Rageous Music » Music

New Mix Up: Sunny Delight Deux

Rageous — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:24:25 +0000

What a difference a year makes. Or doesn’t. About this time last year, I was wrapping up a summer full of mixes with seemingly no end in sight, and now here we are, a new mix for the first time since. I’ll be honest: Vertigo Light was a hard act to follow. It proved not only to be the most well-received mix on this site, but it became one of my favorites over time as well. How do you top a pitch-perfect collection of songs, so well-articulating their respective genres, influences and styles? You can’t. That album art deserved to be at the top of this site for a whole year.

Alas, it’s time for change. To warm back up, I tackled a sequel that’s been simmering almost as soon as the first one came off the stove: The Sunny Delight series, a.k.a. my tribute special to Grayarea, so named in accordance to one of their latest and greatest fangirls. Some of these tracks I had to bide my time for (and I still didn’t get their bootleg of Owl City’s Meteor Shower, damn it), a couple I pulled out of my collection back lots right after finishing the first installment and swore loudly upon discovering. I remained encouraged due to Grayarea’s delightful resurgence over the last year, an abundance of initial material to work with, and the continually staggering quality of production. Keep it up, you stubborn and talented bastards. Don’t fail us now. I’d love to do a part 3 of this eventually.

A funny story many of you may not know: Grayarea has always had an obsession with remix titles. Long ones. Twice as long as a man. They’re kings in the land of Absurdly Long Titles. I can’t be completely certain which mix started it, but some early examples shone through (“Purging the Inventory Mix” of Digital Witchcraft’s Brindavan, the “Unreleased Grayarea Money Shot House Mix” of Blackwatch & Greed’s Gentle Rain), and I can be certain that it came to a head when swapping remixes with Hybrid. Grayarea went first, submitting for consideration, “Grayarea’s Il Postino Y Lo Stronzo Disoccupato Mix” of I’m Still Awake. Truman and Healings responded in kind with what must be an unbreakable record for longest remix title ever with the “Hybrid’s Love From Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Mix” of Gravity. But overcompensating has its pitfalls: Guess which remix title got full billing on the vinyl label, and which one didn’t?

Grayarea: Masters of their domain. Cheers.

Running Time: 49:46
File Size: 114.2 MB @ 320 kbps

1. Silversun Pickups – Little Lover’s So Polite (Grayarea Remix) [Dangerbird]
2. Nightriders – Take My Hand (Grayarea Remix) [OMG!]
3. Hybrid – I’m Still Awake (Grayarea’s Il Postino Y Lo Stronzo Disoccupato Mix) [Distinct'ive]
4. Red Baron – Vandenberg (Grayarea’s Sop With Camel Reconstruction) [Silver Planet]
5. Steve Porter – Vodka Cranberries (Grayarea’s Bourbon & Coke Mix) [NuRepublic]
6. A.B.E. – Motive (Grayarea Ulterior Vocal) [Fade]
7. Snow Patrol – If There’s A Rocket Tie Me To It (Grayarea Remix) [CDR]
8. Underworld – Two Months Off (Grayarea’s Four Years Off Mix) [CDR]

New Mix Up: Vertigo Light

Rageous — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:18:40 +0000

It’s time for a breath of fresh air. After nearly a year of artist-exclusive mixes and an entire archive’s worth of pure progressive house, I decided to switch gears and delve into the world of indie house and nu disco. It’s a sound that requires commitment. It has the lowest signal-to-noise ratio of any subgenre I’ve ever seen, perhaps because I’m not married to it. A small handful of these tracks date back to 2008, because I’ve been sitting on them that long waiting for the perfect time. A few more are popular favorites, and yet even more are undiscovered gems well-deserving of evangelism.

This mix was partially-inspired by the recent release of Planet Funk’s greatest hits, also known as their official demise. They brought the uplifting, Italian house influence to the forefront, and in a decidedly tasteful way. That their work wasn’t met with more widespread success I attribute to being way ahead of their time. I’ve no doubt 2005′s The Illogical Consequence would be far better-received in today’s climate, but alas. Progressive music — while complex, rewarding and epic in form — is by and large introspective and periodically subject to brooding. What delights about music like this is the unabashed enthusiasm. It’s infectious. I love it. I wish there was more to go around. There’s always room in this world for it.

Cheers.

