Amazon.com

Alice Deejay finds its inspiration at the nexus where house music meets Eurovision songwriting. The creative force behind Alice Deejay, and the voice fronting it, is a Dutch club DJ identified only as Judy. She's enlisted two other singers (Gaby and Jane) and a host of European house-music producers from the more pop end of the spectrum--people whose credits include remixing Ricky Martin's World Cup theme song and the Vengaboys. The result is a mixture of melodies that are heavily Europop with maybe a dash of contemporary U.S. Britney-'n'-Backstreet Top 40 over a beat that started with Giorgio Moroder in the late '70s, took a trip through the British Hi-NRG style in the '80s, and hasn't yet quit. The handiest comparison to someone who has combined a similar set of elements in an obviously successful way is to Cher and her hit "Believe," but the proof that crafting melodies that catchy is not easy is also on display. --Bob Bannister ... Read more

Reviews (139)

Better than I expected, But still not Perfect
I thought this was going to be one of my favorite cds ever. Now, I'm not too big on house and techno music. I listen to Real McCoy, La Bouche, Aqua, and Vengaboys, but I don't consider them to be too techno. They're like "Fun" music. Especially Aqua and Vengaboys. But anyways, when I first heard "Better Off Alone", I actually thought this was going to be such a great cd. I mean, it takes a lot to make me like a techno song, because personally, they all kinda sound the same to me when I first hear them. Fast beat, same beat, one or two words, then beats again. Very repetitive. Well, Alice Deejay actually sings in this cd, or so I thought. The first song, which is, "Back In My Life" is my favorite. It's really fast, but Alice sings a lot. I love to hear her voice for some reason. I think she should have used more of it in the rest of the album. The second best song is also the #2 song "Better Off Alone" This started off being my favorite song, but it's way overplayed. I have a cd consisting of 12 remixed versions of this one song. Maybe that's why I got over this song in about 2 months. Next on the list of my favorites is #3 "Celebrate Our Love" Again, lots of vocals and an catchy beat. It seems to tell a story about love. It's great, you'll love this song, except she seems to say Saturday Night Love instead of Celebrate Our Love", but who cares, it's a great song. Might be my second favorite now because by the time you read this review, I probably heard Better Off Alone 600 more times already. Other good songs on this CD are #8 "Fairy Tales", and #11 "I Can See". "Fairytales" starts off with a storm. It makes you feel like your in the game Zelda and you're on a mission to save a princess or loved one and you're searching for her in this very dark and stormy night with rain pouring, but nothin's gonna stop you anyway as the upbeat music will make you keep going until you find her. "I Can See" is a song that should have followed Fairytales because it kinda sounds like she's thanking you for being rescued and she can see it in your eyes that she loves you now too. Now, lets move on to the Bad songs. The worst song has got to be #14 "Alice Deejay" Just that title gave me a bad impression of a song. I mean, what was she going to do, tell me about herself? No, but instead, she kept reminding me that "She's a Deejay, Alice Deejay" That's all I heard throughout the song. Drove me nuts. I think the music was pretty good though. This was a song that I wish she didn't vocalize so much. What Irony huh? Another bad song in my opinion is #13 "Got To Get Away". While not as bad as #14, this one was close. I'm glad I got away from listening to this song twice. Again, all she said was "I Got To Get Away" over and over and over. All the others songs were pretty good to ok. I mean, just average techno songs. If you like house or techno, then you'll probably like more songs on this cd than I did, but if you're trying for more vocal like vengaboys or Aqua, then this isn't the right cd for you.

Its Like a Drug!
Ok, first off, ... either is boring, but there are huge differences however. On this cd, Judy (Alice Deejay) uses her pure vocals which are beautiful, melodic, and mature, unlike Sarina's which are just simply fun and bouncy, but barely show an emotional side to the effort.

The Trip Begins with an exiting upbeat and energetic "Back in My Life", beautiful voice mixes with great background music and to top it all off, great lyrics. (5/5)

"Better Off Alone", ok so we've all heard this one, good at first, but kinda loses its flavor after the first 50 times of play. (1/5)

"Celebrate Our Love" a beautiful dance anthem here, this here is one of the many reasons to buy the album. (5/5)

"The Lonely One" Kinda slows down the pace of the album, but still very good. (4/5)

"Who Needs Guitars Anyway?" Its strictly an instrumental, proves what a good dj Judy is, and with this song, the question is answered, who does need guitars when we have such beautiful electronica such as this? (5/5)

"Will I Ever?" This one is a really cute song, pure bouncy, caffine hyped, dancefloor fun! (5/5)

"Elements of Life" I can't say its one of my favorites, but its not bad, its kinda breathy and quiet, its quite a different experience from the tracks before it, it grows on you though. (3/5)

"Fairytales" Also not one of my favorites, but it stands out from everything else on the album, the back beat sounds more like a "rock" style drum-beat, rather than a euro-dance UNCE-UNCE type drumbeat, so for being different I give it credit. (3/5)

"Waiting for your Love" When you hit this track you start to wonder if the album gets to be as outstanding as the beginning of the album was, but don't worry, you'll get back up there, it takes time, this one was more a filler song in my opinion, not the greatest. It kinda starts out sounding like that metro remix of Everytime It Rains by Ace of Base. Could've been much better in my opinion. (2/5)

"No More Lies" And here is the peak of the mountain so to speak, the wonderful, catchy, beautifully crafted melody/harmony work, who can say no do a dance anthem like this? Should've been the single instead of "Better off Alone" in my opinion, its 50 times better. (10/5)

"I Can See (See it in your eyes)" Pretty good, not much else I can say about this one, just a basic trance-pop song here. (5/5)

"Everything Begins with an E" The second of the two instrumentals, still very good, but in my opinion, "Who needs guitars" was better. (5/5)

"Got to get away" I think "Higher and Higher" should've been put on this cd in its places, "Got To Get away" is pretty much just some more filler, but I give it credit for being tolerable atleast. (3/5)

"Alice Deejay" The explanation to the talent behind the music, she doesn't lie when she says she is rythm, she is music, she's a dj, she is ALICE DEEJAY! hope for much more to come in the future! A Perfect Conclusion the trip. (10/5)

So there you have it, go experience it for yourself now, you won't regret it! as once said by Judy, to fully experience the trip, TURN IT UP!!!

Great music, horrible singing
Although Alice Deejay obviously has a lot of musical talent when it comes to the synthesizers, her voice is weak, nasal, and incredibly grating, and ruins what would otherwise be an album full of really great songs. Fortunately, there are 2 instrumental tracks, and one track where she uses a vocoder to mask her awful voice, but all the other tracks make me wish she'd enlisted someone else to sing. I'm sure that there's some sort of music out there for which her voice would be perfect, but it's definitely not anthem-y techno, and she comes off sounding like Fran Drescher trying to belt out Haddaway's "What is Love". (OK, it's not quite THAT bad, but it's too close for MY comfort.)

Who Needs Guitars Anyway?
Who Needs Guitars Anyway?~ Alice Deejay is right there is no need for guitars on this very likeable album that is euro techno affecionados dream with distinct beats and a sense of laissey faire fun.

No guitars needed
Dutch group Alice Deejay was one of many dance groups that came out in 2000. Great beats and meliodic sound. Commercial dance but at the sane time good. Reminds me alot of the eurodance of the 90's but this is less vocals in, actually the vocals only appears on the chorus, not like Lasgo and other neu-groups that wants to write too much lyrics to their songs. The very meliodic sound makes the songs catchy and radiofriendly and very good to dance to. "Better of Alone" "Back in my life" "Will i ever" and "The lonely one" all follows this path and are dance classics. Those songs are the best one's on the album. Not all songs are like that though, a few instrumental. Quite simple stuff, but enjoyable and fun. This was Alice Deejay's only album ... Read more

Amazon.com

Monster was an unflinching movie that took you to the edge of the abyss with Aileen Wournos, a prostitute who murdered seven of her customers in Florida in the 1980s. Director Patty Jenkins' film is a sympathetic portrait of Wournos and BT's (Brian Transeau) score ranges from hopeful to harrowing. Fans of BT's trance music won't find any of his familiar beats and techno strategies here, but a work that is just as immersive. Mixing ambient Americana, melancholic minimalism, and atonal atmospheres, this isn't the kind of score you might expect from a musician more associated with dance, trance, and pop music. But BT pulls out all the emotional stops here from the poignant opening theme, "Childhood Montage," with its haunting keyboard refrain, to the stomping guitar twang rave-up on "Ditch the Car." Instead of the usual soundtrack of truncated cues, BT has fleshed out his themes into extended works that segue through the disc. An additional bonus is a DVD-A 5:1 surround mix that puts you right in the middle of BT's spectral swirl. Adding an additional 9 tracks of music, BT paints a 360 degree sound world that is as enveloping as it is compelling. --John Diliberto ... Read more

Reviews (7)

All I can say is:
I have about 500 CD's of all types of music, rock, new age, electronicia, trance etc. etc. This is one of the best CD's I have heard in years. The movie was excellent and the score was incredible. I drive a lot in my profession and I listen to this CD and it makes a great background theme for life. I am very impressed with BT, in particular the work on this album. There are no weak tracks. I dont know what else to say to convey the power of this CD.

Classical BT
If you have fallowed BT and read about his past, you know that he had listened to classical from when he was a small boy. So to me, this is the album he's always wanted to do. Just waiting for the right movie, the right moment to release. This is a great CD. I would show it to my rocker friends, to my grandparents, and make 4 copies of it. So I can listen to it in the car, at work, at the gym and at home.

And that's just the CD part.

The DVD I got to listen to in a 5.1 sound system. Engulfing is the only way to describe it. Such good music, made for 5.1, and it shows.

But if you ask me, its not 5 stars, its 6. It compares to nothing!

An Extremely Powerful Score!
This is perhaps the most emotionally charged score I've heard in my life (as well as one of my favorite soundtracks to date). I watched the movie (at least five times) and I love it! It became one of my top ten favorite movies ever! After I heard the music from the movie, I bought the soundtrack the next day and have listened to it alot. I think this was the perfect music to support the movie as well as the perfect music to listen to in your free time. I didn't even know who BT was until his score to Fast and the Furious. And now I keep up with all of his releases and I've become a huge fan. His score to Monster is his best yet. From "The Bus Stop" to "The Ferris Wheel" to the "Courtroom" track, this is by far the best soundtrack, I think, so far of 2004! You need to get this soundtrack as well as the movie! This was a unique soundtrack because of the DVD feature which is really awesome too. Trust me, buy this soundtrack because it's worth every cent!

Perhaps the best trance out right now
This is a killer collection (no pun intended). I digged the film and have found this collection by BT to be better than the film soundtrack. Very dark and powerful, just great.
This is one of my favorite CDs out right now, along with mr.deviant's "Techno Obsession" which is a killer mix of power rock and hard dance music.

Incredible music
As a collector of film soundtracks and scores, I notice that certain tracks appeal to me mainly because they remind me of the scene from the movie they are taken from. This is always enjoyable but it is also a novelty that eventually and inevitably dies out.

This, the "soundtrack" to the amazingly powerful movie, "MONSTER," is not an example of that sort of disc.

This is incredible music, in and of itself. If this soundtrack was not an album on its own (no movie) then I would still give it 5 stars. It is not a reminder of the scenes from the film. It is a full-fledged piece of musical art that is at once overwhelmingly beautiful and entrancingly powerful.

The tracks are elaborated and extended for the album, which is great because we are presented with long, long melodies like "The Bus Stop" that go on for nearly 10 minutes. I am reminded of the old tracks of Miles Davis that went on for over thirty minutes and remained exciting, inticing, and intimate throughout. This CD, even its longest songs, do not bore the listener at any point. In fact, just when a song seems to be overdoing it, it takes a sharp turn. (For example, a beautiful strings arrangement is interrupted by a poudning drum-beat and an electronic melody.)

