Hi guys,
I visited my old town of Leeds the other day, I moved away almost 20 years ago! I was amazed and impressed to find one of my favourite record shops from my youth still going.
I bought my fair share of early mix tapes and CD’s from Jumbo Records when I was a teenager so it really brough back memories to see that little had changed. It’s sad to see more and more brilliant independent shops like this disappearing for good. Naturally I had to buy something!
I will start this post with an announcement – Electronica Restoration is One Year Old this week!
Yup, somehow I’ve managed to keep this up for a whole year already! I can’t believe how quick that has gone!. I should’ve planned an event, in fact this time next year if things are still looking good I might just do that, put on an ‘Electronica Restoration Summer Event’ or something, hmm… I will think about that, might need a few more followers first though 🙂
So to mark the occasion I thought I’d better pull out one of my big favourites, Hernan Cattaneo’s epic ‘Sequential’. Now this is how you put a mix CD together! Bought blind in a record shop (remember those?) on the strength of the Renaissance name, I resisted the temptation to listen to it straight away as it was intended as holiday music for two weeks in Greece coming up the following week.
O.K. so I had a bit of a listen to it but did manage to save it for the flight out. Often listening to a piece of music reminds you of where you were the first time you heard it and that was the plan with this and it worked, great music, great holiday. These CD’s got hammered the whole holiday and was constantly in the car for months when I got back!
The track selection on here is as good as I’ve ever heard anywhere, there are no fillers at all, and I really mean that. At worst the tracks are very good but the standout tracks are off the chart. The theme of both discs is melodic and progressive and there’s a lot of varied sounds. It’s a real treat if you’re tired of samey repetitive beats that seem to be doing the rounds at the moment, listening to this again as I write is refreshing after a glut of dissapointing new stuff I’ve had lately.
Paolo Mojo’s 1983 for me really steals the show on disc 1, there are a few versions in circulation but the best I think is the one on here. Even the examples on YouTube don’t seem to be quite the same and I have a remix of it on ‘Eric Pridz Presents Pryda’ which is unfortunately not quite as good as I’d hoped. Way Out West’s ‘Wonka’ is like nothing I’ve heard before or since, that used to get played… a lot!
On disc 2, it’s the same story, it’s all good! There’s a great selection of tracks, perhaps a bit deeper on disc 2 but very much in the same vein, melodic, progressive house what’s not to like? Nick Muir’s ‘I Feel Real’ hits the spot for me on disc 2, it’s like Sci-Fi Progressive House (could be a new sub-genre?) have a listen you’ll know what I mean.
I’ve bought most of Hernan’s other releases since this and for me nothing touches it for me, although the latest Masters Series came damn close.
Some people have commented that Sequential Vol.2 is better, and perhaps technically it is, but for me the original Sequential puts me straight back on Scala beach every time I hear it and there’s no arguing with that!
I know I will regret posting this picture one day, (er yeah, today?), but what the hell, here’s me listening to this very mix looking a little sun burnt and playing up for the camera, blame the ouzo!
