The latest concept in compilations is this one from Ultra Records, who gives us a dose of the usual compilation mix, with an added touch, a DVD complete with a number of new music videos for your video pleasure..

In a new concept, Ultra Records, releases a compilation album; but not like most other compilations you would find. This one comes inclusive of a second disc, in the form of a DVD of some of the top music videos at the moment.

Released May 20, 2003 on Ultra Records.

Tracklist:

1. Roc Project ft. Tina Arena - Never (DJ Tiesto Mix)
2. Duncan Sheik - On A High (Gabriel & Dresden Love From Humboldt Mix)
3. 4 Strings - Let It Rain
4. Sylver - Livin' My Life
5. Plummet - Damaged (Antillas UK Mix)
6. Kira - I'll Be Your Angel
7. Oxygen ft. Andrea Britton - Am I On Your Mind
8. Groove Coverage - God is a Girl
9. DJ Icey - Dreams
10. DJ Spud - Set It Off
11. Nalin & Kane - Beachball (Gabriel & Dresden's South Beach Vacation Mix)
12. Weekend Players - Into the Sun (Riva Mix)
13. Armin van Buuren - Sunburn (Walk Through The Fire)
14. Oakenfold vs DJ Judas - The Prophet (Sabata Mix)
15. Paul an Dyk - Nothing But You
16. Jason Nevins pres. Holly - I'm in Heaven (Dub Mix)

DVD Portion:
1. Roc Project ft. Tina Arena - Never
2. Jessy - Look At Me Now
3. 4 Strings - Diving
4. Kira - I'll Be Your Angel
5. Groove Coverage - God is a Girl
6. Tomcraft - Loneliness
7. Armin van Buuren - Yet Another Day
8. Nalin & Kane - Beachball

The CD itself was mixed by David Waxman, a 29 year old A & R / DJ, who has long led the American progressive trance scene. His offering here by looking at the tracklist is a unique one and although contains the usual suspects, there are a few which I am curious to see how well it fits.

Tiesto's remix of The Roc Project ft. Tina Arena's Never starts us off in a bubbling progressive trance sequence, giving us the euphoria of the peak time trancers already within the first track, with a mild blending into On A High, showing us that the CD is more of a clubby offering than a trance one, with this track being one of the big US club trance anthems of late.

Without droning too much into the track, we are shown one of Carlo Resoort's tracks Let It Rain, one of the big trance anthems circulating the globe, and taking the Radio mix is a sure sign that this is aimed for the commercial crowds. I found the bit of mixing was sublime and perfect, putting us into the big vocal trancers Sylver with their Livin' My Life.

One of my favourites of the past few months has been Plummet's Damaged, and although perhaps not the best transition or track selection, the choice of this as a compilation track was the first I had heard. The vocals on here are enchanting and although not appealing to some of the more underground listeners, a nice choice from in my opinion, and before long we get some more of the European club sound from Kira; with I'll Be Your Angel. A big track with the boys such as Alphazone and Nu-Nrg, as well as the big European DJs. Definitive of the German trance sound and may not be something that the North American crowd is accustomed, it highlights the diversity seen within only 6 tracks so far.

Oxygen aka Lustral / Ascension / Spacebrothers is next up with Am I On Your Mind, a track which has been big with Oakenfold et al and puts us back into more milder trance territory before dropping us back into a rollercoaster of club trance in God is a Girl, a track I have not heard of in the past and it is one of those which will be quite popular on the dance music radio stations, and is almost reminiscent of the German, Euro-style trance.

Next up comes more of a unique mist with Florida's finest in breakbeat DJ Icey. For those of you unfamiliar with DJ Icey, he is almost the USA's equivalent of Hybrid and Dreams, is definitely a crossover to nuskool breaks with some feisty electronic samples added.

The next track is perhaps the oddest of the lot, with what I can only describe as an Atari sound producer mixed with a few vocal samples for a good 4 minutes, so I quickly skip through Set it Off. But we're back in action after that with some that fine remake of Nalin & Kane's Beachball by Gabriel & Dresden, putting in the summery balearic moods which we all love from time to time.

Weekend Players' Into the Sun is up next, with a rolling remix by Riva, and we're put into another notch with this track which places us solidly into the UK trance category, before giving us a taste of Armin van Buuren's Sunburn, which was recently given the vocal makeover. I was never a big fan of the original track, and I am not a big fan of this vocal makeover either, with seems to me as being very similar to DJ Tiesto's Urban Train. This will appeal to many of the listeners out there, with its very open club atmosphere and the blinding buildup which undoubtedly causes a frenzy in the clubs at peak time.

CJ Bolland gave us his The Prophet around a decade ago. Paul Oakenfold remade it and Sabata put in some breakbeat action for it. This is my pick for the compilation and although I know many people do not like this track, it really does it for me, and has done for as long as I can remember. We then diverge to Paul van Dyk's Nothing But You, which has also been a big number from the Vandit label over recent months which gives us a sign of the closing credits with its milder anthemic vocal chants.

When I saw Jason Nevin's name on the CD, I instantly thought Run DMC. But to my surprise, this track is nothing like the 90s anthem which many of us will remember. An almost trance number here with the affluent club elements are present here, with Jason Nevin's coming out of nowhere to shock us in the final track of the album.

The thing I looked forward to when I saw the CD was more so of the DVD portion which came as the second disc, containing some new MTVs, and yes, although the European's get to watch the trance MTVs for much of the day, there are a number of us outside of Holland and the UK which do not get the privelege of doing so.

This DVD suffices to just that. Providing 8 videos which do not appear much on the TVs these days to accompany the audio compilation. A unique idea, and let's hope we see more of it in the future.

Ultra Records

Conclusion:
The compilation mix itself gives me a conclusion that the track selection was interesting, but the actual mixing itself was a bit like the "Club Anthems 2002" type, where you don't here much of the transition, but a lot of the track. By all means, some people will like that, but personally, I'm a fan of the soothing transitions combined with the diverse track selection which I have found in the CD; props to the selection of tracks.

Definitely not for the hardcore trance listeners, and probably more for the club trance type, or those who want some upbeat music in the car without passengers putting earplugs on and asking whether or not you stop being in a clubbing mood all day.

The DVD portion itself was good enough for me to buy the CD and offers something a little bit different than the usual 2x 20 track CDs which we are seeing more and more of each day.

I rated it 7 because of the approach of the CD, with the DVD tag along, and if the 1st disc was much better, I'd give it more.