Out There and Back
Paul van Dyk spent most of the '90s perfecting a strain of credible, melodic Eurotrance that connected with clubbers all over the globe. Having honed his style and established a trademark sound, the East German DJ brings it all together on this, an album the overzealous are calling the first great dance record of the century. It begins in fine fashion with the cool breakbeat shimmer of "Vegas," swiftly followed by "Pikes," a valve-pumping Ibizan knees-up that's a tribute to the island's fabled hotel. So far, so good--this is topnotch progressive house that's guaranteed to make them move. However, if you're expecting more of the same, beware, because from here on in it's out with the Glo-Sticks and on with the face paint as a succession of clichéd trance anthems rudely gatecrash the party. From the lunar-landings vibe of "Avenue" through to the sweet pop lilt of "Face to Face," hypnotic riffs, sanguine chords, and hollow metronome beats take center stage. Van Dyk's noATB, but ultimately this is just as one-dimensional.--Paul Tierney