(Subliminal Records/Stomp)

There’s no push me-touch me powertool action on this album, but the Italian electro king Benny Benassi succeeds in serving up some seriously smoove sexy house satisfaction.

Featuring an eclectic selection of both sexy and dark ‘n’ twisted house, electro-techno and deepfunk, this latest Subliminal Sessions oozes as much aural appeal as its predecessors. Benassi may at first appear an unusual choice as captain of a Subliminal Session, after all he is just the Satisfaction guy right? No sir. Benassi is more than just flavour of the season; he not only captured the sound of now he actually invented it. With a highly successful debut album Hypnotica and remixes for Tomcraft, Outkast, Sonique and his most recent mix of Dance Commander by Electric Six, Benassi is firmly establishing himself as a musical force. The talented electro wonderboy from Italy’s Milan is the first non-Subliminal DJ to mix a Sub Session. The fact that Eric Morillo enlisted Benassi to reign behind the decks for the prestigious series latest is a testament to Benassi’s skills.

Subliminal Sessions Volume Six is a great album for many reasons. It features previously unreleased mixes and some fresh exclusives, including Robbie Rivera’s bouncy Liar, Harry ‘Choo Choo’ Romero’s electro-charged Be The One, Dave Clarke’s beat-quirk Way Of Life and Eric Morillo’s exotic dub of The Crystal Method’s Born Too Slow. Benassi also features on here under his Bat 67 pseudonym, with I Want You To Come and on the Bennassi Brothers Featuring Azibiza’s production, Turn Me Up.

Dark shades of funk and shadowy basslines are the guiding forces on this release, especially on the second disc. The first disc is inherently listenable and very hard to tire of. It’s not very courageous but then house music doesn’t always have to be. It ambles along and is nice overground headnodding music. My pick of this disc is Evolved vs. Oba’s Afrika (Grounded Deep Mix). A sweaty, straight up tribal-esque house adventure that will leave you for dead. As you would expect from a Subliminal Session, the mixing across this disc is very smooth, though as I’ve already mentioned, this disc breaks no boundaries.

I happen to prefer disc two. Sexy and exciting, it is driven by electro grooves and tech-house. Chunky and driving, it starts off slowly with the incredibly warm Liar from Robbie Rivera & Billy Williams, quickly building into a sultry yet driving soundscape. The basslines from each song massage your mind and could all stand on their own sans vocals. Two of my highlights on this disc are the acidy techno of Nasty Bass by Adrea Bertolini and The Robbie Rivera remix of the classic by Thick Dick, Orgasm, an aurology of sensuous grooves, lush percussion and velvet vox.

There’s quite an electro-house fare on show through both discs, and fans of the Benassi sound will lap it up. Pick it up if you like your house with a dash of electro-techno. With this release under his belt, Benny Benassi is surely headed for a bright future.

Disc One:

1. Praise Cats Featuring Andrea Love – Sing
2. Buddha Soul Project – Brazil In Mind (Original)
3. Harrison Crump – Burning Up
4. Dave Clarke – Way Of Life
5. Vantage Point – Can’t Get It Wrong (Motorcross Mix)
6. Bennassi Brothers Featuring Azibiza – Turn Me Up
7. Inner City – Big Fun (Agoria Mix)
8. Francesco Farfa – Universal Love
9. Evolved Vs Oba – Afrika (Grounded Deep Mix)
10. Neurotic Jock – Tribal Injection
11. Majestic 12 – Free Funk E.P.

Disc Two:

1. Robbie Rivera – Liar
2. Harry Romero – Be The One
3. Who Da Funk – Radio (A Fain Mix)
4. Crystal Method – Born Too Slow (E.M. Dub)
5. Benny Benassi Presents The Biz – No Matter What You Do
6. Bat 67 – I Want you To Come
7. Andrea Bertolini – Nasty Bass
8. Jorge Jaramillo & Sheldon Romero – House Music Pneumonia
9. Shark & Kemu – Clear Message E.P.
10. Antranig & Pons – Like This (Tek Edit)
11. Thick Dick – Orgasm (Robbie Rivera Remix)