Artist: Jim Rivers
Title: Global Underground: Nubreed 7
Label: Global Underground
By: Antonella Sirec | 17 February 2009
Tracklist:

• Disk 1
• Disk 2

1. Joash - Bubblegum Strings
2. Mike Monday - Stargirl
3. Florian Kruse - The Miracle (Dave DK 'Magic' Mix)
4. Burnski - Packing My Bags
5. Ilija Rudman - Ocean Colour
6. Didier Sinclair - Devotion
7. Will Saul & Tam Cooper - Through The Smoke
8. Luomo - Tessio (Stimming Mix)
9. Jim Rivers - By Any Means
10. The Viewers - Streethorn (Ben Watt 'Buzzin Fly' Edit)
11. Scope - Strung Out 2009
12. Lemon Popsicle - Zavoaie
13. 2's Company – Drop Bass Kick
14. Beanfield Feat Bajka - Tides (Ripperton Mix)
15. Rockers Hi-Fi - Push Push (Rainer Weichhold Mix)
16. Jim Rivers - Forget About It
17. Tom Budden - The Tree Dance
18. Jim Rivers – Vibrant

1. Unkle - Heaven (King Unique Mix)
2. Kabuto & Koji - Drunken Slumber
3. Dj Yellow Presents Mindz Kontrol Ultra - Space Soon To Vanish
4. Nobuo Ittetsu - Flow
5. Aril Brikha – Deeparture In Time
6. 16 Bit Lolitas Presents Glowfield - Moiemaker
7. Plasmik Honey - Da Jungle
8. Itamar Sagi - One Million Oaks
9. Christopher Manik - Take It Back
10. Bradler & Dualton - Glow (Erphun Mix)
11. Nick Muir - 100's & 1000's
12. Guy J - Lamur
13. Claes Rosén - Captivating
14. Clinton Brown & Miltos - Pesticide
15. Jim Rivers – Stone
16. Andre Kraml - Safari (James Holden Mix)
17. Avilo - Rubicon
18. Tarrentella - Karma (Fiord Mix)
19. Paul Woolford - Heirbas

Jim Rivers "Global Underground: Nubreed 7"

It’s been close to seven years since Global Underground last released a Nubreed compilation. For those of us that were fans of that series (and there were many of us), we believed the end of the line had come with Satoshi Tomiie’s instalment. Created as a platform to showcase the talents of DJs on the cusp of super stardom, the time between 2002 and now would seem to have been barren of such talents… until now. GU rekindles the much missed Nubreed series with none other then UK’s Jim Rivers. For those unfamiliar with his work, Nubreed 007 is set to catapult this unique DJ and producer who has that 'it' factor which is a rarity in this industry.

Opening the first part of Nubreed 007 is Joash's “Bubblegum Strings” where melodic riffs intertwine with subtle string samples to form a bouncy and memorable opening track. An ethereal touch comes into play with Mike Monday's 'Stargirl', a track that continues the delicate nature of the previous tune but this time draws in a slightly heavy pads as violin samples add an emotional feel.

Up next is the Dave DK 'Magic' Mix of “The Miracle” by Florian Kruse which picks up the tempo of the mix and introduces a gentle house groove into the mix. Moving on quite quickly and onto “Packing My Bags” by Burnski which further establishes that house groove and brings in flourishes of washed synths to add a new layer to the sound.

Following on is Ilija Rudman's “Ocean Colour”, a more austere tune that dips in feel before climbing back up and turning into a beat laden tune which increased the tempo slightly again and introduces Didier Sinclair's “Devotion” perfectly. This is a real dance floor number with its warm melody, string samples but driving beat allowing it to work so well.

That warmth is replaced with a tougher sound in Will Saul and Tam Cooper’s ‘Through The Smoke” but still keeps the tempo at the same level. The engaging see-saw melody combined with the constant underlying synths makes this a noteworthy track. Gliding perfectly into the mix is the stunning Stimming Mix of “Tessio” by Luomo. I love seeing a good vocal track used properly and here Jim Rivers has used it so perfectly that it stands out so majestically that, for me, it's quite an emotional point within this part of the mix. The combination of the beautiful vocals and the sporadic strings are haunting. Simply brilliant.

What better way to follow on from the Luomo tune is none other then with a Jim Rivers production. “By Any Means” shifts gears upwardly through its galloping groove overlaid with a bopping melody. It's a warm tune that literally washes over you. Continuing things on the up-tempo vibe is the Ben Watt 'Buzzin Fly' Edit of “Streethorn” by The Viewers, a tune that's quite halting in sound and adds to the tension of the mix so far. It gradually builds and builds only to explode into Scope's 2009 version of his eponymous “Strung Out”. I can't help losing myself in those ever familiar strings. This is a classic dance music track but updated with a tougher sound.

