Marcie's Lyric Picks Vol. 2: Being Real

We all feel like outsiders at times. Even amongst friends and families, we all have times when we are not comfortable in our own skin. We worry about how we are viewed by others, and how to fit in. We think about what we have in common with each other, & what our differences are. We struggle with feelings of inadequacy when we compare ourselves with others. We look down on people whom we make the mistake of viewing only superficially. We are afraid be our real selves and we take on personas that might not reflect who we really are or want to be.

Here are some of my favorite tracks that deal with the struggle to be comfortable and happy with who we are.

1) DJ Tiesto- Just Be

"They say learning to love yourself
Is the first step
That you take when you want to be real
Flying on planes to exotic locations
won't teach you
How you really feel"

I feel this track laid some lyrical groundwork for Trance Music. Trance music is meant to take a listener to a state of euphoria where love for others and self acceptance prevail.

2) First State feat. Sarah Howells- Brave

"If I was brave
I’d never get this wrong"

I love how this lyric admits a vulnerability. We all want to be strong and perfect, but we all have times of self doubt, mistakes, and disappointment. We make demands of ourselves that are hard to live up to.

3) Sunlounger feat. Zara- Lost

"Now that you have lost yourself,
oh can anything help you now"

In "Behind The Lyric Episode 7", Zara says this song is about losing control to her desires, betraying herself, and losing her self respect. She realized that without self respect, she felt lost in the world. Writing a song was a way to find herself again.

"Lost" is another track that speaks about following a true path. It's easy to lose ourselves when we give in to temptations and instant gratification. Listening to this track makes me feel that I am not alone, that everyone makes mistakes, and that I can rely on the strength inside myself during challenging times.

4) John O'Callaghan feat. Sarah Howells - Find Yourself

"Looking at life through a loaded gun
Take your best shot, aim it at the sun
Looking at life through a loaded gun
You know you’ll find
You’ll find yourself, you’ll find yourself alone"

This track seems to say that if you focus on superficial, selfish pursuits, then when you finally reach your goals, you will find you're all alone. Are our goals worth achieving if we alienate ourselves and hurt others along our path?

5) Andain- Beautiful Things:

"Stopped pushing on for just a second
Then nothing’s changed
Who am I this time?
Where’s my name?
I guess it crept away"

For me this track is about losing ourselves in a created identity, and then reminding ourselves that natural beauty exists around us all the time.

6) Doppler Effect- Beauty Hides In The Deep:

"Beauty hides in the deep
But its so hard to find
Being wrapped up inside"


7) Kirsty Hawkshaw & Tenisha - Outsiders

"Take a look at yourself as an outsider
Do you like what you see?
You can't see what you're thinking
You can't feel what you're feeling
You could be anyone"

The way Kirsty delivers these lines always makes me stop and think. The melody is part sung, part spoken, and I think that style works very well to get the point across, and set the mood for the rest of the vocal.

8) DJ Hashish feat. Marcie- Look Around

"What is the answer to this fear?
I can't just watch and see
Should I take the easy way out, or should I
Should I just be me?"

When we're afraid, we might let our fear dictate our actions. We need to work hard to find the best solutions to our problems. We can't sit back and let other people do things for us, or try to take the easy way out.

9) OceanLab – On A Good Day

"Been talking to myself forever, yeah
And how I wish I knew me better, yeah
Still sitting on a shelf but never
Never seen the sun shine brighter"

How many of us truly feel we know ourselves? What does it take to know oneself?

10) Julian Vincent Feat. Cathy Burton – Here For Me

"You say I can love me for who I am
Don’t need to change or pretend
To see my own beauty is like breathing happiness
Just trust in my heart
Be real"

I like how this track describes someone telling her that she doesn't have to pretend to be anything other than herself. Love works best when it comes with acceptance.

Stay tuned for more of Marcie's Lyric Picks right here. For more thoughts straight from your favourite Artists on their own lyrics, check out "Marcie presents Behind The lyric" at http://www.mugasha.com/browse/Behind-The-Lyric.

Marcie's Lyric Picks Vol. 1: Timely Voices

The passage of time is something every conscious entity has no choice but to experience. The experience of time is a subjective one, and highly dependent on our personal emotional state. When we are heartbroken, time can drag on endlessly. It's the same when we are bored, or feeling purposeless. When we are in love, smiling and laughing, or completely immersed in an activity we enjoy, then time feels like it is flying by. I am sure many of us find listening to music makes time pass more pleasantly.

I have noticed that time is a topic often sung about in Vocal Trance, with artists sharing their own perspective on a moment of time in their life.
Here is a list of some of my favorite Vocal Trance tracks that mention moving forward in time, dreaming of the future, and being influenced by our memories.

1) Nic Chagall feat Jonathan Mendelsohn – This Moment

"And I can’t deny these memories got me all locked up inside,
And you hold the key"

I think Jonathan expresses a sentiment we have all felt about our memories. Memories can be bittersweet. We need our memories to give our life context, but sometimes it's hard to break free of our memories to start fresh.

