Pure Trance Recordings

Pure Trance Recordings was launched in 2012 by Solarstone (Richard Mowatt) as a curated home for the original progressive-trance sound that he felt was being eroded by the mid-2010s drift toward big-room and EDM-influenced production. The label functions both as a release platform and as a manifesto: a statement that classical, slow-burn, atmosphere-first trance retains its artistic value and deserves continued care. The flagship Pure Trance compilation series — now well past its 10th volume — is mixed by Solarstone alongside guest co-curators including Bryan Kearney, Vlind, Orkidea, and others. Each volume documents the state of "pure" trance at a given moment, deliberately filtering out the genre's more commercial tendencies. Pure Trance Recordings has hosted releases from Jaytech, Sneijder, Vlind, Orkidea, Forerunners, and other artists committed to the deeper progressive aesthetic. The associated Pure Trance Nights event series runs at boutique venues across Europe — small rooms, long sets, no compromise. While Pure Trance is a smaller-scale operation than Armada or Anjunabeats, its principled curatorial position makes it disproportionately influential within the trance connoisseur community.