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One thing I have noticed about the Global Underground series is that when it rains, it pours. Releases either hit the shelves in quick succession, or nothing is released for an extended period of time. Following the release of Nick Warren’s ‘GU28 – Beijing’, the floodgates have opened. Shortly after this very release, the announcement was made that the two DJs and producers who make up Deep Dish; Sharam and Ali ‘Dubfire’ Shirazinia, will each contribute a solo mix to the ever expanding GU catalogue.
Dubfire has chosen Taipei as his focus city for GU31. Suffice to say, when most people think of Pacific Rim clubbing, they would automatically think of Singapore and of course Hong Kong, but these two locations have already been covered and ultimately they seem a little bit less intriguing. Enter Dubfire, who will take you on an audible tour of Taipei, is people and its nightlife. After extensive listening to both discs in this compilation (which is the staple GU format), I came away with the feeling that the first is excellent, whilst the second left a little bit to be desired. Neither are ground-breaking, in that Dubfire has chosen not to alter any track with any degree of significance, but this is soon forgiven upon listening to this first disc.
Disc 1 could be considered as being (unofficially) the ‘big room’ mix as it is far more melodious. It is a mix that hit me straight away. There is no complexity to it, meaning that after just one listen I knew what I thought of it. This is neither a bad nor a good thing, because every track featured is of the highest quality. Even though Dubfire has not gone all out with editing, the programming of the mix is excellent. Every track follows on from its predecessor smoothly and seamlessly.
As is the case with every GU installment, Dubfire has based his mix on a set which was performed at one of the city’s best nightspots. I think this mix takes on a double meaning, in that the first half of the mix gave me an impression of the vibe of the city (albeit the music that I would be inspired to play in my headphones so as to escape the din of the hustle and bustle in Taiwan’s commercial capital) whilst the second half (virtually speaking) invited me into any one of Taipei’s dance venues.
The mix opens with an intriguing introduction with ‘It Comes From Inside’ by the Low End Specialists, which is followed by the silky smooth ‘I Try’ by Francois Dubois. This track, like Taipei itself, blends the old with the new as the track is laced with old-skool house piano and synth instrumentation which will have long time house fans reminiscing about days of yore. People who love the style of house that Desyn Masiello is known for will dig the first half of disc 1 given that deep and smooth grooves are very much the order of the day.
After Dubfire treats us to a couple of funky yet subtle starters, he unloads Julien Jabre’s ‘Swimming Places’ (Sebastian Ingrosso’s re-edit). This unpredictable track’s rhythm is driven by the piano, it could be said that this instrument becomes a part of the percussion as piano keys mark the commencement of each bar during the track’s body. This track displays a different kind of ‘funk’ and it is fair to say that it is pushing the envelope of conventionality with its sounds.
Not content with including just one masterpiece, Dubfire cues up another which immediately follows on from ‘Swimming Places’. And If’s ‘Finest Dream’ (which features Silicone Soul on the remix) concludes the first half of this mix (remember I said that half way through we get taken to the club)? For me, this is the highlight track from Dubfire’s disc 1 mix as the track has a rocky build-up layered with violin instrumentation which doesn’t reach its peak until the track approaches its conclusion. Perhaps the bittersweet melody provided by the violin is similar to the kind of music which might accompany a highly dramatic puppet show (the Taiwanese are incredibly passionate about puppet shows, so much so that they even dominate television).
The somber mood doesn’t last long though, as Dubfire unleashes one of the tunes of 2006; Booka Shade’s ‘White Rooms.’ Only those who are currently living under a rock would not have heard this tune, and at first it might seem a bit out of place in the mix, but I am of the thinking that Dubfire made it work. If his intention was to create a mix that takes us from the streets to the dance floor midway through the proceedings, in my opinion Dubfire could not have chosen a better track with which to accomplish such an objective.
Dubfire quickly introduces us to a dance music band which we are all going to hear a lot more about in the not too distant future; Simian Mobile Disco. Their tune; ‘Hustler’ features a high-impact kick drum and a permeating bassline which injects ‘GU31 – Taipei’ with a bit more power. The mood shifts into steamy territory with ‘The Afterlife’ by Deetron, a tune which features a layer of industrial sound effects. This portion of the mix features a quintessentially progressive feel, which the GU name became famous for. The ‘celebrate my life’ vocal sample (as featured within ‘The DJ, The Music and Me’ by Lula) sounds a bit 2002, but I have no problem with this because the majority of the tracks featured here are of a distinctive and forward thinking nature.
