The masters of breakbeat are back with their new brilliant “Morning Sci-Fi” album. Mike Truman and Chris Healings aka Hybrid have worked with John Creamer and the legendary Peter Hook from New Order fame and have made an album that surpasses their critical acclaimed1999 debut album “Wide Angle”. Hybrid has never been afraid to use strings in their music and it gives the tracks a haunting atmosphere and fantastic basis for them to build their sounds, it’s almost filmic, very catchy and at times dark and mysterious. The album consists of a mixture of instrumental tracks like “Know Your Enemy”, “Visible Noise”, “Gravastar” and “We Are In Control” and vocal tracks like “True To Form”, “I’m Still Awake”, “Steal You Away” and “Out Of The Dark”. “Blackout” the last track of the album features the beautiful voice of Kristy Hawkshaw a fantastic ballade and a marvellous ending of an album that isn’t sci-fi but reality. Well done boys, worth the wait.  (CA)

Paul Oakenfold returns with another mind-bending mix compilation album. This time as a reflection of his gig at the Great Wall in China. The double disc set is diverse, and covers a broad selection of genres and includes tracks from the likes of ; Nugen “Darksides”, Infusion “Legacy”, Patient Saints “Imperpetuerri Mobila” and the Deepsky remix of Okenfold´s “Hypnotised”. A row of more commercial tracks from Justin Timerlake “Cry Me A River” (Bill Hamel remix), Dave Gahan “Dirty Sticky Floor” (Junkie XL remix), Madonna “Hollywood” (Oakenfold own remix) and Bjork “Pagan Poetry” (Infusion remix) are also included in the mix. Very nice Mr. Oakenfold. (CA)

If the sound of James Hodlen is your cup of tea, then read on. This double CD is a driving mix of filtered sounds, breaks and melodies that will take you on a rare journey into a musically universe that seldom comes along on a CD. The MFA “The Difference It Makes” kicks of CD1 and tracks from Nathan Fake “Outhouse”, Jase From Outta Space “Do What You Want”” Petter “All Together” and PQM “You Are Sleeping” are all included in the mix. CD2 takes over where CD1 left and gives us tracks from Holden himself with the track “The Wheel” and Kosmas Epsilon mix of FC Kahuna´s “Hayling”, Gill Norris “Forme” and Ficta “Eli”. A mix album that has entered my mix album top10 of the year. (CA)

Well this is a records that I’ve been waiting for some time, trying to get it though different shops and finally getting it from Holland this bang of a CD is on my CD deck and it will be in rotation for some time. Remy has done a progressive masterpiece. The album spines 13 tracks and are all mixed together in one continues mix taking you on a journey into the musically universe of this young Dutchman. After the intro you are given the best track on the album “Napolitan”. “Scambled” has a sound that you can referrer to Timo Mass and “Bang!” has a strong influence of Underworld´s repetitive rhythms and melody lines. Remy has earlier released three double 12” on Additive and has done remixes for the likes of Salt Tank, John Johnson and Bedrock and one of the earlier tracks “Backstabber” has found its place as the closing track of the album. If you haven’t encountered Remy before - well then you are missing out of something great. (CA)

Shortly after the debut, this second album from Israelian Sesto Sento aka Aviram Saharai, Itai Spector & Matan Kadosh are already in the shops and its NO disappointment! Today, the Israeli full on labels releasing albums and compilations one after another in short duration, which makes it hard to catch up - but THIS album aren’t just another one among the others. No, this is what I call a real album with life between the tracks, bright feelings and a large differentcy in styles. You press the play button and hear it all with excitement without getting bored. Especially effects and tricky sounds are their force, which also makes the album worth it.

