Good, if maybe a little dissapointing
Jia | Portland, OR | 07/22/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This album obviously has very high expectations containing, first off, a mix by Dave Seaman, a DJ who refuses to release anything less than great DJ mixes. Secondly, it's from Renaissance, the label that revolutionized the DJ mix album, and also refuses to release anything less than great DJ mix albums. And lastly, it contains a mix by alleged super DJ, Phil K, who is heralded as "technically the best" by his peers. So this mix has lot of hype going for it. Does it live up to it? Not quite.
Dave Seaman's mix is a standard progressive house mix. The first track caught my ear right away with it's spacey tribal beats and floating synths, and from there, listening to the mix the whole way through, I didn't hear much that I didn't like. Dave spins deep, melodic progressive house with deep basslines and repetitive thumping beats with just enough melody to keep everyone awake. Some of the better tracks include Sterio & McGrath's "Hostile Ground", Cass' "Giant", and Stel & Good Newz' "Particle", the latter of which might be one of the best progressive house tracks I've ever heard. The rolling bassline and epic chiming synths are just out of this world. A perfect closer. Progressive house fans should be weary however, as Seaman spins some very serious progressive house. He eschews funky basslines and tribal beats for droning, repetitive percussions with airy melodies that will probably appeal more to trance fans than your average house fan. It's a kind of middle of the road approach I suppose. Be forewarned.
Phil K's mix is interesting. Starting off with some gorgeous down-tempo breakbeat numbers, he creates a lush intro that will instantly transport you to another world. He doesn't waste time picking up the pace though, and by about midway through the CD, you're listening to some of the funkiest breakbeats you've ever heard. Some are very catchy and will force you to move with the music, while others are just abrasive and hard to listen to. Definitely interesting stuff though. I particularly enjoyed Vance Musgrove's "Music In The 24th & a half Century", and Nubreed's "One Day". Listen with an open mind, and you'll more than likely find something you enjoy.
Though not among the best Renaissance or Dave Seaman have ever released, this is still a worthy purchase. I recommend Dave Seaman and breakbeat fans check it out, though don't be surprised when high expectations are not quite met."
Truly a quality mix album
Trevor C. Cook | Ramstein, Germany | 10/04/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Therapy Sessions, a double-disc set from Dave Seaman and Phil K, is what a good house mix should sound like. Subtle basslines mesh seamlessly with light, almost sparkling melodies into a smooth house groove. So much progressive house these days is brought down by bloated club basslines that drown out any sense of musical agility and generally give you a headache after a while. This is definitely not the case here.
I'll skip the track by track analysis this time around (sorry, I'm tired tonight). The first disc, mixed by Seaman, is a solid, classic sounding house. It starts off slowly, smoothly, like the oustanding opening tracks from his Global Underground: Melbourne set. The beat slowly picks up, but thankfully melody is not forgotten. The disc is never cheesy or uplifting, mind you, but it's never dark or oppressive either.
Phil K offers up some mellow breakbeats for inspection on the album's second disc. While they lack the polish and magistry of Sasha's Involver tracks, Phil K's disc is definitely akin to Sasha's latest in style. For me, this was a great thing, and I thoroughly enjoyed the laid back style of the CD. Like Seaman, Phil K (rightfully so) believes in easing the listener into the mix, slowly ramping up the intensity and basslines.
The Therapy Sessions isn't really "the essential house album" or as sensational as Sasha's Involver. But it is a consistently good listen, with some outstanding cuts (Vance Musgrove - Music In The 24th & A Half Century, Luke Chable - Melburn, Nubreed - One Day (Phil K's DJ Re-Edit), just to name a few), and no real flaws to bring it down. It's not ground breaking by any stretch of the imagination, but it's through and through a great double-disc set with some great progressive house and breaks. Check it out."
Therapy
Catherine M. Smith | WI | 06/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD kicks ass!! I have lots of Dave Seaman cd's and i was glad to hear this is just as good and it definatly grew on me. Now cd2 is just as good if not a little better in my opinion. Its mostly breaks and a couple of techno/house tracks. At around track 6 it moves into a all breaks fest of cool ass stuff. Now I never listened to too much breaks but this cd goes good with the other one. (cd one) Neither heve i listened to other Phil K. THis is a great introduction. Out of 20 stars i would give it 19, probably cuz i didnt literally fall off my chair. Less than 3 stars I cant agree with. You probably didnt do what youre supposed to do and listen to it a few times."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
