Artist: Various Artists
Title: Audio Therapy Across Borders : Greece
Label: Audio Therapy
By: Jason Calvert | 9 September 2005
Tracklist:

1. G-Pal & Anna Maria X - Within
2. Dousk - Bummer
3. Viton & KST - Yes I See
4. Phatjak - Supermarket
5. Christian Cambas - Paramount
6. Tone Depth - Everything
7. V-Sag Feat Ilias T - I Wasnt Impressed Enough
8. Stel & Good Newz - Exactly What You Wanted
9. Nick & John Dalagelis - Quiet Steve Is Listening
10. Kosmas Epsilon - Ill Ssa

"Audio Therapy Across Borders : Greece"

Across Borders: Greece marks the beginning of a new series for the amazing Audio Therapy imprint. The unmixed compilation aims to showcase the talent and quality of Greek producers in recent times. With some amazing material from G-Pal, to Tone Depth, to Kosmas Epsilon, the result is a varied selection of tracks with one common theme: absolute brilliance.

Opening the album is a laid back groove from the husband and wife team G-Pal and Anna Maria X, who blew us all away with "Ocean Of Blue" in the past. The blissful vocals on "Within" set up a strong mood. The beats are slow, and the vibe is high. A smooth guitar riff compliments this already amazing composition and takes it just that little bit further for it to easily be classed as magnificent.

Picking up the pace slightly is "Bummer" from Dousk, who has been creating waves throughout the scene lately. Sticking to a minimal approach whilst still remaining effective, deep rhythms and strong percussion hold things together, while a filtered vocal floats underneath all of this.

Viton recently turned heads with the recent "Wooden Swordz", and teaming up with KST here, we are presented with the emotional "Yes I See". The trademark sounds and effects from "Wooden Swordz" can be heard here again, but the way in which they are used is very creative, and therefore the results are still refreshing. A blissful guitar melody is laid down over the top, and when the bassline kicks in we have yet another winner for the CD. That is 3 out of 3 so far, let's see how the rest of the album compares!

Evan Kay and Angel Stoxx form the Phatjak outfit, and the jackin' peak time feel of "Supermarket" is a very impressive tune overall. The track works around an infectious bassline, and slowly elements are added to this, and as a result the track builds and builds before exploding, sure to appeal to the likes of dancefloors across many borders!

Not long ago Christian Cambas impressed us all with the hugely successful "Obsession", a track which was a favourite amongst many DJs, myself included. Here he provides a solid breakbeat number "Paramount". Again boasting a strong peak time feel, the melody resides in the higher ranges of the composition, which gives it an uplifting and emotional feel, yet the throbbing bassline and tight breakbeat percussion give it an interesting progressive twist. Another massive tune from Cambas.

Tone Depth has become a household name in recent times, and most certainly needs no introduction. The sheer brilliance of "Everything" far exceeded my expectations, as after his recent lacking effort on "To The Moon", I was not expecting so much! A simple yet powerful melody is what makes the track so interesting, and the throbbing bassline provides an excellent contrast to this. The atmosphere created is blissful, as with nearly all the tracks on this CD, yet there is a certain charm to it which I feel allows it to stand out slightly over the rest on the CD.

V-Sag is slowly building up a solid reputation, and is a favourite amongst many DJs across the globe. "I Wasn't Impressed Enough" pushes a driving bassline and some cheeky vocals which give the track a certain feel many will be instantly attracted to. Blending smooth guitar elements into progressive compositions seems to be something strongly fancied by Greek producers, and one cannot complain at all, as they tend to always work in the track's favour. All I can say is that I certainly was impressed enough!

Unless you have been living in a cave for the last few years, if you are interested in the progressive scene, you will have heard of Stel & Good Newz. "Particle" was hailed as one of the hottest tracks of 2004, and I certainly have very fond memories of it. Whilst "Exactly What You Wanted" may not have the peak time feel of "Particle", in terms of quality, it actually surpasses it! A beautiful laid back groove, complimented by a tight driving bassline, and a lead guitar riff with a bit of a dirty feel to it. Lush background melodies back up the guitar, and the end product is phenomenal. One of the hottest Stel & Good Newz tracks to emerge to date. If for nothing else, the release is worth picking up for this track alone! A true gem.

New York rockers Nick & John Dalagelis tear things up with their club monster "Quiet (Steve Is Listening)". A plethora of twisted effects rip through the speakers, and these are backed by some insane percussion and a pulsing bassline. The atmosphere created is dark and dirty, and this is going to be causing some real havoc when dropped late at night. The type of track clubbers are just hanging out to hear when they go out. A definite mood creator.

The last track to be featured here comes from none other than Kosmas Epsilon, who's tracks in the past have simply been oozing with quality. "Ill Ssa" is a banging peak time number, with a throbbing bassline propelling forward, and a light melody floating through the mid ranges to provide the contrast. Some dirty electrified guitars float around in the background, and this takes out the album with a bang!

This outstanding selection of tracks has me drooling over what more we can expect from this series. I couldn't think of a better way to showcase the insane amount of talent coming out of Greece at the moment, and Audio Therapy have certainly overshot in fulfilling their goals with the compilation. Whether you are a DJ after some hot new tracks to spin, or simply a listener who loves quality progressive, I cannot express how hot this selection is. You will just have to listen for yourself and experience it!