Ministry of Sound's Trance Nation America
The first U.S. release from the influential U.K. label/dance-music collectiveMinistry of Sound, Trance Nation America taps the DJ talents of both U.S. coasts in the form of L.A.'s Taylor and New York's Jimmy Van M, two immensely popular mixologists who make good use of this high-profile, double-CD gig. The first disc is Taylor's show, and he wastes no time showing off the anthemic,Christopher Lawrence-esque trance that West Coast DJ's have come to specialize in. Taylor's particular bent is more elegant than most, though, successfully evoking a gentle vibe early in the set withRabbit in the Moon's floating remix ofGarbage's "Milk," and a patient, teasing version ofBT's "Dreaming." He definitely does indulge his more primal rhythmic inclinations elsewhere, throwing down the gauntlet with an expertly transitioned Hyperion remix of Inkfish's "Body and Mind," and later, an incredible rendering of his own cranked-up, dance-floor thrill-ride, "Xenophobe." Jimmy Van M's mix on the second disc hovers even more delicately above the turntables, though with a darker, more minor-key vibe that illuminates the stylistic differences that arise regionally in U.S. electronic music. An overt sense of melodic repetition drives the first part of JVM's mix, exemplified in Revolt's "Dive into the Deep," and while his mix gets heavier as it goes, he never leaves that sense of delicacy completely behind. Both mixes display a mystifying ability to explore a huge amount of electronic territory, moving easily between differing rhythms and smoothing  over distracting edges. In fact, Ministry of Sound, Taylor, and Jimmy Van M all succeed not only in showing trance's elastic, diverse nature, they also somehow convey the idea that while the U.S. continues to be fertile ground for DJ talent, its regional musical dialects are all still basically derived from the same beat-driven language.--Matthew Cooke