It is recommended not only to those who enjoyed the film, but rather to those who crave an album of beautiful, exciting music. ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Don't listen to the delusional pessimists!
This is probably the best two-disc album I've ever heard (only behind Oakenfold's Resident: Two Years at Cream). In a 160 minute album of course you are going to have some songs that you don't like ("Electronic Malfunction" comes to mind). But overall, this is definitely one of Tiesto's best works. I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about. The mixing is probably the best I've heard from Tiesto (almost as good as the first half of In Search of Sunrise 3). There is no way this CD deserves anything less than 4.5 stars. Just look at the track listings on CD 2. I'm sure you've heard the world's best DJs play them (Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, etc.). CD 1 isn't as "trancey" as CD 2. It is more "housey." The first few tracks might surprise an avid Tiesto fan and cause him or her to instantly rate Nyana as "nowhere near as good as his Magik 6 or ISS 3." If you're looking for something more than just cheese trance this is for you. If you're looking for the old Tiesto, this is also for you (just start on track 5 of CD 1).

Disc 1: 4 stars Favorite song: "Mistral"
Disc 2: 5 stars Favorite song: "Beautiful Things"
Overall: 4.5 stars

Not a Magik Journey, but Magical nonetheless
What happens when you combine many of today's bangin trance anthems and tunes with DJ Mag's #1 ranked DJ? This is the question that you shall answer yourself because if you want to experience the Majik that is Tiesto you WILL want to get this cd.

First off, I will state that this is NOT my favorite trance album, or Tiesto album for that matter. The Magik series, Summerbreeze mix, and In My Memory (consisting of Tiesto's finest productions) have definitely made it hard to determine what I consider to be Tiesto's finest work. However, as far as this mix goes relative to what has been produced by other DJs I would have to rate this as one of the best mixes of it's time. And that is not easy considering the works of other heavy hitters such as Paul Van Dyk, George Acosta, Armin Van Buuren, etc..

For anyone new to the Trance genre, this album will give you an idea of what is like to swim amongst a sea of glow-stick waving tranceaddicts in the most cosmopolitan cities of the globe. For those who have been loyal to the genre for years, you will not be disappointed. This cd is the next best thing to having the opportunity to appear at one of Tiesto's live performances.

This is not one of those mixes that takes several play-throughs to develope an appreciation for. From the first track (M. Mayer), the beat immediately picks up, thrusting you into tribal rhythms (Acapulco, Planisphere). The beat dies down a little, only to be replaced by dreamy melodies (Darren Tate, Midway, Tiesto) and then soaring vocals (Jan Johnston, Sinead O'Conner). The only letdown of the entire cd imo were the cheesy vocals of "Electronic Malfunction", but that is immediately compensated for by Gareth Emery's "Mistral".

The second cd starts off rather subdued with Catcher's Destiny Sunrise, but blossoms into quite a melody and a euphonic transition into Black Hole Production's Filterheadz "In Your Eyes". From then it keeps getting better with another Black Hole production (Andain's "Beautiful Things"), two tracks from superb remixers Solar Stone and the pychedelic '93 returning mix of James Holden's "Nothing" made famous by AvB's ASOT radio broadcast. After the excitement dies down with two tracks of melodic trance, "Forever Waiting" and "As the Rush Comes" , the mix kind of drags on with some more cheesy vocals from Tina arena. Fortunately, Tiesto manages to recover with P.O.S. "Remember" and one my personal favorites Solid Globes "North Pole".

While not an impressive mix by the standards of a hardcore Tiesto fan, this certainly deserves a place in the collection of anyone who is a proclaimed tranceaddict.

Blah - Not an Attention Grabber
Well, I have been an electronic music lover for over 15 years now. I guess I have a habit of buying cd's by their hype sometimes. This cd is one of those cd's. I don't think there's anything in particular about this cd that makes it stand out from a crowd.

There's very few songs that really make this album stick in my head for more thana few seconds. Not only that but the progression from the beginning to the end of the cd is non existant. If you like transe that you can put on and ignore in the background...this is ok. But if you want something to hold your attention from beginning to end...this isn't it.

It may just be I am not a fan of Tiesto, but the cd isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Beautiful sounds, good beat
I am a big fan of Andy Hunter, and in an article I was reading about him in DJ Times magazine, it mentioned that Andy Hunter's sound is in the same camp with DJ Tiesto. So, since I like Andy Hunter, I decided to check out DJ Tiesto! And I'm glad I did because I really like this album, although Andy Hunter's Exodus still tops it in my book. (I haven't heard any other DJ Tiesto albums.)

The lush electronics and driving dance beat that Andy Hunter and DJ Tiesto create, in my book is the most beautiful and at the same time most exciting type of dance music being made today. These sounds take me way back to the days of Giorgio Moroder, including his work with Donna Summer ("Our Love" and "Lucky," for example). I'm not in any way saying that this music sounds dated or even that it sounds like that music; I'm saying I've liked the use of electronics in dance music for 25 years now, and when it's made as beautifully as it is by Andy Hunter and made, collected, and mixed by DJ Tiesto on this album, it touches my musical soul in a deep way that goes way back.

While the beat is strong enough that it makes me want to get up and dance, this music never becomes low-brow party music, but is always top of the class in sophistication and beauty; the rich electronics and the occasional vocals are pretty and elegant.

This is a 2-CD album; disc 1 is labeled "Outdoor" and disc 2 is labeled "Indoor." Actually, there is not much difference in the sound between the two, but the title "Outdoor" gives me some mental pictures during my favorite sequence on the album, which begins with the instrumental tracks "Totem" and continues through "Inca" and "Nyana" and winds down with the vocal tracks "Venus" and "Tears From The Moon." In some portions of this set, I can picture dancing in some picturesque, majestic place on a sunny day among the red rocks in Utah or New Mexico, or somewhere in the Andes Mountains under a starlit sky. It's amazing what a title can do for you! "Let The Light Shine In" and "Venus" have the most beautiful electronics sounds on the album...so rich, so lush...oh how they reach down into my musical soul and touch me with enchanting emotions. They are every bit as good as "Amazing" by Andy Hunter. This 36-minute, 6-song sequence is the climax of this 2 1/2 hour album.

I have three versions of "Tears For The Moon" by Conjure One featuring Sinead O'Connor. This one is definitely my favorite. I have two versions of "Never" by The Roc Project featuring Tina Arena. The other one I have is found on DJ Louie Devito's Dance Factory Level 2 album. The difference between these two versions is a perfect example of the difference DJ Tiesto makes. DJ Tiesto's version is far more sophisticated sounding. The version on Louie Devito's album sounds almost like pop-dance, but DJ Tiesto takes the vocals into the background a bit and adds his rich electronics, giving the song infinitely more class.

Beautiful to listen to, great to dance to...this is the ultimate style of dance music, delivered with sophistication and skill.

Good but not great
I am a big fan of DJ Tiesto, but this was not one of his best works. Tracks that I really enjoy are Venus w Jan Johnston, Tears from the Moon w Snead O'Connor, Beautiful Things on Disc 2 and Never w Tina Arena on Disc 2. I always have enjoyed the upbeat tempo and feel of Tiesto CD's, but the groove gets lost in parts, and only a handful of the tracks are "danceable". With most sets that Tiesto has released, one can get swept up in the music and tempos, but that just didn't really happen here. It is however a good set to just sit back and relax. Some good vocal pieces and some good tempos, but Tiesto has done better. I was particularly annoyed by Electronic Malfunction. This tune just doesn't seem like his style and completely out of place in the set. So I would give Tiesto 3.5 to 4 stars on this one. ... Read more

Reviews (70)

Big beat trance.
That sounds like a contradiction in terms, but it truly describes what Juno Reactor is up to on this fine album. This is incredibly rhythmic music that you could either dance to or use as background to meditation, depending on your mood.

I discovered "Bible of Dreams" in an Amazon review for another artist, and I'm glad I took a chance on it. I haven't read much about Juno Reactor, yet this album is one of the best techno discs I've heard. I'm always on the lookout for something that stands out from the crowd, and doesn't just rehash the same tired studio gimmicks. "Bible of Dreams" is one of those albums, endlessly entertaining and beautifully produced, with nary a false note.

I've seen "Bible of Dreams" referred to as ethno-techno, as it sports Middle Eastern inflections (check out the brilliant "God is God") alongside its heavy drumbeats. "Swamp Thing" combines exotic conga drums and percussion with a rude slide guitar (think White Zombie on safari). Though oddly diverse, the album is truly of a piece. This is, simply put, techno with a big imagination and few self-imposed limitations.

Highly recommended, if you're looking for something new and different.

Redefining the Genre
Quite simply, Juno Reactor is the only trance music I'll listen to, but I don't know if that's the appropriate statement to make--if "trance" means the album is supposed to be filled with repetitive, dull, thudding bass beats and uninspired, faintly melodic screeches overhead, then this album is sadly mislabeled. This is an incredible CD, filled with track after track of innovative, powerful music that truly does make you feel that for the moment, you're not quite on Earth. "Kaguya Hime," "Komit" and "Conga Fury" are all rhythm-intensive, energetic songs, with the last being a particular standout that evokes images of a primeval, every-man-for-himself tribal ceremony. The guitar riffs and tropical drums of "Swamp Thing" are unabashedly funky, while "Children of the Night" delves into a dark, intense Gothic mood that's closer to the spirit of classic "vampire" novels than anything Hollywood's churned out in the past decade. In contrast, the calmness of "Shark" conveys a relaxing "underwater" feeling. The only weak pieces on this CD are "Jardin de Cecile," which is calm and reflective but boring when compared to the album's other works, and "High Energy Protons," which just doesn't contain the musical ingenuity evident in the rest of the album. Overall, though, this CD is an excellent buy for both committed trance fans and dilettantes like me. If you think the techno/trance genre is more or less a waste (which I thought for a long time), this album will make you change your mind.

Hmmm...
It's a good album alright... but some stuff just isn't so great..

Jardin de Cecile - Starts off with a lush pad, that reminds me of Forest Temple from Zelda: Ocarina of Time, then the beat comes in and drives the song into tribal mode where metallic bongos fill in.

Conga Fury - Another tribal song incorporating live congas and a lovely female vocal drone. It's a bit too long though.

God is God - Beware! people say this song is great, although it isn't really that great at all. Sure its got all the Middle Eastern stuff, but its way too repetetive.

Komit - This is like Watkins travelling back to the days of Transmissions. This song is a nice piece of techno that sometimes slips into drum n bass with hypersynths.

Swamp Thing - Not really impressed by all the guitar in this track but the congas/bongos are good.

Kaguya Hime - I really like this track. Some may say its plain and stupid, but I say its its simple and clever. Nice acidy bass and metallic drums.

Children of the Night - Ugh! Worst song! totally ruins the album im sorry to say.

Shark - Very mellow down tempo ambient. It features some Vangelis style brass synth.

High Energy Protons (Orion Mix) - This doesnt sound as full as the original because it doesnt have many effects and things like that. Doesn;t live up to the original at all.

Im giving this album 4 stars because its a great album but a few songs kind of ruin the whole thing.

They rock!
Juno Reactor is awesome. Their music would fit in the trance category, but it doesn't wear on you like a lot of repetitive music in the genre, and it isn't overly trippy. They best way to describe their music is that it is trance, but with more substance. Case in point: listen to the sample of Conga Fury or God Is God; the pseudo-Middle Eastern female vocals in the background add a cool texture to the music and elevates it beyond most music in the category. Also look at the ratings: they don't lie. Highly recommended. Also, if you are into the Juno Reactor sound, try S.U.N. Project. The two rank at the top of my trace list.

