, Durand has created a multi-faceted album that masquerades as simple melodies to lure fans to the dance floor, but it is so much more.

Richard Durand DJ Mix March 2010