Artist: James Lavelle
Title: Global Underground: 023 - Barcelona
Label: Global Underground
By: Simon Jones | 3 October 2002
Tracklist:

• Disk 1
• Disk 2

1. DJ Shadow - Mongrel Meets Its Maker
2. Leftfield - Dusted
3. Thomas Bangalter - Night Beats
4. Cheech - Mardi Gras
5. Sotero - Good Vibes
6. Layo & Bushwacka! - Let The Good Times Roll
7. Sasha - Fundamental
8. Force Mass Motion vs Dylan Rhymes - Hold Back
9. Evil9 - Crooked
10. Stir Fry - Breakin' On The Street (False Prophet Mix)
11. Ils - No Soul (PMT Mix)
12. Layo & Bushwacka! - Shining Through
13. Ian Brown - Fear (Unkle Mix)

1. Pitch Black - Underground Sound
2. Antranig & Pons - DJ Tool 3
3. Eddie Amador Feat Lamech - The Funk
4. Kybosh - Revolution
5. Rennie Pilgrem & Meat Katie - Atmosphere
6. Meat Katie - Next Life
7. Soul Of Man - Dirtywaltzer
8. Uberzone Vs Rennie Pilgrem - Black Widow
9. Dead Prez - Hip Hop
10. Peace Division - Seriously Twisted EP
11. Duncan Gray - Ultra Savent
12. Phil Kieran - Juicy
13. Lee Burridge - Lost & Found
14. Halo - Dark Clouds
15. FC Kahuna - Glitterball
16. Hybrid - Gravastar
17. Smithmonger - Vodka
18. Doves - There Goes The Fear (Unkle Edit)

James Lavelle "Global Underground: 023 - Barcelona"

James Lavelle. The Man from UNKLE. As head of the Mo Wax imprint and a regular dj all over the world and at venues like fabric, James has carved his own niche in the dance music scene. A niche that covers many 'genres' and showcases the versatility of this dj, giving scope to many eclectic sounding sets and something which makes him stand out amongst many other DJs. As the latest addition to the Global Underground roster, people have questioned why he was chosen. As markets evolve, evolution and a transition into a new arena. Like music, Global Underground has to 'progress', so choosing James to offer something slightly different to what has come before was what they chose to do. Is he the man for the job. Well, let us find as the 23rd volume of the Global series takes us to Barcelona.

CD1 starts off with some dramatic orchestration courtesy of James's Unklesounds project. This lets you know to expect the unexpected over the next 2 hours or so as James takes us on a travel to the far corners of the world via musical influences from India and other ethnic destinations, all bubbling away setting a mood for which James will springboard to the next level, dropping in stunning cuts from Leftfield, in addition to the huge breakbeat 'anthem' Let The Good Times Roll' by Layo and Bushwacka which twists the direction onto a tougher breakbeat slant which is quickly followed up by the core track of Sasha's album, Fundamental also getting featured within a mesh of layered breaks and beats continuing for much of the rest of the desk, before James unleashes a curveball at the end, dropping indie icon Ian Brown into the outro track via another cool Unklesounds edit.

CD2 strips things back and takes us back to the basics, as James weaves us into a smooth house groove via another of his intros before the dark groove of Pitch Black's Underground Sounds gets things underway with Kybosh grabbing the baton and starting a Revolution. James really starts expanding the sounds as he goes from house to breaks, and back again, with highlights including Halo's Dark Clouds and the electro bassline of FC Kahuna's Glitterball. Hybrid make a surprise appearance with the eerie synthlines of Gravastar which lowers the tempo as James pulls out one final surprise in the form of There Goes The Fear by The Doves. A track that has been a staple of many of his sets and now here to as the grand finale to a very different, diverse and alternative mix.

It would appear that the gamble has paid off and with rumours of the forthcoming Nick Warren album from Iceland taking in many downtempo infleunces, one must look with interest as to what Global Underground will bring us next.