Passion is the third and final release in DJ Bim’s “Concept In Trance” series of compilations. As with Electric and Focus, the style is upbeat progressive psytrance with a distinctly Germanic character. Unlike the others in the series, Passion did not come out on 2LP vinyl.

The opening song is accredited to DJ Montagu and DJ Golkonda, but they are better known as Symphonix project. Tracking is stylish yet dull, offering a brooding groove that never really satisfies. At times it seems to lure the listener inwards, but the incessant sample usage detracts from the experience.

Treibstoff takes an austere approach with Pipeline, an intelligent piece of sophisticated minimal trance. Throughout the song, small melodies flit around as refined atmospheric pads swirl and flow in precisely orchestrated movements. This song is simultaneously warm and cold—a contradiction in terms that can be attributed to the classy way in which it was produced. Smooth!

Leave it to Alexander Ligowski to clean up Druids, a Symphonix song originally released on the Electric compilation. The original was dull, but this is deep, luscious, and absolutely captivating—one it really gets going. It takes a few minutes to establish the groove and lay down a hook, but from that point forward, the song is continually building energy. Massive cinematic atmospheres, bold melodies, throbbing beats: this bold remix has everything I am looking for in trance of this nature. The only drawback is the sample usage—it seems a bit awkward and forced. Phony Orphants did it much better with the Elvish samples on Petanque (released on Day Time in 2004). Still, this is a great track!

Human Blue (Dag Wallin) makes his last appearance on Midijum with Pocket Radio, a pristine song composed in the clean and melodic style of Electric Roundabout. The use of layering gives incredible depth to this superficially simplistic Scandinavian beauty. There is an aesthetic purity to this production that sublimely comes into focus with repeat listening. Every sound has its place—this is the essence of high-quality trance. Gorgeous!

SBK’s remix of Druids is similar to Ligowski’s, although this version is far more subtle, moody, and mysterious. When two remixes are very close in sound and style I have a tendency to side with the one I like more. I think I prefer the boldness of the Alexander Ligowski remix, but this is not bad.

The version of Aliens Coming! that appears here on Passion is not significantly different from the one that was later released on DJ Exanimo’s full-length debut, Turn Left At Orion. Exanimo takes a cosmic approach with this one, employing themed samples and an otherworldly vibe to bring interest to his creation. This is hypnotic and psychedelic, relying primarily on the effect of small sharp noises and cascading bass notes. It grows to be quite charming at times, as one of the high-end melodies sounds like some sort of alien bird peeping with contentment. It sounds quite unlike most progressive psytrance—one might even say there is a remotely old school feel to this production.

In a strange turn of events, Silent Sphere (Simon Weber) teams up with veteran producer The Muses Rapt (Juan Verdera) on Fiesta. Verdera is widely known for his immense late-nineties hit Spiritual Healing, but this is not a sequel. Silent Sphere provides the quasi-full-on beats, much as he did on other compilations in this series. The groove is fat enough to make an impression, integrating lazy guitars and floating melodies to spawn interest. Shortly after five minutes have passed Verdera’s influence finally shines through: the melodies take on a forceful quality and the bass line begins to dip. Too bad it never really seems to go anywhere; the progression beyond this point is unimaginative. In the end, this is all right, but it could have been much better.

As a bonus, DJ Bim (with some assistance from unspecified “friends”) provides an intriguing remix of Traumatic Event, a song by the relatively well-known German EBM group Funker Vogt. Since Bim is not known for his production work, I wonder whose talent was drawn upon here—Four Carry Nuts? I am merely speculating. At any rate, the song itself is a very straight-forward translation of the original. Orchestral surges and light piano notes fill the air, leading directly into the breakdown in the last third. Emotive male vocals rise from the deepest reaches of the break, incurring a predictive return. As unpalatable as the singing might be to the average trance fan, this is common ground for EBM fans. It is best to take this track at face value; it is, in fact, an effective German trance anthem.

Symphonix wraps up the compilation with Instinct, a sentimental song that features a melancholic piano melody and a dour, plodding groove. Male vocal samples are littered throughout the song, mumbling something along the lines of “it takes you” among other things. Somehow, it works. This feels like the genuine article; it is touching, even passionate. I almost never enjoy anything from Symphonix, but this has a curious charm about it. Perhaps its a fluke, but I must admit it is something of a favourite!

Passion is no more than a slightly above average compilation, but at least it has more going for it than the others in the series. Although it is lightly mixed, this compilation will mainly be of interest to the DJs out there. The track ordering is incoherent, so I can’t say much for the actual listening experience itself. This is merely a compilation to source material from, and nothing more. That being said, there are some fine tracks to be heard here. The Human Blue song is great, and Alexander Ligowski’s remix of Druids is also quite strong. DJ Exanimo’s offering can be heard on his full-length album, while Symphonix delivers the surprise of the album. Treibstoff’s contribution isn’t shabby either. As such, this compilation may be worth looking into.