Running Time: 1:19:56
File Size: 183.4 MB @ 320 kbps

1. Acos CoolKAs – Separation Point [Brown Eyed Boyz]
2. Sebastién Tellier – Kilometer (A-Trak Remix) [Record Makers]
3. Frankmusik – Confusion Girl (Riffs & Rays Club) [CDR]
4. Knightlife – All Systems (Nile Delta Mix) [Cutters]
5. Solila – Atlantis (D-Pulse Perchila Mix) [Add2Basket]
6. Danny Howells – Laid Out (Fully Horizontal Mix) [Dig Deeper]
7. Zoot Woman – We Won’t Break (Boris Dlugosch Les Visteurs Remix) [ZWR]
8. Villains & Classixx feat. o8o – I’m On It [Buzzard Gulch]
9. Grum – Go Back (Le Castle Vania Remix) [CDR]
10. Cut Copy – Lights & Music (Moulinex Remix) [Modular]
11. Relation – Your Tiny Mind (Lifelike Remix) [Urbantorque]
12. Red Squared – Don’t Be Afraid [CDR]
13. Sneaky Sound System – It’s Not My Problem (Thin White Duke Remix) [CDR]
14. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks (Fred Falke Extended Mix) [Warp]

Explorations: Redanka

Rageous — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:02:01 +0000

This latest entry in Explorations might as well be a kickoff for a new series called Legends, centering on the widely-varied palette and rich history of Andy Holt, better-known as Redanka. This mix covers over ten years of material ranging from Andy’s formative years on Whoop! Records and Hooj Choons right up to his latest peak time thrillers of pop music’s hottest names. While initially known to pair up with studio partner Chris Bourne, a.k.a. Tarrentella, Holt has gone on to remix such names as Way Out West, Above & Beyond, Delerium, Fatboy Slim and even U2, who loved his work so much they invited him back for more. During all this he still found time for additional collaborations (Denny Tenaglia, Lee Burridge, Satoshi Tomiie, Sander Kleinenberg) and production projects (Steve Lawler, Mick Parks, Girl Nobody). With a resumé like this, wouldn’t it be prudent to assume Redanka’s fabled history speaks for itself, making an exploration an exercise in redundancy?

As a matter of fact, no. Within the industry Andy Holt is the producer’s producer, valued for his sturdy, consistent and innovative approach. Beyond that, however, he is easily passed over in favor of more extroverted DJ personalities. Having produced only a handful of original releases and no full-length album or mix series, Redanka’s magic is scattered across a smattering of releases via 12″ promos, CD singles and digital exclusives. His name is the ultimate reward to diligent trainspotters, providing a fresh journey even in the most unlikely of material.

This mix began with over thirty potential tracks, each bringing something irresistible to the table. Over the last few weeks it was meticulously whittled down to the final 11 tracks in order to accommodate the 80-minute mix limit, and what a chore that was. There was enough proper material to do this three times over, but the end result is as diverse as the man himself. From Jimpy’s Talkin’ (one of Redanka’s first) to the textbook flawless reworking of U2′s Vertigo, to his very own unsung anthem In A State, it’s all here. Redanka has emboldened progressive house within the scene and provided avenues of exposure outside of it. And for that, he deserves the hat tip.

Running Time: 1:19:12
File Size: 182 MB @ 320 kbps

Tracklisting:

1. Atlas – Compass Error (Tarrentella & Redanka Remake) [Plastica RED]
2. Datar – B (Tarrentella & Redanka NYSC Mix) [Hooj]
3. Tilt – Seduction of Orpheus (Tarrentella & Redanka Remix) [Hooj]
4. Jimpy – Talkin’ (Tarrentella & Redanka Remix) [Whoop!]
5. INXS – Afterglow (Redanka’s Afterdark Remix) [Epic]
6. Snow Patrol – Open Your Eyes (Redanka Remix) [CDR]
7. Above & Beyond – Good For Me (Redanka Vocal Mix) [Anjunabeats]
8. The Spoons – Nova Heart (Redanka Plugged Mix) [Release]
9. Suicide Sports Club – Last Ghost In Town (Redanka Mix) [B_Rock]
10. U2 – Vertigo (Redanka Power Mix) [Universal]
11. Redanka – In A State (Vocal Mix) [RIP]

Explorations: Luke Chable

Rageous — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:27:34 +0000

This is by no means the retrospective of a legacy, but rather a live report on the wake of destruction being left behind. There isn’t a lot to say about Luke Chable that hasn’t already been said. He’s a pioneer of the progressive sound, and continues a steady output of original works and remixes. This latest entry in the Explorations series, for the most part, reflects an ongoing, inherent nature of Chable’s productions: Boomy, breaky, set-ending peak-time epic monsters with all balls and no compromise. If I had a nickel for every time I blew a place up or turned heads with a Chable track, I’d have a lot of nickels. Sentrino alone would probably own half of them.

