Search - Peace Division :: Peace Process

Peace Process is the name of the PD mix

Richard Diaz | 04/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Finding their style of thumping progressive house now en vogue, with DJ's Lawler, Tenaglia, Lottie and more working Peace Division tunes into sets, the timing couldn't be better for Clive Henry and Justin Drake to release a mix disc and follow-up to their debut album Junkyard Funk. First off, ignore the recent press critiques of "boring being the new interesting," as if music must either pack hooks or incessant beats in every experience. Granted, many of the songs here (especially the first three) are essentially polished beat tracks with little accompaniment to stick in your memory, but it's still a worthy bass-heavy experience for the speakerphiles. Having said that, Kenneth Graham's "Protons" is legitimately dull and the grating vocal "beat of a drum" on said-named tune mixed by Peace Division themselves wastes a thumping backbone. Just a small misstep in a roundup of underground selections `spotters are unlikely to find elsewhere, many chosen for their decidedly tech slant; a rewarding change from their typical and notably absent tribal rhythms. Though there is only one peak song, Danny Morales' "Life Me" is a throttled crowd-pleaser that requires the subsequent dub tune just to cool off. Whether press feedback and an aversion to popular pleasers prevents a wide release or follow-up remains to be seen. I say grab this groove-centric set while you can. 3.5 stars"