Disc 1
1. Gui Boratto – Arquipelago
2. Petersky – F**k Them All (Oliviero & MOS For The Ladies Remix)
3. Trafik – Thought Line
4. Tommyboy & Mannel – Feel It (Tommyboy & Mannel’s Renaissance Sequential Remix)
5. Mikael Delta – Baboo
6. Dousk – Florence
7. Rocco Mundo & Onno – Je T’Aime (Love Dub For Hernan) Hernan Cattaneo & Martin Garcia Feat. Peter K – Two Sides Of A Story (Acapella)
8. Paolo Mojo 1983
9. Chris Llopis – Dize Moi (Rhythm Code Remix)
10. Randall Jones Present DJ’s Set You Free – With My Friends
11. Way Out West – Wonka
12. 16 Bit Lolita’s Feat. Jennifer Horne – Passing Lights
13. Phonique – For The Time Being Feat. Erlend Oye (Hernan Cattaneo & John Tonks Exclusive Sequential Remix)
Disc 2
1. Bushwacka! – Beastman
2. Trisco – Fashionista
3. Union Jack – Two Full Moons And A Trout (Luke Chable Remix)
4. Derek Howell – Cram It Up Your Cram Hole Slam – Human (Acapella)
5. 16 Bit Lolita’s – Destiny
6. Marco Bailey – Fatal Attraction (Instrumental Mix)
7. Mehta & Riedel – Obsessions (Kered vs. The Namboombu People Remix)
8. Dan Welton – Lisopain (The Pushers Sublingual Dub)
9. Brisker & Magitman – Other Dye (Perry O’Neil Remix)
10. Nick Muir – I Feel Real (Hernan Cattaneo Edit)
11. Eddie F – Breather
12. Hernan Cattaneo & John Tonks – Sirocco
This is the one I’ve been waiting for! It’s crazy for me to think I’ve loved these tracks so much for so long and have only just done something about it. As I mentioned in an earlier post I never actually owned this set but was leant it in 1995 (and yes, of course I returned it!) and instantly it burned itself into my mind as a key moment in my own music history. But try as I might I couldn’t get hold of a copy anywhere, thinking about it I should’ve contacted Stress Records directly and got myself a copy sorted.
Nevermind, it’s here now and making up for lost time. This set is so important because it’s the only time I’ve ever come across any disc with my all time favourite track Sunday Club’s ‘Paladian Dawn’ I’m quite certain there will never be another occasion in my life where music stops me in my tracks like hearing this for the first time did, an epic track by anyone’s standards.
Incredibly it also features my other long standing favourite Desert ‘Moods’ a haunting piano track well thought out (apart from the ear splitting sine sweep on the intro keep the volume down for that bit!), a very personal, special track to me at least. The last of the ‘big three’ as I call them on here is Brothers Love Dubs ‘Mighty Ming’ another amazing track, watch for the break down just before the 4 minute mark, awesome.
To this day Dave Seaman and Nick Warren are in my top 5 favourite DJ’s and I’m slowly buying up a lot of their older stuff, having just bought Dave Seaman’s Global Underground 39 Lithuania and Nick Warren’s freshly released Renaissance Masters Series Part 18. On DJ Culture 2 these two share the progressive house sound both distinctive but with their own stamp on each mix. Alister Whitehead’s mix takes a slightly different direction into deeper house with a disco twist, it’s good but my least liked of the three mixes.
Naturally I would recommend this set, but it is more of a history lesson than entertainment, I love it because it connects me to a time when I was just discovering these sounds but it might now be lost on the casual listener.
The packaging on this CD has some very distinctive triangular damage on the cover, maybe it was once yours? It’s gone to a good home.
DJ Culture 1 is virtually impossible to get hold of now but I will keep an eye out for it.
