(Guest pick from Metro & Metro-Reloaded, Saltcoats — with resident duo Twice as Nice on rotation for the big trance nights.)
There’s a reason the dancefloor at Metro and Metro-Reloaded still erupts when certain intros land. Some records are simply built different: unforgettable riffs, goosebump breakdowns, hands-up drops that hit the same now as they did the first time you heard them under the lights. Here are ten cast-iron trance anthems we reach for when we want the room bouncing in Ayrshire — all peer-checkable picks with release details and chart receipts where it helps.
1) Energy 52 — Café Del Mar (Three ‘N One Mix)
If you’re chasing that “golden hour over Ibiza” feeling in the middle of a Scottish winter, this is the shortcut. Originally released in 1993, then propelled into UK chart territory by those ‘97/’98 remix packages — notably Three ‘N One and Nalin & Kane — the melody is immortal and the breakdown buys you a full minute of pure euphoria before the kick thunders back in. (Original 1993 release; UK chart peaks with Three ’N One-era reissues in 1997 and 1998.)
2) Veracocha — Carte Blanche (1999)
Ferry Corsten & Vincent de Moor’s one-off under the Veracocha alias is the definition of “clean rush”. Those airy leads, that sparkling arpeggio — it’s a perfect main-room lift. Released on Positiva in the UK in 1999, it went Top 30 and has never left the big-room crate.
3) Binary Finary — 1998 (Paul van Dyk Remix)
The title tells you the era, the PvD mix tells you the intent. That choral-pad build and octave-jump hook are engineered for mass sing-back without a single lyric. The track’s various mixes (PvD, Gouryella et al.) are the stuff of trance folklore — with the 1998 tag evolving to ‘99 and ‘00 across new remixes.
4) Paul van Dyk — For an Angel (E-Werk Remix)
Released originally in 1994 and reworked in 1998, PvD’s most celebrated record is a masterclass in restraint: warm bass, crystalline leads, and a heavenly B-section that’s tailor-made for a sea of raised hands. The 1998 E-Werk mix dominated UK dance charts for weeks — and still sounds pristine on a big system.
5) Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan — Silence (Tiësto’s In Search of Sunrise Remix)
Vocal-trance perfection. McLachlan’s ethereal topline hovers over a widescreen build that packs both emotion and punch. First released in 1999; Tiësto’s 2000 take is the reason dancefloors still lose it when the “Heaven holds a sense…” line arrives. If you want one mid-set “arms-around-your-mates” moment, it’s this.
6) System F — Out of the Blue (1999)
Ferry Corsten again, this time as System F, serving a riff so insistent the room starts bouncing before the kick even returns. Released in 1999 and later the title cut of Corsten’s album, it’s peak-time fuel that turns casual punters into converts.
7) Gouryella — Gouryella (1999)
Corsten links with Tiësto and the result is pure, floating euphoria — the sort of trance that makes you feel like you’re levitating above the booth. Dropped in May/June 1999 and charting in the UK, it’s a guaranteed goosebump reset before you slam into something tougher.
8) Rank 1 — Airwave (1999)
If you were anywhere near a club at the turn of the millennium, this was the moment the place went bananas. UK Singles Chart Top 10 and repeatedly voted among trance’s greatest, “Airwave” is all about that colossal, crying-through-a-smile lead. Works beautifully as a set closer at Metro when you want everyone belting the hook.
9) Push — Universal Nation (1998/’99)
Belgian heavyweight Mike Dierickx (a.k.a. M.I.K.E.) forged a darker, driving anthem that still slams on modern rigs. First released on Bonzai in 1998, with ‘99 UK and wider European pushes to follow; it even nicked a spot on the UK Official Chart in 1999. This is the one we reach for when we want the floor to lock into a proper rolling trance groove.
10) Chicane feat. Máire Brennan — Saltwater (1999)
A glistening, Celtic-tinged slice of trance that ties the room together — especially fitting on the west coast of Scotland. Released May 1999, it hit No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and remains a universal sing-along. Drop it around 1:30am, lights dipped, strobes gentle — and watch the whole place float.
Wildcard that always works at Metro: Darude — Sandstorm (1999)
Yes, it’s meme-famous. It’s also an absolute weapon. Launched in Finland on 26 October 1999 before exploding globally in 2000, it’s still such a cultural juggernaut that Helsinki staged a 25th-anniversary city run and international tributes this year — proof the riff still electrifies crowds. Use sparingly; the effect is devastating.
How we play these at Metro/Metro-Reloaded
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Open with warmth, build to lift: “Café Del Mar” or “For an Angel (E-Werk)” work early — recognisable, emotional, not over-cooked. From there, step the energy with “Out of the Blue” into “Carte Blanche”.
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Vocal peak for community: Hit “Silence (Tiësto)” when the room’s with you — everyone sings, security smiles, the bar staff hum along.
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Drive the floor: “Universal Nation” resets the energy with something grittier before you go towering with “Airwave” or “Gouryella”.
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The hammer: Save “Sandstorm” for the exact right second — don’t telegraph it. When that lead bites, the roof goes.
Why these still work in 2025 (and in Saltcoats)
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Hooks you can whistle. All ten have instantly recognisable motifs — you hear two bars and you’re there.
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Breakdowns that breathe. These aren’t five-second snare rolls; they’re proper “hold the moment” breakdowns designed to flip a room in one hit.
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Timeless production choices. Clean, melodic leads, rolling basslines — and arrangements that make sense on modern systems.
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Shared memory. From Ayrshire to Ibiza, these tracks are generational glue. You’ll get teens, thirty-somethings and lifers grinning together. That’s club magic.