Electronic symphony
Quite frankly, this is an amazing album, beautiful and symphonic, each song with its own melody. This is the modern symphony. From this, I bought everything that Juno Reactor has done and I have not been disappointed by any of it. ... Read more

Album Description

Hernan Cattaneo has always been one of South America¹s biggest DJs, but his opportunity to truly break out globally came when ŒClubland¹, the weekly Saturday at Pacha, Buenos Aries, became recognized as one of, if not THE world¹s best club.Hernan suddenly found himself playing alongside the likes of Sasha, Tenaglia, Deep Dish and Paul Oakenfold.Although all highlighted him as Œone to watch¹, it was Oakie who snapped Hernan up, taking him on world tours as his official warm-up and signing him to his Perfecto label for the lauded mix comp, Perfecto Presents: South America (Thrive, 2002).From this things blossomed, with further career highs including opening DJ sets on Underwold¹s 2003 US run, a slot at the 2003 Coachella festival, & remixes for Deep Dish¹s Shinichi label.Most recent highlights include a remix of Morgan Page for John Digweed¹s Bedrock label (as can be heard on this album) and, of course, his confirmation as the next DJ to mix a Renaissance Masters album, where Hernan joins such esteemed company as Deep Dish and Dave Seaman in this massively successful mix CD series.

With Masters, Hernan expands upon his trademark deep Œn sexy tribal sound. The tracklisting reads like a trainspotter¹s wet dream and includes some of the most upfront progressive house tracks from the likes of Josh Wink, Danny Howells,Luke Chable, Jay Tripwire, and the debut CD appearance of the current global dancefloor hit, ³Age of Love.² ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Im taken aback
Lets just say that Hernans set here is one of the quirkiest, funkiest, uplifting sets ive heard in a LONG time. i dont know what some of the people are saying here that Hernan has succumbed to Oakenfolds Cheese..... This Set is the OPPOSITE

CD1 is a mellow opener which carries some wicked drum beats and bubble basslines. I was skeptical of the start of the CD at first but after listening to it i can really see how much creativity Hernan has put into it. Attepmting to slow-burn the audience into a full-on CHAR!

CD2 This CD starts off a bit slow with some tracks that im not to fond of but flow extremely well into the next few ones. Once track 6 kicks in the Full-on Char that Hernan has been cookin up turns to a full on Burn mix through some of the greatest prog tunes to date. The end is a sugar rush through an incredible breakbeat song to end the mix in harmony.

CD1 - 5 Stars
CD2 - 4.5 Stars

Buy this if u are in the mood of a slowburning patient mix for the open minded who are lookin for something different yet good.

Best comp CD end of 03 beginning of 04
This CD truly portrays the sound of the Renaissance serries to me. Great track selection and excellent mixing by Hernan. This one tops of Sanders recent Renaissance cd. the Melodies in Richard Davies - The Air, and Danny Howells & Stef Vrolijk - Phono Corono is amazing. on CD 1 Tracks 2,3,4,5,6,12 are stand out tracks in my mind. Especially Track 12, Agent001- Bubblebath (16b Remix). Agent001 is a very talented group, I'm glad one of their tracks was included in this mix.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS - A M A Z I N G .
I wasn't going to write a review of this CD - even though I feel it is tied with Sander Kleinenberg's "Everybody" CD as being the best progressive house CD released in the last 6 months - but too many people gave this CD a 3 star review - AND THAT MADE ME ANGRY!

Everything on this CD, from track selection, to mixing, to programming is EXCELLENT.

Disc One is lush, techy, deep progressive house at it's finest - as good as anything Digweed has ever put together.

Disc Two is full-on peak time progressive house - and it too is as good as it gets.

Like most compilations, you probably won't like EVERY track on here.

BUT, like most great progressive compilations, you should LOVE most tracks on here.

Take it from a guy that owns practically EVERY decent progressive house compilation released in the last 6 years; take it from an aspiring progressive house DJ that owns over 1000 vinyl records, and will be hunting down most of the tracks on this compilation - THIS CD IS EXCELLENT.

Hernan did an amazing job showing his own unique sound. But.
As we all know Hernan Cattaneo is from South America and his sound of house has always been sort of a connection to where his from. But after all every famous Dj (Sander Kleinenberg, Deep Dish, Satoshi Tomiie and etc...) has his own unique way of working the dancefloor.

Hernan's track selection is sort of worked on how the mix is building. He wants the mix to go very smooth and maybee some of the trax he put on here werent because they are good but because the mix sounds a lot smoother with them.

For example, the first 2 tracks on the first cd i dont consider music, but a lame INTRO to tracks 3, 4, 5 which are amazing. Then it starts to fall apart again. Tracks 6, 7, 8 and all the way till 9 (boring!!), where matthew deekay jumps in with symbiosis the herbal dub. Tiger corps is "alright" with the jazz sounds and the last track, PQM really puts an end to the first cd. nice track.

Cd#2

Track 1 with Chab, i only have one question. Why the hell would you put the Vocal????? The vocals just killed that track.

Second CD is a little better then the first. But then again has those moments where you just wanna skip to the next track, The REAL mix starts from track 6.

Anyway ill be brief. The highlights of the second cd are tracks 6 (Hazy Way), 7 (Quest), 8 (Steve May (Real nice)), 9 (Danny Howells did a good job creating the beat, but then again the vocal kills it at times. 10 (Central). The rest of the tracks you will survive hearing.

Bottom Line = 3.5 Stars

Just because mixing was very good, And this mix really represents Hernan's sound. And out of 2 cd's there are about 10 good tracks.

I Might be crazy or something but it seems like where you hear those cd's, its like you can almost feel the hot weather from south america. Like you would have a rave in the dessert hearing those tracks. A PERFECT UNIQUE HOUSE STYLE that HERNAN wants to represent. Not neccesserely everyone will like tho. Me for example, im a huge fan of Sander Kleinenberg, and the greatest album i heard so far is EVERYBODY (5 Stars!!!).

Hope this was helpful

Oakenfold? Is that you?
Well, it looks like Señor Cattaneo has finally succumbed to Oakenfold's label and his newfound unmotivated, uninspired, unimaginative "talent." Naturally, one would compare Hernan's new CD to his previous one, expecting immaculate track selection and unparalled mixing. However, that's not the case.

CD1 reminded me of 1970s porn background music with hints of rock at some instances. It was very mellow and downtempo. Any more unimaginative and it would border elevator music quality.

CD2 was more fresh and upbeat. There was nothing that wowed me; nothing that made me want to shake my head in anticipation of the next track. All tracks were plain and simple. 3 stars is generous and no, playing it louder is not gonna help!

I just hope that after Sandra Collins' KILLER Perfecto mix, she doesn't become a brainwashed pop artist wannabe such as Oakenfold and Cattaneo. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Call it an aggregation of some of the best contemporary percussionists: Trilok Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, and Asian Underground star Talvin Singh combine under the sonic washes of producer Bill Laswell to show the possibilities of Indian percussion. It's definitely a beatfest, but one of subtlety, where what is being said isn't as important as the way it's being stated, and the dialogue between hands includes a lot of silences. Gurtu comes from a more jazz tradition, Hussein a classical background, and Singh represents the brash young things of the dance floor. Mostly Laswell leaves it to them to provide the sonic entertainment, which is as it should be with delicate swathes of sound barely intruding, just coloring the proceedings. While it's not for everyone, those who love Indian percussion in all its forms will find this album a complete joy. --Chris Nickson ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Tabla Beat is the Science!
This CD is a MUST! Bill Laswell has done it again. He's rounded up the top Indian based percussionists together to create the best record yet of the whole "Indian Breakbeat" cuture. Zakir Hussain is regarded as one of, if not the best Tabla player or percusionists in the world. He's one of the creators of "East meets West" sound. Here he is featured as the main Scientist along side the other "Who's Who" of the Indian fusion scene; Talvin Singh: The Asian Underground Original, "Tablatronics" pioneer; Trilok Gurtu: another longtime Jazz/Fusion percussionist who's drum set style is totally unique and mind blowing; Karsh Kale: NYC's Tabla Breakbeak Kingpin and special guest Sultan Khan: who's one of the only masters of the Sarangi (a bowed instrument) as well as a beautiful vocalist too. These guys all shine together. Laswell with the help of Singh and Kale over see the production of this futuristic release, so think "Drum and Bhaya"(Bass). Exellent fingerwork and TAPistry woven in with exellent programming. If you liked Talvin's Anounka or OK records this is the next step right here. Think incredible rhythms and filtered Tablas. Organic vs. Electronic. All stand out tracks, but aspecially "Dont Worry", "Big Brother", "Audiomaze" and "Alla" a fitting tribute to Zakir's late father and teacher Alla Rakha, Who was the man who brought the Tabla to new heights and made it a household name with longtime partner Ravi Shankar. Buy this now! I need it on Vinyl too!

And the Tabla thumped on!
Zakir Hussein and Talvin Singh have given us the DnB crazy but tired of typical three layerd cheesy DnB loops a great album. This album is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! (For those who love the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!) Music is the bread, electonica/techno/DnB is jelly and Indian Tabla the peanut butter. Listening to the album is like enjoying peanut butter sandwich with a cold glass of milk! Having disaapointed by Talvin Singhs recent offerings I was not much optimistic about this particular collaboration. However, I was rather pleasantly surprised right from the beginning of the first track (Secret Channel) till the very last track of the album. Surprisingly, I did not feel the urge of skipping a single track. This album can indeed be listened all the way through. No filler tracks what so ever. My current favorites are track #4 titled "Don't Worry.Com", a wicked mix of Tabla along the thumping DnB lines, and track #6 titled "Devotional" a nice mix of traditional Indian and the techno sounds. I was glad to have bought the album.

oh,that Billy-boy!
mr laswell has done many things,but this was quite a suprise!it consists of both chilled and upbeat tala(a middle eastern hand drum)drumming mixed with laz's trademark electronica that gradually fades in and out of the songs.it's a real trip-an-a-half for anyone not ignorant enough to dismiss it as "boring".

out of control
listing to this right now, so good i just had to right a review on it. This cd is freaking insane. Best way to lose you mind

Ecstasy.
This is a great CD. Although the music is fusion, percussions dominate. Completely. Tracks 2, 7 and 11 are just superb. The others are great. TBS proves there are no limits.

If you like "live at stern grove", you should like this one too. The difference is that this is a studio album and so the music has been mixed (well) in comparison to "live at stern grove" where you get to listen to the music as is. Also, this one is percussion-dominated.

The tabla sequences are long and amazing. Its a complete delight. Nothing less. Your will see your fingers tapping. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

The latest in the Northern Exposure series of trance-techno journeys undertaken by two of the most respected DJs in the world, Expeditions finds Sasha and John Digweed fashioning a set from some fine underground cuts. The disc carries the atmosphere of Jean Michel Jarre while maintaining the pace and energy of Orbital. Using Breeder's "Tyrantanic" as their warm-up, the dynamic duo seamlessly utilize simple techno beats with the likes of Jayn Hanna's "The Light," pumping after-hours house such as Mono Culture's "Free," and deliciously simple trance as in Red Devil's "Gamelan." Maintaining the traditions of previous Northern Exposure sets, there are two different discs for slightly different moods--the first more of a late-night soundtrack, the latter a blue-sky marathon--but both work equally well sequentially or separately. Expeditions is a dynamically balanced dance journey that takes you through many of the vistas electronica and DJ culture has to offer. No phrasebook is necessary. --Steffan Chirazi ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Excellent... subtract a star because its mixed on computer
After being blown away by GU009 - San Francisco (especially CD1 - simply perfect), Sasha has become my GOD, so I bought this CD to get my next 'fix'.

