Danny Howells is surely one of the least fussy DJs around, a person who really sticks to his musical principles. This is his first mix compilation for five years, and providing you give it a chance the rewards are there to be found. For this is a compilation that reveals its treasures gradually. On first listen – depending where you are of course – some of the music can wash over you without making a big impact. Yet once repeat listens kick in the subtleties of tracks like the Jamie XX remix of Four Tet’s ‘Lion’ make themselves known, the realisation being that these are two mixes that think bigger structurally. CD1 may feel like it is treading water midway through, and the beats nearly stop at times but it’s Howells’ way of gathering his listener for a bigger finish. The slower, deeper CD2 is actually the most immediate of the two, with a really good bit of loping funk in the Deep Sound Express Dub of Sixth Avenue Express’s ‘Can’t Stop Feelin’’ and a cool and classy discovery in Durerstuben’s ‘Haeckls Kosmos’. Gradually the rhythms tighten for the bouncy ‘Save Me From This Kaos’ of Rompante, which itself morphs into a great piece of remixing from Ewan Pearson on the Kaltehand / Natasha Waters track ‘Pages’. Give Howells some time, then, and he’ll repay your investment with some beautifully atmospheric dance music.
5 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
