Reviews

Calvin’s corner  

John Creamer and Stephane K have a lot of releases out right now, including their own “I Wish You Were Here”. Their remix of The Crystal Method “You Know It’s Hard” is out on the “Tweekend” album sampler. Moony “Dove” and Sinead O’Connor “Troy” have also got the John Creamer and Stephane K treatment. Greed’s “Stange World” with the great remixes by Blackwatch and Tilt, is set for a re-release with remixes by Lemon 8 and Jondi & Spesh. They have also released “l.o.v.e” on Sog Records.

From the brilliant Baroque label comes Interflow “Storyreal” with a mind blowing remix done by Satoshi Tomiie that also has done excellent remixes of Kosheen’s “Hungry” out on BMG and Urban Dwellers “Loverman” out on Pitch Black. Also coming from Baroque is Evenflow “Indecisive”, Miniloque “In A Deeper Motion” and a special edition called SE20 will include tracks from Jay Welsh, Manticore, Innate and Interflow in previously unreleased remixes. From Methods comes the new Jade 12” “The Assassin”.  Hope Recordings has set the sails for a fantastic summer with releases from Starecase, The Capoeira Twins, Filmpalast and Max Graham with his “Tell You” that was featured on his Transport CD from last year, the release will include the original mix and a mix done by Luke Fair. Max Graham’s next single “Crank” is signed to Yoshitoshi, a new mix compilation album is also on its way and he has also done a remix of Baraka “Song To The Siren”.

Hybrid is working on their new album and the track “Visible Noise” is set to be the first single. Way Out West is releasing “Stealth” with remixes by Rennie Pilgrem and Pablo La Rosa – let’s hope that the Quivver remix also will be included. Also coming from Destinctive is Nick Hook ”Enhanced” and DB+ “That Thing”. Jay Welsh is back with “Weird Noises” on black ice_. Checkout the new sub label to Bedrock - Black Records - it is darker and nastier, a fitting extension to this great label.  From the Silver Planet label come tracks from Yunus Guvenen, Ian Wilkie and Main Element.

Orbtial has released two EP’s called “Rest” and “Play” and includes the new track “Frenetic” and a remix of “Chime” as a frontrunner for their retrospective album “Work”. The massive hit by X-Press 2 featuring David Byrne “Lazy” has undergone remixes by Freeform Five and Radio Slave. Pet Shop Boys and Peter Rauhoffer have done a collaboration and the track “Break 4 love” is to be found in a Mike Monday remix. Futureshock remix of Green Velvet “La La Land” is out on Credence and Sono’s “2000 guns” is out on a white label. Timo Mass’s label four:twenty has released Jigsaw. From the lost.language label a “Mssing Pieces EP” has been released with four rare racks; two tracks by Tilt “I Dream” in the fantastic Resurrection mix and “Invisible” in the supernatural dub. Miro’s original version of ”By Your Side” is also to be found on this EP beside Salt Tank “Eugina” in the Leama mix.

Think About Cosmos “Miss You So” has been remixed by Kay Cee and our own DJ Asle, to be released over the summer on Media Records. Talking about the Danish DJs and artists - True To Nature has released their first 12” “Lusty” on USR/Renaissance and it is going to be massive. Brother Brown with Boy George ”Generations of Love" was a big hit at this year’s Winter Music Conference in Miami and we should see a release shortly. Örtz “We Don’t Talk” finally gets its release in the UK on Additive with remixes by Gordan Kaye, Draxx & Gooding, Brother Brown and Asle. Wass “Summertime” are out on CD single just in time for the summer and Filur “I Want You” get the Goldtrix treatment.

There’s a lot of exciting records this month, with all the record companies eagerly anticipating that their signing will explode in Ibiza, so that they can return safely to London for praise, commercial crossover, and not to forget, a big fat cash-in.

Kosheens current single “Hungry”, featuring mixes from Satoshi Tomiie and DJ Tiesto, has been described as a step down after their hugely appraised “Hide U” and “Catch”. I don’t share that opinion, and think it’s a song that grows on you, with the Tiesto mix as the winner, as he is on the very anticipated (Paul) Oakenfold single, “Southern Sun”. Out as a double vinyl, a deeper mix comes from Gabriel and Dresden, while Sabata gives it a soft breakbeat treatment.

