Renaissance Presents: Alive 2 - Utilities

James Zabiela | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 28, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thrive
• ASIN: B0009R1SIW
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,327 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. James Zabiela & Nick Boulton “Quantum Realities” (Intro)

2. Decomposed Subsonics “Atlantic View”

3. The Consumer “Your Soul For Access”

4. Wyatt Earp & Little Mike “Android” (Original Mix)

5. Aphex Twin “Windowlicker”

6. Solid Groove “This Is Sick”

7. James Zabiela “EyeAmComputer”

8. Soundex “On/Off”

9. Lee Coombs “Outta My Mind” (Breaks Mix)

10. Lee Coombs “Outta My Mind” (House Mix)

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Hisham Samawi & Dennis Rodgers “Through You”

2. Martin C “The Escape”

3. Trentemøller “Rykketid”

4. Walter Ercolino “One Flew Over the Cocoo’s Nest”

5. Montero “Captain Hook” Mix 2

6. Rob Mooney “Feelin’ Electro”

7. Buick Project “At The Rave”

8. Gerome Sportelli “Growth”

9. Hugg & Pepp “Pellefant”

10. PMT “Gyromancer” (Elite Force Mix)

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This double disc from the much acclaimed James Zabiela displays his penchant for ideas as progressive as his sound. The first disc ("Computerized") is software mixed and the second ("Recorded") uses traditional techniques. The opening half of "Computerized" contains a well sequenced and ethereal remix of Aphex Twin’s "Windowlicker" and Zabiela really starts to find a groove around tracks 9 and 10 when he drops back-to-back breaks/house remixes of "Outta My Mind." "Recorded" has a much better sense of momentum, as James takes us from the deep haunting vocals of "Through You" to the driving distorted sounds of "At The Rave," finally bringing us back down to earth with the melodic broken-beat sounds of "Gyromancer." While these discs will certainly spark much debate and discussion, it is clear that James Zabiela is intent on both pushing the boundaries of electronic music and devastating the dance floor--a task that is certainly worthy of Sasha’s protégé. -- Anish Acharya

Product Description

James Zabiela once again joins forces with Renaissance for the follow-up to 2004’s acclaimed ‘ALiVE’ mix album. On ‘Utilities,’ James puts forth his strongest effort yet with this innovative mix that explores new techniques in DJ mixing. The two discs in the set are labeled as ‘Computed’ and ‘Recorded,’ and, as the names suggest, one uses the much publicized Ableton technology and was recorded entirely on computer, whilst the other makes a welcome return to last years format of three CDJs, samplers and an EFX unit.

But beyond the mixing techniques, James distinct musical style remains at the heart of the album. The album showcases James’ growing ability to bridge the experimental and club worlds, and it embodies a sound that presents a dancefloor take on techy, electro flavored progressive house, with just enough breaks to keep the funk oozing in. ‘Utilities’ is also a platform to showcase James’ very first foray into the world of original production. The result is two incredible cuts – ‘Robophobia’ and ‘EyeAMComputer’, which are currently causing mayhem on dancefloors round the world. Beyond his own productions James draws on a host of current talent, including the previously unavailable Kriece remix of Aphex Twin’s seminal ‘Windowlicker’ and tracks and remixes from Infusion, Buick Project, Trentemoller, Lee Coombs, Montero and many more.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When Worlds Collide, January 7, 2007

By 

LexAffection (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Renaissance Presents: Alive 2 - Utilities (Audio CD)

This is really the only officially released Zabiela album worthy of review in my eyes, so I'll gladly take a stab at it since he is one of my all-time favorite up and coming DJs.

The first time I heard Zabiela, it was blasting through my friend's excessively large headphones as we walked down the main road of our campus. When I asked who it was and the name 'James Zabiela' entered my musical vocabulary, personal history was made. Of course, back then I thought he must be an older, dignified pro to have created the sounds that he did; later on I found out he's fairly new, and considered Sasha's protege. I never understood this label - Sasha may have taken him under his wing and got him signed after Lee Burridge passed one of JZ's mix tapes onto him, but the styles diverge so utterly, so completely that there really is no comparison - other than musical ingenuity. And perhaps mixing skills.

This album from Renaissance is a unique one, not only because of the choice DJ showcased within this double-disc set, but also due to the collision of two worlds. Respect the names of each CD ('Computerized' and 'Recorded', respectively): they are entirely indicative of the content within.

'Computerized' is the largest deviation from mainstream dance, trance and house music that I have ever heard - more along the lines of a breakbeat Digweed Fabric20 - and took me the longest to get into. Now I can't put it down. The term 'Robot Funk' has been mentioned above, and I will reiterate that heartily. Computerized starts out weakly; the first four tracks don't excite me, and the fifth track I only listen to because it builds nicely into the sixth track - the point at which the album really picks up. Tracks 6,7 (This Is Sick, EyeAmComputer) are fantastic, and EyeAmComputer is one of two tracks of Zabiela's own devising. Following these are two successive mixes of Lee Coombs' "Outta My Mind". Tracks like James Zabiela's second original, "Robophobia (JZ Childhood Edit)", "Future Love" and "Snabein" show indications that Zabiela has finally hit his stride as far as Computerized is concerned.

