Refreshing departure from the other GU albums
moebius303 | 05/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This Global Underground Album is a refreshing departure from the other GU albums that are generally Trance (Danny Tenaglia being the exception). On the box, it reads "Emerson's Nasty disco trip fly's through groove stimulated genres". I thought Emerson played more Techno, but I was suprised to find out that he actually plays more Tech-House and deep funky House in this album.CD 1 starts with exactly that. It is very funky, but minimalist. Trevor Rockliffe's Take a Chance kicks things off very nicely, and the way the next tune (Funk your body) is mixed into it is quite nice. Every tune is very groovie from there, until the more trancey tracks, Meeker's Save Me (great song) and Saints & Sinners' Pushing Too Hard. After that, it gets back to minimalist Tech-House. I thought Speedy J's Rise was a funny touch to add. The CD comes to a close with the classic Altered States from Ron Trent.CD 2 starts quickly on an oldie but a goodie (Paul Jaccobs' Soul Grabber Part 3). After that, it is a House-fest. And a good one. Freelance Science's Can U Feel tha Funk is one of those tracks that will keep you dancing in your living room. This track is mixed with the classic French Kiss from Lil' Louis. It is the nicest mix of the album. Emerson brings on French kiss, then stops it to let Can U Feel tha Funk play for another 2 minutes, and then he brings French Kiss slowly back in. Very nice. After that, Emerson goes slowly back to Tech-House stuff. And there are some very nice tracks in there. For example, Christian Smith's Mojito, Sound Stream's Let's Break, and my favourite of the bunch, Changing Shape's M.Because the music on this album is more minimalist (Techno) than on the other GU albums, the mixing is quite different and can be very interesting. Sometimes, Emerson will play with the bass or with the cross fader (well, this compilation is actually done in studio, but it gives the impression that he does so :), and that is nice to have on a compilation. Just look at the mix between Twister and Take a Chance on CD 1 for example. This album gives a good feeling of what hearing him live must be like.I am not a Techno fan. I am not a House fan either. Quite frankly, Trance is what I love the most. But still, this album is very good. Some of the mixes in there are a little rough, but generally, it is well mixed. All in all, a great compilation, and a great addition to the Global Underground line-up. If you like Tech-House, don't pass on this one."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