Pitchin’ up the tempo a bit, Future Breeze have delivered some frighteningly effective hands-in-the-air mixes of Danish acts Safri Duo and Barcode Brothers, and the same recipe is used on their own tracks, “Temple Of Dreams” and the forthcoming “Ocean Of Eternity”. It’s a trance by numbers showing of German precision, when writing those effective riffs. Featured on Judge Jules’ Clubbed 2002 is Meteor Seven “Universal Music”, sampling the old Warehouse classic “Party Children” into trance euphoria, with a little help from Jam X & De Leon (Dumonde). If you can’t get it hard enough, you should go for the second vinyl, featuring mixes from DJ Scott Project and Paul Janes.

If you thought Safri Duo had a big hit with “Played-A-Live” (btw: they had - It was #1 European dance track 2001!), just wait and see the impact that “Sweet Freedom”, featuring Michael McDonald, will have! Mixes just in from Tillmann Uhrmacher and Jan Driver, this will be a hot item! Another track from Denmark is the annoyingly catchy “Walk On Water” by... Catch. Ten acetates with Above & Beyond mixes are out, receiving plays from Paul Van Dyk, Marc et Claude, Cosmic Gate, Graham Gold, Blank & Jones and Johan Gielen. This mix is A&B straight up, which seems to work more than well, and again we’re close to getting a European smash from Denmark! Talking remixes, I’m actually a bit more into the Hyperion mix of Catch, and I hope to see it out soon!

Denmark forgot all about Barsebaeck, back when Swedish Antiloop rocked with “In My Mind” and “Believe”, and now you’ll find these, plus six more tracks, remixed and reworked on a double vinyl. Mixes come from Hiver & Hammer, Robbie Rivera, Filterheadz, Marc O’Toole and others.

Saving the best for last, I present to you the DJ Errick remix of Marco V “Godd”. This has been getting hands in the air everywhere I’ve played it! Forget the existence of the not so likeable original, and aim straight for this mix, if you can find it! It’s slowed down, a bit more progressive, but turns out bangin’ like an old warehouse techno track – suitable for tech, trance and even some prog jocks! My other fave just arrived today, and I know I’m gonna love it dearly all through the next many weeks... The Future Sound Of London “Papua New Guinea”, one of the defining tracks of the genre, has been slaughtered again and again - and last year it eventually received a worthy mix by Satoshi Tomiie. Now the story continues with a pumped up remix by Marco V, and everywhere you’ll hear me in the near future, you’ll hear this track!

Dj Leeloo´s selected elements.

Once again it`s time for the backbencher’s comment on stars and tribes in Copenhagen`s deep trance and psychedelic scenes - that is - as far as it is possible to comment on the second-as less than a dead bird once falling from the sky, it is now buried 10 feet under ground. The development within deep trance is a somewhat different story. The firmly established employment of progressive techno into a fertile love affair with deep minimal trance seems to have become a fairytale on its own. Currently setting the stage in every area of our underground scene, I dimly recognize a more united trance scene than I have witnessed for years. This is expressed by a tendency towards people attending more parties outside of their own traditional musical domain, showing up for the curiosity of mixing different sounds or/and simply for the company of other kind of audiences and other kind of expressions.

In this sense I suspect the following titles to have read - and merged with the emotions of this development.

I simply see them as replicants moving with emotion and synergy in this direction.  

To begin with, I flicker a silent smile upon a long awaited release from Spiraltrax in Gothenburg and producer Dag Wallin - the second “Human Blue” album has finally become a reality. "Electric Roundabout" is a move from the darker sound of recent productions and represents a move towards a deeper, progressive sound. Yet Dag has still managed to keep his feeling for delicately structured soundscapes and harmonies backed up with a chunky pumping groove. My expectations toward this long awaited second album, produced by a - to me - classical musical profile within deep trance, have been extremely high, but I reckon not over exaggerated at all. Favourite tracks: Carpe Dium and Sophisticated Mind (both are also released on 12”).

