Search - Sasha & John Digweed :: Renaissance: The Mix Collection, Vol. 1 (Remastered 10th Anniversary Edition)

The Essential Document of Progressive-House History

Ian Vance | pagosa springs CO. | 12/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ah, the 'Mix.' Released in 1994, at the peak of progressive-house's golden era, 'Renaissance: The Mix Collection' captures a unique period in electronic-music history: right around the time that rave-culture was being legitimatised in England nightclubs, acid-house itself now married with world elements and trance-atmospherics to create a new, and generally superior, genre; and long before the superclub erection of Cream, Ministry etc. and the eventual copycat crash of "electronica" as buzzword and trend.



'Renaissance' was the first ever DJ comp released, and an instant success by any measure. By the time I learned about it, in 1996, it was already considered a classic. Alas, the stateside industry was always slow to catch on, and the 'Mix' wasn't even available except through bootleg measures. I must have listened to my taped copy (of the first 45 minutes of 'Blue' and the last 45 of 'Green') a thousand times before discovering the parties responsible for such luscious, mind-bending soundscapes; I finally managed to procure a copy of the 'Mix' at an electronica boutique in Boulder, Co. For the past several years, however, 'Renaissance' has been out of print, with copies fetching upwards of $150 on ebay (!!). Thankfully, this essential document of progressive house history has finally been reissued for its ten-year anniversary, with a newer production sheen by Sasha and Digweed (referred to hereon as S + D); new arwork; and two of the cuts removed due to rumored licensing issues.



But enough reflection: lets talk music!



Disc One, commonly referred to as the 'Blue' disc, begins with the slow pulse of Leftfield's 'Song for Life.' The tone is set: wailing voices, a driving percussion, synth-squalls and plenty of sound f/x to build the tension. S + D assemble one of the greatest climaxes in progressive-house history here, melding three mixes of 'Song for Life' together in a twelve minute montage of tribal fury, then peaking it all with the cataclysmic energy with Bedrock's 'For What You Dream Of.' It blew my mind the first time I heard it, nearly a decade ago; and it still gets the mind-juices a-blazing today, especially when that torrent of shimmering synths erupt at the pivotal dancefloor statement: "Get Down!" - I defy anyone to deny the booty-call of that particular moment! Of the entire album, this set has weathered particularly well the ten-year gap, and, compositionally, is comparable to any digital trickery an Ableton-Live DJ might conjure today. From here S + D drop the mix into 'Chronoclasm,' its tribal rhythms and funk-scratching complimented by bells and electro-whistles, and the mood settles nicely into a steady groove for the next seventeen-or-so minutes, 4/4 kick-lock washed with plenty of old-school trance. Slowly but surely an irresistible bass filters into the mix, building a second peak with Sunscreen's seminal 'Perfect Motion,' the lyrics epitomizing rave-culture's single-minded goal: "We've got Perfect Motion...We Rock, Chaos...Wake Up, we got Evolution... We got, Perfect Motion, 'till the Walls Come Crashing Down..." - afterward, sweeping chords and quasi-New Age vocals soar upon the insistent rhythm, 'Love and Happiness' delivering the serotonin-soar with express delivery. The mix settles down again at this point with 'Keep On Pressin' On' and builds nicely through the epic trance of 'Bladerunner' and 'House Stompin'. CD 'Blue' originally concluded with the ultra-cheesy diva-house of 'Renaissance,' remixed by Sir Diggers himself; apparently this has been removed from the 10-year reissue. It certainly is the most dated cut on the entire album, yet I cannot understand the decision to remove it - this song (~the entire album) serving as a sonic photograph of a long-past era. Embarrassing, certainly, yet ultimately illuminating in the grand scope of things.



So: CD `Blue' establishes the groove, and CD two, 'Orange,' builds upon the progressive house foundation, chronicling a different (i.e. gay) side of club-subculture. In retrospect this is easily the most dated-sounding of the three discs, with emphasis more on diva-screech and stale disco-riffs; yet the beginning fifteen minutes is simply majestic: booty-shake beats blended with horns, female vocals and mad electro-sax. Other highlights include the Sasha remix of Hysterix - 'Talk to Me' and Grace - 'Not Over Yet.' The ending cut of 'Was that All it Was' really beggars belief in its time-capsule cheese, ending 'Orange' with a homoerotic snarl n' whimper: break out the mime-gloves and lightsticks, love!



With CD three, 'Green,' we return to more melodic pastures. The first cut, 'How Can I Love You More,' has been replaced for the reissue - the original began with an electronic-phased guitar and rolled full-tilt into wailing vocals and insistent "dun-dun-dun" trance notes. We enter experimental terrain from here (well, experimental for its time) via a remix of Moby's 'Go' through Spooky's 'Little Bullet,' the mood now melancholic: overall I'd have to say that CD 'Green' is the darkest of the three. The groove picks up by track 6 - 'Another Sleepless Night', featuring even more diva-vox - and the album arises from the murk over the next four cuts, all excellent and perfectly mixed, until peaking with 2 Bad Mice's decisive 'Bombscare,' - though certainly dated nowadays, the essential *attitude* of this cut remains undeniable. Another classic, 'Age of Love,' signals a return to hard trance: producers have been copying this cut for ten years but very few have come close to its apocalyptic atmosphere. 'It's My Pleasure' features yet another diva detailing the romantic intricacies of dance-dungeons, this time with a slight S&M power/domination theme; to my ears, this is probably the most durable of the numerous diva-vox featured on the 'Mix Collection'. Finally we return to an almost ambient plateau, similar to 'Song for Life,' with Lemon Interrupt's 'Lemon' - synth-squalls and chugging rhythms slowly fading into the distance.



