Artist: John Digweed
Title: Renaissance Presents: Transitions 2
Label: Renaissance Recordings
By: Andy Dixon | 5 April 2007
Tracklist:

1. Abyss - Mind Games (John Digweed Cheeky Edit)
2. Abyss - The Dreamer
3. Chaim - Dana (Guy Gerber Mix)
4. Antena - Camino Del Sol (Joakim Mix)
5. Williams - The Shivering (Pitch & Hold 'In Camera Obscura' Mix)
6. Evil Hinko - Gedankenhochsprung (Babicz Mix)
7. G-Stylz - Belong To Me (Dub) (John Digweed Cheeky Edit)
8. David K - Boul De Nerf
9. Felix Houzer - Mandolina (Robert Babicz Rework) (John Digweed Cheeky Edit)
10. Dirk Technic - I Love You (Smallboy Mix)
11. Guy Gerber - Digital Memories
12. G-Stylz - Can't Get Enough
13. Dose3 - Minds (Tobi Neumann Mix)
14. Jackmate - Manray (John Digweed Cheeky Edit)

John Digweed "Renaissance Presents: Transitions 2"

Whether you've amassed with the writhing thousands at Twilo, Heaven, or Delta Heavy, or skipped back Hong Kong to revel in the mix from 'Heaven Scent' into 'She Does' one more time, or simply streamed one of countless live sets, it's undeniable the impact John Digweed continues to have on the scene that he helped pioneer.

He continues to embrace the changing technology that others shy away from, feeding his voracious passion for dark energetic beats and readily disseminating his scripture to the throngs of waiting subjects. His current endeavors are under the fittingly title of Transitions, which is now in its second official release after stemming from weekly free podcast sets. The releases are on the equally legendary label Renaissance- who released Digweed's first solo mastery with 1994's Mix Collection Part 2. Diggers once again transcends beyond the normal DJ compilation and creates a seamless exploration of the good and evil of the human experience- a journey filled with encompassing soul and nightmarish visions.

He begins the 'Mind Games' with Abyss and the first of four "Cheeky Edits" by the Bedrock mastermind himself. It builds with strumming pads and a faint beat into the juice harp twang of a second Abyss track, 'The Dreamer'. This initial mix is exactly what you’d expect; tracks that so perfectly play off one another that it is nearly impossible to pinpoint where one ends and the other begins without previous knowledge or constant display watching. Guy Gerber's mix of Chaim has a daydreamer's laziness that mimics lying on the grass watching fast moving clouds float by to follow it up before Joakim continues the melody-laden beginning with a remix of French group Antena's 'Camino Del Sol', which was first released in the early '80s.

Next the dark layers of Williams 'The Shivering' remind us that you can't survive a Digweed set without the gritty ambience and untrustworthy capitulation he embodies. But its underlying bassline adds soul to the darkness and really makes the track. But despite the constant analytics that he warrants, the Bedrock founder never forgets that he's a club DJ building energy with the Evil Hinko track and two more Cheeky Edits that book ending the precision bongos and minimal techno of David K's Boul de Nerf.

His methodical build continues with the latest mix from Smallboy of 'I Love You' by Dirk Technic. Dirk is the new techy pseudonym and venture of breakbeater PMT/False Prophet, and while the original is a more impressive piece than the remix, the more subtle Smallboy mix works well here with less demanding vocals and reigning arpeggios that detune when mixed over Guy Gerber's Digital Memories. Now finding full throttle, he continues the barrage through the 2nd appearance of G-Stylz, a drug trip called 'Minds' and his last track, another of his own edits.

John Digweed hasn't lost a step despite his nearly 15 years of releases. Unlike other DJs still on the scene that have changed their style to fit the times, Digweed continues to set trends while further defining his own impressions on an ever changing scene.