Customer Reviews

Sequential 2 Mixed By Hernan Cattaneo

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hernan Cattaneo's second installment in his self-realized "Sequential" series is a highly intelligent and logical extension of the successful first installment. It is in every way as haunting, smooth and colorful as its album's cover might indicate. Hernan is arguably the smoothest DJ on the scene right now, able to slyly manipulate the transitions between songs whose eclectic nature one cannot help but savor and appreciate. What works in Hernan's favor is the fact that Sequential Vol. 2 is not so much a "sequel" as much as it is a progression for the Sequential series and Cattaneo himself.

The layout of Sequential 2 is similar to that of Sequential, Vol. 1; the first disc is a wonderful, (dare I mention the word timeless already?) smooth and sexy mix of what amounts to be a superb track selection. Though brief, Cattaneo and John Tonks' `Little Intro Mix' of "Sweep" swept me off my feet; the two artists manage to change a rather familiar song into something brief and beautiful. As usual, Cattaneo's track selection is impeccable as he mixes quirky tracks like "18 Years" alongside more conventional tracks like "Monochrome." Those of you familiar with Hernan's sly DJ'ing style will, no doubt, find lovely the transitions between Nic Fanciulli's remix of "I Try" and the `Sequential Mix' of "Anime" (produced by Cattaneo and Tonks themselves). The beauty of disc one steadily escalates as the tracks progress and I truly believe Hernan meticulously placed these tracks in "sequence" to provide this effect. He succeeds, brilliantly. The beauty of the first disc is counter-weighted by midtempo, beat-oriented tracks beginning early on in the mix; from tracks five until sixteen, Hernan manipulates the sound so that with regards to the mystical elements of the music the intrusion of heavier undercurrent beats doesn't overwhelm the vibe. Note-worthy tracks include "Goodbye Pluto" and Martin Buttrich's sublime remix of "Rhythm Acupuncture," which segues into the superbly chosen "Popsky," aiding "Smooth Drive" in bringing closure to the first disc riding the same elegance with which it began.

True to "Sequential" prototype, the second mix illustrates what the cover of the album can only convey visually. A certain type of aural 'color' is injected into the tracks on this mix, similar to the 'color' one might find on the Luke Fair's "Balance." That is not to say that disc two resembles house music, by any means. Tracks such as Guy Gerber & David K's mix of "Neon," "Arachnofunk" and "Everyone Loves Candy" that illustrate this colorful timbre - and we only find ourselves on the fourth track! This is definitely a mix to cherish, just as its predecessor was. The style is fresh - the "new car smell" of EDM and it simply never fails to get the body moving. "Everyone Loves Candy," in fact, launches the album into danceable bliss with echoic female "voices" (not to be confused with vocals) and a relentless dancefloor beat that will promote beads of sweat on your face as you let loose to its sound. Take it or leave it, but this is one wicked album. The remix of Layo & Bushwacka!'s "Saudade" deserves specific praise here, I think, because of its ethnically-infused funk. Add a dash of electro and flip on the strobe-lights because the party's going from dusk `til dawn. Any dance album has the capacity to precipitate an all-night party, but tracks like "Nobody Beats the Biz," moving from funk-laden grooves to hard-hitting minimal house keep things one step ahead of the rest. How Hernan manages this flow without losing the listener nor the pace continues to elude me; in fact, it excites me to the point where I'm not sure if I'm liable to care how he does it - I just want to taste that aural sugarcane. Two unique `Sequential Mixes' of "Airtight" and "Paper Dove" bring even more authenticity to faithful Stel's "Infinitiy," which closes out the second mix and displays the sexy fusion of house, Balearic and trance EDM tightly bound within the confines of eight minutes. Superb.

The second volume of Sequential shows Hernan at perhaps his finest peak thus far as we have watched his style move through that of the fifth Master's Series to the Sequential series and the continued success of his Metro 95.1 radio show. This is an album worth purchasing; ideal for a club or for a home entertainment system, there is never a point during which the listener feels his intelligence is being insulted with repetitious "four-on-the-floor" amateur antics. This is simply not Hernan's style. Expect the same sly, smooth and sexy trance we have all come to know and love Hernan Cattaneo for - though dually, expect it to be of a higher caliber than we have seen from him before. Unlike John Digweed's Transitions, Vol. 2, which is a fantastic album in its own right but is a mere continuation of the first volume, the second Sequential release is a step forward from the previous excursion, and exercises both the mind and body in ecstatic unity.

