Thought it was time to get back into some Hard Trance action, so here's 90mins of hard trance classics I've had stored away for a trip down memory lane... Hope you enjoy it! 😉

Jake Ayres (Hard Trance Classics) 27th February 2023

Up High

Vancouver, Brisbane, New York (Chicane Sunsets Support) (Out Soon on Freegrant Music)

It's been a busy summer so far, and it's taken me a little longer than I'd like to post this, but I promise, it's worth the wait.  A definite musical highlight for me this summer has been to play the @anjunadeep Stage at Spring Awakening Music Festival a couple weekends ago, and sharing the stage with some superb colleagues of mine in my music spectrum:  @jodywisternoff , @yotto , @moonbootsmusic , @lane8music , and special guests - @rufussounds !  Also joined by the upstanding Chicago based artists - @karstensollors and @intermodalmusic -- was a pleasure to get things started on this stage on a warm, music-filled summer day in the Windy City.

Lots of great feedback on what I played this day, and happy to share it with you now.  This is a set chock full of current favorite tunes of mine, a couple forthcoming releases from @vestedchi // Vested Recordings, and some lovely stuff all around to get this stage off to a great start.  

Press play, turn it up, and as always, please favorite / repost / comment / like / share.  I've got a musical agenda to share, now more than ever, and this set just starts to scratch the surface.  :)

RJ Pickens - Live at Anjunadeep Stage
Spring Awakening Music Fest - CHI // SAT 11Jun2017
Tracklist:
01. Pan-Pot - Sleepless (Stephan Bodzin Remix)
02. John Creamer & Stephane K - Ah Whey (Nick Curly Remix)
03. Dee Montero - Halcyon (Original Mix)
04. ID - ID
05. ID - ID
06. Mat.Joe - Nighthawk (Dosem Remix)
07. Snø & Dear David - Sunrise (Dear David Remix)
08. Radiohead - Everything In Its right Place (Dezza Bootleg)
09. Jeremy Olander - Billinghurst (Original Mix)
10. Valentino - Flying (Original Mix)
11. Eelke Kleijn - Home (Extended Mix)
12. Ryan Davis & Microtrauma - Traces (Gabriel Ananda Remix)

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!

facebook.com/rjpickens
soundcloud.com/rjpickens
twitter.com/rjpickens1
facebook.com/VestedCHI
soundcloud.com/VestedCHI
twitter.com/VestedCHI

RJ Pickens - Live At Anjunadeep Stage - Spring Awakening Music Festival CHI - 11JUN2017

The Cosmos EP

Jeff Ozmits - Be Yourself (Original Mix)

I made my first trip to Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) this year, and it was quite an amazing trip!  As I have always done with Miami Music Week / Winter Music Conference each year in March, I put together a showcase mix that features works of my own, my peers, and works of artists and labels that I've grown to love and respect.  When I weave all of these factors together, and then tell a story in a seamless DJ mix, you get the final product and that thing I feel that I do best.

Coming home from this European adventure, I not only felt super-inspired and ready to get back to work, but I feel great about my avenue of sound as an artist, label manager, and event curator, especially after being exposed to such amazing things out there.

As always, if you're feeling this, please hit me with a like / favorite / repost / share / comment / retweet / or all of the above.  The support from all of you is what keeps me moving forward.  Thank you.  :)