I’ve been wanting to do this mix for a long, LONG time. It took me this long to locate all the tracks I wanted to use (Acquiring them all ran up about an $80 tab), and put them together in a way that made sense. Picking 80 minutes representative of Luke Chable’s range of work is no small task, though aided in part by my previous use of three tracks that otherwise would’ve made the cut: Skyline Road (You Killed Kenny), Dream On (Devane) and OZ (X:Coast). It’s a wide gamut, another testament to the artist whom this effort is dedicated to. The tracklisting covers a number of Chable’s remixes and a few original works, plus a couple slices from his esteemed Lostep project with Phil K. By picking these 12 tracks, I neglected metric tons of other equally-deserving releases. Perhaps that calls for a part 2 someday.

In the event that I actually manage to become a full-blown producer, I’d love nothing more than to sound like this. Cheers Luke, for helping make the bright side of progressive music what it is.

Running Time: 1:19:36
File Size: 182 MB @ 320 kbps

Tracklisting:

1. Lostep – Naughty [GU Music]
2. Chable & Bonnici – Ride [Alternative Route]
3. Shiloh & Luke Chable – Sentrino [Baroque]
4. Luke Chable – Pressure [Neon]
5. Chable vs. The Dirty Fours – Tokyo (Chable’s Yellow Remix) [Trojan]
6. Mortar & Pestle – Itsachickthing (Luke Chable Remix) [Heavy Rotation]
7. Gus Gus – David (Luke Chable Remix) [Hussle]
8. Trafik – Your Light (Luke Chable’s Vocal Breaks Mix) [GU Music]
9. 21st Century Fuxx – Sunspirit (Ivan Gough & Luke Chable’s Oreo Breakbeat Remix) [Inversus]
10. Blackwatch Presents Professor Okku – Word Unspoken (Luke Chable Remix) [Shinichi]
11. Steve May – Open Day (Luke Chable Quakes & Craters Mix) [EQ Grey]
12. Lostep – Burma (Lostep’s Stoned Immaculate Mix) [GU Music]

Introducing Explorations: Digital Witchcraft

Rageous — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:28:20 +0000

Pursuant to the oft-mention in my Sunny Delight post a couple weeks ago, I am finally kicking off Explorations, a series I’ve wanted to do for quite some time. Put together in the form of tribute mixes with very minimal overtures, this project’s purpose is to introduce people to a variety of niche artists they might otherwise have not been exposed to. The guidelines are fairly simple: Original works, remixes by (not for), collaborations and side projects are okay. Using tracks from full-length albums would defeat the purpose. The point is to showcase these artists’ lesser-known masterpieces — and believe me, there are many. Many of them have never had the opportunity to produce complete, cohesive works. Others who have, leave an unfailing trail of one-offs and remixes tragically overlooked. In my own little way, this is how I resolve such issues to fellow enthusiasts.

Up first is Digital Witchcraft, a fitting group as any to start this off. Loosely formed in 2000 by Marcus Bacalis and Ned Shepard, they released a small series of tracks through Opek Music and Institution Breaks. After a series of extremely well-received Featured Artist mixes and appearances, Digital Witchcraft was thrust into the mainstream limelight when their unreleased masterpiece ‘Fingerpaint’ was dropped by Way Out West on BBC Radio 1. While it went unsigned for nearly two years until Proton Radio formed a vanity label to rescue it from purgatory, Ned and Marcus slipped out a couple more releases and a pair of remixes, and Ned partnered with Sultan for a string of releases under the side project Jiva. Digital Witchcraft, from 2003 to 2005, was extraordinarily popular amongst progressive enthusiasts, and their relaxed, downtempo style made them the hot new pick for lounge and afterhours parties. I still vividly recall walking into Dark Room Bar in Chicago, hearing Blake Jarrell spinning Snowday, and feeling completely at home. Every track in this collection I consider near and dear to my heart.

