Customer Reviews

Global Underground: Reykjavik

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The aftershock of 1997 - the year the music business decided to make electronica the Next Big Thing - reverberated well beyond the passing of the trend into a curiosity-status among the mainstream. The Chemical Brothers rocked the block; the Prodigy sold out and sold well; and the safest, most accessible sonic aspect of the rave-scene, Trance, exploded in popularity and was quickly the de jour ticket for easy fame and quick money. With the ascension of superstar DJs like Paul Oakenfold, Tiesto and Ferry Corsten, Trance's old school roots in acid & progressive house - not to mention techno - were quickly watered down by ten thousand variants of the standard "dunh dunh dunh" note-crescendo, complete with rapid drumrolls, a strict three-chord dominance and the occasional diva-vox to mask the ubiquitous mediocrity. As the scene expanded like a virus through '98-'99, progressive-house DJs began to change their sound, replacing any semblance of cheese from their record boxes with harder, darker terrain: tech-house, tribal and deep progressive.

This new swing for gloomy, tech-y beats and sound f/x was initially interesting, even invigorating, upon the dance floor and through the home head-phones ... but, unfortunate for those of us who had cut our teeth with the original Renaissance/Northern Exposure releases, the absence of melody often made the music a borderline-tedious affair. The goal of this style was subtle: to blend records to the point that transitions were indistinguishable, crafting a journey of smooth, uninterrupted flow, usually peaking an hour or so of dark, driving percussion with a brief glimmer of techno-shine or even a synthscape at the very end - therein pushing to the limit the "struggle for pleasure" -type brain-massage endemic to nearly all forms of media. John Digweed's GU 019, Los Angeles, can be seen as the pinnacle/nadir of this dark ethic; and after this dubious peak, a period of confusion and uncertainty began to set in. DJs and producers had pushed BSPF ("bog standard prog fodder") to the limit, and the scene itself was obviously suffering for it, both creatively and financially. Something had to be done, though many, still caught up in the `hardcore' mentality, were clueless as to what exactly: and so melody began to creep back into playlists, albeit somewhat reluctantly. The GU's of 2002 reflect the transition. Deep Dish strung together faux-pop ditties and BSPF with shockingly shoddy programming in GU 021; Dave Seaman missed the boat entirely with Melbourne 022, a curious, experimental failure. Lavell's Barcelona was a much-needed departure, if not entirely satisfying or an A-list effort. Meanwhile, bedroom DJs and lesser club-captains continued to steer the course through the increasingly perilous bog-standard, oblivious to the aesthetic stagnancy of the genre.

Thus we come to the point, the CDx2 in question: the majesty and period-anomaly that is GU 024: Reykjavik. Nick Warren, contemptuous of the cheese-hammering of such clowns as Oakey and Tiesto and fed up with the sheep-mentality of BSPF (...made even more omnipresent by the popularity of filesharing networks), decided to shift his focus from DJing to full-time production work with his band Way Out West, and to make Reykjavik his swan song, his final mix-composition, and without a doubt his masterpiece. I'm not particularly fond of Warren's other outings on the GU label: Prague is dated, Budapest rather bombastic without payoff, and Amsterdam an absolute mess. But Reykjavik is it, the best of Warren's mixing committed to digital, and within the top 3 Global Underground releases to date.

In many ways Reykjavik reminds me of the first 2xCD Northern Exposure release, in tone and overall structure. CD1 is a meld of dub, chillout percussion and molten breakbeats, all glazed with luscious pads and perfectly timed keys; CD2 is the deeper prog-journey, 4/4 the pounding dominant, though melody remains front-and-center throughout.

CD1 is a personal favorite. It begins with the gurgling, sweeping `Dub in Time,' and shifts into a moody build-up with `Firewire' and `Compass Error' before peaking with the childlike notes of Ulrich Schnauss's `Nobody's Home.' An interesting facet that immediately separates this from almost any other release of the period is that these first four songs are all synth/key matched, rather than beat-blended. Elitists would tend to turn up their noses at such technique, but here in context it works marvelously. The next three tracks are mixed more traditionally, building into the almost Pink Floyd-ish `Tightrope Artist Tale' by Planet Funk. From here we enter the darker half of the mix, Momu's `The Dive' and `Helga Moller' setting up the percussive flow for the booming, grinding bass of Burufunk's `Outsider.' A conspiracy-theory rant is thrown into the breakdown, Revelations-quoting paranoia with the swimming ambience of Global Communication's `14:31;' they peak together in an outstanding stroke of production genius. Grayarea's `Yewminyst' rides the peak to a shattering denouement, and in my opinion, Warren could/should have concluded the mix right here (or faded out with some icy synths), but instead he drops `Lost Love' as the end-piece. I have to admit that I feel this draws the CD out, but understand his reasons for concluding in such a manner.