RJ Pickens 
ADE 2017 Showcase Mix  
Tracklist:
01.	Fehrplay - Void (Original Mix) [Mood of Mind]
02.	Nepou - Parallelwelten (Original Mix) [Green Martian]
03.	Dorian Craft - Asteria (Original Mix) [Stereo Productions]
04.	Henry Saiz – Piramidal (Original Mix) [Culprit]
05.	Trilucid - Endless Moment (Martin Roth Remix) [Perspectives Digital]
06.	Karsten Sollors ft. Jacob Bjorge - Exposure (RJ Pickens Remodel) [Vested Recordings]
07.	Darin Epsilon & Matan Caspi - Thousand Winds (Wally Lopez Remix) [Perspectives Digital]
08.	ONYVA - Tibetan (Funkagenda Remix) [On It Recordings]
09.	Danique & Distorted Beauty - Scream (Gabriel Ananda Remix) [Precep-tion]
10.	Third Son - Mayenne (Original Mix) [Click Records]
11.	Michael & Levan, Stiven Rivic - Follow Me (Lank Remix) [Quaint Records]
12.	Andre Absolut - Rainmaker (Original Mix) [Perspectives Digital]
13.	Dorian Craft - Sorex (Original Mix) [Stereo Productions]
14.	Martéll - Scaena Duo (Original Mix) [Vested Recordings]
15.	Way Out West - Tuesday Maybe (Guy J Remix) [Anjunadeep]
16.	Jeff Ozmits - Wf9 (Original Mix) [Vested Recordings]
17.	Dezza - Escapist (Original Mix) [ZeroThree]
18.	Askin Dedeoglu - Dark Traces (Original_MIx) [Progrez]
19.	Christian Smith - Flyertalk (Original Mix) [Bedrock]
20.	Betoko & Mason - Amalia (Original Mix) [Bunny Tiger]
21.	Jeremy Olander - Galheera (Original Mix) [Vivrant]
22.	Nine Inch Nails - Ringfinger (RJ Pickens Backroads Remodel) [white label]
23.	Blade Runner Theme - Blade Runner (Dee Montero’s Neo Noir Redux) [white label]

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!

facebook.com/rjpickens
soundcloud.com/rjpickens
twitter.com/rjpickens1
facebook.com/VestedCHI
soundcloud.com/VestedCHI
twitter.com/VestedCHI

RJ Pickens - ADE 2017 Showcase Mix

It just doesn't feel like it's time to head down to warmer climates for this industry-wide musical gathering until I've completed this annual showcase mix.  I've been making these mixes as long as I've gone down to participate in Miami Music Week (or WMC, as some of us used to remember it being called years ago), and it's truly a labor of love, each and every time.  It was (and still is) a musical resume of sorts, where I end up cherry-picking my best selections of the moment, that not only blend well together, but also tell a musical story, and give the listener a snapshot of the musical spectrum in which I'm currently residing.  

I start with a mountain of great music (both new and older), and I narrow it down by combing through it all and deciding what kind of story I'm going to tell in the current year.  It's an awesome exercise to do as a DJ, label owner, producer, and curator -- because it forces you to incorporate amazing fresh material you've come across, some of your own work, music that inspires you, and sounds that blend together in a way that make something new that is greater than the sum of all parts, if executed correctly.

I strive to make and curate mixes (such as this one) that really engage my listener -- that allow them to forget about what they're doing or where they are for a moment, and escape on a small journey.  Hoping that this is well-received by you all, as I must confess that there is a few parts in this set where I put my own hands up and had jump and a dance all by myself as I was making it.

Crafted with love, from the Windy City of Chicago, showcasing the works of amazing artists from all over this planet.  Full track list below.

As always, if you're feeling this, please hit me with a like / favorite / repost / share / comment / retweet / or all of the above. The support from all of you is what keeps me moving forward. Thank you. :)

RJ Pickens 
MMW 2017 Showcase Mix  
Tracklist:
01. Welcome to Miami 2018 Intro
02. 8Kays - Traveler (Intro Mix) [8Music]
03. Dmitry Molosh - Feel It (GMJ Remix) [Superordinate Music]
04. Moodtrap - Out Of Time (Audiojack Acid Sunrise Mix) [Tsuba]
05. Butch - Countach (Original Mix) [Cocoon]
06. Supacooks - Aftermath (Original Mix) [Parquet]
07. F-Act - Rectification (Original Mix) [Bonzai Progressive]
08. Pavel Petrov - Rengar (Original Mix) [Trapez Ltd.]
09. Will Easton - 18 Months Free Trial [W&O Street Tracks]
10. Stefano Richetta - Wegtrekker (Original Mix) [Click]
11. Alfred Taylor - Kuza (Original Mix) [Anjunadeep]
12. King Unique - Sugarhigh (Dee Montero's Tribal Rendition) [whitelabel]
13. Martin Roth - Ultraviolet (Original Mix) [Anjunadeep]
14. Guy J - Airborne (Original Mix) [Lost & Found]
15. Scuba - Too Strong (Nicole Moudaber Remix) [Circus]
16. Alan Fitzpatrick - Moon Palace (Original Mix) [Bedrock]
17. Siguiente Tecnologia & Space Motion - Get on the Bus (Original Mix) [Timeless Moment]
18. My Boy Elroy ft. Frankie B - Fallin' (RJ Pickens & My Boy Elroy's Carbon Copy Re-Edit) [Vested Recordings]
19. Yotto - Chemicals (Original Mix) [Green]
20. Nick Muir, Gabriel Ananda, John Digweed - Tachyon Dream (Rework) [Bedrock]
21. Kölsch - Left Eye Left (Original Mix - RJ's MicroEdit) [Kompakt]
22. N'to - Note Blanche (Original Mix) [Hungry Music]

