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Nic Fanciulli - Renaissance presents Nic Fanciulli Vol 2
(Renaissance)
Release Date:
Reviewed: 6/10
Nic Fanciulli has risen rapidly over the past few years to become one of the biggest names on the international DJ circuit. Remixes for the good, bad and ugly of dance music, a residency on BBC Radio 1 and gigs across the globe are the spoils of this success, along with the opportunity to mix his second compilation for Renaissance. The first disc is labelled ‘Early Doors’; another staging post in DJs’ desperate scramble to give their CDs a name more interesting than ‘CD1’ and ‘CD2’. Either way, the mix is full of smooth, warm sounds ideal for an opening set. We are pitched straight into this pool of ambiance with H-Foundation’s vocal-fuelled ‘Tonight’. A slightly old-school atmosphere raises its head above the parapet for a short while, with two piano-infused numbers; Marcelo Galan ‘House & Art’ and the excellent ‘I Try’ from Francois Dubois, which features some superb guitar licks. The dubby sounds of Oliver $ ‘Chord & Memory’ changes the direction slightly, and it is soon followed by Fuckpony’s quirky ‘Ride The Pony’, covered as it is in funky percussion and strange vocals. The whining chords of James Talk’s ‘Pass Me the Suntan Lotion’ make me want to consume something much stronger than suntan lotion. Bleach perhaps? Fortunately rescue arrives in the form of Xara & Criminal’s incessant ‘5000KW’. The mix concludes with Akabu ‘Phuture Bound’, a track that resides primarily in a progressive pigeonhole, and Danny Howells’ mash-up of Bent ‘Always’ and Coldcut feat Lisa Stansfield ‘People Hold On’ – an amalgamation of uber-gospel and funky, epic house that creates a guaranteed dancefloor winner. With a title like ‘Late Night Floors’, CD2 is just begging to have its name changed to ‘Late Night Flaws’ but let’s avoid the obvious play on words and worry about the music. Everything But The Girl’s Tracey Thorn provides the vocals on the opening track, ‘Damage’, from the ubiquitous Tiefschwarz. Underworld’s ‘Vanilla & Monkey’ features a heady, addicting cocktail of monotonous, hypnotising bassline and an acidy riff. Two tracks from Nic Fanciulli recorded exclusively for the compilation also make an appearance: ‘Cat Out Of The Bag’ is rather mundane, more of a filler than dancefloor-filler, with its quick fire snares overly dominant; the much-vaunted ‘Lucky Heather’ is a notch up, with shimmering synths generating much needed atmosphere, although the percussion work again borders on the brain haemorrhage-inducing. Gabriel Ananda’s bizarre ‘Dopplewhippa’ is odd enough to win fans, although perhaps not in the context of this mix. Paul Kalkbrenner, the man responsible for the excellent ‘Gebrunn Gebrunn’ which featured on John Digweed’s ‘Transitions’ compilation, is back on form with ‘Keule’, a busy number built around a heavy driving bassline and some subtle yet melodious percussion. Funk D’Void ‘Lovin’ provides a soothing culmination to the CD. Plus points? The CDs provide an enjoyable trip through some interesting house cuts. CD1’s laidback, Balearic vibe is maintained throughout the early portion of the mix before we take a turn down slightly darker musical passageways. Minus points? CD2 (errr…sorry, ‘Late Night Floors’) has too many average tracks, and too much of a disjointed flow, to make the mix hit the necessary spots and continue the good form of the first disc. Overall, a somewhat disappointing compilation.
Simon Ross [20-Oct-2006]
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