On the first listen, I was slightly dissappointed with both discs, but that usually is a result of my flicking through to hear the tracks I know (I was busting to hear Silence again!). Since then, most of the tracks have become must-haves for my Dj sets (especially 'Belfunk' for it's unbelievable build, 'Silence' for its ability to make me cry, 'Gamelan' for another kick-butt build, and 'Rock Stone' because it's from the Breeder stable!), so I ran out and got a copy on vinyl too.

Disc 1 is a perfect example of what a mix CD should be - starting slowly and peacefully, gradually gaining momentum before taking you to an energetic (or in this case - emotional) peak, and then oozing into a relaxing end to put your mind back where it started. Sasha begins with the ambient-like 'Tyrantanic', a breakbeat offering from Breeder, in which he spends about 3 minutes beautifully tieing in the soothing 'Space Manoeuvres'. He then gradually picks up the pace, before reaching an astonishingly emotional peak with Delerium's 'Silence'. From there, Sasha eases things to end the set and put you back in a normal state of mind. Disc 2 is more your dance-floor type affair - less emotional and thought-out than Disc 1, yet more energetic and spontaneous. Despite being rather ambient (and to my tastes, slightly boring) for the first 3 tracks, things pick up with Der Dritte Raum's 'Polarstern'. Digweed really begins to rock when the purely wicked 'Gamelan' kicks in, which he strongly follows up on with 'Mess With Da Bull', 'Love Stimulation' and 'Rock Stone'. Digweed then changes the pace by introducing a vocal track - with the help of Delta Lady's 'Anything You Want', and finally caps off the set with Mike Koglin's 'The Silence', which very appropriately commands the listener to "enjoy the silence" that awaits him/her when the CD spins down into inaudibility.

I strongly believe that Sasha blows Digweed out of the water on this occassion (especially in terms of touching the listener and 'blending' his tracks harmonically), but I make this judgement with a bias towards preferring emotional journeys over dance-floor assaults on mix CDs (this explains my unpopular opinion that the spine-tingling CD1 of GU009 is slightly better than the more banging CD2)

It's the first time I've heard Digweed, and I must say that although his track selection on this album is very good and the mixing is flawless (although as a DJ, I must say that the style and perfection of the mixing on both discs indicates the help of a computer), his set lacks the variation, emotion and all out creativity of the 'man-like' Sasha's offering.

"Northern Exposure: Expeditions" is a wonderful offering from what are probably the two best DJ's on the planet (Sasha by an absolute mile!). Although it failed to have the mind-blowing effect of Sasha's recent Global Underground offering, it is a superb listen and well worth any passionate dance fan's dollars.

the masters of emotion
I simply cannot say enough good things about Sasha and John Digweed. Anyone who has listened to their music extensively will probably testify that alone they are fantastic DJ's, but together they are magical. S & D are masters of their craft who know exactly how to weave patterns of sound that elicit powerful emotional responses. More than once have I been driving in my car, listening to S&D,and been completely moved to tears. The way in which they subtly blend the sounds together is amazing. Their attention to detail is unequaled. Anyone who can truly appreciate fabulous mixing, combined with a track selection that is very well planned out, absolutely cannot ignore anything by these artists. This CD in particular is a good example of the skills of Sasha and Digweed. The first disc begins with a rush of sound that cascades into the melodic and beautiful rhythms of Space Manouevers. Some gentle vocals whisper at you in I Know You Love Me Too. The pristine simplicity of Sasha's own Belfunk adds a nice touch of personality. Absent from the US release is the excellent Sarah McClachlan remix. The second CD is very different. The ambient Seaside Atmosphere beginsthe CD, with the downbeat mood carrying over subtly into tracks 3 and 4. Here the pace which was only beginning to show itself starts to pick up. The synth rhythms here layer themselves in such a way as to give you many different layers to pick out. The upward spiral of Pure Frictions Groove carries over perfectly into Gamelan from Red Devil. Track 7, Mess With Da Bull, brings about a highly energetic climax which blends the beat with the melody fantastically. The crescendo from 7 falls beautifully into the melodic Love Stimulation from Paul Van Dyk and crew. Breeder (a favorite of S&D) brings a tune written exclusively for this mix in next. The combination of a tune by Breeder fitted into the mix perfectly by S&D makes this track a great standout. The mood then changes to the vocal track Anything You Want. The way the breakbeats just creep themselves in there always makes my spine tingle. What can I say about "The Silence?" This track is a complete miracle. It is one of the best songs I have ever heard, period. Anyone who can appreciate well done music will like this track, regardless of what style they like. A great end to a FABULOUS mix. These artists are the absoulte best at what they do, and this is one of their best works. Find out why so many people have made these two their Alpha and Omega of music. Try it !

The more you listen, the better it gets.
When I first listened to this cd, I waas kinda dissapionted, thre weren't any cool trance tracks with awesome melodies or anything. But the more I listened, the more I liked it. I grew to like a lot of tracks, some are kind of hard and annoying, but thre a many great tracks that a very catchy. If you don't mind some hard tecnho, get this cd.

Progressive's Blueprint.
Imho Sasha & Digweed's glorious 2-disc set "Expeditions" is THE original progressive mix. Or whatever we now consider "Progressive" music, a genre that is I guess an off-shoot of the Progressive Trance or Progressive House genres. I get confused all the time with genres, since there are so many. But who cares as long as it kicks ass. And this unequivocally does. S&D have what seems to be an innate sense of what different musical styles will mesh and how to color them with trippy effects spinning the results into a collage that never bores its listeners. This is required listening for anyone interested in the Electronic genre. Coming out in 1998 I'd like to answer critics who argue Expeditions hasn't aged well. I can only respond to that by saying I recently gave this another listen and it's just as invigorating today as it was 6 years ago. Come on S&D, get some new product out to your fans. We love your solo stuff but your collaborative efforts are at another level altogether. You guys are meant to make great music together, and are sorely missed as a unit.

this is real trance
No, this is no paul van dyk, no tiesto, no armin van buuren. This is trance. Real trance. Not pop. No cookie cutter breakdowns, buildups, and hit-me-over-the head anthems here. Thank you S&D. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Blank & Jones With Robert Smith of The Cure, Imagine That!
Funny as this may sound, but a trance single with the vocals of The Cure's Robert Smith actually turned out great! I've never expected anything like this! This must have been one riskae experiment for the German DJ duo Blank & Jones, and the outcome turned out sweet! "A Forest" became an excellent single! Tracks on the EP include the radio edit (referred to as the "Short Cut") and the full length Original Mix. Both tracks are masterpieces! There's also the Vegas Cossmo Remix, a darker remix with the composition from the piano in the default mixes done by synthesizers making it sound like a theme song to some UFO sighting. Other tracks include "Summer Sun," an okay nine and a half minute long club mix, "Flaming June" (this is not a cover up to BT's "FJ"), and "A Night To Remember." I like the vocals in "A Night To Remember." They're dark and monsterish. The EP also comes with a DVD featuring the "A Forest" music video and an interview with Piet Blank, Jaspa Jones, and Robert Smith. Overall, this EP is great! I salute those three guys on their effort. What a sweet single.

Ay!
What on earth is this? This is terrible! Robert Smith + Trance = A REALLY BAD IDEA!!!

Wow, it couldn't get any worse!

Uplifting Trance Featuring Robert Smith Of The Cure!
Blank & Jones have done it again, they take the singer from one of the eighties most popular progressive new wave groups, in this case, it's Robert Smith of The Cure and voila they have an instant club hit. Blank & Jones also had a huge hit last year with "The Hardest Heart" featuring the popular 80's singer Anne Clark! This E.P. is worth every cent because not only do you get four remixes of "The Forest" but also three songs from Blank & Joneses new cd "The Mix Vol. 2". Remixes for "The Forest" include my personal favorite, the "Original Mix" (6:56) which is a high energy trance track with Robert Smith's trademark vocals, a hauntingly beautiful song. The "Vegas Cossimo Remix" (6:52) is slightly different with harder synthesizers and more on the progressive side. The "Tripeller Remix" (7:25) is toned down more than the other remixes and there are less synthesizers. The Bonus Tracks are "Summer Sun" (9:28) which is a hypnotic sounding track with some chanting and loaded with swirling synthesizers. "Flaming June" includes "B&J's Reconstruction Remix" (6:06) which is another high energy trancer with a barrage of synths and minimal vocals. "A Night To Remember" includes "The Brutus & Nero Remix" (3:44) which is more hard trance style similar to something Ferry Corsten may release. The second disc is a Bonus DVD which includes the music video of "A Forest" with Robert Smith. There's also an interview with Blank & Jones and Robert Smith. An excellent E.P. worth adding to any trance enthusiast's collection.

Robert could have done this alone
The song is ok, similar in style to what Robert did on "Mixed Up" just updated to the mid 90s. This CD was sold with a DVD that came with the video and an interview with blank & jones and Robert. In the interview, Robert explains why he did this track and the track with Junior Jack. The interview alone makes this EP worth adding to any Cure collection as these collaborations may be setting the direction for the next Cure album.

amazing
incredible track by B&J! and great remixes as well ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Trance Party 3
Trance Party Volume Three has a great collection of Trance-Pop tunes (though most are under Robbins Label). Here's a little bit of what I think of each track:

01 DJ Sammy - The Boys Of Summer - - Another 80's cover done well by DJ Sammy, this time around Loona & Mel do vocals. Great song... makes you feel nostalgic. 5/5

02 4 Stings - Diving - - A pretty cool song, it's getting a bit old now... couldn't they have used "Let It Rain" (the new single) instead? Oh well, still a good song, nice transition from The Boys Of Summer. 4.5/5

03 Foggy - Come... (Into My Dream) - - I'm surprised they didn't opt to use the Pulsedriver mix for the CD, as it has more vocals, this version of the song is mostly instrumental, but it's still good though. 5/5

04 Divine Inspiration - The Way (Put Your Hand In My Hand) - - Pretty good song, but not one of my favorites. 3.5/5

05 Sterbinszky & Tranzident featuring Jewls - Gates Of Mind - - The instrumentation in this song really reminds me of DJ Sammy & Yanou's "Heaven", but it's not quite as good as Heaven. 4/5

06 Candee Jay - If I Were You - - Finally! The main reason I bought this CD was to hear Pronti & Kalmani's new dance act Candee Jay!! The song itself though is reminiscent of other Alice Deejay songs (mainly Will I Ever, Celebrate Our Love, and No More Lies). 5/5

07 Lasgo - Alone - - Again this song is kinda old, but it was just released in America so I guess you could consider it "new". In m opinion, this song is better than the first single "Something". A little more emotional. 4.75/5

08 Outfly - La Marche De La Lune - - Eek! What a name for a song! Has a strange transition from Alone. This song is pretty boring in my opinion... 2.5/5

09 Tara Lowé - Be With You - - Awesome! This song is written and produced by Dave Vervoort and Peter Luts of Lasgo! Though in my opinion this song is better than most Lasgo songs! 5/5

10 J&R Project - Keep It Up - - Nice synths, but not many vocals... Has a pretty good transition to Dee Dee's The One. 3/5

11 Dee Dee - The One - - Awesome song! Dee Dee is Ian Van Dahl (with a different singer and another DJ). I know most people don't like her voice but I like it, a classic song (but not quite as good as "Forever") 5/5

12 Kate Ryan - U R (My Love) - Désenchantée was originally planned for this release, but the Happy Boys decided to stick to English and release this song instead. It's still a good song, but Désenchantée would've been better. 4/5

13 Andain - Beautful Things - - This song creeps me out... Where's the beat??? I don't see why it was put on this CD, the song [stinks], it's not as upbeat or catchy as any of the other songs on this mix. 1/5

14 Hannah Rose - Dreaming - - The chorus is a little too vocoded for my liking, still an alright song though, they should've toned down the chorus... 3.25/5

15 Laava - Wherever You Are (I Feel Love) - - La la la... Pretty catchy, Robbins will be releasing this as a CD Maxi-Single pretty soon, good song. 4/5

16 Ian Van Dahl - Secret Love - - They opted to use the Midnight Radio Edit for the CD, I personally prefer the C & V mixes better but hey it's still an awesome song, with awesome vocals, so pure... 5/5

Overall, this is an awesome CD with a few bad tracks, but believe me you'll wanna listen to this CD more than once! Trance Purists probably wont care for this CD much due to it's Trance-Pop feel, but for mainstream trance lovers this CD is awesome, it features the debut of Candee Jay and Tara Lowé! Get this!

