Review: Global Underground - Afterhours 3

When one thinks of Afterhours, one thinks of music without boundaries. One thinks of diversity, and genre defiance: a time and place where stylistic limitations are lifted, and the DJ is given a blank canvas with which to paint his or her musical picture on. There is no prescription for mood or tempo. There is no requirement for the music to be contemporary, or inline with current trends or fads. Afterhours is simply about open-minded listeners enjoying good music.

Continue reading at Filter27.

Review: Serge Devant vs. Filo & Peri - Triple Crown

Label: Baroque Records [BARQ066]

Release Date: January, 2007
Rating: 6/10

Baroque's first release of 2007 sees Russian producer Serge Devant team up with US trance producers Filo & Pero to deliver the storming "Triple Crown." The original is an energetic prog/electro hybrid that will no doubt get a dance floor movin' with its huge, Pryda-esque bass riff, but in general comes across as slightly derivative (Montero) and a touch hokey for my taste. Shiloh's remix sees the Canadian duo further expanding their sound, this time with some over-the-top electro as well as (gasp) country/western. This may sound awful on paper, but the result is actually surprisingly appealing. Recommended if you're still digging those big, electro-bass anthems that were all the rage in '05 and '06 (Original Mix), or if you're looking for something cheeky and a little left of center (Shiloh Remix).

Review: Shiloh - Café Del Mariachi

Label: Hope Recordings (HOPE065)
Release Date: February 19th, 2007
Rating: 10/10

The wait is finally over, as Shiloh's "Café Del Mariachi", which we originally heard as background music on Shiloh's website back in '05, has finally been released. Let me assure you: the wait was worth it. The original is quintissential Shiloh, with a huge rolling bassline topped by complex rhythmic melodies. The flip nearly steals the show. Nick Warren transforms the upbeat original into deep, growling storm of tribal rhythms coupled with a devasting bass role. After a deep intro, the remix warps into roaring finale that will drive any dancefloor into submission without exception.

Overall, a great release for Hope Recordings. With new releases due from the 16 Bit Lolitas and Oliver Moldan among others, 2007 looks to be another solid year for the Bristol-based label.

Review: John Digweed - Transitions Vol. 2

I've begun writing reviews for the increasingly popular webzine, Filter27 (www.filter27.com), starting with a review of the recently released Transitions Vol. 2 on Renaissance. You can read the review here.

Review: Satoshi Fumi - Treasure EP

Label: Urbantorque [UTD005]
Release Date: November 27th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

Filled with funky grooves and pristine melodies, Satoshi Fumi's Treasure EP is yet another fantastic release for UK-based Urbantorque Recordings, a label which made quite an impact in 2006 with its brand of forward thinking house music. "Shift", the EP's opening track, is a hazy house groove featuring filtered guitar strums and several layers of shimmering melody. The infectious groove of "Treasure" follows, and here I feel Satoshi really manages to nail down the sort of sound that has made Urbantorque such a success in the last year. Although the track is driven by a huge, dubby bassline, everything else about the track is moody and subdued. The result is a sort of timeless appeal that's hard to place. The final track, "Plug", is the EP's most eclectic cut. A sort of house/techno/dub hybrid, Satoshi manages to give the track a sinister yet warm feel with its sparse, thundering percussion and warm, aquatic melody. Although the frantic "So Far" didn't quite appeal to me, I can't help but give Satoshi quite a bit of credit for his brilliant work here. Crisp production, deep basslines, and certainly no shortage of warm melody. Another winner for Urbantorque. Highly recommended for fans of deep, melodic house music.

Review: Milton Jackson - Fade Runner EP

Label: Urbantorque [URTR031]
Release Date: January 29th, 2007
Rating: 7/10

2006 was a fantastic year for Urbantorque, and with Milton Jackson's Fade Runner EP the UK-based house label looks set to continue to push musical boundaries in 2007 with its brand of forward thinking house music. "Fade Runner" is a track like no other. Although relatively simplistic in progression, the epic looping melody gives the track a distinctly eerie feeling, similar to the feeling one might get if they were having a nightmare that they couldn't wake up from. "Apocalypse Then" is similar to "Fade Runner" in style, though the repetitive production here gives the track a more driving, rambunctious feel rather than an eerie one. "Adventures In Stereo", the shortest of the EP's tracks, turns out surprisingly to be its greatest. A lazy house groove is submerged into a sea of dreamy pads and bright melody, and what results can only be described as spellbinding. A superb track to round out yet another solid release for Urbantorque. Recommended for fans of house's more eclectic sounds.

Review: James Holden - The Idiots Are Winning

Label: Border Community [014BC]
Release Date: October 30th, 2006
Rating: 6/10

James Holden's debut (mini) album will please some, but disappoint far more. There are a couple moments of genius, mainly "10101" with its warm, nostalgic melody, and "Idiot" with its hypnotic groove and Nintendo-esque sounds, but for the rest of album the quality ranges from interesting if inconsequential to border line aggravating. There's no disputing the production talents of Holden, and one can certainly hear the painstaking attention detail in even the various tools included. But this doesn't necessarily translate into good music, as evidenced by the superbly produced but barely listenable "Lump" and "Corduroy". In the end, this is exactly what we expected from James. Those who primarily enjoyed his productions prior to 2003 will continue to be disappointed and frustrated by his current sound, while fans of his more recent work will be satisfied albeit slightly underwhelmed.

Review: Pryda - Remember/Frankfurt

Label: Pryda Recordings [PRYDA005]
Release Date: November 6th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

Eric Prydz is at it again, this time with two original productions under his Pryda guise. "Remember" samples Audiofly's "I Can't Remember" and creates a sinister, hypnotic groove that walks the line between being mesmerizing and irritating. Although I think Prydz resists his tendency to be repetitive and long-winded here, some might not agree. "Frankfurt" on the other hand is about as melodic and euphoric as house music gets. This isn't typical Prydz either. Here he avoids his typical bass-anthem sound and instead focuses on creating a dreamy atmosphere of warm pads, arpeggiated toplines, and melodic synthesizer stabs. A brilliant production, and another solid release from the seemingly unstoppable Eric Prydz.

Review: Mangan & Bonnici - Schwental! EP

Label: EQ [Grey] [EQG12031]
Release Date: October 30th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

Two of Australia's brightest producers, Trojan Records A&R guy Dan Mangan and Danny Bonnici of NuBreed, team up to bring us the Schwental! EP, a great collection of forward thinking progressive house. "Periwethel" starts out like a standard electro-house production, but shifts gears midway by introducing some melodic pads and a quirky synthline. Good, but a little short of stellar. On "Velvet Blunderground" however, Mangan and Bonnici combine modern sounds with classic progressive house motifs to deliver a stunning, emotive masterpiece that easily ranks among the top tracks of the year. Fantastic stuff that I'd recommend to anyone. I'll definitely be watching these two more closely in 2007.

Review: Shiloh - Vice

Label: Floppy Discs [FLOPPY001]
Release Date: November 30th, 2006
Rating: 10/10

The Canadian Shiloh brothers debut their brand new imprint, Floppy Discs, with an oustanding 12" featuring some of their finest production to date backed with an out-of-this-world Chable remix on the flip. The original mix is a bottom-heavy, buzzing electronic anthem that smacks of Shiloh's production brilliance. The perfect end-of-the-night tune. Luke Chable's remix takes the track in a completely different direction with a brutal, punchy electro bassline and a huge breakdown that builds to what can only can described as melodic robot heaven. Simply brilliant stuff from both Shiloh and Chable, and a fantastic way to kick off one of the most promising new labels in the industry.

Review: BT - This Binary Universe

Label: DTS Entertainment [69286-01140-2-9]
Release Date: August 29th, 2006
Rating: 10/10

Although electronic music fans may still be bitter over 2003's pop-excursion "Emotional Technology", they'd be advised to lay that bitterness aside and give This Binary Universe a listen. BT has succeeded in melding the genres of electronica, classical and jazz into one and in the process creating some of the most emotional and infectious music you'll ever hear. This isn't just BT in soundtrack mode. These seven cuts are labours of love created by a genius of electronic music programming. "Dynamic Symmetry" in particular is simply stunning in it's subtle melody and effortlessly complex rhythms. BT has returned to form and delivered another astonishing work of art. Quite possibley my album of the year.

