Back to Mine
On this mix, progressive house-trance DJ Danny Tenaglia goes for an organic, R&B-tinged; sound, incorporatingOleta AdamsandCe Ce Penistonwith other, more esoteric selections. The source material isn't manipulated via turntables, EQ'ing, and scratch mixing, but rather filtered through sequenced and produced studio processes. The result is often effective and devastatingly sensual, like when the hypnotic "Going Round" coalesces with an understated, shuffling rhythm, building into a dreamy, echo-laden fadeout. Tenaglia's selections alternately benefit and suffer without the layers of house beats and atmospherics that usually disguise a song's less compelling aspects. "Rhythm of Life" pulses with Adams's huge alto, playing off a spare set of piano chords and understated bongo drums, but "Bang Bang Your Mine" sounds silly, as a nakedly inane vocal line is left to cringe in the cold light of an unforgiving mix. Still, when it works, Tenaglia finds a blissful power in the music that escapes most DJs, leaving behind a sunny glow that's just as agreeable in the middle of a summer day as it is during a sweaty night on the dance floor.--Matthew Cooke