HOT HOTTER N HOTTEST!!!!
Absolutly Amazing Addition to the Trance Party CDS! Volume 3 marks Robbin Enterainment's 3rd anniversary to the Trance Party Collection.
The first volume was hot, the 2nd volume was hotter, and the 3rd volume is the hottest!

THE SONGS-

1) DJ Sammy:The Boys Of Summer- Great song, with its good vocals and soothing sound, go to the beach and play this song and have a party! LOL
2) 4 Strings:Diving- Pretty good song, not bad vocals, not the best either, but still a good song.
3) Foggy: Come...(Into My Dream)- Well, I really don't see what the hype is all about, cause this song isn't that great. It IS good, but not my favorite.
4)Divine Inspiration: The Way (Put Your Hand In My Hand)- Another OK song, its pretty basic, but good.
5) Sterbinszky & Trazident feat. Jewls: Gates of Mind- This is a great song, but i was surprized it was pretty old.
6) Candee Jay: If I Were You- Nice Vocals and tune.
7) Lasgo: Alone- This is a good song, but i liked her song "Something" better.
8) Outfly: La Marche De La Lune- Well first of all, what does this song mean? This is not my favorite song.
9) Tara Lowe: Be With You- I forget how this song goes, so to me its not a great song.
10) J&R Project: Keep It Up- I like this song for some reason, I do not know why.
11) Dee Dee: The One- I love this song! One of the best! I do like DEE DEE's vocals.
12) Kate Ryan: U R (My Love)- Ok song, but i wish they would of choosen "Desenchantee" as the one she sings.
13) Andain: Beautiful Things- A song thats not that beautiful.
14) Hannah-Rose: Dreaming- Good song with the nice vocals and good melody.
15) Laava: Wherever You Are (I Feel Love)- Absolutly a great song, WONDERFUL Vocals, Wonderful Tune, just wonderful!
16) Ian Van Dahl: Secret Love- My favorite artist, one of my favorite songs, and the perfect way to end the CD. GREAT Vocals, Great Melody. My favorite.

I love this CD, and I hope you will buy this, and enjoy it too!
HAPPY LISTENING!!!

One of the best, if not the best Trance CD's I've ever heard
I heard my friend playing 4 String's "diving" in her car from this cd and I knew just from that song that I had to go get it. this is the essential dance cd to get a party started and just listening to it makes me feel good and thats what i expect out of a good trance cd. heres some reviews of my favorite songs..

4 strings "diving": the second song on the cd and one of the best in my opinion. awesome vocals, awesome beats. if you liked "take me away" by 4 strings, you'll like this song even better.

foggy "come into my dreams": one of the most SLAMMIN songs on the cd. really gets me pumped. the bassline and the beat is absolutely insane and the vocals are greattttt. a really good house vocal

Divine Inspiration "the way (put your hand in my hand)": one of the best songs on the cd. the piano solo in the song is absolutely perfect for the song and the vocals are great. a really feel-good house vocal.

Lasgo "alone": another good house-y song. i love everything lasgo does but the radio really played this song out BAD so i just skip it. if you like lasgo but are looking for a new song from them to bump, try "dont belong to you". in my opinion its the best song on the cd and should of been released even before "something". trust me.

tara lowe "be with you": second best on the cd. the beats are so hard and the vocals are so hot, this song does not disappoint.

dee dee "the one": another one of the best. its got a hard bassline and slammin vocals. this song definitely has the potential to be one of the biggest house anthems of all time, up there with "castles in the sky", "something", and "feels so good" and others along those lines.

kate ryan "u r my love": my personal favorite on the whole cd. as you're listening to the vocals in the beginning of it, you can tell that theyre building up to a HARD beat and the track does not disappoint. my recommendation if you've never heard it before.. put it in the cd player and play it as loud as it goes and watch the room shake.

laava "wherever you are": another great song. good vocals, good beat. awesome track.

ummmm I LOVE this cd
one word...AWESOME I have been playing this puppy out like there's no tomorrow. and it's great cuz this cd only has like 2 "fillers" so I can really chill or drive or whatever with this cd. my fav songs on this are:::
:4 strings diving
:foggy
:well i'll finish faster if I name the only 2 I DON'T like which are that gates of mind song and the boys of summer is cool but it is played out. Hope this was some help! ;0)

I'm American and EVEN I SAY it isn't everything I expected..
I'm a big fan of real trance like 'Hard Trance From Europe' by DJ Session One or artists like that. I like some of the songs (more specifically Outfly, Tara Lowe, J&R Project, Dee Dee, Kate Ryan, Hannah-Rose, LAAVA) which is the reason I put up with the other ones. For a "trance" CD, these song's are short and are okay if you're a radio-cut song addict. Not the best, but some songs are okay. Two stars. You earned every single one. ... Read more

Album Description

Mini-album containing Chicane's much sought after & essential remixes from 1996-1998. Six tracks, two mixes apiece of 'Offshore' (Original Ambient Version & '97 Version - A Man Called Adam Remix) and 'Sunstroke' (Disco Citizens' On The Train Remix & DJ Quicksilver Remix), plus 'Lost You Somewhere' (Heliotropic Mix) and 'Strong In Love' (Disco Citizens Remix). Digipak. 1999 release. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

For the mind,body,and soul.....
This 6 track CD is a pure gem, reflecting such boundaries of musical soundscapes. Chicane is truly amazing in the way, he creates and hence entwines progressive trance, dream house,ambient,and breaks with his unique style. All of the tracks were great. However, I though that the Disco Citizens Remix of "Strong In Love", would have been better, with the vocals......The original full length version, which contains the vocals is on the CD single, which I luckily did find, inspite of being out of print....But overall, the cd is worth buying. Also very impressive is the "A Man Called Adam" remix of the song "Offshore 97", which is very relaxing.

Wonderful
It's time to congratulate Chicane (Nick Bracegirdle) on his first widely published remix compilation.

Chicane avoids falling victim to the temptation to accept bland remixes that seems to plague a lot of artists. It seems that oftentimes musicians, while remixing songs of others or of their own, end up corrupting the soul of the music that they're working with, and instead end up with a mess thats neither reminiscent of the original, nor suitably original to be dubbed its own title.

Songs like the Power Circle 'A Man Called Adam' remix of "Offshore 97" bring out the best in Chicane's peers' abilities to recognize the core features of his music and bring it into a new height. While the original "Offshore" was an active, uplifting, and energetic song, the remix brings to it the salty freshness of oceanside relaxation, making for a sooothing result that you can dance to or relax to with equal ease. This is not to discount the original work, however. Chicane's original productions are masterpieces in themselves, but these remixes manage to climb to similar heights by presenting the songs in a different light, while still maintaining their original construction. I suppose it's similar to how I view the four seasons, winter, fall, summer, spring. They're all different, with their own unique characteristics, but I love them each for their own reasons. Similarly, these remixes manage to fade themselves into a different "season" and express a different tone while maintaining the heart of the originals that they are derived from.

This album from Bracegirdle is a masterpiece. Every song deserves its own recognition, and I listen to each with equal interest. It's been months since I first got a hold of these songs, and I still can't stop listening to them. Call me boring or bland, but they're too good to put down. I love it.

Chicane - Chilled
I love this album! It has remixes of all my favourites from "Far from the Maddening Crowds" as well as the track "Lost In Love" which I couldn't find anywhere else. I especially enjoy the "Man called Adam" remix of "Offshore". This is the sort of album which will never make it out of my car CD stacker and as a result I will forever know the songs by their track listing instead of their titles. Listen to this once and you will have to buy it too! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Embracing neither the rampant guest appearances favored by the Chemical Brothers, nor the blatant, pop-flavored pandering of recent work from Paul Oakenfold and BT, Sasha's first studio full-length mimics the up-down-up pattern of a classic trance mix. As closely associated as he is with John Digweed, Airdrawndagger illustrates their different tendencies: Digweed is most comfortable with sinister, subterranean grooves, while Sasha is always threatening to float over the dance floor. Accordingly, Airdrawndagger's head is firmly in the clouds, but it's also a clever mish-mash, convincingly melding electro and ambient sounds with occasional four-on-the-floors, like "Bloodlock" and "Golden Arm." Tracks like "Mr. Tiddles" have a warm facility with machines worthy of a Depeche Mode, as Sasha transforms the grandiose, operatic pretensions of trance into a quick and potent chunk of dance pop. The brooding "Cloud Cuckoo" starts off in a similar vein before building itself up into a wash of overlapping beats and sweeping melody that recalls Sasha's Xpander EP. Throughout the record, Sasha stretches himself in the right directions, pulling off the trick of sticking to what he does best while summoning up the creative juice to make Airdrawndagger just new enough to be fascinating. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (140)

Not the usual, but great nonetheless
like the others before me, i must stress this album bears very little resemblence to sasha's DJ mixes, or even his previous production efforts (club anthems such as XPander). This however, is not a bad thing. It is an album to be listened to on headphones or your home system. if you dont listen to it closely, it sounds very interestingly like old video game music. that said, this album is wonderful as you listen to it more, particularly with your headphones cranked up. the depth and detail with which sasha tweaked his synths and sequenced melodies is incredible....and some songs are just, for lack of a better word, sweet. Cloud Cuckoo, bloodlock, and Wavy Gravy come to mind. the album opens with some fluttering synths, panning back and forth, which then slide into the next track with a somewhat menacing bassline. a perfect intro for the album, setting the general mood for whats to come. cloud cuckoo has a nice ambient synth build up along with a nice beat, and just before the 4:00 minute mark erupts in a synthesized ecstasy....play it loud on your headphones and you know what i mean. bloodlock is an interesting track, very "trippy", with a thumping beat and a hypnotically repeating synth line with lots of reverb. the track slowly builds up with wispy hi hats and more subtle synth lines..requiem is a very pleasnant, almost entirely ambient track...the last minute or so has a beautiful syncopated synth arperggio which is very mesmerizing. wavy gravy is a very happy sounding song...soothing and relaxing, and a great way to close the album. not every track is a gem, though the album does make a logical progression and no song seems out of place. give it a try with an open mind, and dont expect a floor-rocking anthem packed party disc. dance music this is not.

Heavy Rotation
After about the second listen or so, you really begin to understand what makes Sasha so great. If you've followed his music and really appreciated his dj work and all that, then this cd will make perfect sense to you. Just don't expect this to be like a Global Underground release. There is still a journey here, even if the tracks aren't seamlessly stitched together. It's very heavy on the electronica, but it goes well beyond that (like his GU sessions, and his Northern Exposure work w/Diggers).

There are all kinds of sweet and tasty groves in here, varying in musical styles while still keeping with the solid electronic theme. You can hear Junkie XL's influence in terms of this broad range of sounds. As well as hearing some of his own Xpander and Scorchio influences, I was also reminded of early Depeche Mode, some Freaky Chakra, and a little Jondi & Spesh.

