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CD1- Louie Vega & Jay 'Sinister' Sealee Ft Julie Mcknight - Diamond Life (Accapella)
- Stephane K - Numb (Meat Katie Remix)
- Sultan - Nighvisions
- 5Th Order - Sineweaver
- Electroland - Drop Beat (Circulation Remix)
- Sultan & The Greek - Rezin
- Cheky & Spider - In Love (Killer Mix)
- Electric Mood Ft Melanie - Sacred Dance
- Aalacho - Satellite (Evolved Mix)
- Valentino - Flying (Sultan & Tone Depth Remix)
- Moony - Doves (I'Ll Be Loving You)
- Accorsi/Besseti - Until The End
- Seroya - Only Your Love
CD2- Situation 2Wo - Way2Tite (Original)
- Elisa - Time (Planet Funk Remix)
- Junkie Xl & Sasha - Breezer
- Sander Klinenberg - Work To Do
- Paul Rogers - Krafty
- Paul Rogers - Krafty (Gpal'S Sea Paradise Mix)
- Lowriders - Part 1
- Miro - The One I Run To
- Phil Kieran - I Love You
- Hani - Never Felt This Way
- Maurce & Noble - Hoochiekoochieman
- Youngsters - Break Them Up
- Holden & Thompson - Nothing (93 Returning Remix)
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 Global Underground is an uncommon label. Some of you may consider it as one of many but for the majority of dance music fans, it’s something more than just a logo on a CD. You don’t have to be a freak chasing new releases to get infected with the GU fever sooner or later. Just look at the various message boards. Speculations about the authors of future compilations are one of the favourite pursuits of label fans. The 25th CD hasn’t come out yet and threads about Sasha doing the 26th has grown to hundrets of posts.
This years fever was heated up by one more reason. There were rumours that the label is in a dramatic financial situation. If you believed all the gossip, Global Underground had been going bankrupt few times a month. Suprisingly, the company published an official statement in March, that included plans for 2003 that suggested the label is doing fine.
One of the heralded ventures was the 25th compilation made by the giants of dance scene – Deep Dish. And it happened! At the beginning of June, Global Underground organized a trip to Toronto and here’s my report.
However I should first spend few words on our guides. There are two guys hiding behid the Deep Dish guise: Sharam Tayebi and Ali “Dubfire” Shirazinia. If you haven’t heard of them yet, then it’s about time you leave that hole of yours. Their name started to be on everybody’s lips already in mid the 90s. Mainly because of their remix of De’Lacy’s “Hideaway” and collaboration with Brian BT Transeau. Since then, they’ve got the Grammy Award for best remix (Dido – “Thank You”) and DanceStar USA announced the “Global Underground: Moscow” CD as the best compilation of 2002. The list of their achievements could go on and on so I’ll confine on mentioning that Deep Dish are owners of three record labels: Yoshitoshi, Schinichi, YO and a booking agency - Bullitt Bookings.
So we have dance scene giants doing a compilation for the label with great reputation. Could we ask for more? You’ll see...
The choon opening the 25th journey consist of two tracks: “Diamond Life” and Meat Katie’s remix of “Numb”. Broken and harsh beat together with a friendly female vocal induce us to bounce already in the beginning of the album. But the next tune muffles the mood and with a relief we notice that possibly we’re gonna have enough strenght to get to the end. The title is “Nightvision” and this track draws the image of the rest of the first CD. It’s nostalgic, devoided of fireworks but definitely not boring. Then the “Sineweaver’s” heavy bassline arrives and pushes us into arms of speeded up Circulation’s remix of “Drop Beat”. We stay on that higher energy level, however coquettish and twisted beat of “Rezin” makes us expect the unexpected. Unfortunatelly the surprise called “In Love” didn’t make my day. That dirty house doesn’t fit here if you ask me.
Nevertheless, thanks to that not-to-pleasent moment, we can fully savor my favourite track from the whole compilation. That Kid Chris under the Electric Mood guise along with a singer called Mellanie, strongly mark their appearance in Toronto. “Sacred Dance” is an irresistible, deep and enchanting piece of art .
Well, the mood got a bit proggy. “Sattelite” leads us to darkness which is later brightened by a new version of an old track – “Flying”. Sultan & The Greek eradicated the infantilism that was getting on my nerves in the original mix. In return we get a stronger rhythmic section and athmospheric samples floating around.
Now it’s the time for another vocal track. It’s the remix of a pop tune – “Doves”, which I don’t fancy, ‘cause John Creamer’s and Stephane K’s work still sounds like MTv. In compensation we have the progressive gallop “Until The End”, which accelerates a bit in vain. Title of the last track completely renders the temper that the choon brings. “Only Your Love” sang by a sexy and romantic female voice, leaves us rocking gently with the lips slightly opened...
Wake up! Change the CD :) The second part of Toronto pretends that nothing happened – opening female vocal as well. However this time not romantic but brisk. Similarly to CD1, the second track comes down a peg or two. Is that a woman’s voice again? Yes, but “Time” only starts inspiciously. It manages to crush us on time with a beautiful, epic breakdown filled with subtle guitars.
Nothing lasts forever unfortunatelly and here’s the moment of bitter critisism on Deep Dish. I really can’t understand how could they put such a worn tune like “Breezer” on a fresh album like this?! I can’t stand it and instantly skip to the 4th track which is Kleinenberg’s “Work To Do”. Its simple structure and boorish vocal of Miss Bounty doesn’t appeal to me at all. Somehow I made it but the next tune is much more unbearable. It’s “Krafty” – a reason to runaway from the dancefloor. Another good tune but completely played out. The original version is mixed with its remix by G-Pal, who didn’t work hard enough to get my attention.
After this long nightmare, finally an unknown track comes along – “Lowriders Part 1”. Unfortunatelly my mood doesn’t get any better. Trumpets straight from a church fete and a horn of a big truck make me abandon all hope so I present another cheek. Good decision, ‘casue “The One I Run To” is a failure as well. Cheesy smash hit.for summer. Actually a summer hit that came out in April (sic!).
But then Phil Kieran comes for rescue with a huge lawnmower bassline that leaves bad thoughts behind. However, I’m far from singing “Feel So Good”. In fact, I’m only waiting to see what Maurice & Noble came out with. Their new tune was worth it. A guitar prelude reminding me of U2, blends well into breakdown. Suprisingly the next track doesn’t wipe the smile of my face. “Break Them Up” is a true big timer after “Diabla’s” fashion by Funk D’Void. I also noticed similarities with another dancefloor legend – “Knights Of The Jaguar”. I’ll turn a blind eye to this lack of originality and... turn the CD off, to avoid listening to “Nothing”. I have two words describing the existence of such used up choons on a Global Underground compilation – total embarrassment!
It’s a pity that the trip has no happy ending. Nonetheless, don’t let the severe criticism on CD2, eclipse the valaue of its predecessor. Deep housey and subtle CD1 undoubtedly beats the progressive part two. Maybe I’m incapable of having an objective point of view, because of the old productions I got tired with. I know the release was delayed but that doesn’t excuse Deep Dish, ‘cause labels like Global Underground should provide us with fresh and exploratory music. I’m not an enemy of old tunes but more time has to pass before a worn hit can be played again. Deep Dish broke that rule and deserved a yellow card.
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Review: Deep Dish - Global Underground #25: Toronto
