Customer Reviews

Back to Mine 2

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Before i start, i have to say that this is my favourite cd of all-time, in my 200+ collection. I have every one of the BTM series, all the Kruder&Dormiester and a whole pile of other chill-out cds, not to mention every house/prog. house and funky house comp. imagineable. And, in my opinion, nothing comes close to reproducing the experience that this cd can bring.

Let me remind you, that listening to this cd in normal conditions is a bad way of experiencing it. You have to be in the mood for chilling out and relaxing, be it post-club/pub or whatever, just make sure you listen to it in the dark, with nothing to interrupt you and nothing on your mind. As the sleevnotes say, "Put this album on and indulge yourself in a soothing smoke. Then lie back. Close your eyes. And watch the in-flight movie inside your eyelids."

If you're in the right mood, and you listen, as advised, from the whole cd from the start to finsih without any interruption, you will drag yourself away, probably to sleep, in awe at the pure emotion one cd. can bring. It begins with a wonderfully crafted intro, subtly merging into Craig Armstring's "Weather Storm," a beautiful strings piece that sets the mood perfectly. The cd then effortlessly flows through "Future past"--"Baja"---"Epsilon Phase"

This is where Seaman comes into his own. The mixing between these 3 tracks, not to mention the rest of the cd (But these 3 in particular) is simply staggering. The tracks seem made for each other, and they just melt you into the back of your chair. You forget that you are listening to a cd and it just seems to flow around you. Yet, unlike other chillout compilations, it doesn't become simply background music, it stays as the forefont, never overbearing, but simply focusing. You will relax, but also be locked into the soundtrack. Seaman crafts a blend of musical emotions about you so that, if you're in the right mood, you will hang upon every note, without ever realising it. Over the course of those 3 tracks, they just build, and build and build as one, unless concentrating hard you won't notice the transistion whatsoever, but you will be carried along, always in tune with the music. This sequence of tracks, if experienced properly, is quite simply, the best 30 minutes or so of electronic music i have ever heard.

The direction of the disk changes after this, but in a good way, coasting a little more direct, but still effotlessly tight, through classics like The K&D remix of "Useless" and D*Note's "A Short Goodbye." All of the tracks keep the focus on the music, and never even conspire to become background music, yet, as before, still melt un-noticeably through each other.

After the last track of the cd has finsihed, however, you can see what Seaman has tried, and succeeded, to create. Right from the beginning, the set is crafted, not by building up and down through individual tracks, but over the course of the entire 60 minutes, as one, long, individual "soundtrack," peaking at what is, perhaps, the most beautiful track ever produced, Lamb -"Gorecki" When the vocals kick in, you know then, that Seaman has succeded with his aim. He keeps you locked into his musical world without realising, but when it reaches its peak, you know you have experienced something very special, Taken in a genre defying music cd, probably more focused on the music than you have ever been, yet without noticing until it peaks.

Truly a masterpiece.

For all the mixes from trance maestro Dave Seaman, and all the releases in the Back to Mine series (nearly a dozen), this initial outing of DMC from 1999 still stands as the best work either has produced.

Notably, while most recent forays into DJ chillout albums have veered maddeningly eclectic, showing off obscure record collections, Seaman steers this Back to Mine firmly through trip-hop and proves that a sound thought nearly extinct still has a few discoveries left.

The results are simply enchanting, from the opening symphony of Craig Armstrong's "Weather Storm," with piano, strings, and barely-there pulse to the backwards beat and silky sing-song mantra of Genetica's "Future Past." At the heart of the set are hypnotic instrumentals from Sasha (a rare Port Douglas mix of "Baja") and Global Communications, the ambient hues of "Epsilon Phase" enhanced with a faint vocal. Now add in a much-touted Kruder & Dorfmeister revision of Depeche Mode, a little-known Perfecto dub of ubiquitous "Six Underground" and seamless mixing that builds to the awe-inspiring climax of Lamb's classic love ode "Gorecki."

Simply a masterpiece, this is a must have.

First I'd like to state that the reviewer before said everything important. This is most likely the best work from either Dave Seaman or Back to Mine. (I know there are a lot of close seconds..Nick Warren comes to mind)
I bought this album several years ago because I needed something to listen to after spending three or four nights in row clubbing. Something to help me get some peace, rest a little. Dave's mix just happened to be perfect. Everyone I've played it for agrees. The mixes are long and beutifully exicuted. The songs are rare tresures; smooth with out ever feeling like bland ambient trite. The finally is amazing. (Lamb, what ever happened to you?)
I don't club that much any more, but I still play this CD more than most. A true classic in every sense of the word. It may have started this current "Chill-out" craze, but it stands head and shoulders above all the mixes it inspired.