The experience begins early (at exactly one minute into the first track), continuing slowly along with gems like "Magnetic North", and "Cloud Cuckoo". It goes through a slightly 'harder' stretch, with "Immortal" and "Fundamental", and then reaches a spiritual plateau in the last five tracks. And somewhere in there is when you finally come face to face with it...Sasha's soul. Incredible.

Call it trance, electronica, ambient, techno...whatever. I really don't want to categorise this at all. It's the spirit of the music that comes through, which is evident in everything Sasha's ever had a hand in. It is what it is. Amazing.

Most captivating electronic release in recent years
Sasha unleashed this debut artist album out of what seemed like the blue. Fans snatched it up immediately and ran to their cars to hear this "trance master"'s debut CD. Most had heard his Xpander E.P. which featured the mind melding trance track of the same name. They eagerly dropped in Airdrawndagger only to find a CD reaking of subtle melodies and moods. Punishing breakbeats shattered their hopes of a trance release and pulsating, hypnotic beats just didn't slam like they should.

Sasha had just released a subtle masterpiece ahead of its time that flew over almost everyone's head.

This is Airdrawndagger.

Actually 3.5 Stars
To rate this album 3.5 stars does not mean it is not an awesome album, on th contrary, it is one of the most inovative pieces of work that electronica music has ever witnessed. However, it is not a dance album per say, and the statement "the most awaited dance album of the year" does not really fit the Airdrawndagger release. Sasha's artis album is a studio 'listening to' not 'dancing to'CD. It is good in that the tracks give you a strong indication of who Sasha really is artistically. Airdrwndagger is a pieace of his soul, a window to his imagination, thoughts and emotions.

As for the tracks, well Sasha is a genius in his field when it comes to remix, compile and mix tracks. But the tracks here in Airdrwndagger is written completely by Sasha with the collaboration of few of his friends, that is a huge task to say the least. So don't expect every track to be good, it is not easy to write so many tracks all by one person.

If you are a Sasha fan just like I am, then it is worth getting this album. And if you think you would like to get this album because you own Sasha's GU IBIZA (the Bible of trance house)and think it is another one like it, well think again.

Um, what am I listening to? 'Cause I like it.
Sasha's debut studio album is about as explainable as its title, Airdrawndagger. It's not the high-energy trance akin to Xpander that made the British DJ's name immortal in the dance world. Instead, it's something of a mix of some really old-school electronica with an ambient touch and a kick of breaks.

The album starts on a decidedly trippy note with Drempels, before moving into Mr Tiddles (yeah, that's the title), a funky little tune inspired by Sasha's cat that starts off slow and slowly soars into an almost epic, yet highly controlled, climax. The album picks up speed (speed being relative, as these are both chilled tracks) with Magnetic North and Cloud Cuckoo, probably my two favorite numbers on the CD. Electro beats and dreamy melodies don't take over, however, as the dark and leaden Immortal and Fundamental follow. The album continues in this wave-esque build-up-and-slow-down pattern right up until its conclusion (the melodic Wavy Gravy), with the seemingly Vangelis inspired Requiem and Bloodlock, the closest thing to a true club track.

Sasha's touch is an odd one. The album is suprisingly minimalistic sounding at first, but further scrutiny reveals a fair amount going on. Samples played backwards, subtle "skipping" progressions, and carefully timed synth pads all come together to create the retro, yet surprisingly fresh sound that dominates the album.

Sasha's Airdrawndagger is not a dance album. Those looking for high-energy dance cuts had best check out his Global Underground mix CD Ibiza. Those looking for a new and experimental style of electronic album, however, will be quite comfortable holding air drawn daggers. Dark, dreamy, Sasha's first is a strange and surreal one, and for those willing to give it a listen, its possibly a very satisfying aural expedition. ... Read more

Album Description

Fresh from their World Tour supporting the Morning Sci-Fi album, Hybrid pick up the torch on the next installment of Distinctive’s influential Y4K breakbeat mix series.

Known as outstanding DJ’s in their own right, Hybrid’s Mike Truman & Chris Healings have logged thousands of air miles of the past few years spinning an upfront selection of progressive leaning breakbeats and house as well as their fair share of exclusive Hybrid remixes of classic tunes.

Y4K captures the explosive essence of a live Hybrid DJ set opening with a exclusive intro produced by Hybrid especially for this collection and closing with their own remix of Lil’ Louis’ Chicago house classic, "Blackout".

In between Hybrid drops some of the hottest tracks of the moment, including the new Orbital single "One Perfect Sunrise" (remixed by Stereo 8),Evil 9’s take on "The Way" by Dylan Rhymes, and a Luke Chable mix of GusGus’ "David". Also worked into the mix is an exclusive track from Andy Page & Lee Burridge and The Chemical Brothers’ quintessential classic, "Chemical Beats". ... Read more

Amazon.com

A self-confessed movieholic who often spends afternoons before sets in movie theaters the world over, international DJ-celebrity Paul Oakenfold has gone about capturing the sinister, malevolent mood of Dominic Sena's action-crime thriller with careful attention to both art and audience. His weave of cuts such as the Dope Smugglaz' dark and tense "The Word (PMTRemix)," Lemon Jelly's sunrise chill-out "Kneel Before Your God," and his own retro-electro collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force, "Planet Rock (Swordfish Mix)," is smart and evocative, a glistening picture of L.A.'s high-tech underbelly in 2001. Indeed, it's hard not to hear beautiful, wealthy people at gorgeous raves in bathroom stalls somewhere off the Sunset Strip as Oakenfold segues the sleazy "Stanley's Tune" into the neon techno of "Password."

Headphones could well be the way to go on initial spins, simply becauseOakenfold's mix is spiced with the sort of celluloid nuances and attentions that are big enough to make this different from, say, Perfecto Presents Another World, but smooth enough to be enjoyable once properly processed. It's stealthy, imaginative, and more varied than a single listen might suggest. --Steffan Chirazi ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Another Oakenfold hit.
I bought this cd a while back. I just started getting into Oakenfold about 2 years ago and I saw this CD, and was my 2nd Oakey that I bought. It was a little different at first being a trance soundtrack from a movie, but now I love it. I have about 5 or 6 Paul Oakenfold albums, and this one is great.
If you watch the Swordfish movie, you'll FEEL the music even better. My favorite tracks are 3 & 4, they're both very melodic, very moving. There are a lot more good tracks on the album, they're ALL NOT good, but they're great.
I recommend it if you're an Oakenfold fan.

A bit of classic Oakey
One recording that has defined Paul Oakenfold's career, the Goa Mix, recorded back in 1994, is repeatedly cited by his hardcore fans as the main evidence that Oakey just isn't who he "used to be". It seems like his recent release Perfecto Presents Another World was an attempt to reconnect with the elements that made the Goa Mix a classic--goa trance, eclectic song selection, and movie sampling a la Bladerunner. With Swordfish, Paul once again digs into those Goa Mix elements, but takes them in a more eclectic direction, reminiscent of his "Goa Mix '97". The song selection, hand picked by Oakenfold and largely produced by him, incorporates rap, breakbeat and goa. He even remixes Afrika Bambaata's classic track "Planet Rock", even though that song should have stayed in the early 90's era where it belongs. The tracks aren't overtly mixed with Oakey's trademark imperceptibility, but are blended nicely in most places. So the album isn't so much a DJ mix but rather a showcase of Oakenfold's production skills.

My main complaint with this disc are the samples from the movie. Its John Travolta and the Pulp Fiction Soundtrack meeting Battelfield Earth, and the results are pretty lame.

If you want to hear something different than a standard Oakey trance mix, and are a fan of his phenomenal early work, give this album a listen.

His Best
Oakenfold may be a little overrated, but this along with Another World, Travelling, and his remix of When the World Ends from Dave Matthews Band on the Matrix 2 soundtrack are amazing stuff. That's the only Oakenfold to really get. Everything else he just let his ego carry. Which I don't blame the guy. If I was called the best DJ in the world, I would want to take it easy sometimes too. This album is evidence of why he's the best. Most of his albums don't give him justice.

AIGHT
This is a aight cd I don't listen to it much but if you are a fan of Oakenfold I think you should own it. It has some good tracks , don't think that you would listen to it as much as his other works but I still like it for some of the tracks on it.
Pretty Good!

One word... wow
I was relatively new to Paul Oakenfold, but becomming a rabid fan, when I picked up this soundtrack, interested more in what appeared to be an interesting movie rather than the soundtrack, which still lookd interesting all the same. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Oakenfold had created this himself. Imagine my greater surprise when I plugged the album in and found myself jamming to such tracks as Jan Johnston's "Unafraid", "Stanley's Theme", and Dope Smugglaz' "The Word".

For a movie soundtrack, this album was just pure dynamite. No two ways about it. Oakenfold demonstrates why he is one of the best in the business today--seamlessly mixing tracks and bringing in music that does the movie more than justice. With Jan Johnston's seductive voice on "Unafraid", the Patient Saints interesting beats and lyrics in "On Your Mind", as well as the several movie quotes intersperced through the soundtrack, it becomes plain to see... or, rather, hear... that this is no ordinary soundtrack filled with lovely classical musical score meant to be played when you have nothing better to listen to (no offense to movie scores, mind you).

Oakenfold's album is a hit from start to finish--from Gabriel's first words to the last words of Planet Perfecto--and one worthy of listening to over and over. This is a classic that one should not refuse in adding to any musical collection, even if electronica is not necessarily your style. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Tiesto the "Merlin" of the Trance
Wonderful melodies.
Rock trance, perfection at the compilation.
Tiesto diserve respect for all his productions.
This CD must to have for any trance lover.
I have it and I recomend.
Go for this. From the Magik series I only recomend the Magik 3,4,5 and 6 the anothers Magik's series dont waste your time these that I recomend are the goodies.
Go for these ;)

The True Meaning of TRANCE!
DJ Tiesto keeps on topping himself. Not only do I enjoy his own music, but I almost enjoy his remixing even more. This album is a fantastic example of his thouroughly perfect mixing. I heard the original version of most of these songs quite a while ago. Then I picked up Magik Vol. 3: Far From Earth and was completely blown away! All I did was pop in the cd and listened to the whole thing non-stop. Absolutely fabulous! Very shortly after the first song began, I turned the lights off, laid on the floor, and let my eyes roll back into my head; that is what good trance is supposed to do to you. I have nothing bad to say about this album. I recommend anyone and everyone to pick up this cd. Whether you're a trance-lover or not, I guarantee you'll love this cd!!!

fast trance, great selection!
Magik 3 is my favorite of all the Magik series [although #6 is a close second].

But Magik 3's selection of tracks, and the order they're in is fabulous. "Ice Rain" has great vocals, and comes in a good place of the track order. The best parts of the CD are at the end, however. Everything from Lucy Cotter's "Breath in You" to Pob's "The Awaking" is awesome! some of the fastest beats i've ever heard, and DJ Tiesto mixes them flawlessly. and what better than to have Gouryella's very own "Gouryella" just before the final climax of the CD. just great!

The #1 DJ in the WORLD!!
Any album Tiesto makes or remixed song he does, you can guarantee it will put you in a TRANCE through a musical journey! I have most of his albums from all his MAGIK series and In Search of Sunrise 1,2, and 3. Including his double CD "Nyana".
I also recommend getting "Tiesto In Concert" DVD, he puts on a GREAT show!

