Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten unite on “Metaverse”, a dark and futuristic Main-Floor Trance collaboration that combines progressive pacing, techno-influenced pressure, and a controlled melodic payoff. Released through Perfecto Records on July 31, 2026, the 132 BPM instrumental favors atmosphere and sustained club momentum over conventional uplifting euphoria.
Two Trance pioneers enter the Metaverse
Few collaborations arrive with as much accumulated electronic-music history behind them as Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten. “Metaverse” brings together two artists whose careers helped shape different generations of Trance, while deliberately avoiding the temptation to recreate a nostalgic late-1990s anthem.
Instead, the pair focus on the contemporary dance floor. The track moves at 132 BPM, placing it in the more measured end of Main-Floor Trance and giving its darker production room to breathe. Its energy comes less from raw speed than from the persistence of its groove, the weight of its low end and the gradual accumulation of tension.
The official promotional campaign describes the collaboration as a meeting of ideas drawn from trance, house and techno. That crossover language is justified: “Metaverse” remains firmly trance-led, but its physical rhythm section and restrained melodic structure allow it to sit naturally beside modern progressive and techno-influenced productions.
Futuristic tension instead of easy euphoria
The extended arrangement develops through firm drums, a rolling bass foundation and increasingly spacious electronic layers. Small rhythmic and tonal details keep the opening section moving without immediately revealing the track’s full melodic direction.
Its atmosphere gradually becomes more cinematic. A futuristic central motif emerges from the darker framework, supported by broad pads and carefully controlled rises. The breakdown creates scale without turning into an oversized emotional pause. It feels more like entering a different environment than stopping the track for a conventional hands-in-the-air moment.
When the groove returns, the production reconnects its melodic elements with the driving foundation rather than replacing them with a completely separate festival drop. This continuity is important to the track’s identity. “Metaverse” is designed to maintain immersion and pressure, making it particularly useful for DJs constructing a longer journey through progressive, melodic and main-floor sounds.
Oakenfold’s Perfecto vision meets Corsten’s modern versatility
The collaboration succeeds because both artists’ broader musical identities are present without becoming exaggerated.
Oakenfold’s influence can be heard in the track’s expansive concept, darker club character and openness to sounds beyond a narrow Trance formula. Corsten brings precision, polished melodic architecture and the ability to make a comparatively restrained idea feel substantial on a large system.
The result does not sound like one producer simply completing a track for the other. It feels like a genuine midpoint: less uplifting than Corsten’s classic Gouryella material, but more explicitly trance-focused than some of his recent progressive and melodic excursions. At the same time, it fits the revived Perfecto catalog without leaning entirely on familiar samples or heritage-driven nostalgia.
TranceAttack Verdict
“Metaverse” is a mature collaboration that values musical tension, atmosphere and DJ functionality over an obvious nostalgia play. Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten do not attempt to manufacture a retro anthem from their combined reputations; they deliver a contemporary Main-Floor Trance record that connects progressive depth with darker peak-time pressure. Its central motif may not be as immediately unforgettable as the finest classics associated with either artist, but the production’s immersive character, strong pacing and crossover versatility make it a highly effective club track.
⭐️ Rating: 8.5 / 10
🎧 Perfect for:
- Progressive-to-Trance set transitions
- Darker main-room and festival passages
- Late-night Trance sets built around sustained tension
- Listeners who prefer controlled atmosphere over maximal uplift
It may not replace the original in the hearts of those who grew up with it, nor should it try to. Instead, this is a convincing 2026 interpretation: built for peak-time DJ sets, charged with nostalgia and driven by enough modern energy to make the classic feel alive again.
Release details:
Artist: Paul Oakenfold, Ferry Corsten
Track: MetaVerse
Style: Progressive-leaning Main-Floor Trance
BPM: 132
Label: Perfecto Records
Release Date: July 31st, 2026
Get your copy here: https://prfct.lnk.to/MetaverseYA
Connect with Paul Oakenfold:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pauloakenfold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauloakenfold
X: https://www.twitter.com/pauloakenfold
Connect with Ferry Corsten:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ferrycorsten
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferrycorsten
X: https://www.twitter.com/ferrycorsten
Connect with Perfecto Records:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perfectorecords
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfectorecords
X: https://www.twitter.com/perfectorecords
