Customer Reviews

Temptation

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've known Christopher for 4 years and besides being one of the nicest DJs in the world, he's a true professional and talented artist. This cd well represents his style of trance that has rocked so many crowds around the world. Ever since I spun with him in 1996, he's been known as a DJ who's guaranteed to satisfy any crowd that wants hard, heavy-hitting progressive dance music. As with his sets, this disc starts off smooth and progresses right into a whirlwind of sounds and beats from another dimension. I can't really describe the sound but it will definitely get you moving and is great to drive to on the way to a party to get you hyped up. To put it simple, buy this if you want a solid and smooth trance experience.

Although I'm sure 99.99% of Americans don't know it, 1999 has been the Year of Trance within the wild world of electronic dance music. Just as speed garage was all the rage two years ago, melodic trance tracks are filling dance floors all over Europe and to some extent, the United States.

As a fan of trance, I find this gratifying--to a point. The problem is that the very popularity of the music has generated a plethora of mediocre trance releases, including a spate of all-the-same nonstop trance mix cd's. Most of these are highly influenced by the current styles of trance popular in the Netherlands and Germany. I like this music but hey, enough is enough.

Within this context, "Temptation," mixed by Los Angeles dj Christopher Lawrence, is a breath of fresh air. It's energetic, melodic, and distinctive, and the quality is superb all the way through. He chooses his tracks carefully and creates a mix that starts relatively slowly but then builds to a frenzy. It's nothing short of terrific, and anyone interested in "what trance is about" should consider giving this cd a spin.

Larwence is definitly one of the greatest trance Dj's. Temptation is my favorite trance cd!I listen to it over and over again but never get tired of it.The cd is full of nonstop energy and the transition from one song to another is so smooth! If you love to dance and rave then this cd is for you!

This is my favorite trance CD in my collection, with Oakenfold's Tranceport at a close second. It blends hard house beats with good trance. There is not a weak point in the CD. If you like trance you must buy it.

This CD was tight. The Best wasy to experience this CD is really loud or with some big headphones. I wish I could listen to this again, but some fool at my job stole my copy. That's how good it is.

You KNOW it's a great CD when the weakest track (mainly due to placement) on the whole disk is the Arrakis one! Starts out with thumpin' 4-4 to get you in the groove, funks it up a bit with some nice acidy tracks, then hits you full on with some of the most massive recent trance anthems around. If only it could go on longer! I've heard CL spin live twice now, and this disc does a nice job of capturing his intensity. That's also a subtle way of saying this isn't fluffy stuff; if there is such a thing, I'd call this deep trance...harder than progressive, less wail-y and thicker bass than Goa, smoother and more groove-oriented than hardtrance, more melodic than tech. Worth it. Buy it.

For a sub genre of music that seems inherently limiting, trance continues to grow and find new ways of expression for the driving beat and often repetitious melodies that power it and everyone on the dance floors. While DJs like Sasha and J. Digweed are exploring a somewhat newer sound often described as "progressive trance," Christopher Lawrence focuses on pure, unrelenting trance that lays it all out on the table.

Christopher Lawrence's found his niche with his first release, Rise. Touted as "America's top trance DJ," he has a lot to live up to in his follow up to that album, and it is nice to see he didn't change too much. The pounding beats are still there--you'll definitely need to catch your breath after a full listen--and his track selection and mixing is again superb (it's nice to see that it was mixed live, giving a better sense of his live DJ skills).

If there is one song that could define trance in itself, Lawrence's opening track "Good Enough" by Milk Inc. might be it. The opening beats and pulsing rhythm are hypnotic, and there is a heaviness and a richness to it that does a nice job of setting the stage as he moves through two more bass-heavy tunes. Double Impact's "Fascinating" builds slowly and uses trance's signature drum roll excellently to build pace until it lets go into "Baloney."

The middle section of the mix might be the weakest. Unlike Rise, there doesn't seem to be much variation in the sound, and it does get a little repetitive until you hear the gentle, albeit subtle sound of the piano on Graeme's "Flatline." And, when Lawrence throws down his own "Shredder" there is a freshness that is restored to the mix. The indirect Middle Eastern sounds and spacey vocals in "Windows '98" are just what we need to change things up a little, but it is back to the driving sounds Lawrence is known for with "Propulsion" then a nice slightly more airy closing track of "Perpetua" by Trancsa.

Temptation is a good sequel to Rise, though the track selection may be less inventive (which doesn't make it worse per se). There is nothing really "progressive" (electronica's best catch phrase) about it. Structurally, while they are not cookie-cutter style, the songs don't try to break any new ground musically.

Make sure you have a good set of headphones or a subwoofer in your car when you listen to it; there is no lack of bass or deep beats. Also, if you run out of coffee, it's a nice way to stay up all night or wake you up in the morning. A good choice for fans of high energy trance.

One of my friends told me about this guy, and I didn't think he was THAT good, but he is. CL dishes out non-stop beats that make you want more. The songs are not so lenthy so you always can listen to it over and over and never get bored with it.

The first time that I heard "Rise", I was completely intrigued with the ability of a DJ to mix a CD so flawlessy as to make it seem like the entire disk is one song. While "Temptation" doesn't flow quite as well as "Rise" (in my opinion), for some reason, the beats seem to hit a little harder and has a better hook (no pun intended) to it. Basically, "Temptation" is flat out wicked dark trance fun. From the instant the first bass beat drops, you will find it impossible not to listen to every single sound on this outstanding piece of work. No cheese in this diet my friends. If you're into that, check out Tranceport, or other "happy" trancers. This one is for stomping and dancing when you don't even want to. Nasty.

With this Cd Christopher Lawrence shows why he's one of the best trance DJ's in america. This CD is on of the best that I have purchased in a while.