Customer Reviews

Renaissance: Masters Series - James Zabiela

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

 

 

The first time I saw Zabiela play, he opened up for Sasha when he was on his Airdrawndagger tour. I walked out into the club and looked up to see this cute short little guy with crazy long hair jumping up and down behind the turntables. It was totally NOT what I was expecting to come into at a Sasha gig. Within 2 tracks, this kid had me dancing like crazy for the duration of his set. I had such a wicked time, I honestly didn't care what Sasha played after him.

Fast forward a lot of years and we find Zabiela taking the helm of one of the longest running and most respected CD series out there. The Renaissance Masters Series has been home to the best of the best in house music and I believe that James has rightfully taken his place at the head of the table.

CD1 is not your typical Zabiela mix. James walked around with a micro recorder just recording sounds and people that he came across and he somehow got those snippits together with some very cool, downtempo style beats that turns CD1 into quite the listening experience. It will still sound good 10 years from now.

CD2 is much more of your 4-to-the-floor style CD, more representative of what you may hear JZ play out on any given night. The first 2 tracks did absolutely nothing for me, but once he got to Extrawelt on track 3, it was uphill fast from there.

James delivers a SOLID 2xCD mix for Renaissance and has left his faithful ravelizards drooling for more.

It gets an 8/10 from me. Definitely worth the purchase.

James Zabiela is one of the most technically sophisticated and talented DJ's to date. As far as I am concerned the real fate of electronic rests on his shoulders. James Zabiela is the chosen one...when it comes to DJ skills meeting technology this man is a God. The simulated record scratch at 2:22 in track two of disc one, that he then samples, turns inside out with effects and and uses as a transition between two completely opposed genres is a perfect example of what makes him such a great DJ. The way he is able to take a single sample, flip it on its head and then build on it, allows genres to come together that would otherwise never be able to coexist. This unmatched ability results in a completely unique sound and gets to the core of what it means to DJ. He doesn't just play other people's records, he uses them as building blocks, and creates a totally a unique sound that is absolutely his own...in real time. He represents the Platonic ideal of what it is to DJ. There isn't another DJ out there with the technical skills that James Zabiela possesses. If you want an example of this, you need to go no further than the 'Recorded' disc of his 2005 Utilities release Renaissance Presents: Alive 2 - Utilities. It was a two disc release with disc one subtitled 'Computed', a reflection of its studio origin, and disc two subtitled 'Recorded' in reference to its live origin. In the front insert of the CD jewel case, he breaks down the 'Recorded' disc and gives a play by play commentary of not only what exactly he was doing at any given point during the mix, but also why. It completely changed the way I listened to his music and I pick up on little things that I otherwise would never have noticed. The detail and shear mathematic precision with which he thinks and executes in real time is unmatched by any other DJ I have ever listened to. I have be listening to electronic since roughly '98, so I have heard a few DJ's in my time...James Zabiela is rare.

Zabiela's Utilities mix that he produced for Renaissance spent an inordinate time on my playlists the past two years. It's the archetype of what this guy can pull out of his tables: fun, creative, surprising.

This two disc set for the Masters label is a completely different tone for JZ, a much moodier and introspective atmosphere. It's not a normal feel for fans of Zabiela, but it's definitely doable. The discs are labelled DOWN (disc one) and UP (disc two). One would guess that the words are meant to describe the tempo of the sets, but if so, they don't work 100% of the time.

DOWN: Disc One is definitely down. Zabiela starts with the fever dreamish "Believe In It," a relaxing intro that JZ laces with some atmospheric sounds (rain, people talking) that he recorded as he moved about his daily life. It feels like he's establishing a darkly smooth ambient tone, but then Zabiela chooses to put Trentemoller's froggy "Always Something Better." A good song in its own right, it has a raucous bridge that makes the set uneven and baffling. It seems to baffle Zabiela, too, who stumbles through some false starts -- the rote tranciness of "Express," the pinching gloom of "Pattern 4," the boring despondency of "Amo Bishop Roden" -- before he starts to develop a nice kaleidoscopic sound with "Zarathustra." He seems to have found the plot again here -- Modeselektor's "Vote or Die" is a perfect follower -- but then he loses it with the sleep-inducing "A Brief Walk In the Sea." By this time, the recorded voices are becoming a trite nuisance, as digitzed voices disturb the meld of songs by saying things like "more than machinery, we need humanity" and "some become lost in desire."

The set certainly feels lost, but Zabiela pulls out some tricks with "All That You Lost," a stunning climax to the set that sounds like Boards of Canada remixed to fireworks. Its a strong, dark cloud of a song with brilliant silver linings. The next two songs follow it nicely with some arctic, sweet and sour sounds, although (again) the recorded voices blunder here and there, hampering the build. "Marry" feels like it could save the finale of the set as it builds speed and becomes sprightlier, but it turns atonal and clattery. "Chasin' A Feeling" -- an 80's feel glam pop declaration -- is fun, but the title also accurately describes the entire set. Zabiela finishes with the gloomily grating "Departing Gate," as well as the final recorded voice saying, "All we did was listen and wonder."

No fooling.

UP: Disc Two starts out on a positive note. "Afghanistan" fiddles around for about a minute and a half before Zabiela whips it into the kind of unapologetic, raunchy, energetic opener I've been waiting for. It's a shortlived victory though, as Woolford's "Surrender" intersperses the boistrousness with whiney, childish bleeping. The next two tracks bring back the raunch and some spacey digi-pop until the record hits its climax with Zabiela's own "Darkness.2," a fizzy, aptly named piece that is expansive, although a bit disoriented. At this point, Zabiela starts mixing in some aggressive techno sounds with "Nachtmensch" and "RSN08." It would've worked if he'd kept up the details; instead the whole thing becomes droning and scatterbrained, until by the time "Modern Love" is playing, it sounds like the set has completely jumped the rails. He gets bubbly, peppy, and drippy through the last three tracks. It's fun stuff, but none of it is very groove-worthy at all, with the exception of the penultimate track, another 80's sounding trance ditty called "Love You All."

My conclusion? Either Zabiela is depressed, or this was a well-intentioned experiment that simply didn't pan out. Fun in spots, but inconsistent and frustrating. For the guy who made "Robophobia" and "Weird Science," these two weird and gloomy sets don't make much sense.

i love hearing james zabiela mix live, but his mix cds--even when i'm excited to get them--fall flat after a listen and a half. this one is no different.

disc one has a cool down tempo groove for most of it, then it stumbles into a drum and bassy thing. similar to the free download if you got the one + one mix.

disc two has some banging tech tracks but really doesn't seem to take me anywhere.

like i said, his mixes fall flat for me fast. if you love his other ones you'll probably love this. if you were hoping he'd up the ante, then don't expect it.

there is a free 25 mins promo of the first disc renaissance put out. might be on their site. it's a cool stretch, check that.

OK here is my personal opnion, DISC 1 for me was my favourite, very chill, very calm, worth the buying, the DISC 2 is what he plays in the parties, ummmm...not bad, but I would prefer the 2 Discs with the style of Disc 1, anyway...RECOMMENDED !!!!