Search - Chris Fortier :: Trance America

The soundtrack for a late night rush

Richard Diaz | 09/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There really needs to be a name for this current wave of trance being pushed upon us in 2000. After all, electronica has mastered the art of sub and sub-sub categorizing it's music for ages. But they haven't yet, so I'll just describe this excellent set's sound like everyone else- as a foray into the deeper, darker side of progressive tunes dished out from Florida DJ Fortier.Meaning we have the expected cast of stars pitching in, Steve Proter, Cass & Slide, Mara, and more, whipped into a mix that lurks somewhere between John Digweed, Sandra Collins, and Anthony Pappa, not as funky, beautiful, or psychedelic as those three but packing more dance sensibility. The track selection is spot on and without clunkers, peaking appropriately in the middle with Sugarglider's dangerous "Let Me In," 3 Monkey's spoken mantra "Crazy People" and the buried wisps of Mara's "Fall From Grace."It's all about the low-end spectrum, and Fortier knows how to craft it into the soundtrack for a late night rush. Now can we get a real album title for the sequel? A-"

Fine mix of dark trance and complex progressive house

Douglas A. Greenberg | Berkeley, CA USA | 08/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Fortier is one of a growing legion of excellent young American dj's who spin in the mold of better-known Europeans like Sasha, John Digweed, Dave Seaman, and Nick Warren. Curiously (to me, anyway), a major geographical center for the trance/progressive house club scene in the U.S. is Florida, which Fortier, Noel W. Sanger, Boyd Westerman, and David Padilla all call home. Many American progressive dj's are currently linked through the Balance Promote Group, a record charting pool organized by Fortier in association with his Orlando, Florida, based Fade Records. It is largely out of recent tracks promoted by the Balance Group that Fortier has mixed this excellent new cd.Fortier has released two previous mix cd's, "Alpha" in 1997, and more recently the trancey-breakbeat "Atmospherics: The Breaks." Both were very good, but I think that "Trance America" is his best so far (despite the lackluster title). In keeping with current trends within the world of more underground trance and progressive house dance music, the feel of this mix is dark, complex, and definitely NOT "uplifting." People who have enjoyed Sandra Collins' recent "Tranceport 3," Sasha and Digweed's "Communicate" (particularly the second cd), and the refreshingly new sound textures pioneered by such artists as Cass and Slide and Steve Porter will find this to their liking. There are no soaring synths, builds-and-breaks w/snare rolls, or tracks on which the first thirty seconds provide a complete map of the subsequent seven minutes of formulaic "Euro-trance." The music is highly rhythmic, deep, and dark (I know I keep using that word, sorry), requiring more of the listener than does the lighter, airier fare that has dominated trance releases overall over the past few years. I know it sounds snobbish to say this (and I don't mean for it to be) but those who are most likely to enjoy this mix are people who have followed trance/progressive house for a while now and are looking for music that is pioneering and sophisticated while also still being great for dancing."

Impressive Compilation

Cribbagio | Los Angeles, California USA | 03/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fortier delivers an excellent selection of unique tracks with this compilation. Good quality progressive that is deep, dark, and envigorating. the cover art is a perfect symbol of the overall feeling of this disc. It may not be a hard banging bass cd, but his mixing is undetectable and his great taste in techno will definitely grow on you. This is what the beautiful trance of 99 is evolving into... Dark, techy, intelligent music that requires patience and respect. This is a one-of-a-kind compilation that any techno lover will appreciate"