Customer Reviews

Transport 4

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

2001 has been a glorious year for fans of what's come to be called "progressive," a kind of electronic hybrid between trance and progressive house, with an occasional added dose of techno. There have been outstanding mix cd's released by Britons John Digweed, Dave Seaman, and Nick Warren, and also a spate of superb mixes from lesser-known North American dj's including John Debo, Jerry Bonham, DJ Hardware, Liam Kennedy, Emit, Max English, and on and on.

With this veritable torrent of terrific music already crowding the music shop shelves, there was the danger that Canadian Max Graham's contribution, the fourth installment in the popular Tranceport series (now renamed "Transport") might be relegated to "me, too" status, just another good-but-not-memorable cd to place on the stack of discs next to one's player.

But noooooooo. . . This is instead one of the very finest releases of 2001, a brilliantly mixed package that stands up to repeated listenings and still provides new pleasures with each new exposure. It's not simply that Graham has selected fine compositions and remixes for his set; he's also sequenced and mixed them to veritable perfection. CD one begins slowly, including some alluring East Indian effects at the start of the first track, "2 Heavy" by Deep Funk Project. By the third track, things head toward the highly percussive/housey with Peace Division dub of Boy Versus Girl's "Boom," followed by Ben Pound's hypnotic "Turned."

Throughout the set, Graham knows just when to pick up the tempo and energy levels and then when to slow things down. The set moves toward higher energy with Blackwatch's dub of Greed's "Strange World" and then things gradually slow down with Sugarglider's "Slow Motion," featuring pulsating background synths that are positively mesmerizing. The tempo picks up partway through Mad Dogs' breakbeat-driven "Sudden Journey," but then the mood shifts briefly toward near-chillout ambience with the semi-operatic strains of Murph's "Dark Sympathy." This track merges seamlessly and gloriously into the more uptempo Hybrid dub of "Vernon's Wonderland." The first set approaches its conclusion by means of a dramatic pause between Graham's own "Tell You" and the finale, Ogenki Clinic's "First Light."

As is often the case with two-cd progressive mixed sets, the second cd is a bit more uptempo overall, featuring such intense pieces as Graham's own "Shoreline." Still, there is enough variation in the styles to render this another true musical journey, rather than simply a series of great tracks. Timo Maas' "No Trance" offers some big 'whooshy' effects layered over an infectious beat; Ayumi Hamasaki's "Vogue" includes some acid-tweakiness along with some lovely background synths, whispered vocals, and another instrumental effect that resembles an African mbira. This, in turn, merges gorgeously into a live version of Hybrid's "High Life," which includes a dramatic dropout section in which tension builds prior to the piece's driving conclusion, featuring organ-like synths that are bold and dancey without being the least bit cheesy. "High Life" blends seamlessly into Underworld's dark-ish "Kittens," in which a unrelenting tapping/twanging rhythmic foreground is overlain by a haunting and powerful electronic symphony. The mood then shifts toward the driving beats and Middle Eastern-flavored vocals of Conjure One's "Redemption." Graham brings the set home with Private Taste's shimmeringly trancey "First," which mellows midway just enough to bring "Transport 4's" lengthy musical journey to a satisfying conclusion.

Despite the fact that this cd's release was delayed from its original target date, the sounds overall are still fresh and new, and there are few tracks that most listeners will have already heard on other mixes. This makes this set a "must-have" for all fans of progressive. Still, the music is accessible enough overall for casual fans of this genre that it can be recommended to anyone who is curious as to what this fabulous contemporary style of electronic dance music is all about.

Max Graham is an amazing DJ, this double CD only reinforces my belief that more people should be made aware of this great untapped talent. Part of Max's career was spent spinning at the premier club in Ottawa "Atomic". Just earlier this year he returned and played an amazing set at Atomic, it was the first time I'd ever heard him spin live. This double CD set manages to take the energy he puts into his sets and lets you bring it home. Anyone who like trance or progressive should DEFINITELY pick up this CD, otherwise they'd be missing what could be the best release in this genre so far this year and perhaps longer. I would put the quality, track selection, and mixing right on par with any CD set ever released by Global Underground, Tranceport, ar any major label by that matter. Essential.

Since its explosion in 1998 with the now (so-called) "greatest DJ ever" Paul Oakenfold, This series of 4 to the floor, power trance has made its way into even rock fans hands. So where do you go after big names like Sandra Collins and Dave Ralph grace your series? How about some fairly unknown Canadian DJ? Sounds good to me. I am so grateful to the Kinetic crew for taking the series in this direction, for all I knew Ferry Corsten would be the next in line. Thank god for Max Graham.