CD2 begins with the impeccably mixed `Awakening' into `Aural Navigation,' and peaks this 17-minute build with Vector's `Rise,' a club-anthem that was soon caned by any DJ worth his salt. Warren lowers the mood somewhat with Aquaculture's `Don't Play the Game,' essentially setting up the long, hard drive through the glittering synthcapes and relentless foundation of `Headpusher,' `Karma,' `Crayons' - undeniable dance floor thunder awash with brain-bending melodies.

In the genre of electronica, there are very few albums or mix comps that survive the test of time (~that test usually being less than 24 months after release): GU024 Reykjavik continues to shine, two years down the line. Five Stars.

Bards were travelling musicians who through their authentic experiences with the mysteries of other cultures and far off lands created epic ballads of sensationalist history and people. For centruies bards have died out replaced by whiney, obselete, or drunk singers in taverns; at best folk artists that are over looked for their inability to channel the current of emerging music.

Metaphorically, and I suspect literally, Global Underground has flown, driven, floated, and walked quite a ways across this world. A long way. Since Paul Oakenfold has sold out and started his own label, titled, 'perfecto,' Global Underground's syndicate of contracted Dj's has realized it was time to step up to the booth and fill a monster's shoes. At least, that is how the electronic pop public sees it. The truth is, apostles of electronica in its most raw, primal form: Nick Warren and Danny Tenaglia Babysat Oakenfold shaking their heads as he sipped his college can of Keystone to FM anthems such as "James Brown is Dead."

The western music world has always been fascinated with the beats, rhythemic melodies, and chord progressions of middle-eastern, indian, and far-eastern authentic musicians. Genres such as World Beat, New Age, light jazz, and Dance are suspects in a line up that attempts in vain to recreate the ethnicity of these cultures. Electronica has been no exception to this group of alleged culprits of aesthetic crimes. Until Global Underground.

In all honesty GU isnt immune from minimal cultural clichee or monotony in its artists selection of Vinyls spun in all four quadrants and both hemispheres of the globe; these are recorded live sets mixed in the throbbing pulsing depths of clubs half buried in the soil of forign concrete jungles. In light of the growing need for artists to seperate from the bulk and fuse singularily to a set of technics or eachother, One could write volumes on what Global Underground is not. I choose rather to write on what it is, specifically this "Adam and God' section of the Cistine Chapel.

This Cd is a cacophony of assorted beats that span semblances of drum and base, jungle, break beat, progressive house, and trance. Warren opts to open, and subsequently foreshadow his set in Iceland with an ecletic combo of synthetic water noises and an elusive fading and echoing female vocalist. A slow breakbeat harbinges the creamy epoch of the Set.
Ambient, Atmospheric, and subtle electronic sounds are the threads of this magnificent tapestry. Sequences and themes heard in the beginning of this set can be heard congruently through the entire aural myth that Warren spins.
Ulrich Schnauss glides into the mix via song 4 on CD 01. His arrival is much like a bullet train through cascading fog, suiting for his latest Album "far away trains passing by." Ulrich opitimizes the german electronic chill scene providing tonal supplications of longing and bardic mystery.

Later in the CD a ranting englishman can be heard, heralding the apocaplyse. His voice as his urgent speech continues rises with passion and fervor, the melodic swell in the background responding like a porche on the autobahn. No idiotic snare swell here, no multiplying of an 4th (speaking in quater second beats) into an 8th, into a 16th, etc . . .etc. . . No Tiesto-esque or Acosta beat to death B flat 6 prdictable transition in the bass, no roland synth. No no. For you quality music lovers who have been waiting for a druid, a bard, anyone to bring electronica to its current potential. Here he is.

