Bedrock [IMPORT]

Jimmy Van M, Bedrock

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2001)
• Original Release Date: May 22, 2001
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Bedrock
• ASIN: B00005JIA8
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #905,166 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
From the moment Florida-raised, New York-based Jimmy Van M kicks off this superlative release with Mo Shic and Zeidan's "Night Stalker," the quality of this CD never dips. It's no surprise that John Digweed wanted Van M on the Bedrock project roster: no one else has this man's sense of spatial trance awareness. He brings a variety of flavors (not the least of which are some great core house elements) to the party, yet keeps things first class with a steady, smooth, and intoxicating ascent. For example, his own "Love Like Sleep (Dub)," which soaks house music in trance, glistens with retro electro as well. And when JVM wants to turn the mix all melancholy, he does so with the sweetness and light of Minimalistix's "Struggle for Pleasure," a pounding backbone that keeps things brisk and active as the emotions open up all around. It's obvious by the middle of the second disc that Van M is a huge fan of Underworld's approach to sound and arrangement. John Johnson's "London" has the mood and movement of a Dub No Bass with My Head Man classic, while Mandisco hits the autobahn at Underworldian speed with the smoky trance-pherics of "Mandisco (Original Mix)." Jimmy then throws in the relentless bouncing energy of Junkie XL's "Bon Voyage." Does it end on a fadeout or an ambient slow note? Not a chance, matey! Thermodee & Stratosphere's descriptively titled "Diminished Responsibility" makes one question why this wasn't a three-disc blessing. Indeed, Jimmy Van M has created a benchmark trance release. Novices and newbies will be instantly spoiled by the caliber of this collection while veterans will find it hard to disengage once the first track is spinning. This is the closest anyone has come to bringing the trance floor to living rooms worldwide. --Steffan Chirazi

Product Description
Solid, Dual Disc Dance Music Set Put Together by the Inimitable Jimmy Van Malleghem, He of the Balance Promotions Group who Got his First Djing Shot at the Orlando, Florida Club Barbarellas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing cleanse of pallette to your trance collection, June 17, 2001

By	Richard Diaz (Centerville, OH United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Bedrock (Audio CD)

This release is way overdue. As part of Balance Promote Group, Jimmy Van Malleghem (along with Chris Fortier) booked tours for Sasha and John Digweed in the mid-90s, frequently playing with them. On their Communicate he appeared several times (in name and as part of Freelance Icebreakers), while his thumping breakbeat track `Forget Time' was one of 2000s unheard gems. Now throw in the fact his `Sanctuary' tune was the monstrous MVP of John Digweed's Global Underground: Los Angeles mix, and, like I said, this release becomes way overdue.

From a man who's own work is intricately structured and genre-defying, it's no surprise that Bedrock is a similar statement of style; moody, edgy, and experimental to the extent it explores the boundaries of conventional dance. The bubbling off-kilter minimalism of `Night Stalker' and silvery whispers of `Late Night' steer a course on disc 1 of atypical beat patterns and abundant effects-box noises shaped into melody. Gibberish voices and bombastic alien sounds propel `Heavy Fluid,' `Control of Sound,' and the prime time `Lacuna,' cleverly choosing loud over fast to peak a set. Amidst this off-worldly design, Jimmy van M`s`Love Like Sleep' drops the disco-funkiest bassline in some time, a cracking dub cut that vastly improves on the full-vocal original.

It's almost a shame that disc two plays less inspired (more traditional, pending your viewpoint) than the ab-fab first. Stripped of the excess sheen, `Janiero' and `Soulfeel' opt for a more languid pace and tranquil tone. DJ-favorite Junkie XL's `Bon Voyage' adds some expected kick near the close of what is essentially a lukewarm closing spin.

All a bit too cool for it's own good? Perhaps. Let's call it brain trance, then, and an exhilarating cleanse of palette to your dance floor collection. Not quite the musical revelation expected, but oh so close. Disc one: 5 stars Disc two: 3 stars Overall: 4.5

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars jimmy crack corn and we sure do care, January 6, 2002

By	harm: producer, mixer & all around good guy (sfbay) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bedrock (Audio CD)

short version:

buy it right now.

listen to it, enshrine it, & make little animal sacrifices to it.

long version:

no doubt one of the best, if not the very best compilation of 01. jimmy van m, perhaps best known as squire and partner in crime to the dynamic duo of sasha & digweed, has long championed a style of dark, borderline tribal trance that sways between beat-ladden minimalism and melodic excess. much of the popularity he has acquired so far has been by proxy--most folks naturally associate him with his bedrock seniors. worse, his trance nation america effort in cooperation with another of east-coast's best djs, taylor, failed to garner and huge hubbub.

what pity.

i'm the last person in the world to deride digweed's impeccable beatmatching or sasha's subtlety, but van mulligam's unobstrusive mixing and splendid selection makes him my favorite of the three. yes, really. that good--and once we get to talking about the track selection, it gets even better.

cd 1 is a masterful exercise in subtle musical progression, from brooding and tribal to percussion-driven, chord-ladden funk and back to rolling, dark & dirty beats.

israel's hottest producing team, moshic & zeidan, open with a slow building, eerie gem--nightstalker--which blends into the echoing whispers of 'late night,' by floppy sounds. remixers du jour john creamer & stephane k contribute an appropriately dark remix of ecvm's 'circuit breaker,' and then we're off to funkbeatland: yum-yum's william borroughs-inspired 'heavy fluid' and prototype's 'control of sound' wind their way around splendid chords, aggressive percussion and vocal samples.

the disk peaks with blackwatch's incredible, deep and dreamy re-dub of barotek, steve porter's irresistibly kinetic remix of 'mothership' and tocharian's 'lacuna,' a melodic masterpiece with vocals sampled from the next track, a dub of jimmy van m's latest effort, 'love like sleep.' a much slowed-down version of minimalistix' 'struggle for pleasure' provides closer to one of the most gorgeous stretches of music ever to be mixed.

cd 2 deserves less analysis since it's not nearly as beautiful, or as innovative. john johnson's london is a forgettable introduction, sadly, but van m perks things up by prudently paying tribute to the most popular track of early 01, solid sessions' 'janiero,' featuring both the original and the saffron mix. the next track--the best of the cd, frankly, is MISLISTED as brancaccio & aisher's 'music don't stop'--i haven't the information on what it actually is, but i am quite familiar with work done by london's busiest producers and remixers, and this is not one of them.

from there on, only a scintillating dub of quivver's 'one last time' and junkie xl's 'bon voyage' offer reprieve from an otherwise standard progressive-fodder fare.

conclusion: though cd 2 slacks up in selection (though not mixing; the cd is obviously pro-tooled, not turntable mixed) bedrock 02 is a serious contender to the title of 01's best compilation. hurrah to jimmy and the good guys from the balance promotion group from providing us with another stunner.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the original, April 8, 2002

By	Yance M. Freeman (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bedrock (Audio CD)

To some it may seem like blaspheme to say that this is better than Digweed's original Bedrock release, but to me it is. Jimmy Van M mixes with the skill of Digweed and the track selection is better than the original (granted, Digweed's release is a few years old). I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is the most impressive progressive mix I've heard since the man himself released the first Bedrock. I don't say this often, but it truly is a must have!