In Search Of Sunrise — every volume guided.
The short answer
In Search Of Sunrise is the mix-compilation series released on Tiësto's Black Hole Recordings from 1999 to 2019. Fifteen numbered volumes across two decades. Tiësto personally mixed Vols. 1–6; Richard Durand mixed Vols. 7–15. It is the definitive progressive- and vocal-trance compilation series of the classic era.
Below is a guide to every volume — release year, geographic theme, who mixed it, editorial angle, and three standout records per volume.
Vol. 1
1999 · Mixed by Tiësto
The first volume, released on Black Hole Recordings before Tiësto was Tiësto — before Silence, before Adagio, before Athens. A patient single-CD mix that leans toward the melodic-progressive end of what would soon be called Balearic trance. The volume that established the series' identity: sunrise-facing selections that treat the mix, not the individual record, as the artwork.
Perpetuous Dreamer feat. Elles de Graaf — The Sound Of Goodbye
Armin van Buuren's early vocal-trance production, an ISOS staple.
Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan — Silence (Airscape Remix)
The harder alternative to the Tiësto ISOS remix that would come next volume.
Solar Factor — Cominciero
Late-90s progressive-trance obscurity resurrected by the compilation.
Vol. 2
2000 · Mixed by Tiësto
"A Summer Balearic Flavour"
First two-CD volume. First appearance of the Tiësto rework of Delerium's Silence, the record that would define his international profile for the next five years. Marketed with an explicit Balearic subtitle — the moment the series committed to Ibiza-sunset aesthetics over more generic uplifting-trance selection.
Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan — Silence (Tiësto's In Search Of Sunrise Remix)
The vocal-trance benchmark. Debuted on this volume.
DJ Precision — Vaenus
Instrumental progressive builder, ISOS 2 opener.
Robbie Rivera — Bang
Rivera's tribal-progressive workout, ISOS 2 CD 2 highlight.
Vol. 3
2002 · Mixed by Tiësto
"Panama"
Themed around a Tiësto DJ trip to Panama. Marks the point where the series shifts from documenting an existing sound to actively curating an aesthetic — the ISOS 3 tracklist is more identifiable as 'Tiësto's taste' than any earlier volume.
Kyau vs. Albert — Waiting For
The Anjunabeats-signed German duo's ISOS breakthrough.
Tiësto — Nyana
Tiësto's own instrumental, a peak-time ISOS 3 selection.
Cass & Slide — Air For Life
Progressive-trance meets Balearic strings.
Vol. 4
2005 · Mixed by Tiësto
"Latin America"
The volume that broadened the series' geographical brief beyond Ibiza. Tiësto's Latin American touring schedule had exploded post-Athens; ISOS 4 is the compilation that acknowledged it. Two CDs, heavier on late-classic Black Hole material.
Tiësto — Traffic
The DJ Mag #1 track of 2003, ISOS 4's closing statement.
Tiësto — Lethal Industry (Richard Durand Remix)
Harder, later-era Tiësto reworked for peak-time.
Tiësto vs Junkie XL — Suburban Train (Tiësto Remix)
The film-score-adjacent instrumental that closed a thousand sets.
Vol. 5
2006 · Mixed by Tiësto
"Los Angeles"
Final volume mixed by Tiësto himself. He handed the series to Richard Durand starting with Volume 7. ISOS 5 reads as a farewell — dense, ambitious, and openly nostalgic for the earlier progressive-Balearic identity the series was already moving away from.
Tiësto feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw — Just Be (Antillas Club Mix)
The Kirsty Hawkshaw vocal that closed the Tiësto ISOS era.
Richard Durand — In Search Of Sunrise
Durand's title-track tribute, foreshadowing his takeover from Vol 7.
Vertical Horizon (Tiësto Remix) — You're A God
Rock-pop crossover reworked into trance.
Vol. 6
2007 · Mixed by Tiësto
"Ibiza"
Officially the sixth Tiësto volume, released as an Ibiza-themed retrospective. Tracklist leans heavier on Black Hole roster productions than earlier volumes and marks the point where the series aesthetic starts to shift from progressive-Balearic to melodic-uplifting.
Sander Van Doorn — Do You Feel Me
The Dutch producer's ISOS breakthrough.
Tiësto — You Are (Sander van Doorn Remix)
Reworking of a Tiësto original for the next-gen crowd.
Tiësto — Serendipity
Tiësto original, ISOS 6 CD2 opener.
Vol. 7
2008 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"Asia"
First volume not mixed by Tiësto. Richard Durand takes over and pushes the series harder — 138+ BPM peak-time selections dominate over the earlier progressive-Balearic template. Controversial with long-time fans; commercially the series' biggest year to date.
Ferry Corsten — Cape Town
Late-classic Corsten, ISOS 7 anchor.
Steve Anderson feat. Sarah Brightman — Sarah's Theme
Orchestral crossover, ISOS 7 vocal-highlight.
Josh Gabriel & Dave Dresden — Awake
The Gabriel & Dresden progressive statement.
Vol. 8
2010 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"South Africa"
Durand's second volume. Themed around his post-2010 South Africa tour dates. Weighted toward Coldharbour Recordings and Anjunabeats releases; represents the point where ISOS starts to feel less like a Tiësto property and more like a Black Hole label sampler.
Armin van Buuren — Ping Pong
The 2014 Armin instrumental that split the trance audience.
Armin van Buuren feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor — Not Giving Up On Love
Vocal-trance pop crossover.
Tiësto — In My Memory (Cerf, Mitiska & Jaren Remix)
Reworking of a Tiësto classic for the new decade.