Nick Warren has bards blood coursing through his veins and the heart of a DJ to rhythemically pump and circut the crimson essence the Jews say life is in -- through his soul.

Like many music enthusiasts I have lost count of the electronic CD's in my possesion. This boxed set is it. Being careful not to eclipse Debussy or Gustave Holst as artists- Nick Warren is perhaps my choice musical artist ever and invariably the premier DJ of this coming decade.
Aural Prophet, Bard, or just a great mother friggin dj, however you will view Nick Warren is contingent on your purchase of this cd.

Buy it, burn it, whatever. This cd is transcendant

There's a reason for which people can go out and pick up mix CDs by DJs like Warren, Seaman, Digweed or Tenaglia without thinking too much about it - these guys are the acknowledged masters of the craft, the ones who could at any given point of time serve up an effortless classic that shows you that they are still on top of the game. When the album in question is (possibly) the last mix CD to ever be released by one of these guys, and turns out to be one his best works... damn, that's a sweet buy.

If GU024:Reykjavik is any indication of Warren's place in the DJ hierarchy, its a real shame that we may never hear him on CD again except as a composer. This 2-disc set exemplifies the new direction taken by GU releases of late, starting with a slow-building, intensely introspective Disc 1 and melts smoothly into a progressive, deep, dark Disc 2. Seamless mixing & near-flawless programming characterize both discs, and the track selection is spot-on for a DJ who is not afraid to show off a varied record collection while never letting the sound drift off into eclectic obscurity.

Disc 1 is straight out of Back to Mine territory, with the kind of slowly rising and fading synths that marked the initial Northern Exposures outings. Downtempo, trip-hop, breaks - they all find a place here, and are arranged brilliantly so that each track flows out of the previous one and into the next with magical cohesion. Rather atypical for a GU, one might think, but this works quite beautifully as the opener of a 2 CD offering. It builds up tension nicely, and keeps it peaked for intense periods of time while beeping notes and lazily bending melodies dance around deep, cerebral bass.

Disc 2 takes off into more familiar territory (GU's signature(?) sound of deep, progressive house and trance), but shows Warren's magic control all the time. That's the one thing that kept hitting me about this disc - CONTROL. The only other album I have seen where the DJ showed so much control was Nocturnal Frequencies 3, and the control was so evident that I thought that Howells limited the set's potential, without letting it become what it could have. Warren, on the other hand, never sacrifices function for form, and allows the listener to get lost in individual tracks quite easily. This disc only has 9 tracks on it, and is upwards of an hour long, so you can imagine the extended trip that each track is. Pounding drums subliming into beautifully timed breakdowns, haunting vocals floating over insistent rhythms - this is Warren at his absolute best.

Bottom line - this is the finest GU release in a long, long time. GU 023 Barcelona was good in a very funky, glittery sort of manner, but Reykjavik puts the "underground" back into the label. Fresh cuts, beautiful sound, and the ethos of this being the label's most prolific contributor's last mix compilation : who says that the romance has gone out of the GU label?

It just took the swansong of the prodigal son to bring it to our attention again. Ace. 5 stars all the way, and a big cheer for one of the world's greatest turntable magicians.

I want to begin by saying that this is one of those priceless GU sets where one cannot help but make the assumption that the music was entirely influenced by the setting in which it was performed. The music feels like it belongs in the hauntingly lush gray-blue backdrop of Reykjavik, Iceland. The music is as unique as the locale, and that speaks very well of this set and of Nick Warren.

That being said, there is no other GU quite like this. Though several Global Underground releases deviate from the norm of progressive trance and progressive house - examples including Emerson's Uruguay, Lavelle's Barcelona and Sharam's Dubai - it feels innapropriate to include Warren's GU024 amongst the other deviations; this is, by all means, progressive trance music, and in that light, fits well with the series. What makes it so unique is that there are very few discernable peaks (and yet the album never gets boring or repetitive) and the album is so "dreamy". And not in that shimmering, magical sense like Warren's Shanghai release; no, this set has a spiritual, dubby and meditative flow to it. It is not about the traditional slow build-up, peak, a couple afterglow songs, on to the next disc. This is a linear landscape of sound that flows as consistently and fluidly as water in a stream, with every bit as much beauty.

