The evolution of ‘progressive’ this decade has been interesting to say the least, and it has to be said of all house music’s sub genres it is by far the most adaptable. Stalwarts of the movement have always been about skimming across multiple sounds and segueing a ‘set’ that evolves as more of an emotive mood piece than a bangin club set. The best of them – like Digweed or Warren – surprise and exhilarate, getting their message across with daring track selections and mixing that can verge on cerebral. The worst of them – whom I won’t mention – drag any excitement down with plodding predictability and lack of imagination. Progressive also has the pleasure of always being there, not going through the trauma of being hyped up then torn down and relegated to the ether for a few years. Its adaptability is its lifeblood, and thanks to a fantastic new array of talented DJs and producers (Luke Fair, Desyn Masiello, Nic Fanculli to name a few) it continues to evolve and thrive.

So where does a guy like Steve Porter fit in? Well, he certainly has the versatility of Fair and Masiello, who can swing between studio mixing desk and club mixer with ease. And having cut his teeth alongside US giants like Chris Fortier and Jimmy Van M, he knows how to handle a sweaty dance floor. What’s more, his sublime productions have long been lauded for their marriage of Spooky-esque sparkling melodies and syncopated tech house rhythms that totally transcended the darker, tribal based fodder that have dominated turn of the century prog. So Steve’s star should be ascending, like Masiello or Fanculli who seem to grow with stature with every year, but sadly it isn’t. ‘Porterhouse Vol 2’, the second in his DJ/Ableton mixed series, does him no favors. It’s a mostly banging, 2-dimensional club set that may work pulsing out of a Function 1 sound system at WMC, but for album listening it lacks any real character. Porter manages to fit over 50 tracks into 2 discs, making the pace of the mix frenetic and furious, but drastically tainting its ebb and flow. The track selection, never pausing on one producer for more than a couple of minutes, is mostly unremarkable; except for Porter’s own outstanding efforts.

The first disc runs an uncompromising gauntlet of hard disco house and tough percussive techno, with the occasional smattering of breaks, but there is no time for reprieve. By the time you have awkwardly settled into Porter’s uncomfortable groove you have already hit the last track, local kids Matt Rowan & Jaytech’s fluttering and funky ‘Holding On’. It’s the highlight on a disc that races by too quickly. The second is slightly better and displays a more fluid Porter, indicating that with more sensibility he could have spread this set over two discs to greater effect. Porter’s own ‘Tazmaniac’, with its old rave breakdown and tech-breaks percussion, is devastating, as is the euphoric Paul Rincon remix of ‘Duleamour’ by Home Affairs. Porter slowly and surely builds a mood that was sorely lacking on the first disc, so by the time you hit the intense robotic groove of Slackers ‘Scared’ you are locked in and almost convinced. He closes out the disc with another of his own sterling productions, the epic ‘Momento Pacifico’, leaving you in no doubt about his extraordinary production skills but definitely feeling it’s too little, too late for ‘Porterhouse Vol 2’. Hunt out his ‘Homegrown’ series for a better representation of Porter genuine talent.