Review: Luke Chable & Danny Bonnici - Hiddenform

Label: Hiddenform Recordings [HDFCD001]
Release Date: September 20th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

Luke Chable's Addicted mix for Platipus earlier this year was one of my favorite mixes of 2006. So needless to say, my expectations for this were rather high. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. Chable (along with Nubreed's Danny Bonnici) create a seamless mix of dirty electro, banging tech house, and groovy house. To say that this compilation is well mixed is an understatement. Chable and Bonnici are able to flawlessly meld each track into the next creating a journey that's quality is greater than the sum of its parts. In particular, the transition from Robert Babicz's groovy "Mister Head" into Lifelike & Kris Menace's anthemic "Discopolis" will give you goosebumps. While you're not going to hear anything ground breaking here, you shouldn't expect to. This is simply an exceptionally well-done compilation by two of Australia's brightest stars. If you dig the dirtier side of electro, your time will would be spent to seek this out.

Review: Jody Wisternoff - Nostalgia

Label: In Charge Records [IC010]
Release Date: October 30th, 2006
Rating: 10/10

Way Out West's Jody Wisternoff continues to establish himself as a name aside from his productions with Nick Warren, and his latest release may be his most substantial yet. "Nostalgia" is a pumping house track with an ultra deep bassline. On the surface the track feels like a simple house toe-tapper, but closer listens will reveal a rather complex arrangement of classic sounds and samples. Jody's own remix on the flip though is the real star with it's uplifting production and distinctive melody. Classic progressive house fans will feel right at home with this home. "Cold Drink Hot Girl" was certainly one of the stand-out tracks of early 2006, but I've got to hand it to Jody on this one: he's definitely outdone himself here. A must have for everyone.

Review: Danny Howells - GU027: Miami

Label: Boxed [GU027CD]
Release Date: Marth 29th, 2005
Rating: 6/10

Similar to 2003's 24:7, Danny Howells' third mix CD for the Global Underground label features a brilliant first disc, and a disappointing second. CD1 is the quintissential Howells mix CD. Loaded with sleazy disco, funky techno, and sexy house, the CD is peppered with several of Howells' personal favorites over the years, and it's this personal touch that gives the mix its unique feel. CD2 starts off great, but completely loses focus by track 4, and never quite manages to regain momentum. The CD does contain a few decent moments, but Howells fails to capitalize on them and we're left with a generally disappointing experience. Well worth your time for the excellent first disc, but proceed with caution thereafter.

Review: Pryda - Aftermath/The Gift

Label: Pryda Recordings [PRYDA004]
Release Date: October 17th, 2005
Rating: 7/10

One of the biggest tunes of 2005, Pryda's "Aftermath" is designed for one thing: pure peak time mayhem. Unfortunately, the track doesn't exactly hold up well to repeated listenings as it's simplistic, repetitive melody will most certainly get on your nerves. The real gem of this release is "The Gift" with it's warm melodies and deep atmospherics. A perfect tune for ending the night, and one of Eric Prydz's best yet.

Review: James Holden - At The Controls

Label: Resist Music [RESISTCD59]
Release Date: March 6th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

Holden's follow up to his massively popular Balance 005 compilation may disappoint those looking for a similar experience, but give these CDs a thorough listen and you'll most assuredly be astonished at their exceptional complexity and depth. CD1 in particular is an intoxicating journey through the various sound spectrums of electronic music. The only time Holden falters is when he lets his love of digital noise get the best of him, which unfortunately happens far more often than we can ignore.

Review: Holden & Thompson - Nothing

Label: Loaded [LOAD098]
Release Date: 2003
Rating: 10/10

The pinnacle of James Holden's "pixie" era, and one of the best tracks to come out in the last five years. The original mix features a huge, hoover-style bassline, a wonderful xylophone melody, and a marvelous vocal performance by Julie Thompson. For the 93 Returning mix, James completely cuts up and resamples Thompson's angelic voice so that it retains it's melody, but is impossible to understand. The effect is just simply out of this world as James envelopes the distorted vocals in a sea of filtered melodies and deep atmospherics. Simply breathtaking.

Review: Desyn Masiello - Balance 008

Label: EQ [Grey] [EQGCD012]
Release Date: October 2005
Rating: 9/10

Among the top 3 compilations released in 2005, and a breath of fresh air in today's market. Both CDs are chock full of bass-heavy, booty-shaking house music that is infinitely more fun and appealing than the majority of mix CDs out there. A vast improvement over Desyn's Original Series mix of one year earlier. My only complaint is against Desyn's sometimes questionable taste in music. There are a couple of spots where things just get obnoxiously trite, and even banal. Luckily, the music changes up before it becomes disastrous, but it's still a noticeable blemish on a near perfect mix compilation.

Review: Chable & Bonnici - Ride

Label: Alternative Route [ARR014]
Release Date: 2003
Rating: 10/10

Perhaps THE biggest track of 2003, and already considered a classic in the progressive house genre. Chable & Bonnici's "Ride" is a massive peak-time anthem with all the elements of a great dance record: an incredibly infectious melody, a rocking bassline, and a massive drop that has and will continue to turn dancefloors upside down whenever it's played out. The Have A Break mix is a distorted breakbeat version of the original. Not quite as effective as the original, but a nice alternative nontheless.

Review: Anthony Pappa - Balance 006

Label: EQ [Grey] [EQGCD009]
Release Date: June 30th, 2004
Rating: 6/10

Following up James Holden's ground-breaking entry in the Balance series is certainly no easy task, but veteran DJ Anthony Pappa was certainly as good a choice as anybody to do the job. Typically known for his deep progressive house sets, it was surprising to hear the breaks of CD1. But as it turns out, CD1 completely steals the show. A fantastic blend of lush organic breaks and bigger room cuts, it’s arguably one of the better breaks mixes you'll ever hear. CD2, however, pales in comparison considerably. With the exception of a few decent tracks, it's just a major disappointment. Surprising considering the compilation's brilliant start.

Review: James Zabiela - Utilities

Label: Renaissance Recordings [REN21CD]
Release Date: June 20th, 2005
Rating: 9/10

James Zabiela's sequel to last year's ALiVE is bigger, meaner, and better than it's prequel. James did Utilities as a challenge to himself. He wanted to first create a mix using Ableton DJ software, and then prove that he could create a similar mix utilizing CDJs and an FX unit. The result is Utilities; one of the best mix compilations to come out of 2005. With this CD James has further established himself as one of the industry's premier heavyweights right up there with the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, Dave Seaman, or any other DJ synonymous with electronic dance music. He is quite simply one of the most exciting DJs in the business at the moment, and his recent output since the release of this CD only shows him getting bigger.

CD1 is a celebration of James' obsession with all things having to do with robots. Sinister science fiction samples, robotic voices, and loads FX are used throughout the mix. Not a bad track to be found, and anything you might recognize elsewhere is given James' unique DJ touch. Decomposed Subsonic's "Atlantic View" is an early highlight, as is Aphex Twin's quirky "Windowlicker". Solid Groove's acidy "This Is Sick" perfectly sets up the superb, techno breaks of James' "EyeAmComputer"; the first of two new productions by James featured on this mix. Things start to get a little housier from here on out. Infusion's remix of Will Saul's "Mbira" is banging tech-house at it's best, while "Robophobia" is just buzzing madness. As the CD begins to near its conclusion, James moves to the more melodic side of house. The mix peaks emotionally with Silvertone's "Theme From Silvertone", but the real gem of the entire set is saved for the last. The warm, tingly melodies of Hugg & Pepp's "Snabelin" are simply out of this world, and serve as a perfect closer for this exhaustingly fun mix.

CD2 sees James in full party mode. The groovy melodies and catchy vocals of Hisham Samawi & Dennis Rodger's "Through Out" prime the listener perfectly for the absolute onslaught that is about to ensue. The next six or seven tracks are bass-heavy, banging-electro-tech-house bombs that perfectly exemplify James' huge live sound. Few mix CDs and DJs have ever featured such a devasting mix of tracks and maintained momentum so well without losing steam. That said, the end of CD2 does seem a little unfocused. James switches to glitchy breaks, and although there are some interesting moments, he fails to really capitalize on the massive first half of the mix and ends the CD in somewhat anti-climatic fashion. It's unfortunate because prior to those last few tracks, the CD is at a quality unparalleled by any other DJ or mix CD out there.

