My review writen for Trance Podium.com
Gabriel & Dresden are one of the most accomplished double acts to emerge from the dance music scene since Kevin and Perry. They’ve worked with The Killers, Dido, and Oakenfold to name but a few and their commercial success (particularly in the US) puts them right up there with Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers.
Over the past 6 years they have notched up an impressive 17 number 1 Billboard hits, made three compilation albums, an artist album and won more International Dance Music Awards than I've had pairs of shoes.
What's more impressive perhaps is the fact that despite all their commercial success, they remain well respected throughout the clubbing and underground dance communities - avoiding the hatred and call for public stonings usually reserved for those who are deemed to have "sold out".
The reason for this successful rock dodging is simply that Gabriel & Dresden never have sold out. Their achievements commercially have come off the back of tracks that have built a reputation in the clubs first and made their way into the charts through popularity alone. Confident in their distinctive sound and ability as producers, they've never once felt the need to bust out the generic pop synth and head over to Chris Browns house to commit a rhythm and dance crime against humanity.
This is why we love their work and why now, after 3 long years away we welcome them back into our lives as well as our iPods.
But are we looking at a revival of Take That sized proportions? Well this new offering from the boys leaves me with no reason to suggest otherwise. A clever mix of classic G&D tracks (reminding us why we love them) and new contemporary trance, house, techno and everything in-between (showing us where they are going) makes for a wonderfully constructed compilation for the connoisseur and beginner alike.
As club facing as an arctic baby seal, this two-disk mix is certainly one for the dance floor. Boasting tracks from big hitters (no pun intended) such as Mat Zo, Arty, Fedde Le Grand and Tiesto, Mixed for Feet is energetic, intelligent and progressively presented.
Highlights for me include a wonderful moment when the acapella for Andain's Beautiful Things gets into bed with the Barnes & Heatcliff remix of tyDi's Good Dream. Delicious! Other noteworthy moments include the nostalgic 80's vibes of Flying Blind feat Passion for Plaid and a new remix of Tracking Treasure Down from the boys themselves, dragging the track kicking and screaming into the now.
In Gabriel & Dresdens own words this compilation is "a rebirth", and I agree. Music wise it's a well selected mix of the classic and the contemporary, artist wise it's a coupling of the established and the up and coming. In fact everything about this reunion seems to have gone very well indeed. OK, so the album title lacks a bit of imagination but give them a break, it has been 3 years. Elton John once called an album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" and he did OK, didn't he?
One good thing that does come from the title however is the "Vol 1" bit, leading us to believe that this is to be a compilation series. The prospect of which (as long as the follow up CDs live up to this one) has me more excited than the time my mate and me discovered the ten-minute free view on the Playboy channel.
I think this compilation is more for fans of dance music as a whole than one particular genre, but taking the best of each scene is what Gabriel & Dresden do best. Maybe that's the key to their success and longevity? After all, they say the ones who are most likely to survive are the ones most adaptable to change.
Wow, I got a bit deep there for a second.
Out now by the way.
Click Here For Tracklist on Trancepodium.com
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