~Lex

Well,well,well i`m going to be very short but consistent.
I have been listening music for over 32 years ,at this point there is not much music that impress me, yes there are things that i like,there are things that i love but at my 44 years old not many things ( in music) impress me ,well Hernan Cattaneo Sequential vol 2 impressed me so deeply,first i should have said that i`m not (was) H.C. fan ,do not misunderstand me i`m not saying he is bad or anything close but he is soft for my taste ¨he did not impress me then , he did now in a BIG way this album is amazing!!!! ,the last thing that imressed me was J.Digweed Transitions vol 1,and the one before was Balance 5 James Holden CD tow but Sequential vol 2 is something BIG in electronic music ,for me is as big and important as Sasha-Digweed`s Northern Expossure vol 1 and 2.

The selection of tunes is superb, the mix is great!.I`m not so good describing track by track , but i`ll tell you this: this album is the music that you hear in the best night,in the best club in your life and you never can buy it at any store (as a mix). So if MUSIC IS VERY IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE (AS IT IS FOR ME) GET IT NOW!! IT WILL TOUCH YOUR SOUL!! YES IN DEED. Deep ,strong ,obscure house for your ears and body and food for your spirit .Please excuse my english ...i`m mexican tanks.

I would love to rate this compilation 5 stars, since Cattaneo is like god for me. But in this case 4 stars will do it. CD 1 is brilliant, only quality music superbly mixed. The smooth transitions between tracks (which have made Cattaneo so famous) are here at its finest peak. Cattaneo just makes us believe these tracks were made to be together (¡?). I loved it, though it had some weak moments (track 2, and 5). Don't get me wrong, they're not bad tracks, i just know Cattaneo has some hidden gems with him, that could work better.
CD 2 dissappointed. it's good, well done, and mixed, and has 2 of the hottest tracks of the moment (Steve Mill's Lia, and Arachnofobia). It's a good cd, just not enough to rate it 5. I'll give it 3.5, for a total of 4 Stars.
Overall a good buy. Money well spent.

As with Sequential Volume One, Hernan Cattaneo delivers a two-disc set that won't be leaving my stereo anytime soon. This is some of the best dark, progressive music i've heard in a long time. Of course, its not all dark, in fact many of the tracks fuse in some spine-tingling melodic tones that are accompanied by a nice uplifting base line.

His mixing is next to none and the track selection is remarkable. I bought this before Sequential One but have since listened to that and they are two of my all time favourite dance CDs. On this album, Disc 2 tracks 9 and 13 are real powerhouses but there is plenty here on each disc to keep you listening for a long time, especially if you have a quality stereo/headphones to listen from it only increases listening pleasure.

As with Sequential One, this CD is highly recommended and lets hope he can keep delivering some of the best dance music to hit the shelves. Hats off to Hernan!

Hernan Cattaneo has long been one of my favorite DJs. I discovered him through the Renaissance label -- specifically his stellar Renaissance mix for the Masters series -- and have found precious few discs by this guy that didn't fail to win me over. This, his second effort for the Sequential series, is a solid win, but it still doesn't match, beat for beat, the spirit and energy of Volume One.

Hernan is known for his funky tribal rhythms and for his ability to weave together sets the way some writers weave together novels. The sets I mentioned above (as well as several others) act like graphic novels for the ears, moving the listener through well-merged dimensions of mood. This second volume has the smooth, sculpted progression Hernan does so well, although his moods this time around are a little hazier and not quite so well-thought out.

DISC ONE: "Sweep," a short intro with a creepy Christmas chime vibe, sets the tone with some glistening goosebumps that lead directly into a steady ascension through the weird, dark joy of songs like "18 Years," "Monochrome" and Nic Fanciulli's popular remix of "I Try." Hernan's first peak is a personal creation -- "Anime" -- whose deep and dirty vibe segues perfectly with the light-footed robot beats of X-plore's "Time Travel." After this, Hernan eases up on the throttle and sets the cruise control, sending the set through a serviceable (but sometimes tiresome) four-track come-down. "Agent Blue" (a sort of angelic choir dub by Guy J) gets the engine turning over again, but the mood is no longer the high-grade, low-down lounge that Hernan has set up in the previous nine tracks. Now it's two diva vocals away from being trance. It's uneven, but Hernan bounces back with "In Place Solo" (a song in the same vein as "Time Travel") and he wraps the set up with "Smooth Drive," an excellent might-be-techno bumper that, nonetheless, is confusing as a closer. It feels like it should be in the middle somewhere.

DISC TWO: Hernan doesn't try to mix it up much the second go-around, either, starting disc two with ambient digitals similar to the ones at the opening of Disc One. It's a good start, but by track three -- James Harcourt's sightly juvenile "Arachnofunk" -- the tone is skewered. Hernan finds his groove again with "Everyone Loves Candy," and he keeps it at a steady rhythm over the next four tracks, even if -- again -- he doesn't really challenge himself or the listener with any real complexity or sonic intrigue. He awkwardly winds things down with a few robotic tracks ("Paper Dove" and "Prodax") before closing the whole thing out with Stel's "Infinity," a song that is like the polar opposite of the closer from Disc One.