Nanobeat Records is a new Danish label, which I am sure we all are about to get much more familiar with within a short period of time. The first release V/A “LUSH”, was released among other places in Copenhagen in the beginning of May and quickly attracted wide attention among Djs and spectators around the underground scene. Nanobeat has been established by Jeppe Ørnkilde - also known from his work at Iboga Records and with productions under pseudonyms such as Phony Orphants, Fabel and Spine (not to mention that Jeppe is a fine dj as well) - and Louie, the first female dj performing out of Denmark and the other hemisphere of Spine. The third person behind the label is Eloïse, although so far unknown to the Copenhagen underground scene, she is very experienced from her work at Alliance Production in France.

According to Jeppe the main idea behind the label is to bring forward the new aspect of electronic music, both presented by new and more established artists, but in a way that opens up corridors to other and more commercial sounds like house music and club sounds. As this kind of fusion is becoming more and more accepted the label has so far chosen to concentrate entirely on supporting this development in an attempt to build bridges between trance, crossover projects and new inspirations within techno music. In the presence of tracks from among others, “D-techtor” -a new comet from Lissabon, a Dag Wallin alias - “Human Blue”, and “Soul Flyer” -a magic Brazilian dj also known as Bob Cusp, I find these ambitions very easy to acknowledge. I wish Jeppe and co. the best of luck with this first entrance, it is nicely produced, has a fine line-up and a profound understanding for the preferences in sound in our present underground scene.    

V/A Crosslink compilation - seldom has an upcoming release been attached with so much attention many months before its scheduled release date. Well, now it`s here, and what ever was expecte, I reckon we all got plenty in return. The highly controversial co-operation between Scandinavia’s two top leading labels within the deep minimal trance and ambient scenes - Iboga Records and Digital Structures - is nothing but a monument in itself to the still growing curiosity the Scandinavian underground has always had as a leading figure within European techno music. As the producers behind the project put it themselves:

“The region of Oresund has always had an active cultural exchange but with the bridge being built we decided it was time to build a cultural bridge between the underground movements of our cities and so the idea for Cross Link was born”.

The synergy created by bringing together these talented minds is instantly apparent - currently I reckon there is no real match for it. Moving in future flow with the mixture of deep minimal and progressive trance - both labels have once again shown their absolute leading edge understanding within sound sorcery and effective production of high quality electronic music in a close race with themselves and … only very few others.Favourite track and remix: Beat Bizarre: Out Loud / Remixed by Tegma.

Welcome once again to this issue’s What’s up. The summer is certainly close by, as the sun has been shining and the heat has finally come. We have missed it so much, so you better enjoy it as long as you can. With summer comes also all the sunny hits from the Mediterranean, which become anthems during your stay on the islands of Spain, Greece, Turkey, Italy or Cyprus. I’ll try to spot some of them later.

But first a view into the nightlife and check what the interesting clubs are all up to. The end of May sees no other than Roger Sanchez in Store Vega. No further introduction needed. Same venue 2 days later and the return of the Respect is Burning parties. This time they are paying respect to the Parisian label Yellow.

A new weekly club has been founded by the guys behind the website feelcph.dk. It runs under the name NotAnAverageTuesday at Stereo Bar every Tuesday night from 9 to 3. Residents down there, are the up and coming Casper Crump and DJ Flip, called Housekeeping when they spin together. Regular guests like Very Disco’s Nima, Red Light District’s Tim Andresen and Jean Eric von Baden known from LevelCPH. The same promoters bring in their favorite London DJ Raymundo Rodriguez at LevelCPH on 22th June.

Thank fuck it’s Friday at Zoo Bar has been one of the better pre-parties the capital has seen for a long time. From June the promoters Rene Chu and Rasmus Skovsen from III Magazine switch to the brand new venue PappaHotel at Kalvebod Brygge. A good choice as the music has slowly changed from warm up tunes into more clubby sounds and the standard has gone down a little over the past weeks. Perhaps the new venue will bring that good feeling back to the pre-parties.

Other weekly clubs Very Disco and Red Light District both run with great success. Wednesday and Thursday has made Barfly the mid-week place to be. With summertime just around the corner it only gets better.

