Search - Wendel :: Emit

A nicely mixed set of progressive house and tech-trance

Douglas A. Greenberg | Berkeley, CA USA | 03/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the U.S., hardly any dj-mixed electronic dance cd's make the Billboard top 100; in fact, only a pitiful few even make it to the shelves of the franchised cd-and-dvd store at the local minimall. Just recently, mixes by "big names" like John Digweed, Sasha, Fatboy Slim, Paul Oakenfold, and Carl Cox have begun to attract a small core of American listeners, and these may even garner a few (usually condescending) reviews from critics far more comfortable with single-artist rock and hip-hop releases. Most dance music dj's, however (and particularly American ones), continue to work in relative obscurity, choosing and mixing dazzlingly produced tracks out of sheer love of the music. There are a few of us, however, who have become enamored of various styles of dance music, and for us a new but apparently unheralded mixed cd by a heretofore unknown dj can become a truly exciting event. Such is the case for me with this new mix by Wendel entitled "Emit." I ordered this cd out of sheer curiousity, and on the basis of a few familiar names on the track listing. I am now very happy that I took the chance.Much of the cd is composed of high-energy, beat-driven progressive house such as that produced by Whoop! Records artists Tarrentalla and Redanka. A few of the tracks shade into dark trance, such as Taylor's well-worn but still fabulous "Xenophobe." Overall, fans of dj's who have adopted the darkish, poundingly rhythmic, multi-layered sound that has emerged within the progressive house genre over the past few years will enjoy what Wendel has to offer here. For me, like-minded dj's who come to mind include John Debo, Lucien Foort, John Digweed, Danny Zee, Robert Oleysyck, DJ Moda, Bill Hamel, and perhaps Nick Warren.There are some surprises in this cd that show that Wendel knows how to craft his mix to take listeners on a true musical journey, complete with peaks and valleys. Track five, "Xenophobe," is intensely dark and deep; the next track, "Innagroove" by Stuk has the necessary heavy beat to keep listeners dancing, but the melody is now carried oh, so delicately by a sweet-sounding piano-synth. He then takes the audience to a very different place by dropping Timo Maas' "Killing Me," a techno-influenced piece that is rather dissonant in spots, even jarring in its overall effect. There are a few familiar-sounding tracks that avid fans of progressive might already have on other mixes. These include "Xenophobe," Jimpy/Sarah's "Talkin'," and Mara's "Fall from Grace" (though this mix is very distinctive from others I have heard). Overall, however, the sounds are fresh, not warmed-over. All in all, Emit has done a fine job here, and I'm glad I bought this cd."