Customer Reviews

Ace

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ian Van Dahl's music is high bpm electronic trance with soothing female vocals. Annemie Coenen's voice is perfect for the soft yet uplifting pace of the songs. The music itself is rather simple in composition, consisting only of a few layers, but the formula works and is still addictive (this CD is best enjoyed played loud on a good sound system). Truthfully, there is not much about Ian Van Dahl to seperate them from other bands/artists in the genre. It seems as though most of the female vocal-laden trance music these days sounds very much the same. Just listen to the Trance Party compilations and you will see what I mean. But hey...if it sounds good, listen to it. Aside from sounding a little generic, Ian Van Dahl's Ace is an worthy entry for the ears of any electronic music listener. The extra CD is nothing to get excited about (it's just one slightly different version of Castles In The Sky and the video for Will I?), but it's a welcome bonus.

i really liked the first two songs especially but the whole CD was good as there were no terrible tracks
my favorite song by Ian van Dahl is Castles in the Sky and i love the vocals, however the version on this CD the vocalist is not as good and i was disappointed
if you like female vocal trance id say go for this one

Throbbing-good bass with a constantly-changing techtronics background overlayed with exceptionally clean and soothing female vocal tracks. Terrific!

This album far by less, is suberb in its own right! Each track is so finely crafted with melodic uplifting trance, that just soothes the stress of everyday life, that we all go thru. When maintream American pop-culture is dominated by hip-hop, monotonous grunge, and alternative rock....The European scene brings us something truly refreshing, sound so unique and captivating that will live in the heart of every listener. Ian Van Dahl is the Belgian success of producers Christophe Chantzis and Erik Vanspauwen, with the evergreen female vocals of Annemie Coenen. The tracks of this cd are as follows:
1.Reason 8.Be Mine
2.Will I? 9.Castles In The Sky(New Vocal Version with
3.After All Annemie Coenen)
4.Satisfy Me 10.Nothing Left To Say
5.Nights On Java 11.Tears
6.Try 12.{intelu;d}
7.Lonely 13.Secret Love
14.Tomorrow

Words cannot describe the passion of the emotional depth that each song is somehow made to reach each of our heart and souls for a lifetime. Although every song was a gem, the ones that were really inspiring were the singles "Reason", "Will I",and "Castels in The Sky" which the original version with vocalis Marsha, is on the bonus cd, which also includes the video of "Will I?". "Nights On Java" is a euphoric epic trance cut that will just absorb in each vein of your body for hours, and the the song "Secret Love" just brings you to tears of eternal joy, within your heart a feeling of such elation, as if to say goodbuy to the woes and sorrows of this corporate world we live in....In conlusion this CD is definitely worth your money!...If you like uplifting progressive, feel-good, melodic trance, then buy this beautiful masterpiece...Trust me, you will thank your heart for a lifetime!

The band Ian Van Dahl shows in "ACE" that they have the ability to create very powerful and flowing music. I first heard their song "Castles in the Sky" on Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix. I immediately got hooked and bought this CD. I noticed that their lead singer has a deep voice similar to that of Cher. "Will I?
reminded me of "Believe", and "Reason" reminded me of "Turn Back Time". But the one difference is Cher cannot hold a candle to these performers. This CD is filled with both instrumental and vocal tracks which are easy to dance to. The "Will I" video was eye candy, and overall I loved this CD.

What I expected from Ian Van Dahl's "Ace" and what I received were entirely different. I bought Ace because of the groups hit "Will I?" However, I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the entire album. The group is consistent in style; no track seemed out of place in either quality or style. The flow of the tracks, from one to another, seemed well orchestrated. Ace would make a great party album; pop in the CD and forget about it! The bonus CD was gravy, featuring a remix of Castles in the Sky and the Music Video to "Will I?" I did see one weakness in Ace that I would like to address. Seeing as they had already made a second CD, why didn't they include more remixes? The music video only takes up 40 megs of space, its not like they ran out of room. Aside from this minor issue, I would recommend Ace to anyone interested in Euro Dance/Trance. It is a solid album with more than enough hits to make it well worth the money.

The female Belgian trio Ian Van Dahl became one of the most successful projects by DJs/producers Christophe Chantzis and Erick Vanspawen. Their debut single, "Castles in the Sky," based on the breakup of a relationship, climbed to the Top Ten in Germany, the U.K., and Canada soon after its release. Originally recorded by singer Marsha (born Martine Theeuwen), the 2001 dancefloor anthem was later re-recorded by AnneMie (born Annemie Coenen) and promoted with live performances along with professional dancers Diana Dander and Jeanine Tiemissen. Ian Van Dahl's debut album, titled ACE, delivered the hit singles "Will I", "Reason", and "Castles in the Sky".

The Bonus enhanced cd features the video for "Will I?" and the original version of "Castles in the Sky"

Last year Ian Van Dahl stormed on the dance scene with Castles in the Sky - what a great tune! Her follow-ups Will I? and Reason are the strongest tunes on the CD. The balance of the CD is very good, but if you already have these CD singles, you won't be getting anything new or noteworthy. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a trashing of the album, but you've heard the best there is already.

In the post-Y2K era, dance-pop hits under the guise of Euro-trance/house flavors are a dime a dozen, so when Ian Van Dahl launched the Ibiza smash of 2001 with "Castles In the Sky", it was a case of been there, heard that. Still, there was an insistent charm beneath the spacey breakdowns, crashing cymbals and numbing synth beats, all delivered by your typical faceless European club diva. And Ian Van Dahl's debut "ACE" remains one of the more prominent mainstream dance records of the 2000's because of this uncanny charm. They were beaten to the punch by the likes of Darude, Alice Deejay and Fragma, but Ian Van Dahl certainly can churn out solid floor-fillers like "Will I", "Reason" and the aforementioned "Castles". About as euphoric as a high school poem, underground in a not-so-underground way, it's nevertheless that perfect soundtrack to summers by the beach where all you need is a decent groove to get the party started. What seperates "ACE" from the droves of lifeless club mongers is a knack for somewhat catchy hooks, which goes a long way underneath all those beats.

I've never had a better CD. Amber was my favorite until I got this one! If you're like me, you like dance, club, techno, trance, and electronica, which means you'll absolutely LOVE this CD. Do you know how amazingly long the remixes are? You could play just two or three for a party and you wouldn't even finish the last one before the end! This is definately a very, vvveeerrryyy, VERY remarkable album.