Utilities marks James' fourth mix CD, and his last for awhile according to him. It was difficult to imagine James topping the standard he set with 2004's ALiVE, but all doubts were immediately cast-aside upon hearing the banging tech-house of CD2 (I'll admit, I listened to CD2 first being a fan of James' live sets). My only complaints, if you'd consider them complaints, concern the anti-climatic conclusion of CD2, and the slight inaccessibility of CD1. Whereas CD2 instantly appealed to, it took me several listens to really begin digging CD1. I was actually slightly disappointed in CD1 at first. However, I forced myself to listen to the mix again, and once I became familiar with the music, the CD started growing on me. Now I love it. So don't be suprised if it takes you awhile to get into CD1. So aside from these minor quibbles, this compilation is nothing short of excellent, though, did we expect anything less from one of the most exciting and consistent DJs in the business?

Review: Joel Armstrong - Silver Moon

Label: Babylon [BAB009]
Release Date: July 10th, 2006
Rating: 9/10

Canadian Joel Armstrong's last release, "Serenity" on Proton Music, received fantastic reviews and was one of the top tunes of 2005. Needless to say, a follow was eagerly anticipated and thankfully Armstrong doesn't disappoint.

The Original Mix is a beautiful, ambient house* track with severals layers of filtered melodies and icy atmospherics. The track doesn't feature the same kind of strong melodic hook "Serenity" did, but I found it to be an overall slightly more satisfying experience. "Silver Moon" both soothes and haunts all the while providing just the right amount of ear candy to keep us interested. Joel's best yet.

Derek Howell's takes the enchanting original and transforms it into a massive, club-ready breaks track. The original's filtered melodies are brought into focus, and waves of lush pads are added to the give track a deep, yet almost heavenly feel. A very effective remix, and one that well rounds out the release. Also included are a Melody Tool for DJs as well as a rather enjoyable Ambient Mix.

A fantastic release for Armstrong and Babylon and a definite standout among the massive amount of electro/tech house releases every month. Recommended to everyone, especially for those a little disenchanted with the whole electro scene.

Review: Paolo Mojo - 1983

Label: Pryda Friends [PRYF002]
Release Date: July 5th, 2006
Rating: 9/10

One of the most anticipated releases of 2006, Paolo Mojo's anthemic "1983" has been on nearly everyone's want list since it first started showing up in various DJ sets last year. More recently, the Eric Prydz remix has taken the world by storm being charted by nearly every major name DJ, and getting hammered by almost everyone regardless of their music style.

The Original mix is a bouncy house number with layers of nostalgic sparkling melodies and ethereal strings. Although a touch on the superficial side, this might be entirely on purpose as it's certainly a well-known characteristic of the decade and year the track is named after. The flip contains the massive Eric Prydz remix; a huge, peak time anthem that contains all the hallmarks of a progressive house classic. The track is anchored on a huge 4/4 beat and a deep, ultra-chunky bassline that gradually builds through the track's first half. The breakdown drops the bassline and brings the track to frenzied climax. The subsequent drop, as has been proven time and time again in clubs around the world, will absolutely destroy the dancefloor. Truely, a masterpiece and instant classic. My only quip with the track is its excessive length and slightly repetitive first half. These qualities however, are part of what make it such an effective club track. It's still great to listen to on headphones, but you'll have a hard time enjoying it to the same degree as you would in the club.

So there you have it. Easily one of the best releases thus far this year. Two solid mixes including an absolutely devasting remix by Eric Prydz. Indeed, Prydz does deliver. Recommended to anyone with ears.

Review: On Spec - Knights Of Columbos

Label: Bedrock Records [BED66]
Release Date: July 31st, 2006
Rating: 7/10

"Knights Of Columbos" actually started out as a Guy Gerber bootleg remix of Mew's "Why Are You Looking So Grave?". The band never cleared their vocals to be included, so the track was instead released as a original production under Gerber's new alias, On Spec (perhaps as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the bootleg's unreleased status).

The original was certainly the stand-out track on John Digweed's Transistions this June. Although on the surface it may seem charmingly simple, there's more to it than you might think. A warm, rolling bassline and light percussion coupled with sparse melodies and some minimal, yet emotive piano lines translate into a very satisfying groove; a groove that easily wraps itself around your head and invades your subconciousness. The track's effectivess is evident when you find yourself humming it days after hearing it.

The Guy Gerber edit is just that: an edit. Gerber changes a few things up, but it's still basically the same track. Except this time things are a little less interesting. Surely Bedrock, with it's large roster of producers not to mention it's owner John Digweed's huge network of contacts throughout the industry, could've found someone to do a remix. Or maybe they could've delayed the release a bit so Gerber himself could spend a little more time creating a completely new mix vice a basically worthless edit.

Still, the original "Knights Of Columbos" is a great production from one of the most well-respected producers out there. It's just a shame the track couldn't have been bundled with something other than it's near mirror image.

Review: Francois Dubois - Blood

Label: Urbantorque [URTR026]
Release Date: June 9th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

A big tune for several DJs over the last few months, it seems everywhere you turned you heard Francois Dubois' "Blood" and that eerily catchy vocal sample. The original mix is a throwback to classic early 90's house with its laid back, groovy bassline and flat, unprocessed synth washes. Andy Cato's "Pack Up And Dance" remix reworks the smooth original into a spacey, electro-fused robotic stormer. Both mixes are equally effective in different ways, so you can really take your pick. I've heard DJs play both mixes in one set, using the original as a warm-up track and using the Andy Cato remix later during peak hours. "Blood" certainly sticks out in a set filled with buzzing electro tech-house.

Review: Sunset Squad - Ton Pei

Label: Trojan Records [TRJN301]
Release Date: June 28th, 2006
Rating: 6/10

Sunset Squad (a cheeky reference to Fox's Futurama) are Luke Chable and Dan Mangan. This is not a new group for Chable and Mangan though (who only recently came together as label heads for Trojan Records). "Ton Pei" was originally written in 2003, but remained unreleased. When word got back to Mangan and Chable that the track had been leaked, the two decided to release the track as a free download.

Listening to the track, you can tell it was written in 2003. There are little to no electro or tech house sounds that are all the rage today. Instead, we have subtle, progressive house that screams Luke Chable circa 2003. If you're familiar with his early Quest productions, you know what you're in for. That said, this is a little brighter then most of his productions from that era. The track has a fairly standard 4/4 beat with dark atmospherics and several layers of minimal, echoing melodies. A decent, well-produced track that stands up fairly well with today's releases, but is really hardly anything special.

Review: Kenneth Thomas - Orange Room

Label: Hope Recordings [HOPE060]
Release Date: May 29th, 2006
Rating: 7/10

New signing for Hope Recordings, Kenneth Thomas, turns out a driving trance stormer with some rather catchy progressions. Thomas goes for the deeper end of the trance spectrum with a driving, distorted bassline and little noodles of trance melody layed over top. On the flip, new Hope Recordings A&R guy and industry vet Nick Warren turns out an even deeper remix. Nick eliminates most of the melody, leaving only a few atmospheric touches, and makes the distorted bassline the focus of the track. The result is a very effective club track that has a very Way Out West feel to it. Certainly WOW fans will feel right at home with the flip, while fans of non-cheesy trance will most likely enjoy the original. Overall, a solid release for Hope.

Review: Hybrid - Just For Today (MP3)

Label: Distinctive
Release Date: June 20th, 2006
Rating: 7/10

Distinctive Records, in an effort to promote Hybrid's forthcoming 3rd album, I Choose Noise, have released a free MP3 download of one of the tracks to be included on the album. "Just For Today" is a classic Hybrid-style track with looping synths and emotive strings. Those familiar with Hybrid's work in the 90's will be right at home. While it's a beautiful track, it's certainly nothing new, and might even come off as slightly dated with it's rigid rhythms and slightly pretentious strings. Still, if you're a fan of Hybrid, you'll like this, and who can complain when it's a free download?