It’s tough to tell what went wrong. Digital Witchcraft’s total material amounted to a half dozen original works, a side project and a couple remixes — barely enough to even make a mix. Was it promotion? Did the records just not sell? Were they impacted by the sudden closure of EDM Digital, who hosted and sold nearly their entire discography? Did the sound just not catch on? I can’t imagine why not. Not a single person I know — electronic musically-inclined or otherwise — has not found this work inspired, uplifting and utterly euphoric. The most tragic part of all this, is that save for sparse 12″ releases and the personal collections of zealous digital download buyers between 2004 and 2006, this stuff simply doesn’t exist. Being of the latter allows me the unique opportunity to present the following mix to you, in tribute to one of my favorite acts. Cheers to Ned and Marcus for their gift to the scene.

Running Time: 1:03:49
File Size: 146 MB @ 320 kbps

Tracklisting:

1. Pocket Universe/Fingerpaint [Opek/Proton]
2. Snowday [Institution]
3. Kaylee’s Blanket [Institution]
4. Jiva – Strange Dimensions [Bedrock Breaks]
5. Brindavan [Opek]
6. Dangerous Music [Looq]
7. Habersham & Numinous – Leaving Tifton (Digital Witchcraft Remix) [Blueprint]
8. Jono Fernandez – Deliver Me (Digital Witchcraft Remix) [Institution]

New Mix Up: Introducing Devane

Rageous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:07:58 +0000

Any artist — whether they prefer working alone or in a group — can tell you at least one time when someone else was in the room too, the magic struck, and the results were nothing less than inspired. Such was the case here, in a chance happenstance of a chance encounter. It was two days before Christmas 2008, I’d been visiting family in St. Louis, and was headed home to Seattle when a massive snowstorm hit and blocked every road into the state. I then detoured south to Los Angeles, and hung out for a few days with Shane, my longtime partner-in-crime and founder of BT Network.

One evening of noodling around on Ableton Live with various tracks, turned into an 18 hour all-night burn, in which we amassed as many rare and badass tracks as we could in a joint-effort mix. We dubbed it Devane, promised it’s greatness to a few dozen people, and didn’t release it. Three months later, we finally dug it out, touched it up and have posted it for your pleasure.

Also available is the original version with NSFW vocal samples:

Running Time: 1:19:56
File Size: 183.5 MB @ 320 kbps

Tracklisting (At long last!):

1. Way Out West – Impact
2. BT – Remember (Edge Factor Remix)
3. Hybrid – Fall Out Of Love (Dekkard’s Roadkill Mix)
4. L-vee – Beatniks
5. Toksin – Stunned Monkey
6. General Midi – Milton (Digital One Mix)
7. General Midi – Milton (Digital Zero Instrumental)
8. Miguel Migs – So Far (Eric’s Old School Revival)
9. Shiloh – Dream On (Luke Chable Remix)
10. Depeche Mode – It’s No Good (BT Dub Mix)
11. Chromeo – Needy Girl (Paper Faces Remix)
12. BT & Sasha vs. Quivver – Magic Phatcunt Ride (R3volve Edit)
13. The Toxic Avenger – Escape (Bloody Beetroots Remix)
14. Le Castle Vania – Zero Machine

New Mix Up: Sunny Delight, A Grayarea Retrospective

Rageous — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 06:35:05 +0000

This mix is a convergence of sorts; and in a rapidly-becoming trend, the second dedication in a row. Conceived, mixed and posted in 90 minutes flat, this was borne of a conversation I had with a dear friend who had somehow managed not to hear Grayarea’s years of lore. After I streamed her a few tracks online, she determined (correctly) that it was fantastic running music, and begged for the songs. Instead of obliging, I decided to throw together my favorite moments of Grayarea’s storied original works and remixes into a 50-minute mix — a good workout length. This fulfilled two more of my itches: To do my own Nike+ style mix, and to do one of a single artist (Which I’ve thought of spinning off into an Exploration series, as there’s many artists I’d love to do this with: Blue Haze, Jaytech, Digital Witchcraft, Salt Tank, The Light, etc.).

