Christopher Lawrence releases an album based on his output with the legendary Hook recordings. Check it out!

Christopher Lawrence: Un-Hooked – The Hook Sessions

Christopher Lawrence had a tremendous 2004 and if you mean redoing your website to beat just about every deejay out there, then score one for CL, if you mean starting your own label (first release out next month), then score two for CL. If you mean coming in the top 10 of DJ Mag’s top 100, then adds more points and to top it all off, he released his debut artist album “All or Nothing” to great fanfare. So 2004 was a tremendous year for Mr.Lawrence and for those who know the man, know that he is never satisfied with the status quo.

Hook Recordings was originally an Aberdeen label that was created in 1992 by Chris Cowie and it was a label that released some trance corkers from X-Cabs (aka Cowie) and others during the trance phase but people seem to forget that Christopher Lawrence released some big room trance tunes on that label.

So to pay homage to the Hook Sessions, here is another album from the California based DJ.

Christopher Lawrence: Un-Hooked – The Hook Sessions

1.Filmer
2.Primer
3.Cruise Control
4.Moonboy
5.Neodog
6.24/7
7.Wasteland
8.Navigator
9.Shredder
10.Ride the Light
11.Defiant

1.Filmer

This track will be a surprise to most Christopher Lawrence fans, unless you have followed him religiously since 1992 but this is not a main room trance floorfiller that he is known for. This is almost downtempo, it makes use of a tremendously subtle piano line, which is coupled with a solid backing beat that is made up of real drums. A flute adds to the chilled nature of this tune and this should completely shock some people because it is hard to believe that Christopher Lawrence has made anything besides trance tunes. So we have started off the CD with a shock and there is still ten songs to go!

2.Primer

After the incredible shock of Filmer comes Primer, which is not such the main room trancer but it is more of a track that CL used to build his sets with, not one that would tear the place apart. This song is driven by this repetitive melody that keeps it going for a while and it pushes the song in a direction. I like the simplicity of the hook here and the drum machine line that just adds to it. As with all of CL’s work, the riffs don’t completely smack you like say other producers’ work would.

3.Cruise Control

Now we move into the CL mold that he is known for and it is hard to believe that this track is from the late 90’s because it does not sound so dated. The track uses the subtle CL riffs that have become the hallmark of his productions. This track is the shortest on this CD, it clocks in at only three minutes and change, probably because he included it on his MixCDs and probably because it is rarer these days to find because it was originally released on Hook, many years ago and maybe to deter file sharers. The track here just chugs along and it pushes more of a subtle melody but that is CL’s game, nothing too massive, just simple stuff that works incredibly well.

4.Moonboy

Moonboy is not what people would term a trance floorfiller, it is very carefully made. The song is something that is in 3rd gear, not a 5th gear destroy the dancefloor tune. The drumline is solid but not in your face, which I assume that CL tries to make, when he goes into the production studio. The riffs are incredibly hooky but they contain a tremendous melody and that carries this song from start to finish. The breakdown here is just icing on the cake, nothing spectacular, just something that works.

5.Neodog

Now again, we move into the main room trance floorfiller but what I’ve stated earlier is that CL does’nt go for massive breakdowns like many other producers, he just uses smart things that work. This track uses the harsh bassline that shows up in a lot of CL’s work but this has more of the tear the floor apart capability. The riffs are subtle, yet not subtle at times, I know it is almost a paradox but anyway, this is just a good smart tune that works peaktime. I think the uptempo nature of this song, probably around 138-140 probably catches your attention immediately. The sound effects that are used also lend itself well to this CD that just keeps building.

6.24/7

This track has one feature that just sends goosebumps down my spine, this sound effect that is near the middle and echoed and it just moves in and out, while the main part of the track builds and builds. Everything is not complicated and nothing is too harsh and it all works for the greater good. I can see that this song did tremendous damage on dancefloor because of the fact that it picks you up and drags you along immediately with it.. 24/7 is unlike most of CL’s work because it uses a great breakdown, it changes pace and then it comes out even stronger and the riffs gain in power and they become even more solid. This CD is excellent so far because it shows off that CL did a lot of work that may have been not seen by some but it fits right in with the good ol trance from the good ol days.

7.Wasteland

We now hit the halfway point of the CD and Wasteland is….. yup you guessed it, another peaktime track that really fit the Hook Recordings mold that made it such a favorite among clubbers, deejays and normal people. This tune is very quick but you expect the end of the night tunes to be at a higher BPM. Wasteland is just evil at times because it has this mean as heck drive and the melody is a harsh well planned assault on the eardrums. Apparently this was CL’s last tune in his sets for a while, back some years ago but it would still work today, almost too well. The breakdown is just as intense and this was probably conceived as a way to destroy the dancefloor, which I’m all for, the only thing that some people might argue that it lacks is a massive breakdown but don’t fix what ain’t broke.

8.Navigator

This is probably one of CL’s more classic songs and of course, it fits the CL mold. The song contains more drive then most of his previous work. This is an uptempo trance tune, which uses some very precise and nasty riff work to achieve its purpose. The song really does’nt use any massive breakdown, just the usual CL vision.

9.Shredder

CL has released a lot of tracks in his time, out of all of them, this has to be my favorite and I never seem to tire of this one. CL made this one as a peaktime floorfiller for his sets and this is really one of those style tracks. The drive is just off the hook, it picks you up and drags off by your coattails. The riffs are spaced out but still surgically precise and nasty and when you put this all together, you get a tremendously effective track. The harmony that this creates is just amazing and CL never pulls the tricks that seem to hurt the producers of today (i.e massive breakdowns, over the top riffs).

10.Ride The Light

As we start the final two tracks on this disc, you can obviously tell that the tempo is rising, just like the typical CL set. “Ride the Light” makes use of a filtered riff that gives you an icy feeling and the track is fast and uptempo. It screams peaktime as a lot of the previous tracks do but that is what CL makes, when he goes into the production studio. The track does’nt do anything fancy but as I’ve probably stated too many times, if it works, who cares?. Ride the Light makes use of a smart breakdown, where most of the main instruments drop out and it is silent, here the effect is used well and it gains your attention and soon, the track picks up again and goes back to the original mold till the end.

11.Defiant

The disc ends on what sounds like an early CL production, it sounds dated for some reason. The riffs are joined very well together and they tend to just get going.

Conclusion:
This is a mishmash of CL works, some work very well and some are just dated but what can’t be understated is that CL knows exactly what works and what does’nt. I like his All or Nothing album simply because it offers more variety but if you want to hear some of CL’s most famous works, this is essential.