Rebirth

Have you been disillusioned with progressive trance this year? Fed up of prog-u-like derivativity?

Are you losing your hair? Erection Problems? Is your house in need of a makeover, but you lack funds?

Have you suffered an injury at work? Would you like to consolidate all your debts into one low and easy-to-manage monthly payment? Are you satisfied with your wash?

Ace Ventura, like a tub of Shake N’ Vac, has put the freshness back. Like Weetabix, Rebirth is low in sodium, high in natural fibres and is a great source of energy. I liked the Intro so much, I bought the album – Ace Ventura is a Mac, and everyone else is a PC.

The reason I’m resorting to hype here – albeit tongue-in-cheek hype – is that this isn’t just the best progressive album around at the moment, it’s probably the best progressive album of the year. Everything about it oozes quality: the layering, the production, the lazily confident swagger… sheer bliss.

Lish collaboration The Light is unlike anything you’ve ever heard before, Presence is pure stripped-down goodness, and Sao Paolo has one of the best 303 lines this side of Space Cat’s first album. Meanwhile Exposed does everything you want a progressive tune to do, and does it bloody, bloody well.

I’m not going into detail, because I don’t need to. You’re smart, you’ve got access to the internet. You’ll wander over to Beatport or wherever and listen to it for yourself, then you’ll fall in love with it, then you’ll buy it.

In raising the bar for progressive trance music, Ace Ventura has also been nice enough to give the bar itself a bit of a clean. If you’ve been waiting for a genuinely essential prog album, then here it is.

I personally love it to bits, and then I love those bits into even smaller bits.