Dutch trance duo Rank 1 (Piet Bervoets and Benno De Goeij) are best known for one of their early smashes “Airwave,” regarded by many as of the biggest trance classics of all time. They tend to release 2-3 tracks annually and each one seems to take on a life of its own. “7 Instead of 8” received a lot of initial buzz when first played on the A State of Trance radio show. The trance track starts subtly and gradually builds into waves of sonic landscapes. While a retro feel is definitely present with classic elements of old school trance deployed throughout, flourishes of electro synths give it a current feel. On first listen, I noticed there was something a bit odd with the building of the track that I couldn’t immediately place. I went old school and counted the beats to realize that the song is not in traditional 4/4 time of most dance music in but 7/8 (or 7 eighth-note beats per measure.) The effect is quite subtle but I am wondering how much it will mess up microwave (or even experienced) DJs trying to mix it who don’t realize it. A little bit of internet research reveals the obvious – that the time signature was the inspiration for the title.
Image Courtesy of High Contrast.