If you are into Israeli psychedelic and full on trance, but miss some creativity aside the normal Isreali beats and basslines, I will highly recommend this album.  (JS)

From the makers of the classic “Greece 2000” track comes their second album “Melodies From The Univers”. Erik De Koning and Ton Van Empel have made a very uplifting trance album, where you can’t stop thinking of summer and Ibiza. The tracks on the CD are mixed together in one continues mix and features the brilliant “Air Traffic” track and the “Carrera 2” track that has been released on Paul Van Dyk´s Vandit label. On a track like “Freaky Runway” you can clearly hear the roots from the “Greece 2000” track with its pulsating melody line. “Cruise Ship” that also was featured on the flip of the “Air Traffic” single is a splendid cooker. “Sunset On Ibiza” is another great track from the guys and you have surely heard this one in the clubs, hammering it’s beautiful melodic sound and it’s fantastic breakdown. As an added bonus you get a second CD with remixes of “Greece 2000”, “Sunset On Ibiza”, “Carrera 2” and “Air Traffic”. No doubt that this is an album for the trance fans. (CA)

This is first album under Ferry´s own name after he has released two albums under his moniker System F. “Right Of Way” isn’t as cheesy as “Out Of the Blue” and his Asia only album “Together”. Still you can find the beautiful trance tracks, like the opening track “Sublime” that he has done together with The Thrillseekers. But the album also features for me the more dark sinister tone of trance that I’m not so found of – this you find on the two singles “Rock Your Body” and “Punk”. He also finds room to touch dreamy pop with the tracks “Whatever”, “Skinndeep” and “Holding On” sounds like a Madonna collaboration with William Orbit. With “In My Dreams” he has produced a great dreamy drum n’ bass track, ”It´s Time” is trance dance and “Show Your Style” goes rocking trance style. No doubt that Ferry has created a more diverse album than you might have expected and this might throw some people off that are so used to the known sound of Ferry Corsten. (CA)

Another mix CD has been released from the mighty Bedrock Records label. CD 1 is compiled by John Digweed, but not mixed by him. It is downbeat and chilled and is beautiful in itself including tracks from Sean 06 “The Other Cource”, Shumel Flash ”Chilling Moments” , Pole Folder & CP Dust “Last Light on..”, Steiger “Postcard From The Edge” , Evolution “Walking On Fire”, Mainline (James Holden) “Innerspace” and Bedrock themselves with “Emerald” and “Beautiful Things” in the Bedrock ambient beats remix. Moving on to CD2 mixed by Phil Thompson (Moonface) we head into the pulsating night club with full on house tracks from the likes of Brancaccio & Aisher “Everybody”, “Looks like A Star”, Morgan Page “All I know” , Tigerhook “Tonite”, Amber “Anyway”, Tom Mangan “Chutney”, Fortunato & Montutresor “Imagine” and finally Bedrock´s “Emerald” in the Charlie May´s Quartite cluster mix. Layered Sounds is a great view into and introduction to the vaults of Bedrock Recordings. (CA)

From the SAW Recordings label of Satoshi Tomiie and Hector Romeo comes a fine progressive mix compilation album. This includes two new tracks by Medway & Sean Cusick “Sketch” and Blue Haze “Rumble Funk” that will be released later in 2004. The other tracks is taken from the vaults of SAW Recordings fast growing back catalogue and is presented in a massive mix by Satoshi Tomiie and Hector Romeo that makes your feet move. The compilation includes tracks by Cass “Kenjun”, Madam “Penetration”, Lexicon Avenue “Why R U here”, Stephane K “Numb” and Echomen “Cure” closed this tour de force mix of the finest US progressive house music. (CA)

From Millennium Records comes a compilation that will intrigue the lovers of progressive psy trance. Let me start with CD 2 collected by Alexander Ligowski, and its includes the Atmos remix of Saiko Pod “Phutures”, Mikrokosmos “Two Places”, Echolab “Real Delay”, Van Bellen & Greed “City Lights” in the Mathew Dekay remix, Soniccube “Somewhere” and 4 other great tracks. Alexander keeps a great tech sound all the way, and never once does he goes into the quick drum patterns, this you can find on CD 1. On CD 1 DJ BIM has collected 9 tracks of more uplifting kind, including Native Radio “Cyberfish”, A.K.D. “At tribal Times”, Star Sound Orchestra “Buenos Dances Exclusive” and Man With No Name “Visit The Moon”. The great thing with this CD set is that isn’t mixed together in one continuing beat-mix and you can use it in your own DJ set. I can only praise the selection of tracks on CD 2 made by Alexander Ligowski, it’s rare that you have a whole CD that you can play from one end to the other without skipping a track. (CA)

