‘In Search Of Sunrise 20’ Mixed by Markus Schulz, Solarstone, York, Airscape, ZOYA & Super8 & Tab
With the millennium on the then horizon, October the 10th 1999 saw DJ Tiësto’s first In Search Of Sunrise touch down into a glowing comp climate. Already trailing heat through his previous series (Magik), anticipation was way high. However, its reception outmatched even Tiësto and Black Hole’s expectations, with the Dutchman mixing seven in total, before parting creative ways with the series.
In Search Of Sunrise returned in 2010 under the stewardship of one-time Tiësto protegee Richard Durand, who delivered six editions and introduced co-mixing to its dynamic. Having ‘visited’ India, South Africa and his native Amsterdam, sounds diverged once again and Richard departed the series in 2015, at which point it went on a well-earned three-year hiatus.
Doing away with the city/country hopping, but retaining the co-mixing dynamic, Markus Schulz became ‘Sunrise’s new standard-bearer in 2018. It’s a position he retains to this day, with In Search Of Sunrise 20 marking his 7th (Tiësto-equalling) outing. That DJ democracy has since allowed many other co-spinners to leave their ‘ISOS’ mark, Gabriel & Dresden, Andy Moor, Jerome Isma-Ae, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Kyau & Albert and Ilan Bluestone among them.
That brings us then to where ISOS stands in the late summer of 2024, when Black Hole revealed their plans for the 20th ‘Search’. Solarstone became the first of the six mixers unveiled, with Johan Gielen’s Airscape, Super8 & Tab, York, ZOYA and Markus followed in weekly succession.
Highest highs amongst its 100+ track highlights then Well, that’s a tough one, so maybe better to pinpoint some of the extraordinary legacy moments its six mixes touch on. In Search Of Sunrise 20 amounts to 6 DJs, 100+ tracks, 450+ musical minutes and 25 years of electronic music history, all celebrated through one milestone release. The album is available to order now as a six-disc-boxset, six-mix digital release, triple-vinyl, and on all mayor streaming channels.
