Ruben de Ronde, York, Angel City and NRG2000 turn back toward Trance’s early-2000s energy on “Slip Away”, a 138 BPM Vocal Trance collaboration that combines old-school intent, melodic nostalgia and an emotional vocal centre with contemporary main-floor production. Released through A State of Trance on September 25, 2026, the four-name billing actually brings together three people: Ruben de Ronde appears both under his own name and his NRG2000 alias, alongside York’s Torsten Stenzel and Angel City vocalist Lara McAllen.
Four artist names, three people and one clear idea
The billing of “Slip Away” initially looks like a four-way collaboration, but its structure is more interesting than that.
Ruben de Ronde appears twice: once under his established name and again as NRG2000, the alias he created specifically to explore the harder, more nostalgic club and Trance sounds associated with the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Alongside him is Torsten Stenzel as York, bringing genuine lineage from one of the most recognisable melodic Trance projects of that era, while Lara McAllen represents Angel City, the vocal dance project with which she became closely associated during the early 2000s.
Seen that way, “Slip Away” is not simply a collection of familiar names. Its three protagonists each have a genuine connection to the musical period the track references.
Old-school Trance energy in a modern frame
That historical connection immediately explains the production approach.
At 138 BPM, “Slip Away” has enough pace and drive for a contemporary main floor, but its emotional emphasis is every bit as important as its physical energy. The melodic writing and overall atmosphere deliberately evoke the period when Vocal Trance could combine urgency, melancholy and euphoria without needing an excessively aggressive drop.
NRG2000 is particularly important to that identity. The alias allows Ruben de Ronde to step away from the expectations surrounding his regular productions and work more explicitly with the sounds that shaped an earlier generation of Trance.
Pairing that idea with York therefore makes complete sense. Torsten Stenzel is not merely referencing that period from a distance—he was part of it.
Lara McAllen gives “Slip Away” its emotional centre
Lara McAllen’s Angel City identity completes the picture.
Her vocal gives “Slip Away” a human centre that prevents the production from becoming purely an exercise in retro aesthetics. There is yearning and vulnerability in the song, creating the emotional counterweight to its 138 BPM drive.
That balance is important. The record can generate a proper hands-in-the-air Trance moment without relying entirely on the instrumental payoff.
McAllen’s renewed presence within contemporary Trance also makes the collaboration feel natural rather than opportunistic. Angel City has increasingly reconnected with the genre, placing “Slip Away” within an ongoing new chapter for the project rather than presenting it as a one-off nostalgic return.
Nostalgia works because it has a reason to be there
There is always a risk when modern productions lean heavily on classic-Trance language: familiarity can easily become the entire concept.
“Slip Away” largely avoids that problem because the nostalgia belongs to the artists involved.
Ruben de Ronde created NRG2000 specifically to revisit this musical territory. Torsten Stenzel helped shape the melodic Trance landscape through York. Lara McAllen brings authentic early-2000s vocal-dance heritage through Angel City.
The record therefore feels less like three contemporary artists attempting to recreate an older sound and more like musicians reconnecting different parts of their own histories.
The production itself remains sufficiently modern to prevent the concept from becoming overly retrospective. Its low end, main-floor punch and streamlined arrangement clearly belong to 2026, while the melodic and vocal language looks backwards.
TranceAttack verdict
“Slip Away” becomes more interesting once you look beyond its unusually long artist credit.
Behind four credited names are three people: Ruben de Ronde, Torsten Stenzel and Lara McAllen. And each brings a different connection to the era the record evokes.
Ruben uses NRG2000 to deliberately revisit the sounds that originally inspired him. York brings authentic classic-Trance heritage. Angel City provides both the vocal identity and another direct connection to early-2000s dance music.
That gives the nostalgia purpose.
“Slip Away” does not attempt to reinvent Trance, and its familiarity inevitably reduces the element of surprise. But reinvention is not really the point. This is a track about reconnecting generations of the genre—and doing so with enough contemporary production weight to work on today’s dance floors.
⭐️ Rating: 9 / 10
🎧 Perfect for:
- Peak-time Vocal Trance sets
- Classic-meets-current Trance programming
- Emotional festival moments
- 138 BPM transitions
- Early-2000s Trance nostalgia
Release details:
Artist: Ruben de Ronde aka NRG2000, Torsten Stenzel aka York, Lara McAllen aka Angel City
Track: Slip Away
Style: Main-Floor Vocal Trance
BPM: 138
Label: A State Of Trance
Release Date: September 25th, 2026
Get your copy here: https://asot.lnk.to/SlipAwayWA
Connect with Ruben De Ronde / NRG2000:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rubenderonde
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubenderonde
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nrg2000.mp3
X: https://www.twitter.com/rubenderonde
Connect with Torsten Stenzel / York:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yorkmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyits_york
X: https://www.twitter.com/yorkmusic1
Connect with Angel City:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angel_city_lara_official
Connect with A State Of Trance:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astateoftrance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asotlive
X: https://www.twitter.com/asot
Connect with Armada Music:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armadamusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armadamusic
X: https://www.twitter.com/armada