So which tunes will make it to the top in the near future? A personal favorite and already an anthem wherever I play is London-based remix darlings Different Gear with their first ever official single release called “A Little Bit Paranoid”. It’s like a darker and more twisted version of X-press 2 and “Lazy”. It’s out on Phil Howell’s City Rockers label, which also causes damage with the colossal electro tune from Tiga & Zyntherius named “Sunglasses At Night”.

From Defected Records we finally get Liquid People with “Monster”. It was Pete Tong’s essential new tune a while ago and when that guitar riff kicks in you’re gonna lose it.New from Fluential are the Modjolaters with “Life”, and Wilson Santos returns with “Mathematical Music”. He’s also just recently had that brilliant “So Many Times” with Steven Mestre.

Musique re-worked the U2 track last year called New Years Dub. A follow up is close and soon coming out on Serious. Slightly commercial stuff like last year but the same catchy style and hopefully with a remix from Tom Middleton - the man behind the brilliant album “Sound Of The Cosmos” on Hooj.

It has taken some time but at last Nick Hook’s deep and delicious “Enchanged” is ready for release on Distinctive. It is a hard techy house record with a strong progressive element. You might already know it from the Global Underground compilations.

Oven Ready is out with a Scandinavian producer, Martin H “Beyond All Doubt”. Martin is living in Sweden but originally comes from Australia. Nevertheless it’s a fantastic percussive slice of house music that is doing well at the moment.

And finally - Danish producers Black Powder are out on Welt Recordings with their follow up to last years Moseferat, and once again with a massive tune for the dance floors.

Tim Andresen.

Klaus B. 

Yes, yes ya'll. April 25'th brought the best performance I ever witnessed in Vega's small venue. Norma Jean Bell delivered the most sexy and delightful sounds to our ears for a small hour. P3 will also broadcast the NJB interview as well as the exclusive 3 Chairs project interview made by me Thanks to Peter from Soulkitchen and my photographer Frederik Hilmer. Norma Jean Bell should have a new single out in the coming months.

Larry Heard(how is it possible to avoid him in this column) just rereleased the very rare Gherkin Jerks on Alleviated. A Chi-town masterpiece from '88 that you MUST get your filthy transpotter hands on. The best track "Acid Indegestion" has over the years been sampled by the likes of Mike Dunn and Fast Eddie. GET IT!!! Donnie Tempo's "Mental Problems" like wise on Alleviated it's definitely worth picking up too. Also out of Chicago, Greg Cash's "The Preacher" which unsurprisingly features a sample of a preacherman. Raw and funky House, which unfortunately gets rarer by the hour these days. The new UR has finally arrived and what a record!! "Transition" has excellent drum programming, beautiful chord and string arrangements and a clever usage of spoken words. You claim Daft Punk has funk? I tell you to check this out out and you'll forever know what real funk is all about. Mad Mike ranks up there with Kraftwerk as the most innovative electronic musician ever born on planet Earth.

Octave One's "Black Water" is out in I-don't-know-how-many remixes, the Burden brothers have made the best one. Basically they've just added some more strings to the original, but it works really well and brings even more depth into the production.

Daniel Wang has a new 12" out of Germany on the much respected Playhouse label, which brought us Isolee's "Beau Mot Plage". Also, with only 3 years delay copies of Wang's "Cherry Rain" on Balihu have made it to Loud Music. More releases should be coming from Balihu this year. Wang's friend, Morgan Geist, has the sublime "Moves e.p." out. The Metro Area album is to be released in September this year, and could turn out to be one of the most important records this year

In the next volume, I'll bring a historical summary of Detroit's most important artists and key releases.

As we coninue to seek peace and tranquility in this world, the only suggestion I can state... is to let the music take you away!!