I enjoyed these sets, but I also found more than a few cracks in their veneer, which is rare for Hernan. If it were any other DJ, I'd give them kudos and five stars, but knowing the sorts of moves Hernan is capable of, I'm compelled to be a little hard on the guy this time around. Good album, but he can do better.

This work is a step into darker deeper beats and flows, for those familiar with his other work. It doesn't have a commercial or casual feel of progressive house pop but something serious, aggressive and confident: the sound of a master gripped by the new direction he's found and willing to probe the depths with an utter briliance. it's not comparable to Sequential Vol1 or the other Renaissance works or a complete departure, but something new, reflecting his growth as an artist. The sounds aren't cluttered or squeezed together but layered and meshed perfectly into perfect flows where every beat and breath is intended to be heard. Not sure how to categorize this but other than a deep, dark progressive house ride into the inner beats of a musician at his peak. I highly recommend this album and a must listen with a high end surround sound system or high end headphones. Stand out tracks: 18 Years, In Place Solo, Saudade, I Sleep in Sellotape, Nobody Beats the Biz, Airtight, Paper Dove

Disc 1 is my favorite with its haunting vocals in the beginnig. If you like any Cattaneo you will like this. Each mix is like one long song; there is not as much variety as on many of Cattaneos albums but if you like the feel its good all the way through!

I have been listening to electronic music for years, and this album has touched me in a way that very few albums spanning trance, progressive, psychedelic, downtempo or any other genre of electronic music have done.

As I lay on the couch listening to CD1 for the first time, there was this defining moment somewhere between tracks 12 and 14 when I realized something very magical was happening. The transitions, depth and harmony of the music literally blew my mind. I sat up and listened in awe with that feeling of magic that sometimes only comes every couple of years of listening to music.

Electronic is not generally a genre described as beautiful, but the balance and harmony in this album, especially CD1, at times is nothing other than deeply and movingly beautiful. The use of instrumentals in some of the tracks is incredibly well done.

The past couple of years I had lost my faith in mainstream dance music and had moved into psychedelic trance and downtempo electronica. Also, I've never really been that big of a fan of house music, but if this is the direction it's headed then my faith has been restored.

"Sequential, Vol. 2" is a progression from Hernan's 2006 release "Sequential" under the Renieassance label, and doesn't disappoint. The new mix showcases Hernans superb mixing and unique taste in electronica and progressive house. The album also shows Hernan's production on the album, I think this is the most we have see Mr. Cattaneo's remixes and productions on any of his previous mixes. Disc One starts out deep, slow, and involving with Hernan's mix of "Sweep", then shortly followed by Nic Fanculli's mix of Francious Dubois' "I Try." Hernan and John Tonk's "Anime" is an amazing track that gives disc one the unique and hypnotizing sound Hernan is famous for. Disc Two is a little more upbeat, beginning the mix with "Second Angel is Here (Sequential Mix)" by Oliviero, followed with the Guy Gerber Mix of "Neon" from Spencer Parker. "Lia" , "Everyone Loves Candy", and Layo and Bushwacka's "Suandade" give the disc its momentum and energy. Henran's mix of Nick Muir's "Airtight" is outstanding and Martin Garcia's "Paper Dove", also remixed by Hernan, is a perfect contribution to the album. For those who resepect well mixed, unique progressive electronica will be in heaven. For those who are fans of Hernan's previous mixes, you will not be disappointed either. One of the best dj mixed albums of 2007. Hopefully, this compilation and Hernan's nonstop touring will boost his ranking on the Top DJ 100 List alongside the best.

(May 18, 2007)
I just got my copy of Hernan Cattaneo's Sequential vol. 2. I actually had to order it from amazon.co.uk as the release date was pushed back for some reason (U.S. release date January 2008?). I must say that after listening to it I was speechless. I'm probably exaggerating, I'm not sure, but the one thing I'm one hundred percent sure is that this compilation presents a very different perspective of electronica.

The compilation ranges from elegant and smooth housey tracks to more banging and deeper stuff (you can call it progressive trance/house) with smooth transitions between tracks. I should say that, above all, this compilation is well-crafted and scrupulously done; you don't feel like you are listening to a bunch of tracks put together with the only intention of pleasing the crowd; Hernan Cattaneo goes beyond that. I also like the fact that the music on this album is equally comfortable on the dance floor as it is in the living room. He includes excellent tracks that mirror his current style yet at the same time tracks that were produced exclusively for the album, therefore, reflecting his diverse and current approach to music.

Although I prefer listening to more minimal and experimental electronica, I definitively recommend buying this album. But after all I believe there are no words to describe music. You need to feel it; that I think is the nature of art, it goes beyond mere words. My rating, 3.5/5

Listen and be inspired.

Recommended: Nick Warren GU30 Paris