Review: Lostep - Because We Can

Label: GU:Music [GUMU003CD]
Release Date: April 4th, 2006
Rating: 6/10

The long awaited LP from the Melbourne based super-duo of Lostep (Luke Chable and Phil K) will wow some and probably disappoint just as many. The amount of buzz the duo created with only two singles is certainly noteworthy, but the quality of those tracks speaks for themselves. "The Roots" and "Burma" were massive progressive breaks epics that have rightfully become classics in their respective genre. Both tracks gained maximum exposure from the biggest in the business with Dave Seaman featuring the former on his Melbourne compilation while Sasha had the latter's release delayed almost a year so he could remix it and include it on his Involver album. Those expecting a recreation of those tracks into full length album will be slightly disappointed. While the quality is still there, Luke and Phil productions are decidedly experimental. As such, on more then a few occassions we find mini tracks that feel more like under-developed filler than actual album material. While I think the filler material here serves a purpose in bridging the gaps between the albums different sections, the album still feels a little light. "6AM Sedna" starts the album off quite effectively with trickling ear candy and distance breakbeats. The spine tingling "Theme From A Fairytale" (a collaboration with Habersham) follows sounding similar to the warm downtempo you'd hear on a Boards Of Canada release. "Construction Of A Deep Space Station" and the beginning of "Naughty" sound like a ambient Future Sound Of London productions before the latter develops into a storming rock track with a slightly tribal beat. "Because We Can" sounds like nothing you've ever heard before. It's basically devoid of melody and buzzes through all the frequencies of your stereo system. At first, it's annoying, but after a couple of listens it satisfies on a deeper level. "Computer Crash" closes out the albums experimental introduction as we dive into the driving fury of "Little Peaking", which again, eschews melody in favor of pure electronic intensity. While this works in "Because We Can" and "Little Peaking", "Dr. King's Surgery" stretches the theme too thinly and quickly grows repetitive and annoying. "Shortcut To Granuland" turns the madness down and brings back the experimental vibe of earlier parts of the album, serving as a brilliant set up for a slightly modified "Burma". While on some levels, I can appreciate the decision to include the track, it's hard for me to appreciate the track like I did two years ago. "Villain" is probably what most Lostep fans were hoping to hear when they initially decided to give this album a listen as the track's is a melodic breaks epic has a similar production quality to those early Lostep productions and remixes. Although certainly nothing ground-breaking, it's an easy pick for track of the album. The album ends on the strange bleeps and blops of "Family Tennis". With creating this album, Luke and Phil stated that they hoped they would change the way people listen to music. Through their experiment, we are presented with several good tracks, but a disappointing overall album. After several listens, the album still leaves with me an unsatisfied feeling. While some individual tracks are pleasing in one respect or another and the album overall is fairly well put together, it fails to deliver the journey we'd hoped for when first hearing "Burma" back in 2004.

Review: David West - Larry Mountain 54

Label: Anjunadeep [ANJDEE-001]
Release Date: May, 2005
Rating: 7/10

The first release on the Swedish Anjunabeat sub-label, Anjunadeep (run by Ozgur Can and Above & Beyond) is from current progressive trance superhero, David West. Those familiar with West's previous work on labels such Silver Planet now what to expect here.

The original mix is a big room, four to the floor progressive trance stormer with West's signature production style written all over it. Rolling bassline, check. Big room atmospherics, check. A couple minutes in, West introduces a twinkly Ride-esque melody along with a stuttering female vocal sample. Good, albeit a bit cheesy.

Prog veterans, Inkfish, get the remix duties and they manage to transform the trancey original into a toe-tapper with a groovy, house-esque bassline. The twinkley, water droplet like melody is used to even greater effect as the various melodic elements of the original are woven together in euphoric harmony. Catchy. This one actually reminds me a little of Chable & Bonnici's "Ride".

A good release for the Swedish imprint. Recommended for fans of melodic, progressive trance.

Review: Starecase - Vapour Trails

Label: Hope Recordings [HOPE059}
Release Date: April 10th, 2006
Rating: 6/10

The first new release from Starecase in nearly three comes in the form of "Vapour Trails" on Hope Recordings. Those who listened to Nick Warren's Shanghai mix last year will be familiar with the original mix: a loungy house number with a looping trancey melody laid over top. A simple but good tune, though a little on the repetitive side. Matt Rowan & Jaytech do the remix on the flip and add some big room atmospherics along with a stabbing, buzzsaw bassline while the original mix's melody is cut up and filtered over top. Effective, but nothing special.

Review: Luke Dzierzek - One Day/Echo

Label: Silver Planet Recordings [SILVER072]
Release Date: October 3rd, 2005
Rating: 9/10

Silver Planet seem to be embracing all things electro lately, and they've really struck gold with this release: the debut 12" for the UK based Luke Dzierzek. "Echo" in particular has caught the name of several big name including DJs like Dave Seaman and James Zabiela.

"One Day" is a chugging electro fuzz fest, with a chopped up, filtered vocal sampled throughout. Pretty good, but it's the flip that you'll really love. "Echo" is simply immense. Driving electro buzz throughout with a very satisfying breakdown. Very intense, and very cool. This isn't goofy electro like you might be used to hearing; it's a balls-to-the-wall tear-your-head-off dance floor destroyer. I heard Zabiela play this out at Womb in Tokyo and the place went nuts. Already considered one of the best electro tracks ever.

Review: Luke Dzierzek & Nick Liousias present Fling - Wrongans & Randoms EP

Label: Silver Planet Recordings [SILVER076]
Release Date: June 5th, 2006
Rating: 7/10

Another release from electro poster child Luke Dzierzek who this time teams up with fellow Brit Nick Liousias (together as Fling) to bring us the Wrongans & Randoms EP on Silver Planet.

You know what to expect when you hear Dzierzek. Catchy, fuzzy electro. It's business as usual here. "Wrongans" kicks off right away with that familiar buzzsaw bassline and kicks it into higher gear midway through before returning to the original melody. Catchy, if slightly pedestrian.

You'll recognize "Randoms" if you've heard Dave Seaman's Master Series Part 7. Same sounds, again. A catchy, buzzing bassline with cut-up vocal samples laid over top. This one is a little better, but remains squarely in the realm of Dzierzek's sound. In the producer's defense, these tracks were written nearly a year ago so perhaps his sound has progressed, but it seems like the market is a little oversaturated with his sound at the moment.

So, good music (hence the good rating), but nothing you haven't heard before. But then again, maybe that's what you're looking for.

Review: Pole Folder - Reprotected EP

Label: Proton Music [PROTON0021]
Release Date: April 20th, 2006
Rating: 5/10

One of the best releases from Belgium's Pole Folder was 2004's Protected. With it's airy atmosphere and emotional vocals, it's understandably considered a classic. Fast forward to 2006, and the digital label Proton Music is revisiting the track with a couple of remixes and a new original track from Pole Folder himself.

The new original, "8", is just spell binding. It seems to be based on that plucking melody that we heard near the end of the original "Protected". A variation of that simple melody appears here backed by ambient strings. Atmospheric, and quite enchanting. I hope Pole Folder continues making music like this. I might enjoy this more then any cut off of his album.

Mashtronic is up next with their remix of "Protected". The German group takes the subdued original and tries to make a slamming club track. A rolling electrofied bassline and a huge beat are mashed with the atmospheric pads and soothing vocals of the original. To me, these two aesthetics don't mesh well. It's not poor by any stretch of the word, and the production quality is up there, but quite simply, it doesn't work.

Opencloud's interpretation closes out the package. Huge breakbeats and slices of acid melody kick the track off in somewhat obnoxious fashion. You can hear the original mix underneath all the swirling acid, but we soon learn that this is "Protected" on steroids. Midway through, the beats cease and we hear cut-up samples of the original vocals as well as that beautiful plucking melody from the original, but it's soon back to the obnoxious and noisy beats. Pretty poor.

"8" is an amazing track, but backed by a pair of disappointing remixes, it's hard to really see the point of this release. The Mashtronic remix, while a decent club track with a great electro vibe, is completely ineffective as a remix. Released as it's production, the story might have been different, but the sound just doesn't mesh well with Pole Folder's original. And then Opencloud's mix is just too abstract and noisy.

Review: Paolo Mojo - Balance 009

Label: EQ [Grey] [EQGCD013]
Release Date: April 10th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

The Balance series seems to be hottest mix series on the market right now with several fantastic releases over the past couple of years. Here EQ [Grey] gives house DJ Paolo Mojo (also an established producer) the helm and we end up with one of the best mixes of the last few years, and one of that ain't so hot.

After repeated listens, CD1 still doesn't do much for me. I gave it several listens after hearing over and over again that it's a grower, and that it requires repeated listens to "get", but I guess I still don't get it. There are some pretty good tracks on this CD, but there are just as many poor ones. Mojo starts off decent enough with some housey grooves by Audiomontage, but then loses some momentum with Eddie Richards "M'Baby". No matter, he grabs your attention with the sunny, cool groove of "Sunday Session" by Weekender, my pick for best track on the CD. Suddenly, Mojo switches from laid back house to uptight electro with Alex Kid's "Pick It Up". Not a bad tune, but a jarring mix. Mojo goes an experimental tangent with some less memorable tracks, and then gets interesting again with the funky disco of Trick & Kubik's "Easy" and Shirley Lites' "Heat You Up". But then he falls off again. I have nothing against hip hop or rapping or whatever, but the Asad Risvi remix of Harold Heath's "Long Relationships" is just poor. Then, things get even worse with the annoying "Transitions". Mojo ends the mix decently with "Deep Burnt" by Pepe Braddock, but I can't get into this mix at all. I'll give it some more listens, and I'll post an update if I "get it" at a later date, but at the moment this just doesn't do anything for me.