The amount of compilations with psychedelic trance are getting bigger and bigger for each week and many of these are disappearing unaffected into the heaps of releases, but there are some who know their style like for example “There is no tomorrow”. This nighttime compilation has focused on the pure evil-hard-dark and pumping psytrance. Unbelievable sounds and effects are floating in organized chaos and this music is meant to scare you, but as in a good horror movie you don’t turn it off. Under and over the fast electronic scales, nine artists show their creativity without getting crude in their behaviour. Its serious and well-produced music, the samples are used right and their kicks are all different - this makes it special to listen to. This is the seventh release from Inpsyde media records and artists like Penta, Dark Nebula and Azax Syndrom etc. are giving a great dynamic into this compilation. They are creating different products, from ambient & chill-out to this extreme psychedelic full-on compilation and now you don’t have to go into the dark and scary forest any longer to get the adrenaline up. As on many other compilations and trance albums, the finale track is more chilled and on this one it’s Ibex that are counting down in a monastery - this is the soundtrack for the Armageddon of your mind. (AD)

The Danish DJ Jokke is known for his dark and deep progressive style and his work with True To Nature, where he has released tracks on Renaissance and Room4 (Low Pressing sub label). “In The Mix” is reported to have been done on two Technics 1210 and a Pioneer CD player and it makes up a fantastic journey into the world of deep progressive house music. "In the mix" includes tracks from Jaia “Peter Pan Syundrome”, Saiko-Pod “Groove Moderator”, Chris Domingo “One Sound”, Llopis “Like The Good Books”, Parham vs. Dominique “Catch The Sun”, Krüder & Coyle “Spaceboy”, N.D.S.A. “Break Eaven”, Phony Orphamts vs. Anitix “Chicago Collins”, and remixes and tracks from Thomas Penton ”Cliffhanger” , True To Nature “Brezze” and Jokke himself with the track “Trust”. The highlights of the album is Chris Domingo “One Sound”, Thomas Penton ”Cliffhanger” and Parham vs. Dominique “Catch The Sun” – certainly a mix compilation for the lovers of deep progressive sound. (CA)

For his second Global Underground instalment James Lavelle delivers a dark and trippy journey into break beats sprinkled with deep house tracks. James Lavelle is known as the label boss for Mo Wax Records and for his project UNKLE, releasing the two critical acclaimed records "Psyence Fiction" and "Never, Never, Land" - that has spun the great track “In A State” that also is featured on this double CD in the album version and in the great Sasha remix. Looking through the track list one should think this is a showpiece for UNKLE, no less than 7-8 tracks of the 16 tracks feature UNKLE either as the artist or the remixer. Also featured are Meat Katie, Peace Division, Derrick Carter, Photek, The Chemical Brothers and Alex Dolby´s “Psycho Garden” in a Sasha re-edit. It’s great that the famous Global Underground series has this open view on what to bring from the club scene to the listener. (CA)

Baroque in Session delivers a fabulous mix of previous Baroque releases. The mix is done by co founder of Baroque Records Keith McDonnell (Innate) and takes you into the dark and twisted world of Baroque and you are given 12 tracks; Minilogue “In A Deeper Motion”, Manitoce “Slaves” in the Brancaccio & Aisher remix, Innate “Changes”, Tilt “Headstrong” and also included in the mix are Sleepfreaks “PHB” from Baroque Records sister label Methode. My own personal favourite Baroque release; Interflow “Storyreel” in the Satoshi Tomiie remix are also included in the vocal remix and the hard to come by dub remix, that was released on the special edition double pack of previously unreleased mixes. As an extra treat an unmixed CD is included and on this you find 8 tracks including Quivver “BozBoz”, the now classic Odessi “Moments Of Space” that started it all for Baroque and the massive Tilt remix of Jay Welsh “Four Horsemen”. In Session is a great way to get down with Baroque. (CA)