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!

facebook.com/rjpickens
soundcloud.com/rjpickens
twitter.com/rjpickens1
facebook.com/VestedCHI
soundcloud.com/VestedCHI
twitter.com/VestedCHI

RJ Pickens - Miami Music Week 2018 Showcase Mix

This set recorded at Spybar Chicago was aired today on Vested's monthly radio show - FLOORCONTROL - on DI.fm's Progressive Channel!  Sometimes things don't go quite the way they are planned to go, and this was the situation on 04May2018, where a North American debut performance for European powerhouse artist - Gabriel Ananda - was planned for a very special Vested showcase.  Unfortunately, we got the news that Gabriel became quite ill and wasn't able to travel overseas to play for us, despite the 18 months of effort to get visas approved that were put in by all parties to make the event happen.  He was heartbroken to miss the event, and frankly, so were we...  But the show must go on.  I, along with fellow Vested artists Hummingbird and Jordan Bradley took on the evening's musical role in full, and we gave everyone the best performances we could, despite Gabriel's absence.  Here's my portion of the evening.  Turn it up and enjoy.  Those of us who were there certainly did.  :)

This set features a bunch of current favorites, some past favorites, and even a premiere of my newest release, forthcoming on Vested Recordings very soon.

As always, if you're feeling this, please hit me with a like / favorite / repost / share / comment / retweet / or all of the above. The support from all of you is what keeps me moving forward. Thank you!

Vested pres. FLOORCONTROL RADIO
Episode 116 - RJ Pickens
Live at Spybar Chicago / 04 May 2018
Tracklist:
01. Gabriel Ananda - Hey Blop (Christian Smith Motor City Bass Mix)
02. Dorian Craft - Asteria
03. Funkagenda & Paul Thomas - Underground
04. Butch - Countach
05. Cristoph ft. Jem Cooke - Feel
06. Supernova - Avenida 146
07. CiCi Hunter - Bodies (RJ Pickens Early Morning Reconstruction)
08. Morttagua - Osiris
09. Pavel Petrov - Rengar
10. Will Easton - 18 Month Free Trial
11. Chicane - Offshore (Andrew Meller Remake)
12. Jeremy Olander - Lauderdale
13. Valentino - Flying
14. Eelke Kleijn - Home
15. Ryan Davis & Microtrauma - Traces (Gabriel Ananda Remix)
16. Marcelo Castelli - Music Factory (Anton Jay  & Discoplace Remix)
17. Stefano Richetta - Dos
18. Guy J - Airborne
19. Kölsch - Left Eye Left
20. Sebastian Leger - Jaguar (RJ's Edit)
21. My Boy Elroy ft. Frankie B - Fallin (RJ Pickens & My Boy Elroy's Carbon Copy Re-edit)
22. Orbital - Halcyon (Tom Middleton Remodel)

All tracks are property of the original artists and labels, and this mix is for promotional use only. If you like any of these tracks, please support the artists and purchase them!

facebook.com/rjpickens
soundcloud.com/rjpickens
twitter.com/rjpickens1
facebook.com/VestedCHI
soundcloud.com/VestedCHI
twitter.com/VestedCHI

Up High

CiCi Hunter

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