Max's wonderful twist on the series is so fresh and well needed. He has masterfully selected tracks that show you how deep you can fall into a DJ's set. This set is moody, dirty and all around invigorating. You won't find the cheesy "Epic", over played trance that we've heard way to many times. Instead Max seamlessly mixes the Nu Skool Breaks trio Hybrid over killer hard, deep, & progressive tracks by the amazing Blackwatch and Murph to name two.

Disc one is set up like the introduction, drawing you inside Max's head. It's a bit slow going at first but when Greed's "Strange World (Blackwatch Mix)" drops in, hold on cuz its gonna be one hell of a ride. Move to disc two where things get dirty with Tata Box Inhibitors marvelous "Freet" that's mixed perfectly into Timo Maas's killer tech-funk trance piece "No Trance". The disc peaks with (my all-time favorite group) Underworld's great track "Kittens".

There is nothing for me to complain about with this Transport, nothing is amiss and Max has started his Superstar DJ career with a bang. Pick this one up and leave that Oakenfold on the shelf.

If you dig this great mix, I'd recommend Timo Maas's new mix CD "Connected" and Seb Fontaine's "Prototype 4".

After the first three Tranc(s)eport releases, i was thoroughly anticipating this release from a then relatively unknown canadian Dj, max graham. You may hear people talking about good technique, and good mixing skills by people like Paul van Dyk or Dj Scot Project, but that is NOTHING compared to what Max graham has pulled off with this release. His mixing flows so flawlessly that even a trained ear has a hard time distinguishing the subtle changes in the music, and it will take you several listens to even begin understanding how he pulled most of those transitions off.

Naturally, with such great mixing come sacrifices in track selection, and even a prog fan will admit that "substructure" by elektronik is just a filler, for example. BUT. Max completely redeems himself as you get deeper into the mix... he really takes you on a musical journey that touches the core of your soul if you really have an appreciation for trance, and a good system to listen to it on. CD one has such awesome cuts as "2 Heavy" by Deep Funk Project, one of the best intro tunes i've ever heard.. and follows it up by such tremendous masterpeices as Yoogie van Bellen's remix of "Vernon's Wonderland" and his own "Tell You". The CD is also masterfully closed by a James Holden Production, which always have that "finishing touch" feel.

CD 2 is more geared toward track selection than mixing, but this still does not mean any rough spots.. the mixing is still liquid cool. This CD features one of my all time favorites: "Hi Life" by Hybrid. Wow, what an amazing track!! Other highlights include a brand new cut by the then also relatively unknown Ayumi Hamasaki, who is since a superstar, remixed by the likes of Armin van Buuren and Airwave. Max ends CD 2 with another superb closing track, his own remix of "Redemption" by Conjure One.

To sum it up, this CD is perfect for those of you who appreciate the depth and knowledge that goes into creating a trance mix, and the tremendous research and taste it requires to bring two tracks together so coherently. I warn you, all of this will not be apparent at your first listen of this mix. It will take time and many listens to fully grasp what max has done. I give this mix 5 stars for that reason and i will not shy from calling it a true masterpiece of trance.

Max Graham has been pegged as one of the Next Big Things for a while now, and a lot of people have liked what they've heard of his production and remix work on other compilations, but to be handed the fourth installment of the Transport series as a major-release rookie is still a pretty big deal. The folks at Kinetic obviously knew what they were doing, however, because he's created one of the best progressive mixes around.

His style is definitely the modern progressive house/trance that's all the rage, but he's also managed to carve out a unique sound niche of his own. In a world of darker and darker music (which I generally like), it's nice to find a guy who, while credible and hip, is not afraid of a melody. Some of these tracks are simply gorgeous, and he does a better job of balancing both the progressive and the music in "progressive music" than much of what we hear these days.

Reminiscent of his original songs and remixes, the musical noise of this album builds, breaks, and washes over you as more of a cohesive whole than as separate basslines, drums, and vocal samples. It's hard to describe, but Max Graham doesn't muddy the sound, he just integrates it a bit more. As is typical of both progressive trance and compilation albums (as opposed to live sets), the music tends to be more subtle than pounding and energetic, but there are still moments that'll get your feet tapping.

As far as track selection goes, I'd argue that this album is smarter and makes more sense than any of the Tranceports before it. I'm not saying it's a better album necessarily -- I thought 1 (Paul Oakenfold) and 2 (Dave Ralph) were excellent CD's, and 3 (Sandra Collins) was pretty good -- but for all the variety here in terms of percussion and tempo, the flow and overall concept of the albums work as well as anything I've listened to. You might find a song or two that you quibble with or don't like, but on the whole you can go from start to finish and end happy.