Disc 1 Dave Seaman
1. Sunday Club – Paladian Dawn
2. Reefa! – Inner Fantasy (Incensed Mix)
3. Balouga Boys Vs. Blue Amazon – Gobstopper Soundclash
4. Tabasco – Fixed & Addicted (Dub Mix)
5. Chris & James – Fox Force Five (Play Boys Fully Loaded Dub/Big C’s Break Of Dawn Mix)
6. Claudio Coccoluto – One Love Mix
7. Desert – Moods (Club Mix)
8. Daphne – Change (Fathers Of Sound Sunday AM Dub/Brothers In Rhythm Mix)
9. Coyote – For The Night
10. Route 66 – Revolution (Pappa & Gomez Remix)
11. Chris & James – Ying & Yang
12. Eurythmics – Here Comes The Rain Again (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)
Disc 2 Allister Whitehead
1. Kathy Brown – Can’t Play Around (Big Bump Mix)
2. Daphne – Change (Fathers Of Sound Classic Vocal Mix)
3. Anthony White – Love Me Tonight (Jimmy Gomez Rocks The Joint)
4. Gerideau – Back To Love (Association Remix)
5. Kathy Brown – Turn Me Out (Hardcorey Pump Mix)
6. Joy For Life – Warm It Up (Dub Mix)
7. Full Intention – Tell Me (Vocal Mix)
8. Full Intention – I Miss You
9. Brothers Love Dubs – Ming’s Incredible Disco Machine
10. Alex Neri – Planet Funk (Saxapella)
11. Hustlers Convention – Get Yourself Together (Extended Disco Groovathon)
12. Rusty – Everything Is Gonna Change (Sasha’s Vocal Mix)
13. Brothers In Rhythm – Forever And A Day (Play Boys Mix)
14. Brothers Love Dubs – Mighty Ming (Original Club Mix)
Disc 3 Nick Warren
1. Desert – Moods (Club Mix)
2. Alex Neri – Planet Funk (Chris & James Remix)
3. Tabasco – Fired & Addicted
4. Dubstar – Stars (Way Out West Remix)
5. Markus Schulz presents Spastik Plastic – Engine No.9
6. Alex Natale – Angel Pie
7. Chris & James – Calm Down (King Size remix)
8. Sunday Club – Archive Nova
9. Anthony White – Love Me Tonight (Way Out West Remix)
10. Reefa! -Decadance (Scope Remix)
11. Kamasutra – Censored (Way Out West Remix)
12. Route 66 – Revolution (Nick Hook’s Wobbly Dub Mix)
Well so much for my chronological order but this won’t wait!
I pre ordered Hernan Cattaneo’s latest release as soon as I learned about it last month, it arrived earlier this week and I’ve had to hold myself back from posting about it until I’d had chance to really listen to it. It’s been on in the car everyday and in the house so I feel I’ve got to know it well enough now.
The anxiety of putting a disc in for the first time with hopes that it will live up to my own high expectations is excruciating, so with fingers and toes crossed and silently saying to myself “please be as good as the others!” I pressed play and as early as track 2 of disc one I could relax, I knew it was gonna be good!
On first listen you know you’ve got something special but this is a different direction to the Sequential mixes which I have and love and will be posting about when the time comes, it’s also different to his Masters Series Part 6 which is also amazingly good. These discs are slower, bordering on chillout in some places especially disc 1 but as always the track selection and mixing are top quality and there are some first class high points.
Both discs have this dreamy, ethereal feel about them, they’re more like landscapes or atmospheres. Hernan’s sound seems to have matured, the tracks are highly intelligent, a million miles from other mix franchises offerings and all I have to say is… more please!
On Disc 1 track 4 Motherland and Track 17. Ventura are my personal favourites but really there a lot of great moments right across both discs.
Disc 1
1. Guy J – Lost and Found (Found A Corner Of Silence Mix) (c/w) Peter Keen – Musicians (Accapella)
2. Martin Garcia – Last Beautiful Flower
3. Ripperton – Des Promesses De Couleurs
4. Timewriter – Motherland (Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile Edit)
5. Pional – In Another Room (Reduxed Version)
6. Compuphonic – Sequoia (diskJokke Remix)
7. Hernan Cattaneo and John Tonks – Sendia
8. Lonya – De High (Audio Junkies Romantic Re-Edit)
9. Nobuyuki Tokunaga – Solid feat. Mia Tuttavilla (Conure Remix)
10. Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile – Atrial Rhythms
11. Microtrauma – Crickets
12. Nick Varon – Shibuya (Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile Remix)
13. Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile – Japanese Snowbell (Day Mix)
