In the year 2000, Christophe Chantzis and Erik Vanspauwen came up with the idea of Ian Van Dahl. Christophe Chantzis is a well-known figure in the Belgian dance community as he had previously worked on projects such as Absolom and Astroline. With Ian Van Dahl’s “Castles in the Sky” taking the music scene by storm, this week’s Flashback takes us back to 2001. A delight for fans of classic trance with all the necessary hooks.
The song “Castles in the Sky” is from Belgian music project Ian Van Dahl’s debut album, Ace (2002). Marsha, whose real name is Martine Theeuwen, wrote and sang the lyrics for the song. Unfortunately, despite Marsha’s strong desire to perform, the record company and Christophe Chantzis opted to substitute her for the public appearances. They initially found Cindy, but they quickly removed her because it was clear she was merely lip-syncing during live performances. Annemie (actual name Annemie Anne Francine Coenen) and the dancers Jeanine and Diana then arrived. There’s a new version of “Castles In The Sky” with Annemie’s voice, but all copies available have Marsha’s voice.
The lyrics strike a nice blend between childish simplicity and profundity. However, the production is the show-stealer, with highlights including the hyper-bubblegum, rubbery synths that pervade the chorus – both danceable and sad – and the misty synth pad that complements the pre-chorus. Cindy Mertens appears in two separate videos for the song; both involve her miming Marsha’s vocals. The first depicts a group of dancers in an underground sewer, using a standard radio edit. The second video has a Peter Luts radio edit with clips of an interspersed instrument amid excerpts from the original video.
While “Castles In The Sky” was a modest chart success across Europe in 2000, it became a massive hit in the UK when released in 2001. It peaked at number 3 and has been certified Gold for sales of over 400,000 copies. The song also charted in the United States, peaking at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100, and climbed to the top ten in Germany and Canada soon after its release.
“Castles in the Sky” has won numerous awards worldwide. It was nominated for the WMC awards in 2001 for best Progressive House/Trance 12″ and best Hi-NRG/Euro 12″. It also took home awards for Best Hi NRG/Euro 12′′ vinyl from the Winter Music Conference (WMC), one of the most important conferences in the United States. Ian Van Dahl was a nominee for the DanceStar World Music Awards 2002 in the Best Trance Act and Record of the Year categories in the United Kingdom, but they took home the trophy for Best Trance Act!
In the late 2000s, Ian Van Dahl split up. In 2008, Annemie Coenen and Peter Luts decided to collaborate, and AnnaGrace was born. The duo intended to move away from vocal trance and towards more progressive house territory. “You Make Me Feel” was AnnaGrace’s debut single (2008). The Belgian singers were again successful in America, as the song topped the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay charts. They repeated the feat with their next single, “Let the Feelings Go,” released the following year.
As for “Castles in the Sky,” it speaks on so many different levels about life and purpose, and we might not know the answers to its questions. Yet, the power within it is almost overwhelming. It makes us want to do everything at once: dance, cry, love, laugh, sing, and live.