Epic trance~tiesto
Rich, soothing, energetic, and empowering with killer melodies and mind blowing breakdowns, this album is totaly organic and 100% awesome from the first track strait to the end. But who could expect less from tiesto? The man is a genious. Are there any cds by him that dont have at least 4 stars? I dont think so. My favorites are magik 3,5,6, insearch of sunrise 3&1, nyana, and forbiddon paradice 7 - deep forest. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

BT's best album to date!
This is by far BT's(aka Brian Transeau)best wprk to date and doesn't seem like over three years since it's release. BT's mucis is so odd that it's hard to class it as any Genre. Some is pure trance, some is techno and some is kind of techno rock. It has our favourite chill out trance track "Flaming June". But the best thing has to be the Jan Johnston vocal tracks "Remember" as we all know and "Lullaby For Gaia". Jan Johnston's vocals are of a unique, heavenly style which no there singer-songwriter can have. There are a couple of bad tracks like the awful "Love, Peace & grease" and i don't like "Mermories In A Sea Of Forgetfulness" much either! But the rest is so good you won't care.! Defintely worth checking out!

Wonderful music!
I only discovered BT's greatness some time ago, i'd heard him before but only very fast so i never got a real impression of his music. BT aka Brian Transeau is a american dj that makes dream-dance. A very sensual and beautiful kind of trance. The songs are often slow and quite deep. "Orbitus Teranus" has to be one of the most beautiful songs of the genre, a slow piano song with wonderful melody. The song that catch my attention was "Flaming June" though, it's faster but still sensual with sounds of a inca flute. Very meliodic and charming. BT is a extra ordinary mixer, so he creates a very unique sound to his music. I'm crazy for instrumental songs but there are a few good that aren't instrumental aswell. "Lullaby for Gaia" with Jan Johnson. And "Firewater" with T.H Culhane. "Content" sounds alot like "Orbitus" and it's also beautiful. "Memories In A Sea Of Forgetfulness" has a very unique deep sound too, but it's darker then most here. "Solar Plexus" is the fastest song, it's almost rock at some point. Overall it's a wonderful album, probably his best. I really understand why many like his music, cause it appeal to many diffrent musically interested persons, it's easy and artistic. Great work.

best of the best
Hands down one of THE best electronic albums of all time. This album didn't get as much attention as it should have, but it deserves it.

This album has every emotion, tempo, beat, chord you would desire.

If you like ANY type of electronic music this album is the bridge between them. From breakbeat, to trance, to progressive, to pop. One of the best finds!!!

Tasty compositional variety in a narrow genre
Some guys have the ability to "put stuff together," making otherwise mundane material seem fresh...again. BT seems to have that ability. In a musical sub-genre where the songs can all start sounding the same, he finds a way to make each song memorable with am excellent balance of starts and stops, changes in texture and beat, and crescendos to tense climaxes interwoven with blissful, wallowing, dreamy splashdowns.

Although this album does not have the unrelenting drive that many trance-dance freaks look for, it has something just as valuable to replace it--well executed ear candy that gets stronger and better as the album progresses. Nicely done.

Try it, you'll like it!

THE BEST ALBUM BY BT
This one is really the work of a mad genius, BT is able to combine elements as no others. Nature sounds, classical instruments, hip hop, rock, ambient, trance and even videogame samples. The best songs so far are the well known "flaming june", "lullaby for Gaia" a poppish song with piano, guitars and the heavenly voice of "Jan Johnston", "remember" another song with Jan Johnston with gorgeous melodies and strings and "content", the best piano melody I've ever heard in a dance song.
This one is history in the making ... Read more

Amazon.com

William Orbit's Pieces in a Modern Style is an ambient album that rejigs 11 works by classical composers in a particularly tacky fashion. Even though Orbit has proved his mettle as an innovative and exciting producer for others--Blur's 13 and Madonna's Ray of Light--this is an ungainly meeting of the sublime and the absurd that, frankly, doesn't work. Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings," Ludwig van Beethoven's "Triple Concerto," Henryk Gorecki's "Piece in the Old Style I," and Antonio Vivaldi's "L'Inverno" are four that unfortunately meet their maker in a crude pileup of flat, belching synths and wallpaper flourishes. If he had combined live instrumentation with a playful reverence for the arcane glories of the past, perhaps he could have managed to make reality out of that most elusive of notions: experimental music that actually sells. However, Orbit fails to do anything more than resemble a second-rate Vangelis. --Maxine Kabuubi ... Read more

Reviews (85)

Difficult to Put Down
I first discovered this album at a public library. At the time I was obsessed with both trance music and Samuel Barber's musical tapestry Adagio for Strings. My little experience with William Orbit led me to believe that I was in for something interesting when I saw Barber's piece as the first track. I'm sure there are plenty of hardcore classical lovers who would be blissfully happy to microwave this album, but when it is listened to through and through I think one might come to a deeper realization; a fusion between the old style and the new style awaits within. A smattering of great classical pieces redone with digitally sampled instruments. From the pieces that I know, Orbit's versions stay remarkably true to the emotion and presence of the original works. In my opinion this is trance in it's truest form; music that reaches to your subconscious and conscious minds, something that you will suddenly find yourself awaking from at the end of the album and wondering where your mind has been. A clear, bright album with clean sounds and smooth pacing. I struggle to find music that fits within this mode, but Pieces in a Modern Style has become the benchmark by which I judge many others.

Brilliant!
I happen to enjoy Orbit's overall body of work. I'm no musician, but I've discovered classical shadings in a lot of the DJ/techno/trance/house/trip style anyway, so the fact that Orbit has made Erik Satie ambient doesn't bother me one iota....in fact, it is a brilliant idea. However, followers of Isao Tomita and Wendy Carlos would point out how very similar say, Orbit's "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte" by Ravel is very similar to any of the Tomita moog and plasma synthesizer work....in fact, if the listener loves this, he must check out Tomita's Debussy "Snowflakes are Dancing" CD or Tomita's "Holst: The Planets" CD....in the meantime, mebbe more youngsters will discover Classical music by Orbit's great idea.

wanktacular
I've been a fan of Orbit's other works for a while, and while he does have a very identifiable signature style, he's quite a good producer and technician. And electronic interpretations of classical music ar eoften quite interesting, like Wendy Carlos's landmark "Switched on Bach" or ELP's progged-up "Pictures at an Exhibition."

Sadly, this one really misses the boat. Instead of benefitting from Orbit's prisitine production or from the depth of the original compositions, what this just manages to do is suck the soul out of all the compositions. It is slightly better than downloaidng a MIDI file of the same piece, but displays the same flaccid lack of emotion. It becomes a pretty self-indulgent exercise.

The "single" of Barber's Adagio is paricularly flat as an electronic piece, removing the tension of the dissonant strings and replacing them with rather flabby whooshy pad sounds. The Corsten remix is a sight better, but only becasue it bears less resemblance to a classical remake and more to a novelty trance tune.

Disappointing.

Not What I Expected - But Suprising!
Ah...this CD set - either you love it, or hate it.
It's not at all what I was expecting, but I feel it was a pleasant suprise.
Not a CD to listen to while driving at night - it will put you to sleep. So, with that said, it's a very relaxing CD...takes you to another world...I often find it in my CD player at night when I'm falling asleep.
I do prefer William Orbit when he's a bit more up-beat though, which is the reason for the 4/5 instead of 5/5.

A bright flash, then something to offend anyone.
I suppose most will be drawn to this disc due to airplay/club play of the F. Corsten remix of Barber's Adagio, which can stand on its own. But rather than simply let that suffice, Orbit tapped the generosity of several other composers (via their publishers) for similar material, which was then arranged - or deranged - for samplers, synths, and a chill-seeking audience.

Among the "pieces" on the first disc, only the Adagio, Handel's Xerxes, and Beethoven's Opus 132 emerge remotely connected to their classical roots. While not the aural train wreck you might expect from other reviews - Orbit knows his way around electronica - the voicings, tempos, and liberties taken with the original melodies in most of these selections are jarring to say the least. Cavalleria Rusticana, for example, begins with a lush pad/bell statement of the very beautiful and simple melody, but then devolves abruptly into an arpeggiated cartoon that borders on the unlisteneable. And there is little to be added to Ravel's Pavane, which sounds thin and far too mechanical.

Mining classical music for contemporary audiences is not new, and will - and should - continue. Deodato, Laws, Carlos, and Tomita have all introduced orchestral works to modern audiences. This isn't one of the better efforts, though. It'll piss off the great-aunt Mary you were trying to impress, and face it, the originals just aren't that bad. Take a chance, buy some Debussy, Faure, Ravel, Satie, etc. Likely as not you'll find them even more entrancing than this collection. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

best BT compilation album
i first heard of BT on Digital Empire compilations cd and instantly got hooked to his trance vibe with "Godspeed" and "Flaming June". i went out and bought his first two albums, Ima and E.S.C.M. both of these are masterpieces of trance music that has ever been put out. ever since those songs i have been influenced by his sound and style. i love other trance DJ's as well. with the likes of Paul OAkenfold, Sasha, John Digweed, Paul van Dyk, Max Graham and many more. BT has his own unique style and flavor in his sound which you can pick apart from every other artist. i bought R&R the day it came out. ever since i heard he was releaseing it i waited to get it. and when i listened to it, i was blown away. this cd produces BT's greatest work. ecspecially his mixes for Sarah McLachlan, Seal, Mike Oldfield and others. this cd is a must for any fan of trance or any fan of BT as i am.

doesnt really do BT justice
To be honest i really dont see an actual need for this cd, all of his original versions were simply better, and id be better off just making a cd-r of all the songs i like. All of the remix's just seemed half ass pieced together, choppy, and lacked any sort of flow or structure. They all just seemed to have the chorus sampled and dipped into a distorted version of the sound that is known as BT. I am actually having a hard time even describing what kind of music is on these cd's because of that. If anything id probably just call it "dancy house."

I dont even think i can recommend it to anyone, if youve never heard BT, just buy any of the old ones minus MISL, and if youre familiar with him, just stop listening to BT for like 3 months then burn the ones you remembered you like onto a cd-r, or if anything rent it or borrow it if you can. Being that youll like the old ones again after you get over the newness factor. However the remix of Grace's "its not over yet" is top notch i must say, and sunblind is a quality tune as well, and im glad flaming june was kept in the original form. On the other end i felt godspeed and blue skies were just slautered ;(

In conclusion, i love this guy's work, hes made some definate classics which is gonna keep me comin back, but he needs to move on instead of trying to squeeze the last bit life out of the style we came to know of him *years* ago. So really, this is not a bad album (when compared to most music out there so i cant critisize it completely), but i know ill probably be sick of it in 2 days then will want to clense my head of it with some quality old school BT.

Just WOW
Blue Skies has to be the best re-mix ever done. This is a definite for any BT Fan

BT - Brian "Trance"eau...
This is a double-album worth owning. In fact, I will go as far as to say that it shouldn't be absent from any avid electronica/dance fan's collection. It spans many genres of electronica/dance. Regular ravers (glow sticks, pierced tongues, parachute pants, etc.) will love the album for its breakbeat-infused tracks (ex: "Hip Hop Phenomenon") that make you wanna move under those hypnotic dance floor lights. For the serious Ibiza clubber, this album has dreamy trance tracks (ex: "Dreaming") that go perfect with those breathtaking Ibiza sunsets like wine goes with cheese. His production is crisp and complex. I cannot stress enough the fact that no one track on this double album sounds alike. Many tracks have a Progressive House feel, while others have a Hard Trance/Jungle feel to them. Perhaps I should sell you on BT's credibility? He has worked on tracks for blockbuster films such as "Gone In 60 Seconds" and "The Fast And The Furious", and has worked with industry behemoths Tiesto, Deep Dish and Guru (of the hip hop juggernaut Gangstarr). BT's contemporaries include Tiesto, Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, Paul Van Dijk, Deep Dish, etc. If you're still contemplating buying this masterpiece, pay half-price and buy it used here on Amazon. Please feel free to disagree with my opinion; let us compare opinions, invite a few more points of view, and debate, like the humans we are.

a true artist!!!!!!
A very talented and seasoned pro. BT has been making music for a long time and with good reason, he's very good at what he does. This cd has very good remixes and features other great dj's such as Sasha and Paul Van Dyk. the first cd starts off well and very tancelike, with sounds of nature in the background. the vocals in this song are also soothing and uplifting. The rest of the cd continues well, and finishes okay.

