Toolroom Knights - John Dahlback

Various Artists – ‘Toolroom Knights Mixed John Dahlbäck’ – (Toolroom Records)

Toolroom Knights - John DahlbackIt’s tempting to think that there’s nothing more to say through the medium of the mix compilation where house music comes to mind – but as long as there are releases like this then there will always be a call for this formula to continue. The deal is a familiar one, with two sets and 38 tracks, but this is John Dahlbäck we’re talking about here, and he gets the juices flowing with pretty much immediate effect. Having set the scene with Lovebirds’ sunset moment ‘Want You In My Soul’ he toughens the beats and adds some steel to the bass lines without losing a nice overall deepness. It’s an approach that bears fruit with David Keno’s ‘Stars Above’, Will Saul and Tam Cooper’s remix of Flight Facilities’ ‘Foreign Language’ and Dahlbäck’s more minimal ‘Defection’. The appeal of CD2 lies in another cracking mix but also in the addition of three previously unheard Dahlbäck productions. ‘Feel It’, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Escape’ all work well within the context of a tougher, slightly faster affair, one that holds true to the DJ’s principles of keeping strong melodies to the fore.

5 out of 5

Reviewed By Ben Hogwood