Disc 1 is, without question, the more out there of the two; it is also my favorite. This IS dance music - but more to the point of upclose and sensual body movement than bouncing around on a dancefloor chanting anthem lyrics and waving your arms in the air. Disc 1 is also perfect for creating a lounge-ish environment, similar to Kruder & Dorfmeister or Thievery Corporation at times. I tried using this disc to induce sleep one restless night, but was so involved in the intricate beats that I wound up listening to the whole album and falling asleep to the sound of rain instead.

Disc 2 has the same feel to it, but it is also fundamentally different. It flows, it is dreamy, but it has more of an upbeat dancefloor vibe to it. For a GU release, this would be typical, and in a way it is; the only difference (and an important one at that), however, is the fact that Warren is still concentrating most of his heart and soul on the 'music behind the beat'. Which essentially sums this album's driving purpose up. I feel that, however much raising the bpm on the second discs of these 2-disc releases makes the second disc more favorable, in most cases it is also somewhat disapointingly predictable. It is for this reason that Warren's focus on the *music* in conjunction with the beat stands its ground so well; completely coherent, yet oozing with pleasure and unpredictability.

However thrilled I am that he decided to extend his Global Underground catalogue by one more, this would have indeed been a fitting and triumphant close to perhaps the Global Underground series' most successful participant DJ.
Five stars. I didn't have to think about it.

~Lex

To all the reviewers who have slapped down one star without giving considerable thought to why Nick Warren (or whoever in digital effects) mixed this cd, consider this: maybe, just maybe, Nick Warren was trying to do something different and unique to distinguish this set from all the cookie-cutter trance and house mixes that seemed to have bogged down the GU label. While many dj's such as Paul Oakenfold and DJ Tiesto are marketing towards the masses by convoluting their original styles with Americanized pop and Eurodance, Nick Warren seeks to find a niche with this album, putting together many unique and euphonically eerie sounds to create a very innovative masterpiece that sets itself apart from the rest.

To clear things up for the people who are reading the reviews before buying this cd, this is NOT a hard-core trance or techno dance mix. With the exception of a few tracks at the end of CD1 and the middle of CD2, there are no 96bpm or heavy bass sounds on this cd. Rather, this album contains a more ambient, dreamy, feel-good sound that reverberates throughout, capturing the spirit of the isolated Icelandic landscape. Definitely suitable for a lounge setting or a comfortable drive through the landscape...

Nick Warren is not the first dj to pioneer this kind of music. Sasha and Digweed, in their original "Northern Exposure", might come to mind when you hear this mix. If you are a fan of S&D's work, you might have the perpective to appreciate this type of music. Otherwise, don't invest if you're looking for the kind of sound you hear at your local warehouse or discotheque.

Techno music used to be radical, different, experimental, underground. Then it got popular, the DJs became celebrities and both were taken way too seriously. Then it sold out, becoming ubiquitous, found everywhere from television show theme songs to commercials to Top 40 radio. It became popular and it became safe.

Then there is Nick Warren's Reykjavik set from GU. Tough to categorize. If you've heard his Back to Mine mix this one won't surprise you. Don't expect the driving beats and 'club' sound that most DJs mix. This one is more laid back, groovy, moody, even dark.

As noted in the liner notes, he is not afraid to try and be musical. In other words, more than just providing a beat to put you into a hypnotic frenzy, he'd rather try and make music hover over the beats. There are some pretty cool samples as well mixed throughout that make it an enjoyable trip.

He is not afraid to venture into new terrain and try new sounds. It seems to me Mr. Warren has had a bit much of the whole techno scene with all its cheese (think of all the tripped out obligatory Day-Glo items). I'd say this is intentional, an attempt at distancing himself from the trappings of success and cliche or just distancing himself from the GU label (he's had five releases via GU), willing to mix something that is different. It's a great set, not in a blow your mind kind of way, but in a subtle way. It's one you can pop in and be carried away for a while, a bit more subdued, not quite downtempo even though it never really achieves the call to the dance floor. But this isn't a bad thing at all.