CD2 on the other hand, is fucking fantastic. Fantastic and interesting from beginning to end. Go figure. Starting off with the bubbley groove of his own "Ruckus", Mojo creates a great party vibe right away. He follows up with the banging "Midnight Mood" by Solar Sides and "The Drum" by Oscar before switching to the absolutely electrifying Buick Project Remix of "Ruckus". From here, Mojo drops another bomb in the classic "Say It" by House Of Black Dress and follows it up with frantic synths of Cass & Mangans rerub of his own "Everybody". Mojo doesn't lose any momentum with the rhythmic groove of Der Dritte Raum's "Raumzeit", but then at this point he does drop a few questionable tracks. Overall, it doesn't hurt the mix, but that "Moonraker" accapella is pretty cheesy. Luckily, right after this we get Mojo at his most inspired. He mashes up Robert Owens "I'll Be Your Friend" with Nathan Fake's "The Sky Was Pink" and brings the mix to mesmerizing standstill of warm melodies and digital noise. Then, out of nowhere comes Deee-Lite's "Good Beat" accapellad over the Michael Mayer/Tobias Thomas remix of Ada's "Mans"; a soulfoul house diva singing over an angelic ringing melody. It you don't get goose bumps from listening to this, you need to get your ears checked. From here Mojo ends the mix in style with some fantastic cuts by Michel De Hey, Sascha Funke and Petter.

CD2 really steals the show here. An incredible mix by an amazing DJ. This one will certainly go down as one of the greatest mixes ever to be laid to CD. I certainly can't say the same for CD1, but the sheer quality of CD2 more then makes up for CD1s shortcomings in my book. But then again, I've heard many people say they like CD1 better. Either way, get this release and decide for yourself. You won't regret it.

Review: Luke Chable - Unreleased Vol. 1

Label: Trojan Records [TRJN602]
Release Date: June 12th, 2006
Rating: 6/10

Trojan Record's second release for 2006 is a collection of unreleased Luke Chable remixes that weren't "quite right" for the label. The first is Chable's alternate remix of Mads Arp's "Slow It Down". It's a laid back buzzing electro track, with a cut-up/resampled vocal laid over top. Pretty good. I prefer it to his first remix, and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Chable's remix of Group Therapy's "Faith Again".

"Swedish Meatballs (I Don't Know)" is a remix of a Lost Language track that Chable ended up releasing as his own original production after some confusion with the label. Storming, off-kilter, electro house is what you'll hear, with a playful bassline and rhythmic synth work to go along with it. This is certainly the most eclectic we've heard Chable be, but that was sort of the point of this release I suppose.

Two decent tracks, nothing amazing really, but certainly worth checking out if your a fan of the more eclectic side of electro.

Review: Shiloh - Bleed

Label: Baroque Records [BARQCD004]
Release Date: June 12th, 2006
Rating: 9/10

Literally years in the making, Bleed, Shiloh's highly anticipated debut album on Baroque, has taken quite a journey getting to us. Originally set to be released in 2004, the album saw two full years of delay before finally seeing the light of day. In some regards, this is a blessing as the album is extremely polished with almost no filler. On the other hand though, the album has a distinctly dated flavor. But dated isn't always bad. Good music is good music regardless of age. So despite having what some might call a slightly stale feeling, Bleed is a masterpiece.

CD1, titled Red Cell, is the more subdued CD with a focus on Shiloh's down-tempo/breaks sounds. Long time fans will recognize Shiloh's first single, "Will U Ever Come Around", presented here in slightly updated form. The track has lost none of its magic, and remains as majestic and fascinating as ever. The album's self-titled track emits a nice, feel good vibe with its warbley bassline and wonderfully uplifting melodies. "Face" though, may disappoint some with its tougher, more urban breaks oriented sound. The track's cheesy, rap-like lyrics end up sounding more silly then anything. The track does provide a nice segue into "Mana"; one of Shiloh's many progressive breaks masterpieces. A classic no doubt that continues to enchant with its perfectly arranged melodies and mesmerizing atmospherics. "Undo" follows in the same vein, this time with a 4/4 beat and a deep, rolling bassline amid the filtered melodies and light, yet emotional vocals. "Outsider" calls upon vocalist Antonia Lucas who turns out a great performance giving the track just the right edge to blanace out its smooth, laid back groove. "Sanguinate" provides a wonderful transition into the down-tempo reprise of Shiloh's collaboration with Benz & MD, Fall. The original always sounded a bit incoherent to me, but the reprise is much tighter. "Melt" is another quality track featuring a signature twinkling Shiloh melody that loops throughout the track to great effect. Shiloh's trademark breaks opus, "Dream On", again, as massive as ever, follows creating a deep soundscape with its despondant vocals, bubbling melodies and deep bassline. "Reaction" rounds out a near flawless CD with its huge, growling bassline and slamming synth stabs.

CD2, titled White Cell, features more club oriented tracks with several collaborations and remixes. Starting off in a huge fashion with Luke Chable's absolutely storming remix of "Dream On", the Moreh brothers don't waste anytime pushing out the peak time club tracks. Chable, ever on form, transforms the quirky original into a massive big room anthem with a huge breakdown and an out-of-this-world drop that will effectively massacre any dance floor it's played on. Michelle Chiver's lends her vox on the effortlessly smooth "Vista Cruz", before we're given the first of two Chable collaborations. "Sentrino", once again, is absolutely devastating with it's huge, chugging beat and roaring bass-melody intertwined with bits of Shiloh's style quirky melodies. Simple, but oh so effective. Shiloh's next collaboration features Arizona LP who contribute a reworking of Shiloh's 2003 single, "Baby". "All Those Things", with it's slamming breaks and amalgamation of motifs create a brilliant juxtaposition behind the track's familiar vocal. Furry Nipples (Sweden's Ozgur Can and Stian Klo) offer a techy reinterpretation of "Face", to fairly decent effect, though it's a track that seems a bit out of place on the CD. David West's big room breaks remix of "Reaction" takes the track to new heights of euphoria with its pulsating bassline and epic melodies. Even more impressive is how effectively West incorporates the vocal, which felt a little akward in the original. The next two tracks, for whatever reason, fall short of the quality displayed on the rest of the album. "IMOK" and "RUOK" just sound unpolished and underdeveloped. Here Shiloh explore the trancier side of the progressive spectrum. You can here the potential in both tracks, but at the end of each you can't help but feel underwhelmed. Fortunately, the CD closes in magnificent fashion with the second Luke Chable collaboration, entitled "OZ". Here the elements of trance are effectively in place, and the pay off is huge. "OZ" is simply an amazing piece of production that shows why trance music, when it avoids the common pitfalls that usually produce the banal, cheesy music we all love to hate, can be great music too.

So while you might not be floored by Shiloh's innovation on Bleed, you'll still appreciate their masterful craft and fantastic production. CD1, despite featuring several older tracks that may sound less fresh then most other music released nowadays, is still a tightly arranged, coherent album featuring fantastic music. CD2, despite a little bit of filler, unleashes several incredible club tracks that will undoubtedly go on to become classics of the genre. This album is really a no brainer. Fans of all genres of electronic music will find something they like here. Indeed, the long wait was worth it.

Review: Slacker - Free Man/Memory Man

Label: Juke Box In The Sky [JBOX011]
Release Date: December 19th, 2005
Rating: 8/10

Shem McCauly is one of the most original and consistent producers of the last decade. Slacker's has been around for a decade now and doesn't appear to have lost his touch at all. His two latest tracks on his Jukebox In The Sky imprint are right up there with some of his greatest releases.

"Free Man" is epic progressive house workout with a warped bassline and some epic looping melodies. The track has an old-school prog feel to it, but it's fresh as can be. "Memory Man", the more popular of the two, features a lonely, twinkling melody that instantly catches your ear as well as an oddly familiar vocal sample. Both tracks almost evoke feelings of nostalgia with their crisp arrangements and familiar sounds. If there's anything to complain about, it might be that both tracks are a little bit on the simplistic side, but this is actually one of the more appealing aspects of both tracks. Instant classics.