14. Mono Electric Orchestra – Indifference (Ambient Mix/Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile Edit)
15. Guy Gerber – The Mirror Game (Snake Pit Dub/Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile Edit)
16. Mercurio – California
17. Hal Incadenza – Ventura (Masters Series Edit)
Disc 2
1. Underset ft. Lifa – Moon Rover
2. Slok feat. My Favourite Robot – Feel Alive (Slok’s Original Vocal Mix)
3. Layo and Bushwacka! Feat. Cevin Fisher – Dancing In The Dark featuring (Guy Gerber and Tennis Remix)
4.Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile – Infoxication
5. Rodskeez – Left In The Dark
6. Ernest Luminor – Jaga (Pako and Frederik Remix)
7. Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile – Citycism
8. Umit Han – An Einem Traurigen Morgen (Mircrotrauma Remix)
9. Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile – Altair
10. Guy Mantzur and Stehpan Bazbaz – All Over Music
11.Kieran J – Symbiosis (Santiago Garcia Remix)
12.Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile – Japanese Snowbell (Guy J Remix)
13. Fran Von Vie feat Cio May – Wake Me Up When Everything Has Changed
14. Agoria. – Panta Rei (Max Cooper Remix)
When the Mix Collection Part 2 came out I instantly bought it, still riding on the unrivaled sounds of the first edition this was a no brainer purchase. Happily it delivers more of the same but perhaps with a maturer feel to it but essentially the sound of the second matches the first. It features the huge at the time “Robert Miles – Children” long before the radio got hold of it so I scored some kudos points there.
This set still sounds great today and together with the first edition are prized specimens in my collection, especially as they get older, although both my copies have the ‘lived in look’ I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Disc One:
The depth and complexity of these tracks is amazing, the whole comp screams quality. The opening track eases us into the session gently and track two “Change” is the best version I’ve ever heard of this track. There are a number of vocal tunes on here which as I’ve said before I really prefer instrumentals but I can make exceptions when they sound as good as track 7 “Want Me Love Me”.
1. Further Out (Feat Holly Higgins) – Another Love (F.O.S. Paradise Dub)
2. Daphne – Change (Fathers Of Sound Sunset Vocal Mix)
3. Shanna – Your Love (F.O.S. Pyramid Vocal Mix)
4. J.T. Company – Feel It (In The Air) (Joe T Vannelli Evolution Dubby Mix)
5. Floppy Sounds – UltraSong (Studio A Mix)
6. Judy Cheeks – So In Love (Sasha Qat Mix)
7. Justine – Want Me Love Me (F.O.S. Love Guitar Mix)
8. Moby – Into The Blue (Buzz Boya Main Room Mayhem Mix)
9. Dum Dum – One Earth Beat (Rhythm Of Life Mix)
10. Dum Dum – One Earth Beat (Dream Of Life Mix)
11. Rising High Collective – Tangled In My Thoughts (Hard Floor Mix)
12. P.O.B. – The Essence (Clanger Mix)
Disc 2:
Possibly my favourite of the Three discs, I think it’s the most progressive of the 3 discs and has plenty of ‘those moments’ the pairing of track 5 “Bullet” which transitions into track 6 “Indoctrinate” is brilliant for example. Track 9 “Schuderfloss” is probably the high light of the disc and I would argue the most intelligent track on the whole 3 disc set, awesome. The two versions of Peter Lazonby’s “Sacred Cycles” form one long hybrid track and then changes pace slightly to end on “Compass Error”.
1. Marco Polo – A Prayer To The Music (John Digweed & Nick Muir’s Northern Exposure Mix)
2. Libra Presents Taylor – Anomaly (Calling Your Name)
3. Blue Amazon – Four Seasons
4. Noo Tropic – I See Only You (Noo Tropic Mix)
5. Fluke – Bullet (Atlas Space Odyssey)
6. Castle Trancelott – Indoctrinate
7. Zenith Nadir – My Odyssey
8. Future Funk – The Future Funk EP
9. Dr Atomic – Schuderfloss (High On Hedonism Mix)
10. Peter Lazonby – Scared Cycles (Jens M & Gary D Mix)
11. Peter Lazonby – Scared Cycles (Original Mix)
12. Atlas – Compass Error (North Mix)
Disc 3:
Definitely the most dance oriented of the 3 discs and has some more mainstream artists. Stand out tracks? track 1 “Blue”, track 5 “Twist & Shout”, track 9 “Dreamtime” and track 11 “No Other Love”. There isn’t really a bad track on the whole comp, but the good ones really are good!