This is a release that does not need a review. I do feel a bit silly reviewing a mix by Nick Warren, he has such beautiful taste in music.
This mix is one of those very rare finds that you will smile to when it first starts playing. It keeps you dreaming all the way through with its manic melodies and very well processed sound. Here is a BIG mark of a talented DJ, even though the music is soooo beautiful and maybe a little distant, you feel like no problem relating to it. Also you will not find this kind of mixing anywhere else, very on top of things and yet he does not delve into the 3-4 minute carefull transitions. The techniques are alltogether different as the the tracks were picked out with monstrous patience and so much love.
The first disk is a breakbeat mix, and as it starts you will feel it, that special feeling everybody is trying to write about in their reviews, I am sure it is different for everyone, but I guarantee, if you are into high-quality electronic music (which is a tough scene to dive into, and yet so beautiful), you will love this release.
The thing about Nick Warren, and that is important, is that unlike other DJs that pick tracks that relate to the dancers in a club or a venue, for his mixes he is choosing tunes that speak to him on very deep levels, for me that shows an intelligent man. He chose the rout that very few musicians take by being completely honest in music that he releases and mixes. I guess for that he is so loved and appreciated.
Reykjavik is a release that can show you what he is capable of, his skills, all the things that he was searching for are here. Fantastic album!

I'm so in love with the New Nick Warren Global Underground 24 Reykjavik. I give it full marks, 5/5, Two thumbs up, 10/10, whatever your rating system is.... These discs are INSTANT classics!

I've been around the block a few times with dance music, modern and classic. It's strange to see few artists breaking new ground these days as it's so easy to make a disposable album of beats and ideas. These are not the case with Reykjavik. Both discs are mind blowingly good.

I never really liked any of Nick Warren's previous GUs (Sorry Nickie) for his lack of programming, poor composition, and short term playability, or irritating samples that loop out of place for track on track (such as his Revelations CD) but I think these are his best work yet. It definitely puts him in the same technical class along with Dave Seaman and Sasha but on a different latitude completely. Needless to say, this album give me wind for my creative sails.

Disc 1 - Reminiscent of his "Back to Mine" days and Northern Exposure I (Satellite Serenade - Keiichi Suzuki/These Waves - Young American Primitive/Last Train To Lhasa - Banco De Gaia), this one doesn't fail to please the downtempo crowd with some amazing breaks (not all breaks) and liquid melodies that just don't stop.

Disc 2 - Deep Progressive. Starting really on the slower more "Medway - Resurection/Van Bellen Dub" dreamy tip, Mr. Warren masterfully picks it up as the discs go on into a dancefloor frenzy. More of the prime time deep progressive set for all those into the deeper electric dreamy sound.

Amazing tracks, composition, and programming all around on BOTH disc. Both very dreamy and melodic but in different veins. This is one of those you must buy if you are a die hard GU fan!

Like downtempo or the "Back to Mine" series? Disc 1 is sure to please (as far as GU cds are concerned I'm primarily a disc 1 kind of guy. But disc two satisfies just the same as it is more Club ready.) Either one of these two discs can easily justify the purchase of this double set.

Keep this up Mr. Warren! You have given brilliant life and new direction to dance music, paved the way for the future of electronic music, and ultimately reminded me why I still love this music. I will listen to these discs forever.

I must say, I'm absolutely amazed. This is my first Nick Warren CD and I'm pretty new to this genre as well. This album just does not let you go once you're hooked. I listened to it at the store before I brought it and just the first couple of tracks make me fork out my money. I personally think disc 2 is better than 1 but you can't go wrong with this set. Song 5 on disc 2 with its haunting vocals is the best track. Judging by all the other reviews on this site, everyone has a different favorite.

Highly recommended for novices like me or even otherwise.

This is really an incredible CD set and by far the best by Nick Warren to date. CD #1 is filled with focused trance music and CD #2 is slightly more "ravy". I myself prefer CD #1, especially for driving in the fog, writing poetry and ...well, you know...those other activities...

The best on CD#1 - The first four tracks: Avatar - Dub in Time followed by Substructure - Firewire followedd by Atlas - Compass Error followed by Ulrich Schnauss. This is truly truly sublime. #10 is rather humourous and I'm not sure where he got the voiceover.

CD #2 is also quite good, especially Tracks 3 and 4 (Vector - Rise followed by Aquaculture - Don't Play the Game).

I am definitely not an expert on rave, house, trance or such music, but I know what I like to listen to. This is even better than Nick's BACK TO MINE set that I purchased last year. Overall, this entire set is very surreal.