Vol. 9
2011 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"India"
Themed around Durand's Indian tour dates and released on Black Hole Recordings' Songbird sub-imprint. The volume most explicitly aimed at the mid-2010s uplifting-trance-revival audience — dense with Coldharbour and Enhanced Music releases.
Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan — Silence (2011 Rework)
Tenth-anniversary rework of the vocal-trance benchmark.
Richard Durand feat. Ellie Lawson — Alone
Durand's own ISOS 9 anchor.
Morgan Page feat. Lissie — The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix)
Progressive-house crossover, ISOS 9 opener.
Vol. 10
2013 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"Australia"
The tenth-anniversary volume. Three CDs, retrospective in tone, with an explicit essay on the sleeve by Tiësto acknowledging the handover to Durand and the evolution of the series' sound.
Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston — Beautiful Distraction
The Anjunabeats vocal-progressive benchmark of the decade.
The M Machine — Metropolis
West-coast US progressive-trance leaning into electro.
Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston — You And I
The second Above & Beyond selection, indicating ISOS 10's Anjunabeats weighting.
Vol. 11
2014 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"Las Vegas"
Themed around the mid-2010s Las Vegas residency boom that reshaped touring economics for every A-list DJ. Represents the point at which ISOS acknowledged that the classic Ibiza-sunset aesthetic had been overtaken commercially by the Vegas mega-club aesthetic.
Marcus Schössow feat. Amanda Wilson — Under Stars
The Swedish producer's ISOS breakthrough.
MaRLo feat. Christina Novelli — Escape
Post-2013 vocal-uplifter, ISOS 11 highlight.
Nifra feat. Cari — Hearts On Fire
Slovak-born, Coldharbour-signed uplifter.
Vol. 12
2015 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"Dubai"
Themed around Dubai's emergence as a major dance-music market. The volume most weighted toward vocal-trance and pop-crossover selections since ISOS 8; noticeable shift back toward the melodic template Tiësto's original volumes established.
Calvin Harris — Ready For The Weekend (Signum Remix)
Signum's uplifting reworking of the Harris pop hit.
Nifra — Fallen
Coldharbour-signed uplifter, ISOS 12 highlight.
Cosmic Gate & JES — Waiting
German-Anglo vocal-trance rework.
Vol. 13
2016 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"Amsterdam"
Themed around the ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) week and Durand's Dutch industry roots. The volume most weighted toward Armada and Black Hole roster productions of any in the series.
Chris Metcalfe — Home
Post-2015 uplifter, ISOS 13 opener.
Craig Connelly feat. Christina Novelli — Save Me
The classic-modeled vocal-uplifter template continued.
Metta & Glyde feat. Rebecca Louise Burch — Fall To Light
UK vocal-trance late-classic.
Vol. 14
2018 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"Sri Lanka"
First ISOS volume in two years, part of a deliberate slowdown in the series' release cadence. Sri Lanka theme reflects Durand's own touring geography rather than any market-scale rationale.
Estiva feat. Gid Sedgwick — This Never Happened
Anjunabeats vocal-progressive.
Farius — Feeling Blue
Modern uplifter modelled on the classic 138 BPM template.
Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Rene Ablaze feat. Naeema — Rise
Late-classic style Coldharbour vocal.
Vol. 15
2019 · Mixed by Richard Durand
"Northern Lights"
The most recent numbered volume. Released to mark the series' twentieth year and framed by Durand's sleeve notes as 'the last of the classic run'. No numbered volume has been released since.
Richard Durand — Northern Lights
Durand's title-track, an anniversary anchor.
Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan — Silence (2019 Rework)
A second decadal rework of the vocal-trance benchmark.
Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston — The One
The Anjunabeats vocal-progressive tradition, closing the series.
What is In Search Of Sunrise?
In Search Of Sunrise is a mix-compilation series released on Black Hole Recordings (Tiësto's Dutch trance label, co-founded with Arny Bink) from 1999 to 2019. Fifteen numbered volumes were released across two decades. Tiësto himself mixed volumes 1–6; Dutch producer Richard Durand took over from volume 7 (2008) through volume 15 (2019). The series is defined by its sunrise-facing, progressive-and-vocal-trance selection.
Who mixed In Search Of Sunrise?
Tiësto (Tijs Verwest) mixed the first six volumes personally, from Vol. 1 in 1999 through Vol. 6 (Ibiza) in 2007. Starting with Vol. 7 (Asia, 2008) the series was handed to Dutch producer Richard Durand, who mixed volumes 7 through 15 (Northern Lights, 2019). Tiësto retained executive-producer credit on every subsequent volume.
How many In Search Of Sunrise volumes are there?
Fifteen numbered volumes were released between 1999 and 2019. No numbered volume has been released since Vol. 15 (Northern Lights, 2019). The series is considered concluded but has not been formally retired by Black Hole Recordings.
Which In Search Of Sunrise volume is the best starting point?
Vol. 2 (A Summer Balearic Flavour, 2000) is the most-cited starting point among long-time fans — it introduced the Tiësto remix of Delerium's 'Silence' and established the two-CD format the series would follow. Vol. 3 (Panama, 2002) is the alternative starting point: the volume where the series' progressive-Balearic identity fully consolidated.
Where can I stream In Search Of Sunrise?
All fifteen numbered volumes are available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music under Black Hole Recordings. Physical CD pressings of Vols. 1–6 are out of print; later volumes remain in print through Black Hole's own store. YouTube hosts full-volume DJ-mix uploads of most volumes on the Black Hole Recordings official channel.