1. La Tour – Blue (Hermes Trance Mix)
2. Underground Sound Of Lisbon – Dance With Me (Original Mix)
3. Opus III – Hand In Hand (Looking For Sweet Inspiration) (Perfecto Mix)
4. Tony Moran – Same Sun, Same Sky (Red Sun Mix)
5. Quiver – Twist & Shout
6. Clino – Horizon (Spectralized)
7. Moby – Move (DJ Kid Paul Mix)
8. Judy Cheeks – Reach (Quivver Dub)
9. Zee – Dreamtime (vocal Mix)
10. Angel Moraes (Feat Basil Roderick) – Heaven Knows (I Can’t Understand) (Galvatron Dub)
11. Blue Amazon – No Other Love
12. Robert Miles – Children (Remix)
13. L’Homme Van Renn – The (Real) Love Thang (Northern Frontier Mix)
In the words of Adam Richman from ‘Man vs Food’ “Oh my goodness… Oh my goodness!”
As far as this blog is concerned everything that goes before this 3 CD set is what I call ‘The Old Testament’ and everything that goes after this post shall be known as ‘The New Testament’.
I cannot stress how important this CD is, put it this way, if I woke up in the middle of the night to the sight of my house burning down around me I would escape with one cat under each arm and this comp’ clenched firmly in my teeth!
You can probably gather from all that, that I’m kinda fond of this set, it changed everything, it moved the bar so high that nearly 20 years on when I buy a comp’ I still measure everything against this, there was a few that got close and I’ll get to those but this post is dedicated to The Mix Collection.
The modern sound is different but what I’m talking about is the quality in the context of what else was available then, so yeah the mix might be sounding old now, that’s because it is, but when you look at the more modern stuff in the context of what’s available now does the latest comp stand head and shoulders above everything else like this did? Usually it does not.
Not all that long ago there was an original sealed copy of this on an auction site (or Amazon market place?) going for £1200, whether or not anyone actually shelled out is beside the point someone somewhere thought it was worth that and good luck to them, it is. I just wished I’d bought another copy myself at the time and kept it sealed!
This thing is just full of surprises, it just keeps delivering and delivering, awesome!
Where the hell do I start? O.K. here we go, Disc 1
It takes balls to open a mix with 3, yes 3 different versions of the same tune! But it really works, Song For Life is a good stand alone track but here the 3 versions meld into one long delicious ambling intro. ‘De Niro’, as I previously reviewed on the Positiva sampler is great here, ‘Perfect Motion’ is one of the few vocal tracks I genuinely like I always prefer instrumentals. The ‘Blade Runner’ theme makes an appearance and is always welcome, while ‘Child Bride’ is super smooth with a clean tight bass line.
1. Leftfield – Song For Life (Lemon Interupt Mix)
2. Leftfield – Song For Life (Dub For Life Mix)
3. Leftfield – Song For Life (Steppin Razor Mix)
4. Bedrock – For What You Dream (Full On Renaissance Mix)
5. Rhythm Invention – Chronoclasm
6. Disco Evangelists – De Niro (Spaceflight Remix)
7. Memphisto – State Of Mind (Quiet Mix)
8. Moonchild – V.O.A.T. (Original Mix)
9. Sunscreem – Perfect Motion (Boys Own Mix)
10. River Ocean – Love & Happiness (Junior Boys Own Super Dub)
11. That Kid Chris – Keep On Pressin’ On (Didn’t I Show You Luv Mix)
12. Remake Inner City – Bladerunner ‘Til We Meet Again (Brothers in Rhythm Perkappella)
13. Bump – House Stompin’ (Big Bump Mix)
14. F.Machine – Child Bride (Feedback Max Mix)
15. M People – Renaissance (John Digweed Full On Mix)
Disc 2
Opening with Fluke’s slow burning ‘Slide’ sets the scene well, into the sneaky bass of ‘Let’s Get This Party Started’ (no, not that one) back into another version of ‘Slide’ I’ve already lost track of time just writing about it. Look, I can do this track by track but really you need a copy of this, at the time of writing if you can find a used one for less than £30 and it’s worth it, just get it. The rest of disc 2? perfect!