Before Dubfire concludes disc 1, he keeps the progressive mood going whilst splashing in healthy measures of tech-house and electro. The two closing tracks bring back the melody so as to give the mix a well rounded complexion. ‘I Feel Speed’ by Yoshimoto features pop-rock influences, a driving beat and a delectable hip swaying melody whilst X-Press 2’s ‘Kill 100’ (Carl Craig remix) polishes off the mix in the manner in which it started; intriguingly. This track is one that builds and builds unrelentingly before the pressure is released with Rob Harvey’s vocals.
Whilst disc 1 won’t leave my CD stacker stereo for a while, disc 2 left me feeling a bit disappointed. I like Dubfire’s idea of going with a ‘side room’ or smaller underground club atmosphere, but all the same his disc 2 effort falls well short in the flair, class, innovation and straight up quality departments. As a whole, this mix doesn’t really go anywhere. Many of the tunes don’t go anywhere and exactly the same could be said about the mix as a whole.
Dubfire has once again chosen to open the mix with a traditional introductory tune (minus percussion) which urges us to ‘start it up’ (the track in question is called ‘The First Rebirth’). Track 2; ‘Control: I’m Here’ by Nitzer Ebb, is one of only two clear standout tunes featured throughout the entirety of the second disc of GU31 – Taipei. The tune boasts a pulsating beat and bassline, urgent vocals and plenty of robotic funk bleeps which all come together to create an excellent introductory track. When I make such a statement (that ‘Control…’ is an excellent ‘introductory’ track) I am implying that the track itself is excellent. Unfortunately it set me up for disappointment, as the rest of the mix didn’t reflect its tone.
I am afraid to say that ‘Lucky Heather’ by Nic Fanciulli is not one of my favourite tracks. In fact, I was tempted to skip to track 5. I know that Nic Fanciulli is an excellent producer and he is equally as good behind the decks, however this overcooked (in the bleepy sound effects department) track does not do anything for me at all. I, as a reviewer, like to maintain a certain level of objectivity and I realise that this track might be a hit amongst prog and tech house circles, but it just does not speak my language and it contributes little to the mix as a whole.
Dubfire’s disc 2 mix threatens to go somewhere but at many apparent turning points, his efforts seem to pitter out at the last minute. In terms of catching the attention of progressive and tech-house fans, there is a great deal of competition out there. Something special, mind-blowing even, has to be put together so as to get ahead of the chasing pack. ‘You’ by DJ Vibe makes a gallant attempt at rescuing Dubfire’s mix from its bland and ploddy rut with a heavier kick drum coupled with catchy synth stabs… but like the rest of the mix it offers nothing by way of a climax, nor a shift in direction.
Can You Relate’s self titled track caught my attention with its spoken word vocal sample. It begs the question; ‘what happened to the techno?’ The track itself features a fairly standard percussion and bassline; there isn’t really anything special about it other than its commentary on the state of the scene today. Finally, Dubfire shifts the momentum of his disc 2 mix into a different mood thus breaking the monotonous and monotone rut which has lasted for almost the entire set, as he drops the sumptuously melodic and deep groove of ‘Start Chasing’ by Alexander Kowalski. Too little, too late was the cry. Ellen Allien and Apparat’s ‘Jet’ (remix by Paul Kalkbrenner) has been chosen to conclude disc 2, and this is a very nice track indeed but it seems out of place… Its atmosphere is quite chilled out and its beat is good and solid but the dynamics of this track seem to go to waste when the track is measured up against those that make up the rest of the mix.
If disc 2 were as good (or better) than disc 1, Dubfire’s ‘GU31 – Taipei’ release would be up there with the best of them. Disc 1 is full of the kind of flavour that can be found at Taipei’s street food stands but disc 2 seems to resemble the Westernised Chinese food that you can find anywhere at home. I sometimes question whether or not I would buy a double-mix CD if one disc was vastly inferior to its brother, however in ‘GU31 – Taipei’s case I would be willing to make an exception due to the easy listen ability of disc 1. The first disc shall remain on heavy rotation for some time to come.
