Artist: Danny Howells
Title: Renaissance : The Mix Collection
Label: Renaissance Recordings
By: Ryan Simoneau | 5 September 2008
Tracklist:

• Disk 1
• Disk 2

1. Nick Cohen Presents Cushty - La La Li
2. Sven Weisemann - Kiss Of Abana
3. Pulshar - Nospheratu (Sven'S Sphere Dub)
4. Solomun & Stimming - Eizauber (Lawrence Mix)
5. Klute - Only Memory Is A Good One
6. Zwo! - Static Refill
7. Danny Howells - Laid Out (Danny's Horizontal Mix)
8. Naughty - World Of A Woman (Green Men Mix)
9. OrtzRoka - Black Magic
10. Westpark Unit - Bad Weeds Grow Tall
11. Art Bleek - Groundscrapers
12. Azymuth - Space Jazz Carnival (Global Communication Mix)
13. Danny Howells - Right Off (Danny's Discomix)
14. T&F Vs Moltosugo - Are U Doin' It With Me? (Danny Howells Edit)
15. Danny Howells - The Shining (Outrodub)

1. Danny Howells - Laid Out (Introversion)
2. Danny Howells - The Shining (Danny's Dynamix)
3. Kelley Polar - Entropy (Ewan Pearson & Al Usher Closed System Dub)
4. Santiago Salaza - Sci-Fi Xicano
5. David Garcet - Ero
6. Sunshine Jones - If You Wouldn't Mind (Tiger Stripes Mix)
7. Joris Voorn - The Deep (Jimpster Mix)
8. Robert Babicz - Dark Flower (Joris Voorn Magnolia Mix)
9. Zwo! - Flavor (The Youngsters Mix)
10. Blunt - Golden Lake (Djinxx Vision)
11. Marco Passarani - Nova
12. Renato Cohen - Magica
13. Apparat - Fractales (Apparat Ibiza Mix - Danny Howells Edit)

Danny Howells "Renaissance : The Mix Collection"

Danny Howells returns to the Renaissance fold and delivers the latest edition in the esteemed “Mix Collection” series. It’s been a couple of years since Danny dropped his “Choice: A Collection of Classics” mix and even longer since his well received “Global Underground 027: Miami”, so fans have been eagerly awaiting some more output from Mr. Howells. Personally, I felt his “Global Underground 027: Miami” was one of the best in the series and has remained a fixture in my summertime rotation since its release. Now he’s back and armed with a new collection of tunes to tantalize us once more.

I can still recall back in the late 90’s when Danny was really beginning to make a name for himself and now cut to 2008 and he is by far one of the biggest and most well respected DJs in the world. His taste in tunes has evolved over the years from pumping progressive house journeys to his recent, much more eclectic deep house vibe. However, it’s his attention to melody and moving a dance floor that has always remained his calling card.

From the opening notes of disc one, melody is the first thing that comes to mind. Nick Cohen’s “La La Li” sets the scene, with a simple and elegant intro as shakers and sparse piano keys welcome our ears. Waves crash in the background and you almost feel as if you’re listening to the latest “Real Ibiza” album. But then Sven Weisemann’s “Kiss of Abana” hits and you know this is definitely a Danny Howells album. The beats kick in and it’s all very reminiscent of the early part of Danny’s most recent Global Underground. But the for the better part of the first twenty minutes, Danny builds us up before his first original tune in sometime, “Laid Out”, is unleashed. This monster kicks the mix up a notch and takes our heads out of the clouds and moves our feet firmly to the dance floor. With its booming bassline and addictive melody, this one had me rocking out big time. With each passing tune, Danny seamlessly blends it into the next and he’s gone to great lengths to dig deep in his record bin for some obscure gems. After the stellar Global Communication remix of “Space Jazz Carnival” by Azymuth, several stunning exclusive edits from Danny himself appear before closing with his own original, “The Shinning”. From beginning to end, this disc is exceptional and is very heavy on memorable melodies.

On disc two, Danny wastes no time in picking up where we left off. In fact, while both discs are different, they should really be listened to back to back to achieve maximum effect. Right off the bat, Danny hits us with two more original tunes and they’re both slamming. Both brim with shimmering melodies but it’s Danny’s Dynamix of “The Shining” that is especially a standout and should receive much love from DJs and fans worldwide. This slides into Ewan Pearson and Al Usher’s dub of Kelley Polar’s “Entropy”. With nostalgic 80’s vocals that can be hit or miss for some, the tune is saved by a string section that goes hand in hand with a blissful melody over the top. Things continue to build until we hit Sunshine Jone’s fantastic “If You Wouldn’t Mind” which has been reworked by Tiger Stripes who chop up the vocals to great effect. Following this up is Jimpster’s exceptional remix of Joris Voorn’s “The Deep”. These two back to back really bring the disc to peak time power and further demonstrate Danny’s deft ear at mixing. The second half continues to keep things moving and grooving with choice deep vibes as only Danny can deliver. Closing number “Fractales” by up and coming Apparat is gorgeous, especially in the form of Danny’s exclusive edit of this tune. Another standout disc and it’s really tough to pick a favorite between the two. Both deliver the goods and really work best playing back to back.

Danny has said recently that there are only two albums of his that he still listens to, “24/7” and his most recent “Choice” album. I think it’s sufficed to say this can safely be added to that list. While the tracklist might not boast a dearth of big names (yet), Danny does what all great DJs strive to do and he’s taken the us on a journey that transcends where you choose to listen to it. I’ve always been a fan of those albums because they are truly timeless and can become a soundtrack to your life, rather than just the latest snapshot of the club scene. Much like the seminal Sasha & Digweed Renaissance release, this latest installment is destined to become the next classic in the series and in my opinion is Danny’s best release to date. A clear contender for compilation of the year.