I don’t usually listen to much progressive house, it’s never really been my thing, although some of it isn’t half bad. I love Deep Dish and their sound, which is often described as progressive (at least was described that way…) ‘GU029, Dubai’, mixed by Sharam Tayebi – one half of Deep Dish – is my first real foray into the progressive sound. And I think I’ve come out better for it.

The mix is in no way boring, and it’s not all progressive either, spanning many genres and themes. There are some uplifting vocal tunes, some funky house, and some electro infused sounds with deep and dark basslines. The mix manages to transcend genres, and is truly representative I think of the type of DJ set Sharam would play. Smooth chords, and funky organs are present on most of the tracks, with flawless drums, including thumping kicks and piercing hats. It’s funny, none of the music was cheesy at all, unlike a lot of dance music these days. Most songs had melody, something which is sorely lacking in today’s productions.

Disc 1 is definitely the darker, edgier, more moody of the two, serving as a perfect introduction with the odd ‘happy’ track thrown in. It features tracks by Dyad 10, Syntax and Pig & Dan. Disc 2 is more fun, more partyish perhaps, and more ‘accessible’. It features bass guitars and lots of Latin percussion, with tracks by Joey Negro, the Reese Project, and Planet Funk. The mixing itself is flawless, with mixes lasting for anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. I also heard some interesting slow down and speed up type mixes, which were all pulled off very well. Interestingly enough, the track lengths vary greatly, with some up to 8 minutes longs, and others around 3 minutes. There’s around 14 tracks per CD, and by not cramming 20 songs into the mix tracks are able to be enjoyed in their entirety, more or less, allowing them to be heard how the producer intended, full breakdowns and all. It also means tracks haven’t been heavily edited so they fit onto a CD, something which is becoming increasingly common with mix CDs.

The mix has been inspired by Sharam’s 2006 visit to Trilogy, one of the many super-clubs in Dubai, and from personal experience, I can say it is amazing, far better than anything I’ve seen here. Dubai as a city also impresses, and amazes, leaving you in awe and amazement. It is good to know then that a mix CD by the same name manages to leave the listener with similar feelings. This CD is permanently in slots 2 and 3 of my CD stacker, and my hard drive.