Review: John Digweed - Transitions

Label: Renaissance [REN27CD]
Release Date: June 5th, 2006
Rating: 7/10

John Digweed's sound has certainly changed with the times. Gone are the days of deep, atmospheric prog, and in their place are the sounds of minimal tech house and funky electro. The first volume of Digweed's new "Transition" series shows Digweed going even further down the minimal electro path. Whether this is a good or bad thing is really a matter of one's personal taste.

Last year's "Fabric 20" was a little more rocking compared to this mix. The tracks Digweed has selected for this mix are interesting, off-kilter little ditties with some unorthodox bleeps and bloops layered over buzz saw bass line stabs. The tempo is a little more laid-back, but the mood is a little on the creepy side, especially early on. An early highlight would be the very electronic "Feelin" by Every (a new alias of legendary German producer, Oliver Lieb). Digweed's mixing, as always, is spot on. His transitions (no pun intended) are fluid, and the middle portion of the mix feels like one, big, long, creepy track. By the time Niekish & Hermann's Dub mix of Trick & Kubic's "Easy" comes in, the tempo picks up slightly and the sound becomes a little more urgent. The strongest track on the album is On Spec's "Knights Of Columbus". This track has a very catchy rolling bassline and just the right amount of emotional, cute melody. The track is actually a dub version of a bootleg Guy Gerber remix of "Why Are You Looking So Grave?" by Mew. It's unfortunate that the vocals had to be left out, as the original remix with them included is even more entrancing. The mix peaks with Digweed's first original production (without Nick Muir), "Warung Beach". The "Lützenkirchen Mix" of said song is a nice, techy track with some thundering synth work. Oddly, Digweed ends his mix on a questionable note with Paul Kalkbrenner's "Gebrünn Gebrünn". Somewhat anti-climatic.

Can't say there's a bad track on the whole mix, though similar to Sasha's Fundacion NYC, the majority music of the is a little on the bland side. Including the highlights I mentioned, there aren't any truely amazing standout tracks. Admittedly, amazing exclusives are becoming harder and harder to come by these days as more and more mix compilations are released every year. But one only has to look at DJs like Dave Seaman, Paolo Mojo or James Holden who've each released comps in the last few months and each managed to include several fantastic exclusives that will easily be considered classics in the years to come. Here, although the On Spec track is good, it's not exactly what I would consider an instant classic. Perhaps my standards for Digweed are too high? Still, this is a very polished, very solid mix. Older Digweed fans will still be put off by his current taste in music, but judge this mix on it's own merits and you have a winner. I personally feel this mix is slightly superior to his Fabric 20 mix, though I'm sure there are those that disagree.

Recommended if you dig the sounds of funky, minimal electro and not recommended if you still think Digweed should make mix albums that sound like Global Underground: Los Angeles.

Review: Montero - Hairy Hits

Label: Renaissance [REN036]
Release Date: June 12, 2006
Rating: 4/10

Montero's "Hairy Hits" is very similar to his 2005 single, "Captain Hook". In fact, listen to the House mix of "Captain Hook", and then the House Mix of "Hairy Hits", and you'll swear you're listening to the same song. The only problem is, "Captain Hook" was slightly better.

The Original Mix is a repetitive house track with some decent latin-esque percussion, but not much else going on. After a couple minutes, the bass and beat drop out and song's main melody is introduced (if you could call it that). Pretty bad.

The aforementioned House Mix is where this mix earns it's stars. A slamming tech-house workout that will work floors in similar fashion to the House Mix of "Captain Hook". While the track isn't as catchy as "Captain Hook", it still works on the same level and will surely rock any crowd.

While inferior to Montero's previous work, the House Mix here will satisfy fans of his sound. Still, a pretty weak release overall.

Review: Luke Chable & Kosmas Epsilon

Label: Platipus [PLAT136CD]
Release Date: June 12th, 2006
Rating: 8/10

As the story goes, Platipus discovered two "addicts" in Luke Chable and Kosmas Epsilon after the two performed remix duties on the Platipus classic "2 Full Moons & A Trout" earlier this year. The two admitted to being Platipus junkies in their former years, so the label decided to have the two, also up and coming DJs aside from their usual production and remix, create a double mix CD for the label. The result is Addicted, one of the best mix CDs to be released this year.

Luke is up on CD1, and he goes straight to the deep end with some of the filthiest, dirtiest tech house around. With funky grooves and thundering basslines, Luke doesn't mess much with melody. 8-Bit Kid's remix of Man In The Cupboard's "I Don't Care" and Bush 2 Bush's "Piano Track" are some early highlights, both featuring some unrelenting techy bass stabs that you'll be hard pressed to keep your hips from shaking along to. Things roll into the funky of electro of Thomas Schumacher's "Inside" and Dan Mangan's "Resorcerer" (of Chable's own Trojan imprint) before going slightly minimal with Sons Of Slough - Real People (Phil Kieren Remix). Chable flawlessly mixes this into the thrashing electronica of LoStep's "Because We Can", which will no doubt give your stereo system a frequency check, whether you wanted it or not. Trentemoller's effortlessly catchy remix of Royksopp's "Remind Me" follows before Chable finishes the mix of with a huge tech house production from Shiloh. "Vice" is all at once rocking and emotional. I can honestly say this is a fantastic mix from beginning to end. Much better then Chable's Therapy Sessions outing.

Next up is Kosmas on CD2. Things start off great with a couple of tough, melodic tech house grooves including the fantastic "She's Scared" by Elias Tzikas and the funky electro of Yannis PK's "Playin' With Marilyn", but Kosmas lets the mix slip after this. A couple of boring tracks, namely Nutrunner's "Open Spaces" (Oliver Koletzki's Ellen James Remix and Kosmas' own remix of FC Kahuna's "Hayling" really slow the mix down. It's not that the "Hayling" remix is poor, but it really doesn't fit here, and we've already heard the track before (used in much better fashion in my opinion) on James Holden's Balance 005. Not bad music, but the songs don't mesh. Kosmas picks up pace again with the very cool "Out Of Curious" by Minilouge, and from here 'til the end things roll pretty smoothly. Some great tracks including a very cool Can Kosmas track, "Che Malakita"as reinterpreted by D-Nox & Beckers. Kosmas ends his mix on a perfect note with Balcazar's almost trancey "Boots & Skirts". Although weak in some spots, this a very good DJ mix CD debut for Kosmas Epsilon.

So there you have it. Two great DJ mixes from two of the hottest producers around. Be forewarned, these are electro/tech house mixes through and through. Don't expect to hear anything you would associate with Platipus. That aside, this is one of the best compilations of 2006.

Trojan Records New Release

Surfing around the Juno website I discovered some promo releases of the new Trojan Records release. It's a collection of unreleased Luke Chable remixes. The first being his original remix of Mads Arp's "Slow It Down", and the second being a remix of Lost Language track that was rejected by the label. Okay, so not exactly headlines per se, but I think new productions from Luke Chable and a new release from Trojan Records are a pretty big deal. Release date is still unannounced. Here's a review of the promo release.

Review: Shiloh - Bleed 12" Sampler

Label: Baroque Records [BARQ060]
Release Date: May 22nd, 2006
Rating: 10/10

The first of two samplers from Shiloh's first album, Bleed. The A, "Oz", is a massive progressive trance workout that will tug your heart strings. This isn't the slightest bit cheesy, it just works. It starts off with a huge 4/4 beat and slowly introduces layer after layer of euphoric pads. The beat slowly fades into the background before being suddenly reintroduced in a huge eruption of emotion. It's hard to describe how good this track is. It's easily one of the best productions produced by either Shiloh or Chable.

The flip is a remake of Shiloh's 2003 track, "Baby". Here the brothers team up with Arizona breaks outfit LP, and they create a monstrous breaks workout that is somewhat reminiscent of early Shiloh productions. A huge droning bassline and techy synth stabs give way to more melodic loops and some excellent vocals. If you like this, you should check out the original "Baby" productions.

The Baroque ads were correct in stating that this is a fantastic reflection of the quality of Shiloh's album. Two fantastic cuts, and instant classics. "Oz" might be my favorite track so far this year.

