In Search Of Sunrise

Call me a boomer, idk, but since episode 7, ISOS is literally dead for me.
Maybe the trance scene changed as well with the times - which is perfectly okay - but since Tiesto gave the wheel to Richard, it's not the same anymore. I just can't feel the deep emotions, the spark and the extensive storytelling of tracklist arrangements - the "Sunrise feel". On episode 8, despite it was dedicated for South Africa, there were track names like "Sydney", "Ibiza" and "New York City"... I still can't come up to with that... So yeah, all of Richard's mixes were a big miss to me, despite they didn't contain bad tracks at all, but a sheetload of fillers instead.
Giving the wheel to Markus with volume 14 was a good decision, but it didn't help a lot again. His mixes are too crowded, with too many simiar, too short and too much poppy vocal tracks - no, thanks. Since it grew to 3-disc format, I became more curious about the "guests". Lots of them didn't really got what is the whole ISOS thing all about, often mixing in unnecessary classics, which were already big on Tiesto's mixes. But there were some good exceptions: Jerome Isma-Ae and Orkidea on volume 15, Ilan Bluestone and Daniel Wanrooy on volume 19 all did an excellent job.
As it turned out to be, edition 20 is a 6 (!) disc. My first immediate question was: WHY? Then I luckily saw that Solarstone will be the mixer of one disc and this gave me a little hope for hearing some quality - and ISOS-like mix finally... and well, Solarstone and Johan Gielen deliverd the goods thankfully. Rest of the discs are... mediocre at best, still dealing with the same problem: working with good tracks in general, but as DJ set, they are directionless and lacks of true inspiration and... essence of ISOS.

Legendary trance mix compilation, spearheaded at first by Tiesto for 7 editions before the reins were ed over to Richard Durand for 5 editions, before being ed again to Markus Schulz for (so far) 6 iterations.

Tiesto's series is often considered the GOAT, with ISOS 1-3 having their own sound of more classic trance and progressive, then 4-7 embracing more progressive house and mid-00s trance as the Black Hole/Songbird and general trance sound evolved and shifted. Hard to choose a highlight from this series as all mixes are excellent, but my personal top 3 are: 1,3,7

Durand took over the reins at an awkward time in trance history as the mainstream sound was drastically changing, and to his credit did his best to incorporate new sounds whilst maintaining the ISOS "feel". He brought in guest mixes from ISOS10 onwards, although the quality was middling at best, and the series began to lost its sonic identity after ISOS10 imo (although definitely improves from ISOS10). My top 3 are: 8,9,13.5

Schulz's tenure has been a breath of fresh air, and completely brought new life back to the franchise. Instead of trying to replicate the final ISOS mixes of Tiesto's rein, Schulz and the Black Hole gang have taken this into a completely new direction, perhaps inspired by the Pure Trance mixes Solarstone was pushing out. Every album a 3-disc affair, with a huge variety of guestmixers, both scene prodigies and old-guard, ISOS is fresh and vibrant as always. Aside from the obvious cap nod to Markus Schulz, some spectacular guestmixes from the likes of Orkidea, Daniel Wanrooy, Kryder, Matt Fax and Andy Moor. Top 3: 15,19,18

Plenty for everyone in this series, and don't write off any edition imo, huge variety of guestmixers from all over the trance/progressive scene, I am excited for the next edition and congratulate Black Hole on publishing one of the finest series of trance and progressive in the last few decades. Onwards and upwards!

In Search of Sunrise, a series that used to be my "go to" compilation when Tiesto was in charge for the mixing duty. Each volume often came with a lot of unpredictable tracks & producers, which surprised me because back in the days I only knew a handful of biggest names and ISOS introduced me to those "unknown" producers (at least for me) such as DJ Tandu, Salt Tank, even Gabriel & Dresden.
I stopped listening when Richard Durand took the mixing duty, because I felt that it has no more surprises, the tracks were predictable, and no more special feeling.

Despite that, I believe it is still a good compilation and worth listening, but it just doesn't give the feeling that it used to give.