Beginning with cascading ocean waves, the placidity of Tiesto’s sixth In Search of Sunrise installment – this time, centering on Ibiza – establishes its placidity with neither hesitation nor much effort. Ibiza, the `White Isle’ of trance music, is the most idyllic locale for Tiesto and his fans to seek the sunrise after a beautiful night of music and dance. By the album’s location alone, I was confident from the onset that this mix would be something that would at the very least rival the best of his previous ISoS efforts; I don’t think my assumption was wrong, even though it was made in haste.Disc one begins with paced, melodic and beautiful trance – ideal for watching the dark night sky begin to fluoresce at 5 A.M. as the sun prepares its rise to the heavens. The types of tracks Tiesto chose to compile for the first disc all encompass a singular, `creamy’ quality; truly, the music itself evokes images of white sand and sapphire waters calmly lapping at one’s feet. True to form, ISoS 6 is not without its ethereal female vocal presence, first appearing on “Don’t Belong.” Although female vocals never seem to intrude on Tiesto’s journeys, rarely do I find them of much help in charting the waters for a successful release. This is where this album differs from previous works – in its ability to be a cohesive masterpiece of beautiful electronic expression. Disc one is an emotive ride, and I have personally found this double-disc set to be the most inspiring of Tiesto’s work since Magik Vol. 3 – Far From Earth. Clearly the first disc is a Mecca of inspiration – simply glance at the superb track listing which clearly beats out ISoS 5′s second disc’s, which has until now been my favorite of the series. Tracks by the renowned likes of Ohmna, Moonbeam, Allure (featuring Julie Thompson) (!) and Solaris Heights strengthen the case for this disc’s ingenuity. In fact, I reviewed Solaris Heights’ newest Renaissance single “Vice” about two months back, loving the track, and was given the then-exclusive Sydenham Dub to sample as well. As much as I loved the original, the Dub was the clear frontrunner between the two and I’m quite thoroughly surprised to see it on a Tiesto release. Pleasantly surprised, I assure you. With “Lonely” and Tiesto’s ISoS Remix of “Hide and Seek,” this soothing disc recedes back into obscurity like the gentle ocean wave with which it all began. Emotive, full of clarity and promise, and reminiscent of paradise; what more could one ask for when searching for the sunrise?

Disc two was less of a surprise to me, coming from Tiesto, but it begins and ends better than the chunk in the middle which, to me, sounds like it could have been pulled from any recent Tiesto album and inserted in place of ISoS 6′s contents and no one would be the wiser. Opening with “A New Dawn” > “What You Need” > “Trozitos de Navidad” evokes images of ska-dancing on beaches and arms waving in the air; typical clubby atmosphere, until I realized that it all seemed subdued in a really nice way, as if someone had pressed the slow motion button and the track layering and sequence had forever captured me in that enraptured moment, arms high, feet suspended above soft white sand in ecstatic mid-leap. Alas, as with all things, this moment eventually ends but rest assured it is something special. I didn’t much care either way for John Dahlback’s “Don’t Speak,” and this is where the album turned – not `sour’ – but more predictable than I had been expecting after the strength of disc one and the first bit of disc two. Despite the mediocrity that “Arguru,” “Falling,” “Fall To Pieces” and “Mercury Room” (an added disappointment to me because Tom Cloud is a talented producer), Marcus Schossow begins the disc’s saving grace period with his beautiful “Chase My Rabbit” and the slightly sinister undertones of Maor Levi’s well-known “Reflect,” which makes a resonant presence on The Thrillseekers’ latest Nightmusic Vol. 2 as well. “Dancing Water” gives the remainder of the disc a quick kick in the belly with some harder beats. The last five tracks of disc two are entirely danceable in the same way that the first three were, only this has developed into high-BPM trance now. Just as the end is expected with some glossy climactic finish, Tiesto drops one more little gift into the bag before exiting gracefully – the addition of the atmospherically spacious “Breathing” by D’Alt Vila. After Tiesto’s newest and in my opinion most enigmatic release in many years, you will CERTAINLY be left breathing. Hard at first, then less rapidly, as the early morning sunlight slowly makes its way over your skin – and you find reality right where you left it… two and a half glorious hours ago.

-James Woodruff

Disc 1

1. Es Vedrá – La Hacienda
2. Glenn Morrison – Contact
3. Andy Duguid featuring Leah – Don’t Belong
4. Solaris Heights – Vice (Sydenham Dub)
5. Global Experience – Madras
6. Leonid Rudenko – Summerfish (Scandall Sunset On Ibiza Mix)
7. Clear View featuring Jessica – Tell Me
8. The Veil Kings – Searching For Truth
9. Ohmna – The Sun’ll Shine (Sunrise Mix)
10. Moonbeam – See The Difference Inside (Inside Mix)
11. Allure featuring Julie Thompson – Somewhere Inside Of Me
12. Taxigirl – High Glow
13. Reeves featuring Alanah – Lonely
14. Imogen Heap – Hide & Seek (Tiësto’s In Search Of Sunrise Remix)

Disc 2

1. Steve Forte Rio – A New Dawn
2. Nic Chagall – What You Need (NC’s In Love With Prog Mix)
3. Marc Marzenit – Trozitos De Navidad (Primavera Remix)
4. John Dahlbäck – Don’t Speak
5. Deadmau5 – Arguru
6. First State featuring Anita Kelsey – Falling
7. Jonas Steur featuring Jennifer Rene – Fall To Pieces
8. JES – Imagination (Tiësto Remix)
9. Tom Cloud – Mercury Room
10. Marcus Schössow – Chase My Rabbit
11. Maor Levi – Reflect
12. Progression – Different Day, Different Light
13. Jedidja – Dancing Water
14. D’Alt Vila – Breathing