DJ Daniels Treasure Chest

Whoa! A lot of good records are coming out at the moment. Ned Flanders, local badboy from Loud 2, has got the first release out on his Echochord label. The Record is by Mikkel Metal and is available at your local import shop now. It sounds a lot like Kompakt, so if you are into that minimal, shuffled techno sound, go get it! Fumakilla continues it success, with a new EP by one half of Autotune and good old Kerosene under the name of Tulasonic. The style is the usual, let’s all thrash the place and go bonkers techno. They never fail! Plong! have got a new 12” out by Le Dust Sucker, that is worth checking out: badass electrodisco, just the way we like it. Carl Finlow has a slew of cool releases out, showcasing his own unique blend of electro, deep techno and house. Nice! Kitty-Yo act Rechenzentrum, have a new 12” out on Vertical Form that is really good. It mixes electronica and minimal house with great ease and elegance. Justus Köhncke out of Whirlpool Productions is kicking ass with his new album, entitled ‘Was Ist Musik?’, out on Kompakt very soon. Pantytec, aka. Sammy Dee and Zip, have their album ‘Pony Slaystation’ out on Perlon about now. Expect weird and unusual house and techno from those parts. Speaking of Perlon , Loud have decided to throw a bash at Vega on the 25^th of May. They have invited none other than Akufen out Canada. Sure, he releases on Force Inc. now, but he’s also done some amazing stuff on the aforementioned Perlon. Check for his new album, it’s called ‘My Way’. For weirdness, check out the new TokTok remix of old cyberpunk heroes Sigue Sigue Sputnik and their tune ‘Everybody Loves You’. The Tok seem to be everywhere at the moment, but it’s all fair game, since their productions are superb. Go for everything you can lay your hands on with those guys. Carsten Jost has a new single out on Klang that you should buy this instant. It is strong and intense minimal techno. Yummy! If you like your techno, check for the new single on Playhouse by Fabrice Lig, it’s a winner!  Roskilde Festival is getting nearer as we speak. There are some cool names this year ( and I won’t go into details with all the activities planned by Det Store Mix posse.), for instance german electroteers Kit Builders should be good. DJ legend Andy Weatherall and his partner in crime Keith Tenniswood, under his Radioactive Man-moniker, will also be there. Apart from that, Bjørn Svin, Jaga Jazzist, Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band, SI Futures and of course Manowar should all be worth a listen. See u there.

Album in short

“Machine Says Yes” by FC Kahuna is also in the shops and so is Peace Division`s “Nite:Life 010” together with Saeed & Palash’s “Tide:edit:07”. Also Rank-1 “Symsonic” are out with their debut album and Orbital go retrospective on “Work 1987-2002”. Future Sound Of London returns under their moniker Amorphous Androgynous with the album “The Isness”, set to be released on the 3^rd of June. 

Erick Morillo is out with ”Subliminal Sessions 3”. On Global Underground Satoshi Tomiie has released his “Nubreed” double CD. Underwater vol. 1 mixed by Darren Emerson and Tim Deluxe is also out. Orbital has gone “Back To Mine” out on DMC. Head Kandi “Beach House” and “Es Vive Ibiza” will get you into summer mode. Dirty Vegas is out with their debut album out on Credance. Weekend Players debut “Prusuie Of Happiness” is out on Multiply/Warner produced by Andy Cato of Groove Armada. In August a new Godskitchen 3CD “Summer Trance” will see the light. 

Saiko-pod (Koxbox) has released a fantastic electronic mixture of deep trance and progressive trance, called "Phutures and Options".

The long awaited debut album from the world most famous DJ has at long last seen its release. Paul Oakenfold have over a decade thrilled his audience with uplifting and innovating trance tunes and is one of the true pioneers of the British dance music movement that started back in the end of the 80’s. Bunkka is not an uplifting trance album that one might have expected from the man, he has gone his own way and has created a true artist album that will surprise you in a positive way. The album is full of tracks with break beats, hip-hop and rock influences and Oakenfold really dares to break with DJ image and has gone back to his musical roots to gives us a massive overdoes of sounds and rhythms, with vocal help of Nelly Furtado, Tricky, Perry Farrel of Janes’s Addiction just to name a few. The album also features the hard-hitting Ice Cube track that Oakenfold made for the Blade 2 movie. The tracks “Southern Sun” and “Hypnotised” are melodic tunes with beautiful vocals by newcomer Carla Werner and Tiff Lacey – bound to be massive hits. When I listen to the album I get a musical felling of a mixture of Massive Attack, BT, Orbital, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy mixed with hip hop, rock and Oakenfold’s own well known sound. This album is not a conventional dance album – it’s so much more.

Bunkka is also released on vinly - on this you find remixes of "Southern Sun" by Gabriel and Dresden, "Hypnotised" in a Bunkka remix, "Ready Steady Go" in the Layo and Bushwacka! remix, "Motion" in a dub versioin, Ready Steady Go" in a PMT remix and "Starry Eyed Surprise" remixed by Josh Wink.  

