Various Artists ‘Deep Sensation Volume III: Mixed By Nick Harris’

Various Artists / ‘Deep Sensation Volume III: Mixed By Nick Harris’

Double CD

NRK / Released October 25th 2010

The idea of an A&R guy making a mix album might be a little weird to some people. That is, of course, until they learn this particular industry man is also the head of NRK, a label with a fair old pedigree.

12 months ago its 12″ operations started again, bringing with them a slew of well received releases from the likes of Alexkid and Steve Bug. So, as if to cap off a tidy little year, this new instalment of the Deep Sensation series comes from a guy who’s heard more house than is probably healthy for most humans.

Opening with Amir’s shuffler Narrativity– a familiar starting point for anyone who heard Carl Craig’s RA Podcast- it’s a refreshing change from where most similarly labeled sounds are right now. With a big shake of the ass, and clear focus on the dancefloor, the West Coast flavas of Scope’s This Rhythm, aren’t far behind. Pianos and vocals a-go, those after a slice of warm, punchy pie will now realise the hunt is over.

Incidentally, it should be noted that said rhythmically-titled track is a remix from Kruse & Nuernberg, who crop up again with the excellent, Eukahouse sounding Mirror Ball– another highlight from the mix. Elsewhere, Chris Lattner’s reworking of Lewis Boardman’s Mist keeps things nicely heads down, as lyrical loops create a smouldering atmosphere over wide-load drum beats, while DJ Q’s inclusion ensures no-one forgets the past, with a crisp, percussion-heavy and synth backed vibe.

Disc two contains a selection of the tracks unmixed, which should be enough to seal the deal for any CD-jocks, Ableton aficionados or similarly inclined musical investors. All in all, there’s very little that should have gone into this release, other than what has ended up getting in. As such, if you’re looking for something that does exactly what it says on the tin, then look no further. NRK should mean quality production, and this mildly retrospective compilation from the chap responsible for the whole thing is a well chosen collection of beats, as well placed on the mix as they were conceived in the studio.


Comments