Search - Danny Howells :: Nocturnal Frequencies 03

Great mix, but lacks an "ah-hah!" moment

Anand Subramaniam | Chennai, INDIA | 06/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This mix is wonderfully crafted, especially when you keep in mind the kind of mood that Howells is trying to create with each CD (listen to the interview with Darren Ressler - CD1 is more about the early hours of a club night, while CD2 taps into the darker vibe of a late set). The mixing is flawless, especially the mixes into and out of Mo Shic & Zidan's "Nightstalker". The mixing into John Creamer & Stephane K's "I Wish You Were Here" is 3 minutes long, and is nothing short of awesome. The one complaint I have about this mix, though, is that it lacks that one big "Oh Yeah, NOW I get it!!!!" moment that could have elevated it to true masterpiece status. The mood and tempo of each disc are controlled superbly, but the other edge of this control is that it never lets the mix get above itself. For all we say about Oakenfold's ordinary mixing, his track selection ensures that overall, the mix is definitely more than the sum of its parts. NF3 has some great tracks in it (Kinkyfunk, Open your mind, et al.), but the iron control Howells exercises over the overall progression of the mix seems to limit the sound for me. Perhaps a little more adventurous sampling would have helped... we'll never really know, I guess. On the whole, NF3 is a solidly built mix that gives you all the bang for your buck that you would want. A groovy, sexy 4.5 star Disc 1 with just the right tribal house undertones, and a deeper, darker 3.5 star Disc 2 which builds up a dirty, sinister late-night sound and... leaves it there. That's the problem. It just leaves it there."

Deep, but overtaken by other deeper, darker releases

whatyouneedtoknowreview | SANTA MONICA, CA United States | 10/03/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Its only a year ago that this came out, but I fear this mix has been overtaken by deep, darker and more exciting releases by other DJ artists. To be fair, Howells--a veteran DJ--was one of the first with Digwed to go this darker route over the last two years, but things have moved on. Still, the sound is deep, round and satisfying, progressive house with a dash of trance. Disc one is the best and deepest; disc two slides into a more unvaried "boom-bish-boom bish" beat that starts to sound the same, even a little "discoey" for me. I know thats not a sophisticated "reviewer" type thing to say, particularly as I know my Digweed, Pappa, Saeed & Palash, Graham et. al, but there it is. It probably means the sound is dated. The last track on side one is truly club pop, but probably a crowd favorite.I find that I tend to play only disc one, in part as the material is good, Halo, Halo Varga, Mo Schic & Zain, Creamer etc. although many of these have been used over and over on later compilations and now start to sound old hat. Howells' mix of the much used "Nightstalker" is the best version I have heard. To be fair then, Disc one stands out as one of the more satisfying single discs I have in my collection--you won't find yourself skipping tracks, but can play it in its entirety.Unfortunately, this set suffers from some dodgy production, a slight lack of high end, some distinct crackling on some tracks at high volume (since using vinyl) and a low embedded signal volume, ie if you usually play our discs at 3 you will need to crank this to 6. It sounds like it was issued three years ago, not one year ago. Not a deal killer, but irritating. So if you are looking for deep, dark, sexy, driving, prog house/trance check out Graham (aka Quivver), Digweed, Pappa and others on my list first. I include this disc, mainly because of my fondness for Disc 1, but its by no means the best of the bunch."

Lives up to the name =)

blhurry | Flagstaff, Arizona United States | 12/07/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Definitely born of the throbbing pulsing, start me off here and take me over there, style of progressive house, Danny Howells is the man. Having listened to several of his mixes I don't get the impression that Danny is looking to throw down the bass and get mad sinister with his house. While his house definitely vibrates, he loves to caress the minimal changes and float some echoing melodies over his currents.While it starts off harder on both discs even, than his Nubreed release you can definitely tell its danny on the decks. I enjoy his tasteful use of vocals he seems to like to end a mix with a vocal heavy tune and he throws in some non-progressive flavor to keep things fresh. When he is ready once again to descend you'll be ready too.Not going to give this one a 5 but if you liked his nubreed you will like this. Can't wait for 4 to be released."