It's here it's here…………… Sasha's debut album, Airdrawndagger, has been one of the most long-awaited records and now it's here. The album has been in the making for many years, and we have over the years seen the release of his excellent Xpander EP and his collaboration with Darren Emerson on the track “Scorchio” as a taste of what the best DJ in the world can produce. Airdrawndagger is build on the sounds of Xpander, with a touch of breakbeat influence from BT and Hybrid, but Sasha also shows with this album that he has progressed and you just want more of this chill-out music that takes you on an ambient voyage into unknown soundscapes and rhythms. On the album Sasha has worked with Junkie XL, James Holden and his production partner Charlie May to perfection.  There's no full-on progressive tracks on the album that you might have expected. The wonderful breakbeat track "Wavy Gravy", that set this years Winter Music Conference in Miami on the other end, when he played it, is set to be the fist single from the album. Airdrawndagger is a fantastic album – just enjoy it.

Keep an eye out for the competition in the magazine and on the website in the near future – you might get the change to win this amazing album – surely one of the best album of the year so far.

Dave Seaman – Melbourne

This is one of the best of the Global Underground albums done so far. Dave Seaman is not afraid to change a set course and a predefined build-up of two CDs that we have known form the start of the very successful Global Underground series. CD1 starts out with a fantastic soundscape build on Our House “Soliton Wave”, Urban Dwellers “Loverman”, Jono Frenandez “Intruder” and Howie B “Folk” before James Holden “One For You” kicks off the rest of the set that is kept in a low key progressive sound without being to flashy and includes tracks from Cass, Orbital and Slacker. On CD 2 Dave Seaman set things in movement with FC Kahuna “Glitterball” and the tempo is kept with tracks form Hamel, Natious and Charlie May before he takes the hole thing down and let us relax to Clear “Clear”, Lamb “What Sound” and Frakkar “Slide”. A fantastic new way of presenting the ever changing sound on the dance floor, and once again Dave Seaman shows the way of what to come. The double CD comes in a limited edition including a CDROM with short film on Dave and Melbourne.

XL Recordings / Playground

London-based Layo and Bushwacka! long-awaited follow-up for their 1999 debut album Low Life is finally released. Bushwacka!'s production is a mixture of techno, breakbeat, house and jungle with a clear vision and Layo the tune maker really makes tracks like "Love Story" and "Strike" standout. The album consists of 14 tracks and “Love Story” is out as a single including remixes from Tim Deluxe and Bushwacka! – this track is destined for a great future and will do very well at Ibiza this summer. The album is in the shops now, so get it and experience one of the most interesting albums of the year.

FFRR/Warner

The Hartnoll brothers have collected the best of the best from the career so far. Tracks like “Chime”, “Choice”, “Belfast”, “The Box”, “Lush” and “Impact” just leaves you breathless and think back on a time of pioneering electronic dance music. As an exclusive track Orbital has reworked  “Kinetic” that they made under the moniker of Golden Girl, this time with a new vocal under the name of “Frenetic”. In conjunction with the release, two EP’s “Rest” and “Play” are released with an exclusive new remix of “Chime”. This retrospective is a great way to be introduced to the musical world of Orbital.

Edel

From Piet Blank and Jaspa Jones comes their fourth album and like its predecessors it is strait up trance for over 70 minutes. The album starts with a nice intro and moves into the massive hit “Desire” that has a touch of a Yello sample. The album continues in the same key, some of the tracks a little harder and there are tracks on the album I will skip next time I’m listening to the album – but it could be me not understanding German trance music. The whole album is mixed together as one continues journey into Blank & Jones land.  A Limited edition of the album does also exist with a DVD.

