CD 2, on the other had is as dark as it gets! If this is the new state of trance, then I am all for it!
So, if you like dark, progressive tunes, then you will enjoy this double CD.Quality round up of progressive trance tunes While not the red headed stepchild of trance - that'd be the octane fueled, widely ignored psy-trance - progressive trance certainly receives lesser limelight than most dance genres. With good releases scant on the schedule, it's therefore a treat to find DJ Hardware given two discs to round up a who's who of the scene. Not a daring selection, certainly, but the talent's undeniable: Steve Porter, Mark Shimmon, Chab, Moogai, and Pappa & Gilbey (among others from superlative label Choo Choo Records).
Ergo, it all sounds excellent for those seeking darker, harder sounds, intricate synth melodies, and a heap of acid-churning effects. Nods go for Mara's "Fall From Grace," restrained vocals adding depth to a menacing back track, and Chab's floor-friendly "Get My Love." The lighter disc one shows off a shimmering Manhattan "Psychomateus" and equally epic Aquilla "Earthbound."
If there's any complaint, the mixing's noticeably flat; most tracks simply unfurl to the end. 2001: A New Beginning lacks the spark of upper-echelon sets by Chris Fortier, Anthony Pappa or Mark Shimmon, but ultimately the quantity of good tunes can't be ignored.
Packaged with a curious "Red Cross" pattern across the outer cover, DJ Hardware's new two cd mix of hard-driving progressive tunes adds yet another fine release to my growing stack of "gotta listen to it again" recent discs. Hardware has titled his package "2001: A New Beginning." Perhaps this refers to a shift in his own musical style away from tweaky-ravey material (as in his previous mix, "DJ Hardware: The Trance Edition.") His decision to embrace a "new beginning" is a fortuitous one, indeed, as he has selected twenty fine tracks this time around and his sequenced and mixed them nicely.
There are a few tunes included that will be familiar to those of us who follow the progressive releases and buy a lot of dj mixes in this style. DJ Nukem vs. Chab's "Shiva," Mara's, "Fall From Grace," and Soul Mekanik with Jam D.'s "Diskostatic" are terrific tracks that have been used a lot in recent mixes. However, the vast majority of DJ Hardware's material is fresh and new, and this makes the package overall an attractive one for progressive fans. Some of the producers' names featured prominently include Steve Porter, Natious, Christian West, Moogai, Pappa & Gilbey, and Chab. The sound here is uptempo and high-energy, yet definitely complex, percussive, and progressive.
If you enjoy the high energy type of progressive trance and progressive house, you'll likely find this release a fine one and a bargain, to boot.
