Bedrock

Chris Fortier

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 11, 2002)
• Original Release Date: May 7, 2002
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Bedrock / Hyper
• ASIN: B0000657WB
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #126,604 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Quiet, yet diligent progressive house DJ Chris Fortier has assembled a groovy, first-class progressive trance set. Hot, steamy, and with the distinct ghost of dub hanging over it (you won't hear actual riddims, but you'll feel the influence of them), Fortier's Bedrock sounds like a lazy Ibizan beach, surf crashing on the shore, as swimsuits over tanned skin dance and revel at sunset. Universal Agents set the tone with their reefer-coated waves, and the dirty gyrations of Harris's "Touched by Dub" underscore the set's sheer sexiness. Meanwhile, Deep C and Randall Jones evoke Underworld-style moodiness with "The One," and by the time Angel Moraes has stepped it up a notch higher for the grinding "Turn It Up," Fortier himself comes along to close with the sugar-throb trance of "Losing Wait." Fortier's produced a trance-tastic winner here, and Bedrock is fast shaping up to be the dance compilation label that matches Global Underground for quality. --Steffan Chirazi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too smooth, September 18, 2002

By	"tranceluver" (Tampa, Fl United States) - See all my reviews

In terms of technique Chris Fortier's skills are starting to approach artists like Sasha and John Digweed. To light: I bought this CD and popped the first disk in, then drove out to get some lunch. I wasn't paying close attention but after a while it occured to me that the first track was pretty long. I glanced at my CD player and *surprise* it was already on track 3.

Great minimal house blending into tribal beats and deep progressive trance. If you can't get a dj for your after-hours party these disks will work instead.

Smooth, smooth, smooth. :-)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stealth minimalist, sexy, classic improves on each listen, September 10, 2002

By	"whatyouneedtoknowreview" (SANTA MONICA, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Drums and percussion, that is what this is all about--its deep, its dark, its housey, it grooves. This is fairly `minimalist' tribal/house more than it is trance, with its heart firmly set in the groove. You are in Steve Lawler "dark drums" territory here (see "Lights Out"), (except more housey), and belongs in that genre. You won't find layers of synth or synth driven melody here, or many sound effects, no--bass and percussion set the minimal melodies. Even the beats are not particularly layered, its all about the texture of that beat that is there.

At first blush it can sound somewhat the same, chunking house music--particularly disc one tracks one to five--and you wonder, "what is all the fuss about?" But over time, and I mean time--try five plays at least, loud--you come to appreciate the purity of the drum and bass drive here, and the subtlety of the mix. Fortier is consistent in mood and tone throughout, nothing jars, everything flows, as it it is intended to do. It is spiced with dub and vocal to add interest, however. In the way you pay attention to the curve of your sweethearts thigh, give this CD your wholehearted attention, you won't be disapointed.

You could put this on the in the background when you have people over, you could put this on when you are with the one you love, both work effectively: it won't be intrusive, unless you crank it up. Things ratchet up a notch on both CDs around track 6 or so, but this is a consistent slow build, don't expect fireworks from this chunky, sexy housey set.

Its far beyond your run of the mill collection and must recieve four stars, but it will require patience on your end, and attention. Oh, and needless to say, glowstick wavers need not apply. It pays off. Enjoy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't read... listen :-), August 22, 2002

By	Anand Subramaniam (Chennai, INDIA) - See all my reviews

I'm normally pretty wordy with my reviews, but this latest addition to the Bedrock stable of DJ mix albums says it all, and does it so well that I'm going to keep this pretty brief.

This mix is a slow-burner... the kind of sound that makes you think of a slowly simmering cauldron or a night of long drawn out, protracted love-making. It grooves along at the most relaxed tempo that I can remember since Danny T's London sojourn with the Boxed Boys.

Disc 1 is filled with slow-bending, sex-inducing gems, starting with "Solomonic Agents" moving all the way through to the end. Stand out tracks include "Marscarter", "Control Factor", and the "Timewreck" into "Timecrash" mix.

Disc 2 for me is the killer - loaded with energy that seeps out of every groove, yet never descending into the ordinary peaks and plateaus that mediocre mixes stick to so faithully. Simmers with sexual tension... so much so that you feel you can almost reach out and touch it. Cuts of choice - "Women of Color", "Nova", "Gasp", "Deported"... I could almost list the entire tracklist. The mixing is absolutely mindblowing, with a lot of mixes going on for over 3 minutes.

On the whole, one of the most refreshingly different mixes I've heard. This one is definitely going to occupy a special place in my collection for a long, long time.

Disc 1: 4.5 stars
Disc 2: 5 stars
Overall: 4.75 stars