Review: Shiloh - Dream On (Luke Chable Remix)

Label: Baroque Records [BARQ057]
Release Date: March 20th, 2006
Rating: 9/10

Apparently one of the most eagerly anticipated releases in Baroque's history, Luke Chable's massive remix of Shiloh's "Dream On" finally gets released months after we first heard it on Chable's Kiss 100 mix back in August '05. The remix is in classic Chable style as Luke takes the original's jittery melodies and loops them over a huge four to the floor beat. Several minutes in, the beat drops out and we're left with a huge breakdown that eventually picks up with a huge rumbling bass synth line that screams peak time madness. This is one Chable's finest, and that's saying a lot considering the sheer quantity of quality remixes and productions this man has released in the last few years.

On the flip is Shiloh's original, which is still a great tune in it's own right. Very atmospheric, with a snappy bassline and Shiloh's signature vocodered vocals. The best part is the jittery melodies that come between the choruses. One of Shiloh's best.

The Luke Chable Remix has been a favorite of mine for months now. Hopefully we'll continue to see huge remixes like this from Luke Chable.

Review: Shiloh - Mana

Label: Electrofly [ELECTRO015]
Release Date: January 17th, 2005
Rating: 10/10

The Shiloh moniker seems to be synonymous with quality music, but I think "Mana" might be the Moreh brother's most substantial work to date. The original mix is an ethereal breaks track that simply oozes proggy melodic perfection. The Original Mix has an almost ethnic vibe to it, though not because of any specific samples or sounds the producers use, but in the melancholic and slightly mysterious emotion evoked by the song's glowing atmospherics and mesmerizingly beautiful plucking synth arpeggios. This is quite simply the work of master virtuosos. Elite Force can't do the original justice with their bland deep house mix, but it does little to bring this release's rating down. Here's hoping Shiloh continue their streak of what seems like effortlessly producing innovative tracks of superior quality for years to come.

Review: Nick Warren - GU028: Shanghai

Label: Boxed [GU028CD]
Release Date: July 12th, 2005
Rating: 9/10

GU025: Shanghai is Nick Warren's finest and most unique mix CD to date. What really sets this mix apart from Nick's previous mixes and pretty much every other mix CD on the market right now is that nobody else sounds like this. Whereas most DJs in 2005 are spinning some form of electro house, nobody sounds like Nick Warren right now. And considering the vast amount of genres Nick has managed to include here, this is rather surprising.

Further expanding upon the more subdued and melodic sounds that Nick first explored on his Reykjavik compilation and on the oustanding Don't Look Now bonus mix CD, CD1 is a fantastic headphone or at home experience. The first three tracks are particularly lush and majestic with SJ Esau's "Fat Cat" being one of the finest opening tracks I've ever heard. By the time track four rolls around, the kick drum picks up and we're treated to some of the more rocking tunes in Nick's box. The ethereal "Pillow" by Yvel & Tristan and the absolutely gorgeous "Sunshine" by Starecase are personal highlights, though there really isn't a weak track anywhere to be heard.

CD2 picks up right where CD1 leaves off. The mix starts off innocently enough with the dreamy "Natural High" by Chimera, but we're soon treated to a diverse array of genres that Nick masterfully arranges and manipulates to create one of his most rocking and enjoyable sets to date. He effortlessly blends garage rock and breaks into acid house and progressive. Once again, there isn't a weak track to be found. Shiloh's superb remix of Pop Shuvit's "Conversations" and Kosmas Epsilon's anthemic "Sorry For Being Rude" are easy highlights, though you could really single out any track as a highlight. The inclusion of the 1990 acid house classic "Acperience 1" by Hardfloor will be a highlight for many. The last four tracks of the mix build to a blurry emotional peak in Derek Howell's "Your Touch" before fading out.

Overall, a unique, diverse and thoroughly enjoyable compilation by Nick Warren. I could almost universally recommend this album to anyone. Long time Nick Warren fans, new fans who just started enjoying his work with Reykjavik (like myself), electronic music fans looking for an alternative to the electro-tinged house that's all the rage these days, Northern Exposure fans, and pretty much anyone who enjoys melodic electronic dance music will love this mix.

Review: Sasha - Fundacion NYC

Label: Global Underground Ltd. [GUFUN001CD]
Release Date: June 13th, 2005
Rating: 6/10

2004's Involver showed Sasha experimenting with new technology and redefining the way a DJ and music interact in the studio. The album received almost universal acclaim and this year's NYC Fundacion takes the experimentation further to a semi-live environment. The results of this experimentation are excellent. There are literally no transitions between any of the tracks, and discerning between one track and the other is an exercise in futility. Elements of one track might be carried well into the next track, and even several tracks after that. Sasha's mixing is the best its ever been, and this style of mixing and live remixing makes for an interesting and fresh listening experience.

Where the album fails though, is in the most fundamental element that makes or breaks a mix album: track selection. Sasha, like every other major DJ it seems has jumped on the electro house bandwagon, and the tracks he's selected for this album will most likely disappoint long-time Sasha fans. While there are a few stand-out tracks here and there (mostly the one's that actually sound like coherent music), the majority of the album, especially the second half is filled with experimental glitchy-electro that really isn't all that pleasing to the ear. It's not minimal, but it's not really melodic either. After a couple of listens, the CD does grow on you somewhat (like most mix CDs) and you'll appreciate the superb flow Sasha creates. But without the great music that has highlighted so many of Sasha's fantastic releases in the past, what's the point? Long-time Sasha fans should proceed with caution. Don't get me wrong, there are merits to this release (the mixing, the 3 or 4 standout tracks), but don't be surprised when you find yourself a little disappointed after listening to 70+ minutes of superbly mixed bland music.

Review: Quest - The Shepherd

Label: Vapour Recordings [VR12031]
Release Date: 2004
Rating: 10/10

Of the 70+ productions/remixes Luke Chable has given us in the last three years, this has got to rank in the top 5 for sheer quality and brilliance. Released under Luke's alias Quest, "The Shepherd" is just fantastic. The two minute intro is hazy and atmospheric, but wait until about the two minute mark when the high hats drop suddenly, and a whirl of sweeping playful melodies frame a sole thundering kick drum. The sound is all at once deep, beautiful and epic. This is quintissential Luke Chable, and maybe his finest original production after "Ride".

Review: Steve May - Open Day

Label: EQ [Grey] [EQG12018]
Release Date: April, 2004
Rating: 10/10

Steve May's "Open Day" ranks among the best releases of 2004. The original is a simple, uplifting piece that frames multiple looping melodies around a driving bassline. The track climaxes when all of the melodies are layered in a frenetic fusion of driving progressive house with playful, breakbeat style melodies. Fellow Melbourne native Luke Chable provides the remix; a thunderous breakbeat mix that is equally, if not more engaging than the original. The track starts off with a massive Chable-esque breakbeat, but the real beat doesn't actually drop until nearly five minutes in. Watch out when it does too, cause it's massive! Que the swirling bubbly melodies, the hoover bassline, and some lush breaks and you've got another classic Luke Chable remix on your hands. A very impressive debut for the Aussie Steve May, and yet another amazing reinterpretation to toss on the pile from our good friend Luke Chable.

Review: Sasha - Cloud Cuckoo

Label: White Label [SAS001]
Release Date: December 30th, 2003
Rating: 10/10

Luke Chable's remix of Sasha's "Cloud Cookoo" is THE quintissential Luke Chable remix. Luke took the cold, brooding, breakbeat original and transformed it into a massive, euphoric house anthem. Right out the gate, this beast is devastating. As the track progresses, a vacuum-esque bassline is introduced, and slowly, layer by layer of understated melody is piled on top until the track is just brimming with intensity and emotion. Then, all of the sudden, the beat stops, and the main melody from the original is introduced. It repeats for a couple of lines, stops, and then the massive beat resumes with only a trace of understated melody left behind. And I have goosebumps. Who wouldn't? The music I'm listening to right now is that good. The track moves on to greater euhporic heights, and by the end you're elated (and exhausted) from an epic 10 minute journey to heart and soul of what progressive house and really electronic dance music is all about. I absolutely love this remix (if you couldn't tell). After hearing this the first time I became a Luke Chable fan, and have subsequently collected a great majority of the rest of his productions and remixes (would you believe there's over 80 now?). He's got a fantastic discography filled with too many amazing songs to mention, but this track still holds a place at the top of my list.

The flip? A gritty breaks reinterpretation of the James Holden co-produced classic "Bloodlock". Jacob Todd is at the helm here, and doesn't do a half bad job. He brings the darker elements of the original to forefront, and throws an absolutely nasty droning bassline underneath. Flashes of the original's gorgeous melodies bubble to the surface eventually, but what you'll hear here is mostly just dark, dirty and scary. Good stuff, though it's tough to hold a candle to the amazing original.

