This month brings a new milestone in the history of the eminent Global Underground label with the release of a new series, with Nic Fanciulli given the honours of throwing the first pitch. The essential concept behind the DJ series is 100 per cent freedom handed to the compiler, a chance to give an open and honest manifesto that represents the DJ’s past, present and future. Clever rebranding perhaps in an age of mass consumption, but a fresh new outlet from such a respectable label deserves a fair go. In a recent interview, Fanciulli told Beatportal that he had lovingly compiled the tracks over the previous 6 months, and wanted to create something non-disposable that would stand the test of time. Let’s take a look and see whether the CD lives up to the Londoner’s grand designs.

CD 1 opens simply with a soulful ambient number from Nick Holder before the familiar bounce and metallic strings of Metro Area’s Nerves remind me of Booka Shade’s finery. The grimy sub-bass growls of Seth Troxler’s Lover Never Sleeps are a welcome distraction which cool the pace a little before Fanciulli steers into deep tech house urbanity with Balearic piano lines and mashed synths set against hypnotic percussive tattoos. Elastic melodies and nocturnal sparkles are the order of the day as Fanciulli dances through Chicago and New York flavas. The highlight of the disc comes with Koljah’s Antigua, bringing a superb tribal rhythm and gloriously warm chord progressions. Towards the end of the disc, Fanciulli heads north, taking in industrial bass and acid flashes but maintaining a deep house sensibility with the overlying dissonant piano loops, best represented by Spencer Parker’s cracking offering. Briefly drifting into melodic prog without ever letting up on the throttle, John Daly and Jamie Jones sparkle by substantially before we are jacked back to funky discotech-house and then bitch-slapped with one of the best dubstep releases of last year from Pangaea. The echoing corridors of sound in this bass heavy track with trance lead and tribal sneer are a wonderful gift at the end of a rewarding first disc although the idea is cheekily reminiscent of Zabiela’s Masters Series release.

Going with the unspoken tenet of the compilation CD, Nic’s second disc is the club offering, and as is unfortunately all too common, is the most forgettable of the pair. Much more straightforward in terms of genre hopping, the disc opens with the circular acid organ of The Afterlife as Rolando channels Crystal Waters for a nostalgic episode. The mix travels through icy minimal techno until the first real highlight arrives in the form of Fanciulli’s Green Tea which suddenly brings some warmth back with a lovely rattling drum and sexy piano loop which could slip easily into the flow of the previous disc. The funk continues courtesy of Reset Robot but it is not until midway through the disc that Fanciulli grabs my attention wholeheartedly. Baggy Bukkador and Tim Burka play out an epic game of pong before a collaboration with Steve Mac and a Dubfire classic bring wide pleasing tech-house pulses. There is still time for Mark Broom to suffer a rumbling tubular acid flashback before Chymera’s Sumatra pits a Kraftwerkian trainride against wandering chimes in a nod to Ennio Morricone. Reversed riffs and robotic rhythms lead us towards the closing treat; Kenny Larkin’s Cirque de Soul is a modern masterpiece, a classic blend of funky deep house and wall shaking techno as a lazy piano yawns over a metallic thump which is incredibly gratifying.

The first offering from the new GU series is perfectly solid. Disc one is a Back To Mine type which I’m sure I will revisit, and disc two grows on me with every listen despite having a slow start for a club selection. Through his track choices and flow, Fanciulli shows the utmost respect for the history of house music, merging classic sounds with modern production values to represent many of the important conceits of the last thirty years with results that bring to mind the likes of Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier and Carl Cox. All up a solid release from a series that should mature with time, but with probably not quite enough on offer to intimidate whoever gets cast for the sequel.

Check out the tracklisting…

Disc one:
1. Nick Holder – Sunrise
2. Metro Area – Nerves
3. Seth Troxler – Love Never Sleeps
4. Dubshape – Droplets (Late Night Mix)
5. Pan Pot Feat Vincenzo – Faces (Vincenzo Mix)
6. Raf N’ Soul Feat Tony Marino – Man On The Prowl (Jesus Gonsev ‘Deep Dub’ Mix)
7. Koljah – Antigua
8. Spencer Parker – The Beginning
9. Terry – Twi-ces
10. John Daly – Voyager
11. Jamie Jones Feat Ost & Kjex – Summertime
12. Kingpin Cartel – Ghetto (Fanciulli & Mac Rework)
13. Nic Fanciulli & Steve Mac – 10%
14. Rolando – Where Were You
15. Pangaea – Router

Disc two:
1. Rolando – The Afterlife
2. Photek – Glamourama
3. Chateau Flight – La Roquette
4. Nic Fanciulli – Green Tea
5. Reset Robot – Continue
6. Einzelkind – AKA The Groove
7. Baggy Bukaddor & Tim Fischbeck – Campus
8. Steve Mac – Phoba
9. Dubfire – Emissions (Nic Fanciulli Mix)
10. Mark Broom – Raincheck
11. Chymera – Sumatra
12. Nic Fanciulli – Materia
13. Sebrok – Vision
14. Kenny Larkin – Cirque De Soul