There is a popular view held by people outside of the dance music culture, and to a lesser degree inside it, that a DJ is merely a person who plays other peoples records. I suppose this is true of some DJs, but to say it of John Digweed is akin to saying that the stone masons who built the great Cathedrals of Europe were merely bricklayers. John Digweed is a producer, a re-mixer, a record company owner and an accomplished musician: but more than that he possesses the ability to construct complex sets of music that can amaze and reward the listener a million times over!

The Transitions series has quickly established itself as one of the most important releases on the progressive calendar, and the latest instalment is the fourth release inside of two years. Not only has the series been a snapshot of the sort of music that John is playing at the time of each release, but each part of the series to date could be viewed as a different part of a “set”, with a definite up-shift in tempo taking place with each release. The fourth release is intended to be the final part of the first phase of the Transition series, and if it builds on the intensity of the amazing third release then we are in for one hell of a ride!

My CD player informed me that there were ten separate tracks on this mix; but the track listing listed no fewer than twenty-two tracks. What on earth is going on? Well, John does indeed play twenty-two tracks during this mix, but he is often layering in two and sometimes three tracks at the same time; but he’s marked when there are definitive mixes occurring instead of just laying one track over the other. This makes it easier in a sense for the listener to discern the changes in the mix, which would be impossible to do if you’re listening to it expecting to hear twenty two separate tunes.

The opening track is very laid back, so much so in fact that it reminds me of the opening tunes on the first ever classic Northern Exposure mix. It might be becasue of the animal sounds or possibly the haunting, swirling sirens that reminds me of that classic mix, but whatever it is, it certainly is beautiful music. John soon picks up the tempo though and morphs back into a more contemporary sound. He has resisted the temptation to over use the “scratchy” tech drum sound, so prevalent in so many other recent compilations, and he uses tracks that feature a warmer, more house sounding drum beat. It’s a welcome change from where I’m sitting!

And the mixing and complex layering that John has used over the first half of this mix is nothing short of pure genius. He manages to create a flowing build that sounds and feels so natural, so organic, that you could almost be forgiven for thinking that this mix truly is alive. Even my iPod, which is not usually the best format to be given a solid understanding of new sounds, makes it seem like a genuinely intense and wonderful experience. I can only begin to wonder what this would sound like in a live setting.

Then at the twenty-three minute mark, John drops an absolute bombshell, reminiscent of Bedrock’s For What You Dream Of (which happens to be one of my all-time favourite tracks). This powerhouse journey continues until the thirtieth minute mark, and then John brings the whole event to a complete and utter halt. I’m not sure if he decided that he went too early and couldn’t keep the intensity up for a whole hour, but it’s almost as if the mid point of the CD is actually the end of one mix and the beginning of another.

If the first half of the mix was all about the perfect controlled build up then the second half of the mix is a different beast altogether. John’s signature dark beauty is still evident but the control and clever construction, shown in the first half of the mix has been replaced by a naughty messiness that’s as infectious as it is fun. John is still building and layering tracks over one another, but this time he allows the music to escape his clutches and to wreak havoc on the mind of the listener.

He commences with a slow build from Plasmik’s Pitch it to Guy J’s Under Pressure, but from there he really begins to have some fun. The listener is pitched from the darkest, nastiest and quite frankly loveliest of sounds to scattered blips and twisted tech synths with a sense of abandon that hasn’t been present on any of the previous Transition releases. The sense of mischief in the music is so palpable that I have an image in my mind of John behind the decks creating this maelstrom of sound with a wicked grin on his lips. This sense of twisted fun is never more prevalent than in the wonderful fusion of Pig and Dan’s Dream of Bells and Emmanuel’s Parade. If you don’t feel it on your first listen, then please do yourself a favour and try it again – repeatedly. If your ears are anything like mine, it’ll take around 33 listens but by the time you’ve gotten it, you’ll be privy to a private joke that will have you smiling into the next century!

Whether you’re already an existing fan of the Transition series or if you’re just a fan who hasn’t yet discovered the joys of the ‘World of Digweed’, please, drop whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing now and go and get yourself a copy. You’ll be very glad that you did!

Check out the multi-layered tracklist…

01. Julien Parise – A5B (Mirko Remix)
02. Henry Saiz – From Empty Lands
Guy J – Geko
03. Jeff Bennett – In Spite
Kabale und Liebe & Daniel Sanchez – Mumbling Yeah (Loco Dice Tribute Remix)
04. Nightguy – Pretty Face
Henry Saiz – From Tangled Seas
Myers Briggs – Forever
05. Sian – Wear Your Scars Like Medals
Kim Runic – Suspicious Blue
Two Lone Swordsmen – Shack 54 (Jet Project remix)
06. Plasmik – Pitch It (Claude VonStroke Remix)
Jamie Stevens – Keep Her Space (Smith & Selway’s Control Mix)
07. Jerome Sydenham and Tiger Stripes – Elevation (Ink & Needle Remix)
Guy J – Under Pressure
08. Pascal Feos & Marc Mirror – Rezolution
Spector – Mineral Drive (Jamie Stevens Remix)
Jörg Burger – Superpicture
09. Pig & Dan – Dreams of Bells
Emmanuel – Parade
10. Soliquid – Piknic Bugz
Soliquid – Piknic Bugz (Gone Wild Mix)