Personally, I think this is one of the best albums I've bought in a while, and I buy a lot. Max Graham -- great DJ live, creative producer, and now this. Solid work...

If you like deep groovy slamming house and trance that's impeccably mixed, get this CD please! I own hundreds of electronic music mixes and this is easily one of my TOP 10 favorites. The track selection is just outstanding, and even years later I'm impressed by the production quality of each and every track. Well done Max.

This is a mind-blowing mix. CD1 is brilliant, kicking of with a nice asian textural intro into the slowly building, sculptural funk of the first four tracks. The emphasis is on percussion here, dark and abstract. The music then warps into the humid atmospheres of "Strange World," and from then it's all spacy vibes until the pulse-quickening, futuristic and synthey "Tell You" by Max Graham himself. This particular track is the best techno track I have heard in years. It has a brilliant, staccato melody that really brings the first CD to a peak. A totally unforgettable and truly MUSICAL work.

CD2 is a bit harder, less "headphone-ish." Also a brilliant mix, it stays closer to the dancefloor, pulsing with some dark trance and featuring the best second half of any mix CD since Carl Cox's FACT One. Notable is the inclusion of Underworld's "Kittens," which I think is an absolutely beautiful song.

Max Graham ought to be commended by not following the trend that says you have to make either a dark and progressive record or a sugarey and cheesey one. Transport 4 is a good trance record, period, plain and simple.

Max Graham is not a household name yet, but his time will come when he will be in the likes of Oakenfold, Digweed, Sasha, Van Dyk, etc. This album truely defines trance to its purest form. It takes the elements of early trance and blends in with modern sound and you get this album. The mixing of Max Graham is unbelievable. Stealthy, sneaky, and jumps on you before you realize it. His selections are carefully thought out and portrays mixed emotions of bliss and sorrow. He reveals this sound in about the middle of the first cd. Max manages to bring the hard sound of Strange World and morphs it into the dreamy and fantasy-like sound of Sugarglider's Slow Motion, then transforms that into the dark Sudden Journey. People are used to commercialized and club trance, and probably wouldnt recognize this as a great album. But true fans of electronic music know that this guy is someone to watch out for.

Before Transport 4 came out, the hype surrounding Canadian Max Graham was rising. Some of his produced tracks were fantastic, and many of them had been featured on commercial releases such as Oakenfold's Travelling. When Graham signed up to do a mixed set for the ubiquitous Transport series, many, including myself, were prepared for one of the top progressive albums of the year.

Graham's Transport 4 is a solid, impressive debut with blatant flaws. Many of the tracks, especially on CD 1, seem almost like 'filler' tracks; songs used for the sole purpose to delve into more exciting mixing. A lot of fans of the excellent, non-cheese trance that was experienced on the GU label of the last couple years will most likely be bored with this CD. Progressive is an exciting genre, but has a problem of being excessively monotonous when not done well. Graham's track selection is uneven; he knows he wants to do a progressive mix, and that's exactly what it is, but he can't get the listener consistently moving throughout the disk. The point of progressive is to have stirring, steady beats without the typical overdone build ups and breakdowns seen in the trance genre. CD 2 is a much more exciting progressive mix than CD 1, with more consistent and entertaining tracks.

Progressive has been denigrated by some for being a boring genre, and it definitely can be. When slow, monotonous tracks are mixed in either because of the lack of mixing prowess or just to advance to another, more exciting track, the quality and enjoyment of a mix can be severely demeaned. The problem with Graham's Transport 4 is he has difficulty of keeping a balance between boredom and excitement, with long, drawn out moments of monotony, and sporadic, sudden tracks of real substance. Transport 4 is not a bad set, but with progressive being done much better by Seaman, Howells, and Kleinenberg, most would be happier with one of the other fantastic progressive mixes released in 2001.

OK, this cd blew me away. Not only did it blow me away, but it changed my taste in trance. It didn't stick to the generic trend of trance using a lot of the same melodies you hear in every other song. It takes you through a dark journey and leaves you completely satisfied.

The first cd starts out with an awesome arabian sounding flute playing and leads right into the deep and bass pulsating "too heavy" from deep funk project. From here on out you go through a deep and funky progressive house type of thing with little hints of trance everywhere. When Verns wonderland you can kiss the house good by and say hi to an onslaught of beautiful trance which ends with Ogenki Clinic's "first light". This last track will leave you stunned and wanting to cry.

For anyone who doesn't like dark and progressive, just listen to the second cd. That should quench your needs, but both cds are completely amazing.