Heading towards a subdued path is “Zavoie” by Lemon Popsicle which still keeps things on a melodic path but is only used as a bridging track to introduce 2's Company's “Drop Bass Kick”. This particular track sounds very much like its title because it does virtually drop a bass before kicking back into a melodic shift, bumping and grinding perfectly into the gorgeous Ripperton Mix of Beanfields' “Tides”, featuring the unforgettable soulful voice of Bajka.

The inclusion of the Rainer Weichhold Mix of “Push Push” by Rockers Hi-Fi was, at first, a strange addition for me on this mix because of its obvious popularity. However, its soaring chords and heavy groove fits easily in the overall sound of this part of the mix. Next up is another production from Jim Rivers with “Forget About It”. This is all about the deep and dubby bass sounds that drive the track and the shimmering synths and vocals snippets that virtually hover over the tune.

As this part of the mix nears the end, “The Tree Dance” by Tom Budden comes into play with a right proper bounce. What a tune! Quite deep in texture but it's that bounce like beat that spurs this tune on. You can't help but move along with it and for that it's quite the highlight. Completing this part of the Nubreed 007 journey is “Vibrant” by Jim Rivers again which takes the feel of the mix down a notch but only slightly before it soars and explodes into melodic synths and a dubby beat driven vibe before gently dropping away. An apt way to end this part of the mix.

Leading us into the second disk of Nubreed 007 is the King Unique Mix of Unkle’s “Heaven” which rolls in quite gently before the groove picks up in tempo and carries the track on an even keel through out its duration. Following on as a transition is Kabuto and Koji’s “Drunken Slumber” which easily introduces the next tune. “Space Soon To Vanish” by DJ Yellow Presents Mindz Kontrol Ultra. There's such an intensity in its beats while the horn like synth that grows and drops at varying points adds to that feel.

Nobuo Ittetsu’s “Flow” follows on naturally and continues that intensity before bridging onto a minute section of Aril Brikha's “Deeparture In Time” and then flourishing into “Moviemaker” by 16 Bit Lolitas Presents Glowfield. This particular tune takes the mix into a deeper sound with subtle techy effects in the background and a gallop in its beat as it maintains the tempo.

Plasmik Honey's “Da Jungle” is spliced into the mix so as to introduces Itamar Sagi’s “One Million Oaks” which adds some really bass heavy pads into the mix as the pace takes an upwards shiftl. There's such a deep, hypnotic melody here as a main focus and as such, we're starting to see change into progressive territory. A real highlight of this part of the mix and a tune I'd love to hear played in a club.

With Christopher Manik’s gorgeous “Take It Back” the use of those heavy sounding pads continues before the mix swings into the high hats of the Erphun Mix of Bradler and Dualton's “Glow” and what a tune this is! The main focus here is a real nod towards a techno sound, underpinned by progessive overtones, a sound also emulated by Nick Muir's “100's & 1000's”. This track has such a deep bass heavy vibe that hovers in the background while washed melodic synths and bleepy effects play in the foreground. This is immense and intense at the same time!

Bringing the feel back down slightly is Guy J's “Lamur”, which brings with it an almost angelic change in melody and feel before moving onto the deep grooves of Claes Rosén's “Captivating” which is exactly that. While the last two tracks were almost a breather, “Pesticide” by Clinton Brown and Miltos picks things up again with its rolling beats and warbling synths. Another Jim Rivers production, “Stone” virtually scurries in and adds another intense element to the mix with its volumising main melody.

The wonky bass of the James Holden Mix of Andre Kraml's “Safari” melts into the previous track before the majestic “Rubicon” by Avilo has already started. The warm but spliced synths and bleeps seem to cascade off the pads as they become the prominent force of the track. Crazy stuff! The idea of warm pads continue with the upcoming Fiord Mix of “Karma” by Tarrentella and while I thought things would start to settle down, the rolling beats swing the rhythm in an upward direction and continue on with Paul Woolford's “Heirbas” which doesn't let go of that relentlessness until the last chords of the track. What a finish!

This compilation is just stunning! Its blend of deep house grooves, gorgeous melodies, bits of progressive hypnotics and dance floor orientated beats all come together to create a compilation that sees a fitting return of the Nubreed series for GU. Technically speaking, the transitions here are so seamless in many places that they glide from one track to the next with effortless ease, so much so, that you will find yourself picking up on something new on each subsequent listen of the compilation. All I can say is 'wow'!

To be frank, while I’m already a fan of his previous work, even I didn't expect this to be of the quality that it is with the end result surpassing any and all of my expectations and then some. What this young artist has created is a release for Global Underground that will not only be one of the major standouts for 2009 but also herald a new era for the label. Nubreed 007 is a definitive showcase of the talent that is Jim Rivers, one that will undoubtedly become a much more prominent force in the industry in the coming years whose musical ability will continue to mature and develop. A 'must get' for anyone and everyone.