'Renaissance: The Mix Collection' is a seminal work in the progressive-house genre, and absolutely essential for neophytes and veterans alike. Five stars.



"

The "Revolver" of Generation X...

Saint Santiago | Bay Area, California | 02/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like John Travolta said, "That is a BOLD statement..." The "Revolver" of Gen X?? Just like how the Beatles revolutionized rock music with Revolver and how Miles Davis revolutionized jazz with Kind Of Blue, Sasha and John Digweed have a revolution of their own. They not only invented tribal, dark, progressive house music, but they also brought the entire genre of electronia into the forefront of mainstream innovation. Although some may rather give the "Revolver" crown to Nirvana'a "Nevermind", Pearl Jam's "Ten", or Public Enemy's "Fear of A Black Planet", it is this album, Sash + Diggs' debut, that completely changed the way I listen to music with a brain-shattering 3-disc docotrate thesis for my unworthy ears. By the way, PE's album is a razor-thin second for the Revolver title...



I was 24 when I first heard of the Renaissance label in San Francisco, 1994. People who liked pop music at that age and in that time were still recovering from popped, candied house (aka the virtiolic label: "Techno") from the likes of C+C Music Factory, La Bouche, Erasure and whatever vestiges of new wave. Then you have on the other side, the de-evolution of rock music, turning into angst, disappointment and apoplectic rage against Baby Boomers and their Republican, greedy vampiric friends of the 80's. This is where Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Pearl Jam would fit in. REM also released their greatest work, "Automatic for the People" around this time, even though their music was not as agressive as their grunge counterparts.



There were a rare few X'ers, like myself, who rejected both types of music and opted for rap, which was also in its own Age of Enlightenment, with acts like Digital Underground, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and the Beastie Boys. Yet, I still craved more from music...music that really pushed my mental envelope. I had a small taste of electronica in 1992 with Sunscreem, Digital Orgasm and Messiah. That taste would eventually drive me to become a DJ and live a lifelong passion for electronic music of all kinds: from Boards of Canada to Tosca to Oakenfold to Audiovoid and everything in between.



I visited a long-gone-now record store and listened to The Mix Collection for the first time at the listening booth. I won't say that that first listen was like my first...well you know..."FIRST...(ahem). However I will say that the CD knocked me on my A-- and the store owner had to kick me out because I must have played that ENTIRE CD 17 times straight. This is what I was waiting for: an underground sound that was both artistic and powerful.



I never bought "The Mix" back then because I was broke 24-year old kid and couldn't afford 30 bucks. Now I see the original issues going for $300-$400 on Ebay. I understand why. I could not hear any music the same way again. I didn't say I could not listen to house music the same way, I said ANY MUSIC!! I could detect elements of electronica in rock, rap, and even classical (and vice versa).



There is a reason this set was voted, "Best Dance Mix of All-Time". This is testament to the quintessential Grand Masters of DJ's: Sasha and Digweed. Their mixing style is unmatched and unchallenged. They defined the "journey mix". Sasha provided the mood, Diggs provided that surgical, clean, Rolex-precision mixmanship.



And keep in mind, this music was around at least 2 years before Robert Miles' "Children", which many consider the beginning of the Trance Explosion of the late 90's...and to top it off, the Mix Collection has aged FAR better than "Children"! Who cares if it's missing a couple of songs or if the Purple disc (Disc 2) sounds horribly dated and annoying. We are so blessed to get the 2004 reissue...



Bar none, this is one of those rare gems of music made by humans that exceeds the quality of the genre in which it participates. I saw Digweed in San Francisco on Jan 7th, 2005 and I am convinced God speaks through his turntables. Absolutey brilliant, perfect and groundbreaking. I'm taking Disc 1 with me when I die and make stars with it while I fly around, dusting galaxies.



5 Stars for the "Revolver" of Generation X."

A Renaissance in Itself

Alexander | Queens, NY United States | 12/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From the time dance music began in the late 60's and early 70's, it was natural for dance to progress into what was then concieved by two Britsh disc jockeys in 1994. The result of their ingenuity was Renaissnce: The Mix Collection. Even ten years later, the music still sounds just as good, even refreshing. In today's time of stellar Dj's such as Hernan Cattaneo (of which his Masters Series Volume Two is scheduled to be released January '05), Satoshi Tomiie, Sander Klienenberg, and James Zabiela, there's still two DJ's that produce on a consistent basis, and one of them still has a residency. Those two remain Sasha and John Digweed. Their music, which has now been transformed from dance, to trance, to house, to progressive, has always been about perfection, and class. This set is a testament to their principles. Except for the M-People's removal, which claims to add a dated feel to the set, their choices for replacement are excellent, and even provides an extra "oomph." I would highly recommend this set as it was the first ever mix CD (3cd set) to be produced. Upon stating this, it is important to mention that many compilations today have a very chilled start to them, and slowly climax to the end of their compilations. Examples of such are Dave Seaman's Renaissance Desire disc one, Paul Oakenfold's Great Wall disc one, Hernan Cattaneo's Renaissance disc one, and Nick Warren's Global Underground in Iceland disc one. The list can go on and on, but it is important to recognize that the progressive released today especially the two disc sets, are meant to reach a climax preferably on the second disc, and usually toward the end of that disc. This is where this Renaissance set differs from all others. Every disc is filled with ups and downs, peaks and lows, and from my belief was meant to be a collection of peak time trance. A perfect example takes place on disc three, mentioned later.

This set then spawned other series' as "Journey by Stadium DJ," and after that was Global Underground by Tony De Vit. However, this mix started it all, and for anyone that has recently gotten involved in the progressive house/trance scene, this re-release has got to be at the top of your list...for a while.

(the best climax that I've ever heard takes place on disc three with track one and peaking at track 6; true selection and mixing that remains to be challenged.)"