Customer Reviews

Nu Breed 4

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's something exhilarating about a Nu Breed release. It's not just the quality or breaking vinyl-exclusives, standards for all the Global Underground releases. It's the feeling that these Nu Breed spinners are trying a bit harder to carve out their niche, exploring the boundaries of house music with their judicious selections. Previously, Anthony Pappa peered into a cloud of driving, tripped-out trance, Steve Lawler delved the tribal rhythms, and here Sander Kleinenberg effortlessly shifts through the house beat in all its conventions.

Asian inflections fused to bass flow smoothly and slowly for openers, a luxury of having over two hours to work with. He proudly defies pigeonholes, from the crisp tech crackle of Purple `Money Shot,' to the needle-grinding Banco De Gaia standout `Obsidian' (think `That Zipper Track' with soaring vocal). Plenty of buffed-clean house and inventive percussion (Gintare's `Trancenavigation') prepare listeners for a plunge into heavier progressive numbers that close both discs. And of course the feat wouldn't be complete without one of Kleinenberg's own pieces, `Hidden Agenda,' showcasing the production skills that brought his name to attention in 1999.

The set never really peaks (to be expected of Global releases these days), but balances the pacing quite well throughout; no disc one warm-up plate here. Polished and hiding surprises, Kleinenberg produces a must-have for this series' followers, and another welcome discovery to the new crop of DJs.

Say what you will about the overall quality of the GU nuBreed series, but it goes without saying that Sander Kleinenberg's Nu Breed release sounds like and even challenges the ranks of the most revered GU DJ's.

As the rift between clubby trance anthems and dark, deep, progressive house widens, Kleinenberg somehow manages to achieve a relative balance and create something altogether wonderful. The mix is all about exploring and toying with the fine line between entertainment and art, between ear smashing trance and dark progressivism. He'll give you a taste of Digweed's deep, bass-laden progressive style yet somehow manages to mix in enough hooks and hard hitting beats to keep things danceable and up tempo. Just when he nearly lulls you into a hypnotic trance, he brings in a few subtle hooks, and before you know you it, the entire nature of the song has changed.

What also sets Kleinenberg apart from some of the Nu Breed and even GU artists is his superior mixing ability. His mixing is so fluent and his transitions so good that it's possible to go through several tracks without a real idea of what number you're on.

And perhaps that's why Kleinenberg is so awe-inspiring...as we see some of today's top DJ's become complacent with sub-par mixing ability (Oakenfold) and style (Emerson, Seb Fontaine), Kleinenberg looks to innovate. He most certainly belongs among the ranks of the best of the GU DJs.

Producer Sander Kleinenberg's debut DJ album was an apt inclusion under the Nu Breed series. I wouldn't say it's so much genre defying, as it is genre defining. Sander spins in a league of his own that doesn't blur the lines between genres, but instead creates a new one miles away from the others. Upon hearing it the first time it was one of those CD's that had me scratching my head in search for a word to describe it. For those of you who own Lee Burridge's Nu Breed, you'll know what I mean.

I wouldn't say it's progressive trance or progressive house because I don't think it's progressive at all. It's a mix of groovy trance and creative percussion that blends into a fast and solid compilation. What impresses me most with Kleinenberg's track selection is the impressive and wild percussion (eg Onyx1 & Trance Navigation).

Contrary to the long and complex buildups seen with other DJ's, Kleinenberg's sound is more spirited, with little patience for slow buildups and more interest in wild spins and full-throttle mixing. Those of you who are used to the occasional treat of hushed undertones, fluid landscapes, etheral strings and haunting melodies are in for a confusing surprise. This is why it's hard to appreciate the first time and takes a while for it to grow on you.

The razor sharp, sterilised, industrial beats control a swift succession of groovy sounds and dispassionate vocals into a refreshingly unique compilation that may not be the best to dance to, but is certainly worth rocking your house with. If you can appreciate the quality and variety in the rest of the Global Underground series, such as Danny Tenaglia's GU017, Darren Emerson's GU020, Deep Dish's GU021 and John Digweed's GU019, then this album will make a unique gem in your collection. If you're looking for another anthemic floor filler, look elsewhere.

This album is like that bag of exquisite potato chips. You know... the kind that would be served aside your filet mignon in a nice restaurant. It might have some eggplants or carrots mixed with it. With the first bite, you think that it's disgusting and unpalatable. You would much rather go with the artificially flavored Doritos or Pringles you are so accustomed to. But for some unexplainable reason, you keep on eating the chips. And by the time you've finished, you find them to be quite satisfying.