Grayarea has been something of a question mark in latter day times. They were a moderate success in their early years with ‘One For The Road’, and gained mainstream progressive notoriety when Nick Warren dropped ‘Yewminyst’ — a triumph — on his GU024 Reykjavik mix in 2003. Throughout the next couple years they remixed over a dozen artists, culminating with the original work ‘Gravity’ in 2005, released as a single 12″ and online as a free download. A full length album following the departure of Nosmo from the group was shopped around in 2006, but never picked up. The remaining members McRae and Ruin have held fast regardless, and with a remix for BT’s upcoming album in the works, may be on the verge of a rebirth.

Upon reflection of this 52 minute retrospective, I can say from the depths of my heart that I’d love nothing less than for the fierce return of Grayarea. The days of their prime remain some of my most beloved and cherished moments in electronic music. I recall the first times hearing each of these tracks with stunning clarity, knowing they were destined for greatness and longevity. Grayarea gave the late breakbeat scene of the 90s a reason to cheer again, fusing unconventional arrangements with beautifully-composed melodies and even better harmonics. It was a rare breed: Peak time dancefloor material that rewarded headphone listeners. Not a single new artist has come close since.

Cheers, Sunny. Thanks for the reminder.

Running Time: 52:08
File Size: 119.5 MB @ 320 kbps

Tracklisting:

1. Grayarea – Yewminyst [Hope]
2. Digital Witchcraft – Brindavan (Grayarea’s Purging The Inventory Remix) [CDR]
3. Billy Dalessandro – In The Dark (Grayarea Smart Bar Mix) [Kompute]
4. Blackwatch & Greed – Gentle Rain (Grayarea’s Dismembered Breaks Remix) [Release]
5. Benz & MD – Wonder (Grayarea’s America’s Hat Remix) [Hope]
6. Grayarea – Gravity [Hope]
7. Bedrock – Emerald (Grayarea’s Speakeasy Remix) [Bedrock]

Utterly Awestruck

Rageous — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:09:50 +0000

I’ve always had a healthy, unabashed and unapologetic enthusiasm for the old school. My most prized possession is Backlog by Leftfield, my introduction to electronic music was all things City of Angels, I could properly pronounce (and spell) Underworld’s Dubnobasswithmyheadman from a techno-toddler age, and I’ve stopped myself short of hauling off and sniping Young American Primitive from eBay more times than I can count. Included in these raw roots and influences is a healthy dose of Orbital, who I still maintain walk on water, heal the sick and raise the dead. They have all the versatility of the ‘option’ key in Mac OS X. The masterpiece known as Halcyon + On + On remains a defining moment of electronic musicianship, the coup de grâce that transcended into mainstream, and inspired a whole new generation of artists, not to mention turning Kirsty Hawkshaw into an instant star. So you can understand why I was extremely pissed, cranky and upset to discover Orbital was disbanding in 2004, making the Blue Album a fantastic yet bittersweet finale.

Enter Long Range to the rescue. The side project of Phil Hartnoll along with Nick Smith, I’m ashamed as shit that I wasn’t keeping close enough tabs on their post-Orbital work. Granted Long Range just struck paydirt by having a track featured on Hybrid’s Soundsystem 01 and a remix on The Formula of Fear, their first full-length album Madness and Me was released back in 2007. Oddly enough it wasn’t Hybrid that turned me onto them — it was my attempts to track down the members of the Propellerheads trying to find out what they were up to, and I discovered that Will White had played drums for some of Long Range’s shows. It’s a side project that measures up well on paper, but these are some big shoes to fill.

All of the above is written to underscore my seriousness when I say Madness and Me actually makes up for the breaking up of Orbital. This disc leaves me so ridiculously dumbstruck, so mind-boggled at the ingenuity of sound design that, for the first time since Fluke, I’m content to chalk these sounds up to pure magic. I don’t want to know what they did. I don’t care what they did. I’m so engulfed by the completeness of the final product that I simply don’t desire to dissect it. It’s chilled out. It’s experimental. It’s breaky. It’s industrial. It’s epic. This is a finished, polished work without a touch of overproduction. I feel like I’m listening to Psykosonik’s Unlearn again for the first time. I just want to huddle in a corner and let my brain explode.

New Mix Up: You Killed Kenny!

