Global Underground: Lights Out

Steve Lawler

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 16, 2002)
• Original Release Date: July 16, 2002
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Lights Out
• ASIN: B0000682WN
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,875 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
With his drum-heavy brand of minimalist progressive house, Steve Lawler has long breathed the recirculated air of the jet-set DJ, playing sets around the world and back. This latest Global Underground double-CD set has the tribal feel his fans have come to expect, and is a much more straightforward mix than his Nu Breed set released several years ago. Not as dark as a Richie Hawtin, or even Los Angeles era John Digweed, his approach is still pitch black and relentless, yet tempered with fun, sexy choices, like Thick Dick's "Orgasm," which brings the first CD to its, uh, climax. A slightly more varied second disc finds a similar sense of release in a remix of Desert's "I See the Light," while finding time to play with grinding, electro-inspired bits like Dirty Walter's "By Soul of Man." Both discs steadily raise the boom level throughout, providing a constant lift and a mesmerizing head bounce that, despite this not being a trance record in any way, provides a sexy, transcendent bliss nonetheless. --Matthew Cooke

Product Description
A Dynamic Series About the Sleazier Side of Clubbing, from 4am Backroom Bedlam to Insane after Hours Sessions, 'lights Out' Brings You the Steroid Fueled Basslines of Deserts 'i See the Light' Through to the Seedy Erotic Rhythms of Thick Dick's 'orgasm'. This Mix Shows Steve Lawler at his DEEP, Dark and Dirty Best.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different, drum led, progressive house; love it or hate it, September 13, 2002

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

This is one of those records that comes along and, love it or hate it, you can't ignore it. "Lights out" is sort of the Lotus `Gullwing' sportscar of DJ mixes this year; it cant be ignored but produces strong opinions both ways.

Lawler is a well known and highly regarded producer, and certainly Lawler's mix and sound is unique, his track selections compelling, yet quirky, and based on other reviews, many of us don't get it. But this is certainly the most unusual selection to come out this year and it belongs in your collection if you have a little time to focus and appreciate the deeper things; here is why.

First of all, what it is? As the elaborate packaging and word copy makes clear, this are the cuts that Lawler plays when he `turns out the lights', meaning presumably, when things get very intense, dark and sexy. So its a very personal mix, not a pick of the hot club favs, and Lawler reaches deep into his collection, this tracks are often obscure. Its progressive house, perhaps, but very tribal too, meaning its deep, somewhat dark, stripped down, intense and sexy--with dashes of trash/glam techno pop.

In case you haven't hear, Lawler is all about drums and percussion (see his "Dark Drums" series), and Lawler has a unique sound that is focused on plenty of mid high range sound in the mix, that emphasis the whoosh, grind, and tick of the percussive elements, and a deep boom that creates a sharp in your face sound that hooks you in. There is not alot of keyboard or fill in or sound effects, although there is a judicious use of vocals to leaven the mix a bit.

At first blush it may seem bland or thin, particularly if you are "waiting" for a keyboard break or some melodic element--or worse, some peak anthemic moment--it won't come. But if you give into the tick, whump and pulse of Lawler's drum groove you won't regret it. Another mistake is to play this too low, its requires volume to appreciate the unique sound of Lawler, it demands your attention and won't work in the background (its the Lotus sportscar, after all.....).

But this is no dilettante art mix, this is about sex and fun, and he throws in the infamous "Orgasm" record which has so many moans and groans it will embarrass you at a stop light if you are not careful. There is also on CD 2 the cross over 80 synth pop sound of "Phostograph" complete with new way sounding German female vocals, this is followed by two more techno pop type tracks that Lawler has mixed it to fit somewhat. This section of CD that surprises you with essentially a bit of trashy, attudinal gay club music, is likely to lose about 40% of listeners who will immediately say "what the [heck] is this?" and hit the skip button. Luckily three pulsing tribal tracks follow that redeems the middle section.

Its a bold move, reflecting Lawler's personal taste and integrity and not what a broad band of listeners expect. I'm not sure it works, I struggle with "Phostograph" and what follows even now, but still, this is perhaps the flaw that you find even in the largest and most valuable diamonds. Buy it and get into it, people.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep, Dark and Hypnotic, October 7, 2002

By	Elian Habayeb (Manila, PHILIPPINES) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is not a CD for beginners... Steve Lawler is not a DJ for novices of the underground party scene. He does however cater to the sophisticated clubber, to the listener that has lived through several successful early morning party experiences, to those of us out there that "get it".

Lawler takes rythms that originated in the jungles of africa thousands of years ago and that have survived history due to their transcendent nature. These tribal rythms surfaced first in the New York underground, then spread subterraneally accross the continents. Lawler uses these dark drums as a foundation and spices them up with vocals, with samples and with drama that effectively guide many of his fans into a state of mild, controllable, hypnosis.

This is arguably Lawler's best work to date. For those who have not yet been fortunate enough to witness him work live, Lawler's able to generate electricity and energy that works its way through a club and connects the people on the floor. For a moment, everyone's on the same page, everyone's living the same experience, everyone's one... and Lawler's the puppet-master.

Having experienced him two years ago in Manila, Philippines, and a few weeks ago at Space, Ibiza, I have witnessed the ability of Lawler to bring thousands to a new state of conciousness in unison... and believe me, everyone under his momentary spell is grateful for it.

This CD set, listened to in the right context, can do just that whether it is played in a house party or on one's headphones in a crowded plane.

I wouldn't recommend this CD set to everyone... many may just not get it. But for those that know what they like, for those who understand the tribal / progressive house movement that has swept through this ever-getting-smaller world, this CD is a must in your precious collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steve Lawler is incredible., July 25, 2002

By	Andrew (Tucson, Az USA) - See all my reviews

Steve Lawler is the only DJ to consistently put amaizing tracks and incredible mixes out. This is no exception. The first disk prepares you slowly for disk 2 (my favorite of the two). Disk 1 picks it up at the paranoid jack track and continues to hold your attention to the end. Disk 2, nothing else to say but incredible, innovative, funky, tribal house, all capped off by a wonderful finish to this set (canteen). This is by far one of the best mixes this year put out by the most interesting house DJ in the buisness. This is a must buy for any Steve Lawler fan or anyone else who is tired of disco-esque house and is looking for something new, seemingly drug induced, but absolutely and perfectly different.