This NuBreed set is just that. Sander Kleinenberg flavors his set using tracks of subliminal melody and raw bassline, yet with just the right amount of spice to keep his listeners interested. There is a rich array of condiments, from the spoken dialogue of Zinger Meats Spry, new-age guru Art of Noise, club smash "Scorchio", to even Kleinenberg's own "Hidden Agenda".

Don't expect to like this on the first sampling, because the odds are that you won't. It took me two weeks after purchase to start appreciating its subtle nuances (after I burnt out Max Graham's "Transport 4"). Even though I'm still not too reluctant for deep house (I still like Seaman's melodic progressive), Sander Kleinenberg proves to be one of the brightest new DJs around. So even if you didn't like Nick Warren's "Amsterdam" or Digweed's "Los Angeles", give this one a spin for its creative mixing.

Cheers.

In my opinion, these two CD's are the pinnacle of the NuBreed series. The mixing is near flawless, the tracklisting is unreproachable, and the overall feel of the album is magnificent. I own all 6 NuBreeds, and if I had to sell 5 of them, I know which one I would keep. Sander Kleinenberg has done a spectacular job on this compilation, and he held nothing back. From trancy stormers like Scorchio to dark, moody hits like Onix-1, Sander has created a feel on this CD that few have ever been able to capture on plastic. Steve Lawler is probably a close second to this, followed by Anthony Pappa, with Tomiie nipping (no pun intended) at his heels.

Tasty, mysterious, lovely and funk-tified!From the haunting start, reminiscent of Sasha/Digweed's, "Northern Exposure," series, to the gradual rise in deep-funk, jungle rhythms, this CD put me in a dance trance I haven't been able to shake since it arrived this afternoon. It has been in the player for five hours now, and I just can't stop! Thank you Amazon.com for recommending this; I am in love. If you like Sasha and Digweed, if you love the sultry rhythms of Deep Dish, this double Cd is a good bet for you.

Nice album by Sander Kleinenberg. Very well balanced, consistent, and despite what people say about the second disc, i feel both discs are equally entertaining. The first disc has the flavor of progressive trance, and it wouldnt be impossible to compare this with Digweed's stuff, disc one sounds more or less like Digweed on E. The second disc is house-flavored, a lot of tracks are vocal and, well, it's good! I'm very happy i bought this album and im looking forward to what Sander has to offer in the future.

If this sound is the next generation of progressive, i have high hopes for what's to come.

I would rate this as one of the best progressive dance mix compilations I own. Sander's mix definitely has a slightly different vibe than a lot of the other mix CD's out there. Because of this, and the fact that there aren't any obvious banging trance anthems on the CD's, it took a listen or two to see what he was up to. However, after you get the proper frame of mind, you realize what a melodic, interesting, and grooving mix of tracks he has put together. All the tracks flow together and are important to the mix...no "filler". Highly recommended and looking for more from this guy.

This is the fourth in the NuBreed series,and once again the series lives up to its bigger brother,the Global Underground collections.Sander Kleinenberg is a rising star on the Dutch dance scene,running his own night in Amsterdam called Earth,and has been championed by DJ's such as Sasha.Two of Sander's own tracks were included on Sasha's Ibiza CD in the Global Underground collection,and these to my opinion were some of the highlights on that CD. The mixing on this CD is faultless(more or less!)and like his friend,Sasha,builds and builds the set until until you are totally immersed in the music.The CD has a couple of exclusives including Sander's own mix of 'Scorchio' by Sasha & Emerson.Why this mix wasn't on the 'Scorchio' single I don't know because it blows the released mixes out of the water. Not much to chose between the two CD's as each do the job well but CD1 does have the new Delerium track,with Leigh Nash from Sixpence None The Richer on it and this is definitely a highlight. Once again the NuBreed series comes up trumps with a fantastic selection of trance and progressive house future clasics. You really should buy it!Go on,treat yourself!

I first heard Sander's stuff on Sasha's Ibiza which is fantastic and a must have. Sander's track was a highlight of that disc so I was eager to check this collection. This is an excellent mix of the deeper styles that Digweed and Sasha have moved toward with some of the funkier aspects of Dutch trance and some good progressive house melodies as well. There are a lot of good tracks on this collection, the mixing is a little rough and the transitions are rather abrupt, then again, not too many people can be as smooth as Sasha/Digweed. This mix has a lot of energy and lot of really interesting music. Definitely get it if you liked Sasha's Ibiza set and Sander's tracks on it.