Think of a mixture of trance, techno and progressive and you have Soniccube. A project put together by three Swiss guys; Daniel Müller and Ueli Schill that are the produces behind the psy-trance outfit SONNENVAKUM and Tobi Wirz is the man behind GREED and the SOG Records label. The three of them have put together a fantastic debut album that really combines the genres and gives you a ride into a musically adventure, that just makes you wanting more and more. The album kicks off with the brilliant “Back Again” that fills the room with a deep lush sound, wicket melody line and a kick. The album is filled with amazing tracks and none of the 9 tracks are just filling the gabs. “Somewhere” is my favourite track on the album where all the elements come together – this is quality stuff and it’s rare that an album comes along that I enjoy as much as this one – highly recommend - a must have album in any mature electronic music record collection. Listen to the album online here. (CA)

Well this compilation has been out for some time now but I have to review this CD, because it’s so good. Sander Kleinenberg has done a great compilation album featuring a broad range of the latest house tunes. This compilation is also a departure for Renaissance normal setup that is known for its large progressive double CDs - this time around they have also made room for the funky tech house music. CD1 is a progressive ride through tracks like Van Bellen & Greed “City Lights”, Mathew Dekay “Higher Thoughts” and the brilliant Chable & Bonicci “Ride”. CD 2 delivers a funky mix of the likes of Chab “My Memory” and four tracks from Sander´s own label Little Mountain Records; Roland Klinkenberg “Funk The Key Word”, Steve Porter “Definite Form”, Mick Burns “Corrective Tunes” and an exclusive track from Sander himself “Repeat To Specify” that closes the CD. The sound quality is as always on Renaissance releases awesome. (CA)

Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker the men behind Zero7 are back with their second album “When It Falls” and it picks up the perfect atmosphere from the 2001 debut album “Simple Things”. On this album Zero7 has once more worked with vocalist Mozez, Sophie Barker, Sia Fuller. The first single “Home” and “The Space Between” are co-written by Tina Dickow and it was meant to be for her album, but it was decided that they will fit better in style on the Zero7 album. The overall feel of the album is a 60’ retro feel, with its use of keyboards, trumpets, viola, drums, guitar and vocal structure. A very nice relaxing album with a hint of pop and typical sing and songwriter elements. (CA)

Sandra Collins returns to the world of mix compilations with a great release on Paul Oakenfold´s Perfecto label. CD1 kicks-off with Junkie XL´s “Reshurc” that propels into U&K´s wonderful “Atmosphere “ and tempo are turned on, with tracks from Agent 001 (Steve Porter guise) “Bubble Bath”, G- Pal presents Ghos “No Other Man”, Kosheen “All In My Head” and remixes from Flash broyhers, The Greek and Gabriel & Dresden are all in the mix. On disc two Saiko-Pod´s “Phutures” in the Atmos remix are mixed into Infusion´s remix of Will Saul “Cliff” and Humate´s remix of Camouflage “Me and You” and Sydney “Losing My Religion” are included. The CD ends with a great remix of BT´s “The Great Escape”. This compilation is for the fans of progressive music and Sandra Collins has come a long way from her Tranceport vol.3 released back in 2000 – very nice indeed. (CA)

The new album from the French female DJ, producer, singer and radio host Miss Kitten is
a certain winner-release. It contains an excellent work in many music types and new ideas used in her own electronic based music. She is for instance mixing Punk rock, Jazz, Funk, Electro, hard & soft Techno, and Braindance to Ambient in the track “Professional Distortion” - all types in one, so this is for the patience listener. “I Com” are one long journey into the “World of Miss kitten” and there is still focus on her voice and the provocative lyrics. There are used a lot of commercial rap, crooner, silent singing, whispering and as manipulated voice, also French, English and some other languages are used. The “Diva of Electronic music” has done it again and the style is well-kept! All the tracks are so different from each other which makes this a funny, well-organized and a weird album “So difficult to define.” Tired of typically male music, try this “Kiss Factory”! (AD)