James did an interesting thing ending Computerized with "Through You (Outro) and beginning Recorded with "Through You". Within this album there is a clash between technology and man - a clash seemingly easy to demonstrate. What makes the Outro of Computerized and the first track of Recorded significant is the attempt to -connect- the two divergent worlds, producing a package of cerebral assault beats utilizing computer technology like Ableton Live (Mix 1) and the more traditional CDJ1000's/sampler/FX units (Mix 2). I think James tried to make this clash of technologies obvious; on the inside insert on the CD booklet there is a photo of Zabiela surrounded by toy robots; but the one he holds up, the robot from "Futurama", sports an apron which says "Kill All Humans." A scary thought, but I found it humorous.

'Recorded', as mentioned above, is mixed and simply created more traditionally, but it is the better of the two mixes as many below me have stated. 'Through You', the mix's 10+ minute lead-in, crashes into 'The Escape', and then the insanity of 'Rykketid' and 'One Flew Over the Cucoo's Nest" follow closely at the heels. This mix never lets the listener take a significant breather, and the beats are nothing short of SICK. This is definitely breakbeat-infused raving progressive trance music at its finest; the track selection on Recorded is one of my favorite line-ups in any mix CD I own. 'Feelin Electro' and 'At the Rave' echo this sentiment - not just in name only! Zabiela adds some absolutely WACKY and wholly unorthodox samples and effects into these tracks, as my buddy would say, "...simply because he can."

Overall, this album is a must for anyone who enjoys Zabiela's style, in any capacity. Compared to his live sets (which are nothing short of ecstasy and adrenaline) this album pales; I see this as an indication of his true ability. It's easy to create a damn good studio album with the right talent - but when one is known better for performing live... well, James has this going for him. But as a studio album, for the prospective buyer and anyone looking to get into Zabiela, "Utilities" is a truly fine set of insanity that I believe will lead most anybody to watch out for this guy. It is truly a set of fantastic recordings and genius that will see itself paving the way for electronic music in the future.

~Lex

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars james zabiela, July 17, 2005

By 

Boris P. Shapoval "different_gear" (atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Renaissance Presents: Alive 2 - Utilities (Audio CD)

james is taking house music to the next level with this mix. a lot of electro loops for your listening pleasure. first CD is totally computerized, "this is sick" "robophobia" "snabeln" deffinately stand out. 2nd CD stats of with sick beats and percussion, great tech house with an electro twist which never stops throughout the second CD. worth listening to :)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Motherboard Of Music, May 8, 2007

By 

Mark Eremite "This Is A Display Model Only" (Seoul, South Korea) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Renaissance Presents: Alive 2 - Utilities (Audio CD)

Young golden-boy James Zabiela has been smashing club floors with his talented energy and tech-house mixes since before the turn of the century, his deceptively delerious style drawing the attention of other house icons like Sasha (who signed up the Southampton DJ under Excession) and Nic Fanciulli (whom Zabiela has joined up with for a tour of collaborative appearances across the globe). This two-disc set offers a dense dose of Zabiela's distinctively digital dubbing, showcasing all of the cleverness and ingenuity that have steadily amped the fellow's reputation in Breakbeat circles and Tech-houses worldwide.

The first disc, entitled "Computed," was mixed and mastered via the much-lauded Ableton technology, and it throbs with a heavily mechanized feel. Zabiela takes urgently wicked tracks (Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker" and The Consumer's "Your Soul For Access," to name just a few) and applies, one at a time, steadily progressive tweaks and loops. The overall effect is one of a patiently crafted musical mobile, something both simple and complex, a chorus of elements that orbit perfectly without becoming entangled or overwhelming. Songs like "Atlantic View" with its robotic raindrop effects, or "On/Off" with its wiry back-scratching, or the trance cyclone of "Theme From Silvertone" make one want to keep turning the volume knob further to the right. And Zabiela's original pieces -- "EyeAMComputer" and "Robophobia" -- are absolutely stunning bits of hydraulic house, the kind of gut-punching tech-tracks that shake plaster off the walls and cause arrhythmia. This is the kind of pneumatic noise that makes tech-house so much fun, and Zabiela knows exactly how to whip it out.

The second disc -- "Recorded" -- was mixed live and plays like an hour long snapshot of a deep club's aural aura. (For those over-the-top house heads, Zabiela's liner notes include an in-depth analysis of the second disc's mechanics, providing -- literally -- a second-by-second explanation of the methods used with his samplers and mixing units.) It starts with a careful deep house (almost trancey) lift-off via Samawi and Rodgers' "Through You," but by the time the third track pulls into the deck with Trentemøller's "Rykketid," Zabiela has blasted off into stratospheric realms. The rest of the record is a dip-n-dive poeticism through vinyl-n-velour. Zabiela's loops are shaped like race tracks, his break-beats are as shattered as stained glass, his mixes are as thorough as H and two O's. By the time he eases the throttle down through Allien's sun-struck "Sehnsucht," it's obvious to any listener that Zabiela has made something honey-sweet and downy-dark, a perfect addendum to any house collection, and a pleasant reminder that the cavernous expanses of electronica still have skilled explorers to enlighten their furthest edges.