1. Fluke – Slide (PDF Mix)
2. Funk Machine – Let’s Get This Party Started (Party Mix)
3. Fluke – Slide (Scat And Frenzy)
4. Corrado – Trust (Pink Mix)
5. Dj MBG – Trance 1 (Oriental Psycho Estmix)
6. Hysterix – Talk To Me (Sasha’s Full Master Mix)
7. Annadin – Angel
8. Virtualmismo – Mismoplastico (Dirtysyncomix)
9. Virtualmismo – Mismoplastico (Original Mix)
10. Fishbone Beat – Always (Psychedelic Martini Remix)
11. State Of Grace – Not Over Yet (Perfecto Mix)
12. Secret Life – She Holds The Key (H.A.L.F. I’m A Believer Mix)
13. Funtopia – Do YOu Wanna Know (Gut Drum Mix)
14. V.F.R. – Tranceillusion (Original Mix)
15. Kym Mazelle – Was That All It Was (Def Mix)
Disc 3
I really don’t need to explain but I will anyway, ‘Little Bullet’ and ‘Sublime Theme’ great, ‘They’re Here’ unbelievable, ‘Solar Plexus’ even more unbelievable, ‘Dirty’ a great outro to the comp’. I kinda lost the professional gloss on the last disc but I think you know you can trust me, just get it. I should also mention the packaging presents the 3 discs very nicely, it would’ve been so easy for them to bung it in a plastic jewel case and have done with it, certainly adds to the appeal.
1. M-People – How Can I Love you More (QAT Mix)
2. Moby – Go (Nightime Mix)
3. Jaco – Show Some Love (Original Dub)
4. Spooky – Little Bullet (High Velocity Mix)
5. Havana – Sublime Theme (Dub)
6. Shawn Christopher – Another Sleepless Night (Bassman Mix)
7. Unity 3 – Age Of Love (Trance Dub & Fantasy Mix)
8. EMF – They’re Here (D-Ream Dream)
9. Solar Plexus – Solar Plexus
10. Havana – Ethic Prayer (Euro Mix)
11. 2 Bad Mice – Bombscare
12. Age Of Love – Age Of Love (Watch Out For Stella Mix)
13. My Friend Sam featuring Viola Wills – It’s My Pleasure (Club Mix)
14. Lemon Interupt – Dirty
My only concern would be if I was John Digweed or Sasha where on Earth do you go from here? But I think it worked out O.K. for both of them.
Update August 2013 – Electronica Restoration is now 1 year old! Thanks to everyone who has read my posts and is following me, I’m going to try even harder over the next year to dig out some real gems and hard to find EDM.
I was hunting through my garage for something and I come across a lost box of some of my best old house and dance CD’s tucked away under some junk, a box I’d been looking for on and off for a few years! I opened the box and discovered some CD’s were mint, some were damaged, some were missing discs but some of them were missing altogether and after I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon flicking through these tracks I just knew I had to restore my old collection.
In the search for my old stuff on the internet I’ve come across loads of CD’s that for whatever reason I missed on release, so this blog is now becoming like a ‘history of CD dance music’. I’m buying up the old stuff faster than I’m reviewing it as well as the new releases.
So I welcome you to Electronica Restoration, if you’re pining for the old days, or you’re new to EDM and want to know what you’ve been missing all these years you’re in the right place, enjoy!
Dan
Electronica Restoration 