Time in Motion: Mark Sutton's "Time's Up" Merges Nostalgic Trance With Modern Vibe
Mark Sutton is a producer, composer, and electronic artist based in Bournemouth whose musical persona is Music Garden and with "Time's Up," he presents an enticing and emotive production. The listener will be taken to the golden age of late 90's/early 2000's trance with the sound but will be served with a distinctly modern polish to the production. The song unfolds as a narrative of urgency, transition, and self-discovery.
For "Time's Up," Sutton perfected the track exclusively from his home studio in Christchurch, Dorset and reflects both the theme and his experience with sound design and solid knowledge of the tradition of trance music. Influenced by acts such as Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, and Ferry Corsten, Sutton taps into that glorious euphoric energy and weaves it into a soundscape both steeped in historical trance and future-facing. With pulsing basslines and shimmering synths, "Time's Up" builds a rising tension and climaxes with a euphoric melodic drop reflecting all the elements of trance movement, emotion, and release.
"Time's Up" is not merely a dance tune; it is a conceptual position. The title illustrates a reflection on time's ephemeral nature, and a personal call to action. "Time's Up" evolved from Sutton's realization that change is inevitable in life, in relationships, or in creating. He sought to express through his production, a feeling of standing at life’s intersections. The urgency to move forward, acceptance of the closing of things, and the excitement of new beginnings.
Sutton's approach to developing "Time's Up" revolves around a great deal of technicality. Instead of using mostly pre-set sounds, he curated and designed custom synth patches that change throughout the song, which adds a life and breath to the song. Some supplementary field recordings and ambient sound layers run under the driving beats somewhat unobtrusively to contribute atmosphere and emotion. Basics, in terms of automation, like filter sweeps, reverb tails, and modulation, work as another storytelling element that invite the listener in and keep them involved until the last beat.
The element that differentiates "Time's Up" is the emotional authenticity. It is not merely a tribute to trance's history, but it redefines trance's purpose of elevating, of mending, and reminding us that music can stop time "while life speeds by." With its throbbing bass lines and shooting melodies, "Time's Up" networks classic trance euphoria and a modern-sounding filmic flare.
Mark Sutton, "Time's Up," is equally an acknowledgment of the trance balladeers that came before him, and of his defining artistic statement. It's a piece for anyone willing to let go of the past, and embrace a stronger pull of the unstoppable force of the next chapter.