Review: Pole Folder - Enter The Rhythm/Waxxx

Label: Bedrock [BED29]
Release Date: February 4th, 2002
Rating: 9/10

Pole Folder's sophomore effort after the massively successful "Apollo Vibes" is an excellent foray into deep, atmospheric house. "Enter The Rhythm" is massive, and features all the signature Pole Folder elements: complexity, depth, and an absolutely killer bassline. But the real winner here is "Waxxx", which features fellow Belgian and DJ CP. "Waxxx" is absolutely epic. Clocking in at a whopping 12:39, Franquet gave himself a lot of breathing room, and it paid off. The track progresses fairly slowly, but features an absolutely heavenly breakdown that will send shivers down your spine. Uplifting, emotional, euhporic, and absolutely spell-binding. Not to be missed.

Review: Parks & Wilson - Feel The Drums EP

Label: Hooj Choons [HOOJ99CD]
Release Date: August 28th, 2000
Rating: 3/10

Looking for some Tilt-esque progressive anthems? Look elsewhere. This is turn-of-the-millenium progressive house. It's deep, repetitive, minimal, and pretty freaking boring. Don't waste your time, unless you need a good yawn.

Review: Tilt - Explorer

Label: Lost Language [LOSTCDLP003]
Release Date: January 24th, 2005
Rating: 6/10

Tilt's debut artist album functions more as a collection of individual tracks, than as a cohesive album. And while this isn't necessarily a bad thing, somehow you expected more from Tilt, the trance masters that gave us perennial classics like "I Dream" ten years ago. Known for their deep progressive trance/house hits, here Tilt explores (no pun intended) different genres including breaks, ambient, and vocal pop. Results are mixed. Where "Venus In Transit" succeeds in it's subtle beauty, "New Day" might disappoint with it's syrupy sweet vocal pop. The few more-or-less traditional trance/house songs included here are phenomenal. Last year's hypnotically gorgeous "The World Doesn't Know" is used as the opener (slightly edited for the album release), and so is the thunderous "Twelve". These two tracks alone are worth the price of the album alone (if you don't have them already of course). But all of these different styled tracks mixed together doesn't make for a cohesive album listening experience. Listen to the first two tracks, and then the last two tracks, and you'll swear your listening to two different artists. This really isn't that big of a deal considering most people don't listen to albums beginning to end every time anyway (hardcore electronic music fans aside of course), the average quality of the majority of the tracks here only equates to roughly slightly better than mediocre. Overall, not bad music, but not especially great either.

Review: Space Manoeuvres - OID

Label: Lost Language [LOSTCDLP004]
Release Date: March, 2005
Rating: 9/10

Eleven years since he first began making waves in the electronic music industry with his progressive house classic "Twist & Shout", John "Quivver" Graham has finally released a full-fledged artist album. Well, that is, full fledged mini-album. Clocking in at just under an hour, one can't really complain about the length, and there is certainly no lack of substance here. Those who've been paying attention will, of course, remember the massive "Stage One" presented here unchanged from its original 1999 release, still amazing as ever. Last year's "Part Three" also makes the play list, along with January's "Quadrant Four". While it's great that these tracks were included, it somewhat hinders one's ability to enjoy the album to it's fullest. Minus the aforementioned tracks (and the 40 second "Zero Downtime"), this leaves only four new tracks. Not much of a complaint really, but this was a factor that affected my listening experience that I feel other's should be aware of.

So how are the new tracks? While nothing will sweep you away like "Stage One" did in 1999, there is not a single bad track here. "Zone Two" is a funky breaks number that will have your toes tapping in no time to its simple, yet infectious melodies. "Pentexplorer" on the other hand is a deep, devastating, industrial big beat-esque track that explores deep space in classic Graham style. "Division Six" was my favorite of the new tracks. The track combines a funky 4/4 beat, a twisting sub-sonic bass line, a warped xylophone, and some slightly distorted piano to create something truly catchy, and truly original. The last track, "The Seventh Planet", concludes the album in superb style. Although some samples from "Stage One" are re-used, this is a completely original down-tempo reinterpretation that will leave you longing for the intergalactic paradise that this track paints in your head.

Bottom line, OID does not disappoint. Those looking for an expansion of the grandiose deep space odyssey alluded to in "Stage One" will find it here. Artist albums from long-time favorite singles producers can sometimes miss the mark when the artists explore out side of their respective genres. This is a perfect example of an electronic music album done right.

Review: Space Manoeuvres - Quadrant Four

Label: Lost Language [LOST040CDR]
Release Date: November 29th, 2004
Rating: 8/10

Similar in style to last year’s 'Space Maneouvres Part 3', 'Quadrant Four' is just as engaging as the critically acclaimed Part 3, and definitely lives up the Space Manoeuvres name. The mix that really shines for me is the Sonorous remix. Sonorous strips back the funkier qualities of the original, and adds a rolling bassline that perfectly compliments the shimmering melody. The Dousk remix on the other hand, strips back the melody almost all together, giving the track a deeper edge with tribal drums and deep sub bass. The Matt Samuel's remix is funky break beatmix that isn't particularly impressive. Overall, an excellent new release from John Graham's Space Maneouvres project.

Review: John Digweed - MMII

Label: Bedrock [PEA-CD-6166-2]
Release Date: 2002
Rating: 8/10

Normally, when one thinks of John Digweed, one thinks of deep, banging progressive house. Not here. This is Digweed's most somber mix yet, sounding more akin to a Northern Exposure release than any of his Global Underground releases. Digger does pick up the pace about midway through the mix, but this is more of a mood piece than a club mix. And like any mix album, there are some awesome tracks, and there are some stinkers too. Lonely Planet's 'Pollon' has a resonatingly beautiful synth loop that will immediately catch your ear, while Pole Folder & CP's 'Dust' is a beautiful, spacy down-tempo piece with some beautiful vocals and nice ambient washing synths. On the more up-tempo side, James Holden's 'I Have Put Out The Light' is absolutely chilling, while Spooky's 'Belong' has an addictive house groove and a gorgeous female vocal, both of which you'll be humming for weeks. The best track goes to Darren Emerson's phenomenal remix of 108 Grand's 'Te Quiero', with it's multiple layers of beautiful swirling melodies and bouncing beat. The rest of the tracks range from average, to annoying (as in the case of Sean Q6's 'Of Course'). So while this isn't Digweed's best effort, it most certainly isn't bad, and is recommended to anyone who enjoys the more melodic, somber side of progressive house.

Review: Nick Warren - Back To Mine

Label: DMC Publishing [BACKCD001]
Release Date: February 1st, 1999
Rating: 8/10

Although a trance DJ/producer primarily, Nick Warren also has excellent taste in electronica's more down-tempo genres. In recent years he's been pursuing the sound more extensively resulting in several amazing mixes, including his recent Reykjavik compilation on Global Underground. His entry in DMC's Back To Mine series, although not quite as stellar as Reykjavik (specifically CD1), it is still quite good, and is certainly a mix you'll find yourself come back to again and again.

The mix starts of brilliantly with the warm, yet haunting breaks of Talismantra's "Warmth Reheated". The jazzy "This Way" by Skanna (AKA Quivver) is another early highlight, as is Craig Armstrong's "This Love" which features the lovely vox of Elizabeth Fraser. Things slip a little after this though. I've always found Moby's "Go" to be irritating no matter what mix it's presented in, and the oddly abstract "Wormhole" by Glide was a little to eclectic for my tastes. Warren gets back on track from here on though. The spooky "Spritual Technology" by Symbiosis is a definite highlight featuring a ghostly vibe similar to most Global Communication productions. Sub Sub's "Past" might be THE highlight of the mix with it's mellow melody and breezy groove. Nick goes eclectic again with the almost folk-like guitar riffs in Gianni Marchetti's "Part-y-time" before closing the mix with the eerie yet intriguing "Space Van" by Glide.

Although slightly inconsistent in some regards, Warren's Back To Mine is never dull, which is more than you can say about most down-tempo CDs. There are a couple of tracks I tend to skip over on this mix, but the majority of this CD is excellent. It also exhibits a sort of universal appeal in that it could just as easily be recommended to fans of electronica as it could be recommended to people who prefer other genres of music. Give it a listen; you're bound to find something you like.