Rageous — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:31:29 +0000

Like all things around here lately, life gets in the way and you get to the point of putting off everything you enjoy. To call this a new mix is laughable — I started compiling these tracks last year almost as soon as I’d finished with Return to Form. I didn’t actually get around to mixing everything until six months ago, then my hard drive crashed before I could put it up. During this time, my pal Kenny has been bugging the crap out of me to finish it. In honor of his one month-belated birthday (which I also managed to miss), I finally present a finished product that without Kenny’s stubbornness, probably would never have gotten around to existing.

Cheers. Happy birthday dude.

Running Time: 1:19:13
File Size: 181.4 MB @ 320 kbps

Tracklisting:

1. Pole Folder – In My Mind [Restart]
2. Underworld – Beautiful Burnout [Underworldlive]
3. Sasha – Mongoose [emFire]
4. Deadmau5 – Jaded [Mau5trap]
5. Pole Folder – Babylon Days (Dousk Yadda Mix) [Arctic Wave]
6. Hybrid – I Know (Keenan & Anderson Remix) [Distinct'ive]
7. Luke Chable Presents Quest – Skyline Road [68]
8. Glen Morrison – Hydrology [Mau5trap]
9. Radiohead – Motion Picture Soundtrack (Mat Zo Remix) [CDR]
10. Death Cab For Cutie – Marching Bands Of Manhattan (Blake Jarrell’s Pacha NYC Remix) [CDR]

A Case for ‘Somersault’

Rageous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:46:33 +0000

Chicane needs no introduction, I’m positive everyone has listened to and adores Far From the Maddening Crowds and Behind the Sun. I’m not here to reiterate those points, in fact I’m now here to plead the case 2007′s Somersault. Widely panned by critics and fans alike, it fell way short of expectations after a leak destroyed the (also detested) 2003 album Easy to Assemble. What the hell is Nick doing? We want Ibiza ambiance, not Deleri-pop! Right? Q Music hated this disc the way I hate Rob Schneider and Andy Dick, or the way Pitchfork hated Shine On by Jet. (Take a second to click that link. It’s okay, I’ll wait.) Even Virgin Media ripped it to shreds. It wasn’t pretty:

Somersault – which opens with recent Tom Jones-led single Stoned In Love – is probably best appreciated if you can associate every song on it with a wonderful emotional moment on some terrace or dancefloor in the Balearics. Without it, it strays into overproduced muzak, neatly ignoring everything exciting that’s now happening in dance music. Pilfering beats from UNKLE albums released nearly ten years ago and chopping up guitars and plaintive vocals over the top does not make for innovation.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think these people harbored sadistic grudges against Nick Bracegirdle because of his tumultuous history with labels. That may not be entirely off-base, because UNKLE has never sounded good enough to be pilfered in the first place and these vocals are far from plaintive. Here’s the deal: On the surface Somersault is not what we expected from our favorite chillout artist of the last decade. It’s not the source material’s fault that it alienates the Ibiza trance subgenre with nowhere to go. It’s music, for crying out loud. It doesn’t need any other labels except Flippin’ Good. That’s right, anyone who insists otherwise can bite me.

Rooted in this disc first of all, are two astute rescues from the ill-fated Easy to Assemble disc: ‘Spirit’ with Jewel and the delightfully lush ‘Arizona’ — though the disgustingly-addictive ‘In Praise of the Sun’ perished in the fire. Second of all, with Bryan Adams tapped out (It was only a matter of time, right?) a new singer Jack Starks stepped up and performed on no less than five of the album’s tracks, essentially making him part of the band. It’s quite similar in dynamic to Hybrid’s addition of Adam Taylor for Morning Sci-Fi, only without the trainwreck and with the added benefit of Starks being able to hold a note without going flat. He’s actually quite good. ‘Come Tomorrow’ and ‘Nothing’ respectfully stand their ground as pop-trance harbingers, while ‘Far Away From You’ is filled with so much epicity I was able to loop it for all 40 minutes of my 4-mile run around the lake yesterday.

This isn’t rocket science. You don’t have to stuff 10⁶ layers into your tracks and be a part of the next post-rock electro-punk uber-indie hipster movement. There’s plenty of that already, and if your name isn’t Sigur Rós, Hammock or Ulrich Schnauss, you have no business tarnishing the book written by Slowdive anyway. The work on Somersault far exceeds that of its material peers on Tiesto’s Elements of Life and Armin van Buuren’s Imagine. It’s not fair to burden Chicane with the expectations of past works, but more germane to assess the work in the context of its vision and goals. In that regard, it succeeds admirably.