Search - Pete Tong :: Essential Mix

Essential mix to own for house/trance fanatics

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 05/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I rarely buy mix cds due to the fact that they tend to come off cheesy but once in a blue moon I will find a mix cd that totally charms the pants off me. Paul Oakenfold is one dj whose mix cds I have bought and wasn't disappointed, and now the other dj whose mix cd has pleased my ears is Pete Tong. Mostly a progressive house mix cd, there are moments when the cd verges on the borderline of trance music. As I am listening to this cd, I can hear why the reviews for this cd has been positive. Pete's talents as a dj gives this cd a club feel to it. Rarely I sense that in most mix cds. I rank "Essential Mix" mixed by Pete Tong as one of the best mix cds I've heard all time, next to Paul Oakenfold's "Another World."

A choppy, enjoyable sampler of the progressive house sound

Richard Diaz | 03/26/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Is Pete Tong the most powerful man in British dance? As an air jock for Radio One, DJ, and music label honcho he certainly plays a hand in exposing or signing the biggest tunes of each year, often compiling them on his Essential Mix CD's way before other spinners can grab hold of the vital vinyl. This blatant commercialism into the mainstream draws heat (and birthed the quip "It's all gone Pete Tong") but also resonates with several hundred thousand buyers each release. His American debut follows that formula, rounding up the hits to be this season and squeezing it all into a single disc. No time to waste, the certifiable smash `Touch Me' by Rui Da Silva thumps to a moody disco beat and sultry vocals, which the equally exquisite Jakatta `American Dream,' sampling the score from American Beauty, manages to follow. Other selections prove he can pump the funk (The Girl Next Door `Salsoul Nugget') pack epic grandeur (Cass `Genesis') and blast off when appropriate (Stylus Trouble's humungous builder `Sputnik.') Too much of a good thing, perhaps? Choppy flow and tight editing allow no room to breathe - by no means is this a proper DJ set. Tong also breaks some rules: Stephen Hawking voice boxes are not cool (`Always Just like This') and pure club numbers don't work outside the glitter halls (`My Beat'.) So consider Essential Mix the radio station you wish was on the airwaves, all top tracks attuned to the beat of the night. If darker, more progressive house music is indeed the now sound of adult dance, Pete Tong's compilation shows off the elements of success."

It's all gone a bit.....

Andrew M. Schirmer | Seattle, WA USA | 03/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When Mike Bindra booked Pete Tong to play Twilo, he went out and bought some of his "Essential Selection" CDs. Upon listening to these ultra-commercial, choon-filled discs, he ventured to ask: "Does this guy play like this?" The answer is no. This American release of Pete Tong's "Essential Mix" (already released as a double disc in the UK last November) is a real stormer, chock full of goodies. Rui Da Silva's "Touch Me," Photek's (yes, it's the drum 'n bass guy) "Mine To Give," and the two Futureshock tracks ("Sparc" and "The Question") are just some of the highlights! Remixes come courtesy of progressive darlings of the moment Timo Maas and Sander Kleinenberg. Add all of these ingredients...it makes a delicious pie. Tong's mixing isn't as clever as say, Sasha, but who cares! Pete has an ear for amazing tunes, and this is truly the sound of the moment. Some people label Pete Tong as Britain's answer to Carson Daly, a truly unfortunate comparison. While he does occasionally promote some of the most commercial, banal crap around (take a look at many of the "Essential Selection" CDs), he always has had one foot in the underground, and this set proves that. You sure don't see Carson Daly releasing mix albums and touring the world! "Essential Mix" is the just latest missile launched in the full scale British dance music invasion. Last spring, we had Paul Oakenfold/Fatboy Slim's double disc affair. Then it was DJ Icey. Now we have Pete himself. Starting last fall, Pete's "Essential Mix" radio programme is now broadcasted weekly to something like 500 college radio stations across the fruited plain. Tong's "Essential" imprint is fast making waves over the country sponsoring raves (like last month's "Crescent" in Seattle), and Pete himself is playing gigs all over the United States. A worthwhile compilation from a man who truly has an ear for music. Thanks, Pete!"