Artist: Hernan Cattaneo
Title: Renaissance Presents: Sequential
Label: Renaissance Recordings
By: Jason Calvert | 10 May 2006
Tracklist:

• Disk 1
• Disk 2

1. Gui Boratto - Arquipelago
2. Petersky - F**k Them All (Oliviero & MOS 'For The Ladies' Mix)
3. Trafik - Thought Line
4. Tommyboy & Mannel - Feel It (Tommyboy & Mannel 'Renaissance Sequential' Mix)
5. Mikael Delta - Baboo
6. Dousk - Florence
7. Rocco Mondo & ONNO - Je T'Aime (Love Dub For Hernan)
   Hernan Cattaneo & Martin Garcia Feat Peter K - Two Sides Of A Story (Acapella)
8. Paolo Mojo - 1983
9. Chris Llopis - Dize Moi
10. Randall Jones Presents DJs Set You Free - With My Friends
11. Way Out West - Wonka
12. 16 Bit Lolitas Feat Jennifer Horne - Passing Lights
13. Phonique Feat Erlend Oye - For The Time Being (Hernan Cattaneo & John Tonks 'Exclusive Sequential' Mix)

1. Bushwacka! - Beastman
2. Trisco - Fashionista
3. Union Jack - Two Full Moons & A Trout (Luke Chable Mix)
4. Derek Howell - Cram It Up Your Cram Hole
   Slam - Human (Acapella)
5. 16 Bit Lolitas - Destiny
6. Marco Bailey - Fatal Attraction
7. Mehta & Riedel - Obsessions (Kered Vs The Naboombu People Mix)
8. Dan Welton - Lisopain (The Pushers 'Sublingual' Dub)
9. Brisker & Magitman - Other Dye (Perry O'Neil Mix)
10. Nick Muir - I Feel Real (Hernan Cattaneo Edit)
11. Eddie F - Breather
12. Hernan Cattaneo & John Tonks - Sirocco

Hernan Cattaneo "Renaissance Presents: Sequential"

Hernan Cattaneo steps up to grace us with his third compilation for Renaissance. A world renowned superstar, Cattaneo rarely disappoints with his forward thinking shows, incorporating tracks from not just the progressive scene, but many other sub genres of electronic, and weaves a smooth soundscape with which one can only behold. So does Sequential provide us with a window through which we can look through to see Cattaneo's skill? It certainly does this, and much more!

The sly melody comes on with druggy mood on techno master Gui Boratto's "Arquipelago". It is perhaps one of his more mature pieces of work, and the overall subtle nature of the track make it an excellent choice for kicking off disk 1, whilst still having a strong sense of direction. Picking up steady momentum, the mood quickly grows tougher, and this is where Cattaneo's skill really shines. So often we are jolted by harsh transitions and sharp mood swings when the DJ wants to up the mood, but for Cattaneo it seems to just come naturally. Trafik's "Thought Line" is a powerful number pushing some beautiful pads and strings during the breakdown. This flows on to an exclusive mix of Tommyboy & Mannel's "Feel It" which deepens things through percussion hits and a tight bassline.

However one of the finest moments of disk 1 is "Florence" by Dousk. It is obvious that Cattaneo wanted this to be a very emotive disk, as this track is simply oozing with the stuff, and could easily be described as quite epic. From here though the disk really starts to pick up pace, with tracks such as Paolo Mojo's "1983" providing an excellent contrast to the first half of the disk, introducing cheerful electro melodies with bouncey house-fuelled percussion and bass lines. Speaking of basslines, an insanely deep and chugging one can be heard on an amazing track by Randall Jones titled "With My Friends". A true crowd worker suited for the later moments of a set (or in this case, a CD).

An interesting number is "Wonka" by Way Out West. A slight deviation to the sound one may expect from them, but there is a tough groove throughout it, which leads very well into an the absolute bomb which is "Passing Lights" from 16 Bit Lolitas, with excellent vocals provided from Jennifer Horne, a name who will be familiar from her collaborations with Terry Grant in the past. The track foundations consist of a strong guitar-influenced bass hook and sliced percussion, which when coupled with Horne's beautiful echoes create a very twisted composition, which is perhaps one of the strongest things I've heard to date from 16 Bit Lolitas. The disk then ends with Cattaneo and John Tonks' own rework of Phonique's "For The Time Being", a track which has received exceptional support since its inception. The guys capture the emotion and groove of the laid back original mix, and give it a juiced up bassline and some heavy percussion which transform it from a lounge track to a peak-time floor filler. With a massive outro, it ends the disk on an exceptionally high note, and leaves the listener drooling for more; which is good, as there is sill another disk to go!

Bushwacka's "Beastman" hits us hard from the moment we hit play. The deep bassline coupled with heavily effected vocal lines gave it a smug groove, and I was not quite sure what to expect from the disk as a whole at first. Trisco's "Fashionista" built on this theme of anticipation even more. Whilst an electro melody was added to the equation, I still didn't have a clear sense of the direction Cattaneo wanted to take us in. But it turns out this is all part of the show! It forces you to continue listening to find out!

And I was certainly glad I did, as I was then graced with Chable's absolutely brilliant mix of Union Jack's "Two Full Moons & A Trout". The underlying theme is similar to "Arquipelago" from disk 1, but with much more of a peak time groove and the originality of a Chable production. Following up with the glitchy electro playings on Derek Howell's "Cram It Up Your Cram Hole", I had really gotten into the groove of the disk by now.

Another spooky outing from 16 Bit Lolitas can be heard on this disk, and I was quite amazed by the tracks I was hearing. Cattaneo has selected some magnificently unique tunes to showcase, and pushes the borders of electronic even further by exposing them. He then takes things slightly deeper, but still melodic on Megta & Riedel's "Obsessions". This followed up by Colin Allrich's sexy take on Dan Welton's "Lisopain" which has proven to be a true crowd worker.

The groove continues on throughout Hernan's own edit of Nick Muir's "I Feel Real", with its electro fuelled synths creating a storm of energy. The disk then comes to a close on Cattaneo & Tonks' "Sirocco". The track is built up around a cheeky bassline and simplistic melody, but as soon as the heavy percussion drops, the track explodes and takes out the disk on a positive high. Sometimes the endings on a compilation can make it or break it, and Cattaneo has got it right both here and on the first disk.

Easily one of the hottest compilations going around at the moment, and this actually tops the recent "Masters Series" mixed by Dave Seaman. For me it was a much more solid outing, with silky smooth track and mood transitions, coupled with some truly groundbreaking material. Adding to this two individual disks which both have a different direction in mind, and you have the makings of an outstanding compilation, which is what this most certainly is.