2) Armin van Buuren feat. Jaren - Unforgivable

"Well it ain’t over ’till it’s over And my world shuts down
But this comes close, I’ll have you know, It’s just a matter of time"

When I hear this refrain, I hear the pain in Jaren's soul. She is at a breaking point, but instead of breaking completely, she is finding a way to draw on her inner strength and keep moving forward. I love lyrics about approaching the future with a new understanding of the past.

3) Air Hustlers feat. Colleen Riley - Downtime

"Shotgun-bang! And the race is on
I can't meet my deadlines, I can't read the headlines,
I stopped to smell the roses but their season had passed
I need a little down time"
It is sad to think about all the beauty we miss when we rush about our lives with tunnel vision. In Behind The Lyric Episode 1, Colleen Riley says "Downtime....was a chance to write about that oft needed breath that we don't have time to take, or don't make time to take".

4) Mark Pledger Feat. Melinda Gareh – Time Stands Still

"Beyond this faded realm of reason
Time stands still"

Melinda sings about an experience when time seems to stop completely for her. I think sometimes we all want the whirlwind of our life to come to a halt so we can breathe, take a step back, and figure out what is going on, and what we truly want.

5) Cosmic Gate feat. Emma Hewitt- Not Enough Time

"I stand before you in the last dance of an old life…"
This line is chilling. It reminds me that times are always changing, and it is our choice how we optimize our use of time.

6) "Andy Duguid feat. Leah- Wasted"

"Wasted all this time, searching
Brought me to my knees"

The tone and melody that Leah uses to sing these words is full of heartache and regret over time wasted searching for something that cannot be found.

7) BT Feat. Jes – Every Other Way

"Heart don’t fail me now
‘Cause there is no time to waste"

Jes beautifully sings about her desire not to waste time in matters of the heart.

8) Oceanlab- Sky Falls Down:

"You lose all sense of reason
You have no sense of danger
It's like you're living in a dream.
It lets you float through crowds and
Makes you smile at strangers
It's just the greatest state of being, Oohh... "

As I said earlier, when we're in love, time flies. Lovers fill time with daydreams, hopes, fantasies, and a sense of contentment. These lyrics strike me as incredibly romantic, but also have a sense of desperation and intensity that perhaps cannot be maintained for long. It makes me wonder how long does the euphoric state of love last?

9) Tydi & Dennis Sheperd feat.Marcie- Somehow

"If you could see into the future, would you do it different now?"
When I'm faced with very difficult decisions, I desperately wish I could see into the future for guidance. Since we can't see into crystal balls, it is important not to ignore advice from people who have life experience that we can benefit from.

10) Tritonal feat. Hannah Sky – Jump Off

"So here we go again
Sometimes I feel nothing’s gonna change
Let’s jump off, into time"
I like the idea that sometimes we have to jump start our future, and now is as good a time as any to do that!

Stay tuned for more Marcie Lyric Picks right here. For more thoughts straight from your favorite Artists on their own lyrics, check out "Marcie presents Behind The lyric": http://mugasha.com/browse/Behind-The-Lyric

Robbie Rivera Interview by Dimitri Kechagias

You heard Robbie Rivera tell his story on 'Behind The Lyric Episode 16', and you will LOVE this extensive interview with Robbie, (conducted by Dimitri Kechagias from “Flux BPM on the Move”)

Interview with Robbie Rivera about his album 'Closer to the Sun' out now via Black Hole recordings

Dimitri: It will be great to let us know if you believe that electronic dance music, and particularly House music, is the best music in the world and why? Is there any kind of EDM you just hate so much that you can even stand it for a second and why?

Robbie: I think EDM is one of the best types of music in the world because it simply makes you want to dance period. Happy vibes are the best, you know what I mean. I like all types of dance music but hardcore banging 150 BPM is just nuts!!!

Dimitri: Who are the 3 most important figures in dance music that have the most impact upon you, and have influenced the kind of music you play and produce?

Robbie: Hmm I started early in 1995, so I must say David Morales, MAW & Armand Van Helden.

Dimitri: You have been voted many times by your fans, as one of the best house DJ’s. Which elements do you think are consistent with a good and successful DJ (mixing skills, choice of best tracks, etc)?

Robbie: I think the choice of music.......(READ MORE HERE!!!)

Dimitri Kechagias is a music journalist and radio dj for many years now specializing in trance, progressive and lately house sounds. He is currently working on his Phd about the of state of Music Journalism in Greece with particular reference in the way that new technologies like internet have changed the enviroment and the way that music journalists do their profession. He is currently in charge of the radio shows, Flux Bpm on the move, and Flux presents house anthems only. The show, Flux bpm on the move, started as an fm only radio show broadcasted in his region in Greece and now is streamed on www.danceradioglobal.com/trance , www.1mix.co.uk , and www.discovertrance.com and on the greek fm station Viva 95,3 fm [www.vivafm.com]. The production of the show takes a lot of hard and passionate work. Along with his show he is conducting written, video and radio interviews with EDM artists as well as doing reviews of the latest releases for various web sites. His dream to set up his own label or to become an A&R in an established record label. Music business is really exciting...