The 2nd cd is also very good with a great remix of "Dreaming". "I love you" also appears on this cd with Sarah McLachlan, this is a very nice song with great vocals and soothing beats and soothing sonds that BT is known for.

If you like BT or even just like techno/trance give this Cd a try BT will deliver some great music and remixes. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

The Future of Rock
First, let me begin by saying (writing?) that I knew absolutely nothing about Celldweller, or any of Klayton's other projects, before purchasing this album. I purchased the album without hearing any of the tunes. I usually by my music on a whim. So far, I've found some absolute beauties, and Celldweller is one of those. What I like most about this album is that Klayton isn't afraid to experiment. There's something for everyone on the album. I mean where else have you heard metal cascading over a trance beat? Or some drum and bass, with a tinge of industrial? Klayton fuses alternative rock and metal, with industrial, trance, and even D&B. Some of the songs sound a bit polished, but in a good way. I've actually listened to this CD so much that I've had to replace the jewel case, it kept falling open from so much use. Don't let any of the other reviews disuade you from purchasing this album. It's a music masterpiece! And that's saying a lot. I'm an avid music listener and collector, but I'm very picky about what music I keep in my collection. If I don't like every song on an album, I don't keep the CD. And every song on this CD is great. I'm just praying Celldweller tours in my area, I'd love to see him live. Another recommendation, check out Zeromancer, they're another awesome discovery of mine, while surfing Amazon. Later.

Celldweller 0wns!
Celldweller- the concept born from experiences of personal and cultural bondage along with the creator's near 24-7 dwelling in his former basement studio. Klayton, the man behind the machine, originally created the moniker as a producer pseudonym. However, after retiring his previous band, the 90's cult industrial act Circle of Dust, he adopted Celldweller as his defining outlet.

Developed as an agent of contrast the New York based Celldweller combines the electronic and the organic, darkness and beauty, aggression against sensuality, with the ability to find its home in the mosh pit as easily as on the dj's turntable. Celldweller naturally juxtaposes many textures and elements while keeping a unifying theme. The debut album ranges from the guitar-based electronic rock of "Stay With Me (Unlikely)" and "Switchback" to the unique blending of heavily distorted guitars and aggression with drum & bass and trance in "The Last Firstborn" and "Own Little World." The styles are further contrasted by the electro-orchestral Depeche Mode-esque "So Sorry to Say" and the hauntingly beautiful down tempo track "Welcome to the End."

I highly recommend this album to any fan of industrial/electronic music. It is really a modern masterpiece!

Never Would've Thought I'd Love It
Dale, the lead guitarist for the band, walked up to me at a gas station one day and asked me what kind of music I listened to, and since my tastes are all over the place I took a CD sampler he had and couldn't believe how much I loved what I heard. While it's not something I would usually listen to, I found myself with songs stuck in my head all day. I started seeing Dale (and still am!) and the entire CD is just great. I hear all the time from Dale how much Klayton pours his soul into this project and they deserve a heck of a lot more credit for what they are all doing. They rock!

A Rare Gem
I heard a song from this album on an internet radio station and bought the CD. I was instantly impressed by Klayton's creativity and innovativeness. He seemlessly combines metal and techno into a very smooth and heavy industrial feel. It's a welcome alternative to the pop rock so popular on the radio today. The more I listen to the album, the more I appreciate its intricacies. This an artist that deserves alot more attention with this album than he'll probably get. It's too bad.

AMAZING!
I bought this cd with little expectations, but after listening to the whole thing, it left me in awe. What an amazing piece of work! Klayton put a lot of work into music he believes in... and it shows. I highly recommend this cd. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ultra's third addition to the Ultra Trance series is a classic two-discs-that-should-be-one kind of collection. Johnny Vicious is back to mix the hard-hitters and the fluff together, but the blends are mostly cosmetic. The material is left to stand on its own, which only emphasizes the stark contrast between the winners and losers. Make no mistake, some remixes here, like the nasty and slick 12" version of Kelis’ "Milkshake," are designed to corrupt unsuspecting dance floors in the most glorious ways. Tracks from Crystal Method, Armin Van Buuren, and a patient, tasty club mix of Paul Van Dyk's "Time Of Our Lives" also do Ultra proud. But this collection is chubby around the mid-section, with both discs failing to sustain the momentum of the more premium material. With a freer hand, the very capable Mr. Vicious could have made relative hay out of it all, but as it stands, Ultra Trance 3 is a disjointed set with a few transcendent moments to recommend it. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (9)

worth skipping
This CD is okay. Not very trance, more dance. I hear these songs all the time on the radio here. I wanted something new and innovative. This is not. Get the Tecno Party Vol. 2 or NY Dance Mix 5 instead. You'll get the good songs on this CD, and someothers that are a lot better.

Awesome collection of DANCE tracks
CD 1 is excellent and contained a ton of songs I love. Disc 2 is mainly non vocal and most stuff you've never heard. If you like the songs on disc 1, it's a great compilation. Everything is mixed together as well.

Could've Been Better
Overall I was pleased with this CD but of course it could've been better. Get rid of some of the songs such as Milkshake by Kelis ect and added a few more better songs. My favorite tracks on this have to be Destroy She Said and Music is Life. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my buy and at first I wasn't too thrilled with it but after listening to it, the songs grew on me and I truly enjoyed listening to it. Though I definitely wouldn't have put this under the category Trance...more like Dance to me...

Should have been Ultra DANCE, but still an enjoyable mix
I will agree that this album should have been titled "Ultra DANCE 03," but I don't believe it to be worst of the 'Ultra Trance' series. On the contrary, volume 3 has a lot to offer, even on the first disc. Though I am a big fan of trance, Ultra's fantastic dance mixes never fail to help me overlook the series' blasphemous titles. One you get past the outrageously awful hip-hop hit "Milkshake," you may find this installment to be quite enjoyable.

Ingrid's "U Promised Me," Oakenfold's "Hypnotized," Lasgo's "Alone" & Groove Coverage's "Poison" are my number one picks. However, the second half of disc 1 (track 9+) is, in the usual Ultra fashion, worth skipping. Disc 2 is light on the lyrics. Tiesto's "Traffic" is my personal fave, but I do enjoy the other 11 tracks as well. This is the REAL trance mix, kiddies, so hold onto your seats. Johnny Vicious has prepared a wild, pulsing ride for his listeners.

If you don't get the chance to hit the clubs very often, Ultra's 'Trance' series is the perfect tool to keep you up-to-date on dance music. When you pop in this disc, remind yourself that domestic dance compilations (particularly the Ultra series) are guilty pleasures that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Dance up a storm, burn a few hundred calories, and, above all, have fun!

Complete misnomer, but still good
This compilation should've been named half-trance/half-dance, but the music is still great. Johnny Vicious lays definitely lays down a wicked mix on this; Ultra should never let him get away. CD 1 is good...for a dance mix. The low-end beats are too distracting to be considered trance by anyone with an ear for the genre. Look for iio's smooth and oakenfold's hypnotized on this CD. (Who would even consider putting TCB's 'born too slow' on a trance mix?)

It's a good thing that CD 2 comes after CD 1 b/c CD 2 is ripping. It's far more emotionally dynamic than CD 2, with definitive tracks like time of our lives, traffic, and born slippy nuxx. And the finale is truly a worth the ultimate spot (michael wood's close to the edge.)

CD 2 is worth checkin out if you are new to this world; CD 1 is an ok way to open up to an awesome CD 2. ... Read more

Album Description

Paul Oakenfold is one of the most important and influential DJs in popular music. In a career now spanning more than two decades, he has worked with such acclaimed artists and bands as Madonna, U2, the Dave Matthews Band, Incubus, Moby, Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Ice Cube and Nelly Furtado. 2003 sees the release of this dynamic new mix album- where he combines mega pop artists such as Madonna and Justin Timberlake with alternative greats such as Bjork and Dave Gahan (of Depeche Mode)!

It is now safe to say that Paul Oakenfold is the world’s number one DJ! Running concurrently with his burgeoning soundtrack career, Oakenfold recently had five albums in the American Top 50 Electronic Chart. They included Perfecto Presents Another World which, when released at the end of 2000, became America’s biggest-ever DJ mix album. Oakenfold was also the headline DJ on Moby’s massively ambitious Area:One traveling festival tour of North America last summer. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Not Oakey's Best... But Groovable Fun
Some of you here on Amazon.com may have read how I lambasted Oakey's latest mix album before this one (Perfecto Presents Ibiza)... and I still stand by that review. It was power pop laden hogwash, and to some extent, this new mix falls in the same category. Almost. Oakey has done some cool things here on this CD and that's what saves it from the possible quaqmire.

So, you may be asking yourself, what the hell is this guy talking about??? I shall enlighten you...

The first CD is classic Oakey... Starts a bit progressive and gradually builds into a fine example of melodic trance. Solarstone gives another timeless track, Gahan's "floors" may be "sticky," but Junkie XL unsticks the tune with a fantastic remix, even Madonna's "Hollywood" is masterfully re-worked by Oakey to be an instant trance banger for this year.

The second CD however leaves much to be desired. Besides Ian Brown's "Fear" and the Patient Saints "Imperpetuem Mobila," the rest of what's being offered isn't very much... I like melody, especially with my "superstar" djs. There isn't much "good" melody on the second disc.

Overall, I wish I could give Oakey a little more credit... but taking pop songs to another level is one thing, and making them fuse into a dance ensemble is another. Oakey misses the boat this time around, but hopefully he can bounce back and create more of the euphoric offerings we are used to. Melodic trance is back, and the godfather of melodic trance should know that... here it just doesn't seem like he notices or cares.
3 1/2 STARS

This is an album for lovers, trance lovers that is.
This record, as mixed by Paul Oakenfold, is not just worth buying because of the Oakenfold/Perfecto name, but the track selection that is has on it! While I will agree that Oaky has great mixing skill, without the tracks that he so carefully selected, this would just be another mix CD that would be a drop in the comprehensive ocean of trance. Just to name a few wonderful tracks from this record: Motorcycle - As the Rush Comes (In my opinion the best trance track in 2003), Jon B - Mercury Skies (I was amazed at the mix he put on the CD), his Madonna remix (I play this a lot, surprisingly)...Just the whole package of mixing and tracks is enough even to please even the occasional trance listener.

Oakenfold's Greatest
If you're looking for a good techno mix for that rave or dance party, then look no further. Oakenfold has done these artists good. It's almost like you're in another dimension while listening to these tracks; so if you need a solid techno mix with a lot of groove to it, look no further. Great Wall is the best Oakenfold has to offer!

High-quality trance music!
This is a serious piece of work by Oakenfold, great music from many artists blended together in a two-disc album that's perfect for your car, with windows closed, with volume on high. It will make a long drive look a lot shorter, and definitively, funier!

not the best and not the worst
He always manages to stay in the middle and with the flow, nothing original or ground breaking yet he stays aloft - thats how one could describe his dj career and this album is another example of it, times are changing so is music people experiment, start to write ambisious music: like Sasha, Digweed or Nick Warren and he plays what the masses want to hear, always. ... Read more