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10 moments that defined Ferry Corsten

We take a trip down the rabbit hole with the Dutch trance master to document his many aliases, hit records and unforgettable moments! There's really no other artist quite like Ferry Corsten...

1. ‘Spirit of Adventure’
After initially dabbling in gabber with friends as a teen, ‘Spirit of Adventure’ is the debut Ferry Corsten track where fans can first start to hear his signature sound take shape. Produced in 1991 by an 18-year-old Corsten, it's still one of Ferry's earliest and most-defining records.

2. De Grote Prijs van Nederlands
In the mid-1990s, Corsten formed a live dance music trio with Marcel Hol and John Matze called Hole In One. In 1995, they took home de Grote Prijs Van Nederland in the dance music category — an annual award for young artists in Holland making a significant impact in their chosen art form.

3. ‘Don’t Be Afraid’
Corsten first began earning the attention of international trance fans under an array of diverse and mysterious aliases. Produced under his alias Moonman, ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ is old skool Corsten at his very finest. The track’s reception helped establish a reputation that would eventually give rise to Ferry's imprint, Tsunami Records.

4. ‘Out of The Blue’
It’s been said that ‘Out Of The Blue’ galvanized the Dutch trance sound, a genre that would overtake Europe’s nightclubs in the early 2000s. Produced under his alias System F, ‘Out of The Blue’ is both unrelenting and powerful — it's a magnificent piece of dancefloor-focused trance. 

5. ‘Barber’s Adagio for Strings’
With the official remix of ‘Barber’s Adagio For Strings’, —originally by cross-over sensation William Orbit (just removed from production duties on Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’) — Corsten was busy forever etching his name in the memories of the globe’s electronic music listeners. The remix would eventually climb to No.5 on the UK charts.

6. ‘Punk’
Corsten never allows himself to get caught in a production funk. Whether it be a new alias, collaboration, or genre experiment, there is always new stimuli for Corsten and his fanbase. ‘Punk', and the subsequent ‘Rock your body, Rock’, were Corsten’s first attempts at merging electro’s urban bounce with his own trance stylings, making it a landmark moment in trance's history. 

7. Flashover Recordings
Seeking to break new talent, Corsten left Tsunami Recordings in 2005 to launch Flashover Recordings. As the head of the label, Corsten has been able to nurture the careers of Arty, Tritonal and Rafael Frost.

8. Corsten’s Countdown
No iconic DJ's legacy is complete without a respected radio show. For Corsten, this came to fruition midway through 2007. Unlike other radio shows,, Corsten’s Countdown is billed an ‘interactive dance show where you control the music’. The premise has worked and over a decade later the countdown is set to celebrate episode 546 on 13th December.

9. Full on Ferry UK
On New Year’s Eve 2011, the UK finally saw Corsten bring his Full on Ferry live concept to the region. Held at the Brixton 02 Academy in London, Ferry fans were able to take in Corsten’s massive trance sound within the intended arena setting. A triumph! 

10. 20 Years of Ferry
In late 2011, Corsten became the first artist to release an album via an app-only format. The ’20 Years of Ferry’ release included 34 of his biggest hits, worked into a mix. On the singles front, he released ‘Check It Out’, ‘Minack’, ‘Brute’ (co-produced with Armin van Buuren) ‘Feel It’ and ‘So Good’ - the latter going out as a free-share track, as a ‘thank you’ in recognition of his fans loyalty.