The tribal housemaster Steve Lawler himself has put together a mix compilation album that will kick your socks off. He has a flare of creating a dark progressive and mysterious musical journey that will take you deep into the night with the lights out. This is Steve Lawler’s second compilation for Global Underground under the new name Lights Out, the beginning of a new series? - He also did the tried Nubreed CD a few years back. The compilation includes Steve Lawler’s new track “Andante” that are set to be released later in the year on Bedrock. The compilation also includes tracks from the likes of Cevin Fisher, The Scumfrog, Desert, Swain & Snell and Angelo Kortez feat. Alan T. The two CDs are bang on from the start, no warm up session just 2½ hour full of tribal workout. In conjunction with the release of “Light Out“ Steve Lawler goes on tour, but sadly Denmark is not include.

What a debut album! “First Floor” from the English duo Starecase is from my point of view at the same high standard as BT and Way Out West. The album starts with the new single “Faith” a poppy vocal track after that the swinging “Understand Me”. “(Sound two) Second Time” is a banging full on tempo track with a great vocal. “Come In” slows things down to an Ibiza’n feel and you can just chill to the wonderful rhythms and sounds. “Stuck In the Middle” takes the pace up again this time more progressive and deep but still with the same touch and feel that runs throughout this album. The upcoming single “See” is a nice down tempo vocal track. “Aishiteru” moves us into the chill room again, before “Bitter Little Pill” takes us rocking. “The Bitter End” is not that bitter – it is going to be massive and it is a fitting end to a perfect album that you also can get hold of on vinyl. One thing puzzle me though – where are “Not So Blue”, ”Lost 22”, “Fist Floor Deadlock” and “Hopeless” – all 12” that Starecase has released earlier – they would have been perfect on this album.

Spiral Trax

If you thought that trance was getting boring – then think again and listen to Human Blue. From the Spiral Trax label the second Human Blue album is released. Behind Human Blue is Dag Wallin one of the originators of the Swedish trance sound. Tracks from album, like “Carp Diem” and “Memorexis” have already been included on a mix compilation from John ‘OO’ Fleming and have been picked up by internationally acclaimed DJ such as Cass (from Cass & Slide). The album varies in all the shades of the deep trance style, from the monotone over progressive to the melodic tunes. If you are into Atmos and Vibrasphere then Human Blue is just the medicine you want.

The Dutch trance master once again brings summer and sun into our living room with a voyage into trance land but with a progressive touch of the season. The compilation starts with a chilled intro and moves into the Loafer remix of Starecase’s “Faith” and the pace is set with tracks from Solar Stone “Solarcoaster”, Way Out West “Mind Circus”, Nalin & Kane ”Open Your Eyes” and Tiesto himself with “In My Memory”. His own remix of Paul Oakenfold’s “Southern Sun” is also included in the mix. A sure investment for trance lovers.

This double CD captures what is going on at the deep trance scene right now, a move towards the progressive sound. Alex Ligowski former Nova Tekk has compiled this fantastic album that includes DJ Nukem’s remix of Son Kite “Aiwana”, remixes from Chab, Oliver Klein, Mark Shimmon and Weekend World and tracks from Power Plant and Blackstone just to name a few. The tracks are not mixed into a continues mix, so you get the whole track one by one.

From Moby’s bedroom 18 new tracks has seen the light, they are in direct line from his massive 1999 success album “Play”. Moby explores once again the simple melody and he does it to perfection, it is kept in the same soundscape and atmosphere as Play. It is clearly that Moby has a strong love for old soul music and R’n’B from the 60’s and 70’, and he has created a record that you can enjoy and relax to. On 18 Moby incorporates vocals from Angie Stone, Sinead O’Connor, MC Lyte and samples of other fantastic voices. He sings on four of the tracks himself and once again he is a one-man band and plays all the instruments himself. In my ears Moby hasn’t moved musically in the last 3 years and I miss a overall development in his songs, he is very found of using the same rhythm, piano and long string synthesizer textures that made Play a big success, only on a few songs you get glimpses of what might have been. But - if you dig “Play” you will love “18”.

Once again Judge Jules is behind the “Clubbed” series, this time it is version 2002. On this CD we are presented with his view on what is hot and what isn’t. The CD varies from tracks by Sharpside “Space Curising” to great tracks by The Lounge “Shades”, Ralphie B “Massive” and Minimalistix “Close Cover”. Judge Jules has a fun way of mixing techno, funky house, slamming trance tunes together with melodic trance tracks – somehow this doesn’t do the trick for me and I’m left with a feeling of just another mix compilation album - sorry.