This is NOT Seaman you know from trancey Global Undergound series. The idea was to ask Seaman what his perfect chill-out compilation would sound like. Well, here it is and it is soooo beautyful... Top 10 in my +500 collection

I have enjoyed all of the Back to Mine series. All the artists put a different spin on their track selections and the variety is what makes this such a cool series.

Dave Seaman's contribution is unique that I've found. He has actually created a mix. The other ones have given us a mix in the sense that it is a variety but not a mix as we think of DJs doing their thing. His is consistent, down-tempo, chilled out bliss that is seamlessly mixed. Whereas some of the othres jump around from rap to chill to funky to disco in one mix this one just flows.

There is a great, rumbling bass line running throughout the whole thing and the tunes are dreamy and chilled out bliss.

Dave Seaman has great musical taste. Period. Those who need amphetamines and fast paced dance music 24/7 won't like this...but then again, Dave Seaman isn't known for that. He is known to be rich, flowing and artistic. This is music to be enjoyed with a glass of fine wine while appreciating intelligent conversation. Don't look for the supersonic here, look for beyond sonic.

Back To Mine: Vol. 2 by Dave Seaman was the first chill-out CD I listened to, about 2-3 years ago, and it's been the benchmark against which all others I have heard since have measured against. A few have come really, really close to matching it (Nick Warren's BTM Vol.1 for instance), but this still ranks as my favorite.

Seaman's musical taste and track selection are nothing short of awe-inspiring, and the smoothness with which he blends track into track is unbelievable. Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 are mixed together with such seamless transitions of mood and tempo that if you aren't watching the display on your hi-fi, it would be next to impossible to make out the transitions.

Amidst all this technical wizardry is the sheer beauty of the tracks. Genetica's "Future Past" moving into the Port Douglas Mix of Sasha's "Baja" evokes feelings of melancholic beauty washing into a lake of moodiness, while the K&D mix of "Useless" just made me lie back, light up, close my eyes and smile through the entire song.

But the genius of this CD is greater than the sum of its parts- it lies in the overall sound produced by Dave Seaman like no one else can. If you only want to listen to hard, pounding house - you may want to broaden your horizons by checking this out. If you enjoy super smooth, deeply moving chill-out grooves mixed by a magician, don't wait - go buy it. It is worth its weight in gold, and then some.

Not liking this as much as the Groove Armada, Talvin Singh, Faithless or Nick Warren releases...This CD has a techno feel to it, basically lacking some of the soulful tracks the others had.

For all the mixes from trance maestro Dave Seaman, and all the releases in the Back to Mine series (nearly a dozen), this initial outing of DMC from 1999 still stands as the best work either has produced.

Notably, while most recent forays into DJ chillout albums have veered maddeningly eclectic, showing off obscure record collections, Seaman steers this Back to Mine firmly through trip-hop and proves that a sound thought nearly extinct still has a few discoveries left.

The results are simply enchanting, from the opening symphony of Craig Armstrong's "Weather Storm," with piano, strings, and barely-there pulse to the backwards beat and silky sing-song mantra of Genetica's "Future Past." At the heart of the set are hypnotic instrumentals from Sasha (a rare Port Douglas mix of "Baja") and Global Communications, the ambient hues of "Epsilon Phase" enhanced with a faint vocal. Now add in a much-touted Kruder & Dorfmeister revision of Depeche Mode, a little-known Perfecto dub of ubiquitous "Six Underground" and seamless mixing that builds to the awe-inspiring climax of Lamb's classic love ode "Gorecki."

Simply a masterpiece, this is a must have even at import prices.

Dave Seaman is quickly shaping up to be my absolute favorite DJ in the wold. After finding his Buenos Aries and Cape Town GU sets, then his Renaissance Awakenings and America sets, I have to say that I'm simply amazed at his ability to mix the right music and the right groove for me. And now he's done it again.

I'm a soundtrack person; I love movie music, from John Williams to James Horner to Hanz Zimmer. And now to Dave Seaman! After reading the bio on him and his love for soundtracks, I completely understand and appreciate what he has done for his Back to Mine mix. An earlier review chided him for his use of material that sounded too much like film music ("The first track is like something out of a cheesy film soundtrack" was what they wrote), but I think it only enhances the chill-out experience. This is a perfect mix of mellow grooves and sounds to come down by, and it will forever stand as one of my favorite mixes by my favorite mixmeister.

So there. :)