Usual Suspects 2

Okay first things first: this isn’t the followup to Twisted’s superlative Unusual Suspects compilation; mainly because this is Usual Suspects, not Unusual Suspects. And yes I do have a right to look all smug about this, because it took about three days to work out that the two albums had different names. Duhh. Anyway, Dimitri selects nine tunes that offer a pretty good taster of the fullon sound that’s set to be rocking Europe this summer. Astrix & Dimitri’s EVOXis first up, and it doesn’t really sound like Astrix (something for which we should perhaps thank dimitri.) All the ingredients are there, but it’s not until the 303 lets rip that it really comes together. GBU’s La Caixa gets a remix from Spectrum, and it’s an interesting take. A more sturdy, rolling interpretation th at’s fluid but without losing the original’s energy. Wrecked Machines, GMS and Joti are up next with Magic Spell: simple, yes; formulaic, probably; but it’s effective as ya can get, mainly thanks to a huge breakdown and a hefty-ass drop to get the knees up. Nice. As is The Antidote’s Twist Again, it’s fresh and different with a funky groove that doesn’t overpower the trancey backbone underneath. Deedrah vs. Talamasca’s Unidentified Aircraft is a let down – possibly the most generic, predictable tune yet of 2004. A cobbled-together pastiche of trance clichés 1995-present, we should be able to expect more from producers of this calibre. Luckily, the listener’s angry wanton destruction subsides with DESTINI by GMS, Silicon Sound, Signs and My Mate Dave. Okay, Dave didn’t really do anything on this, but as far as big collabo rations go, this is a big one and f*k me it works. The silicon melody slides beautifully over GMS, and name-to-watch Signs evidently adds some certain sparkle. I mean it’s really good. Oforia’s fluid Kinetic has nice melodies, sits well in the mix and tantalises with its 303 finale, Juvenile’s remix of Talamasca’s Magnetic Fields is nothing to get excited about and, closing the album, Sub6’s Down and Out isn’t their best but still rounds things off neatly. Not a bad album, by any means, but other than DESTINI it lacks that certain something to make it truly essential.