For the first time in over 7 years, a new release from Global Underground’s Nubreed series has sparked the interest of prog and tech heads the world over. Nubreed is something of a legend in prog circles, with some of the biggest names in the business having first earned their stripes with a Nubreed release – Sander Kleinenberg, Steve Lawler and Danny Howells all featuring. It has been a long hiatus between releases, so the big question is, has been is it worth resurrecting? Having already established quite the reputation as one of the most exciting new producers to emerge from the UK, Jim Rivers has been given the nod to reviatlise this classic series. A string of successful releases have shown versatility and range – so what is he like as a DJ?

It is nice to see that GU have shown some continuity with their cover artwork, with a cheeky shot or Rivers revealing that he looks disturbingly similar to Chris Lilley of Summer Heights High fame (google it!). But on to the music. The first disc is a soulful exploration of deep house and tech grooves. Focusing on warm tones and interspersed with delicate vocals, here Rivers traverses all things deep and does so with a surprisingly delicate hand. The opening passage is bouncy and lush with the balmy strings of Mike Monday’s Stargirl layering effortlessly over the opening track, Bubblegum Strings. By the time we’ve hit Ocean Colour from Ilija Rudman we hit some serious disco funk and the fact that it appears so unexpectedly is testament to Rivers skilled layering. The soulful tip continues before the bass is finally given a good workout by the intriguing 2009 rework of the Scope classic Strung Out. But Rivers does not want to follow the typical structure of the compilation by building to a predictable crescendo, instead opting to explore more subtle shades of house. He finishes with his own production Vibrant, whose stilted beats and brooding bass serve as a warning of the deeper tech stylings to come on the second disc.

The opening passage of the disc two is easily the highlight of this compilation. Rivers show flashes of brilliance with a perfectly sequenced opening that is both intelligent and gripping. The haunting vocals of Heaven from UNKLE melts into the Drunken Slumber of Kabuto & Koji before we literally get snippets or tracks from Aril Brikha, Plasmik Honey and Nobuo Ittetsu. This is the one of those mixes where the only way you can tell tracks are changing is by keeping an eye on the track numbers; it is difficult to tell which fractured beats and rolling melodies belong to which track. The layering and careful progression here is simply masterful. By the time we hit One Million Oaks from Itamar Sagi, the mood is poised to explode. But rather than pulling the trigger, Rivers again keeps his gun holstered and brings the mood deeper with Take It Back from Christopher Manik. Just like the first disc, Rivers seems not to want to take the plane off the ground, content to taxi around the airport taking in the view. The tech flavours continue with the appegiated synth and bassline of River’s own production Stone marking the beginning of the only overtly melodic passage of this disc. Overall disc two is decidedly more tech than the first and again shows a considered array of styles.

If there is a unifying theme through this release it is that this is a compilation more about moods than beats. Rivers favours a fractured, off-kilter sound that relies less on the kick drum and more on the subtle details hidden in stilted high-hats, fluid melodies and quirky percussion. On both discs Rivers constantly holds back from dropping big tunes and instead focuses on delicate twists and turns. If one word could describe this release it is “restrained”. This won’t appeal to some, but for those that appreciate the darker shades of deep and tech house, it is hard not to get a kick out of this skilled compilation. There is undeniable quality here and it is a worthy addition to the Nubreed stable. Let’s hope that GU continues to the shine the spotlight on the exciting new generation of electronic pioneers.