James Lavelle is a DJ who needs no introduction to fans of progressive electronic music. His production work under the UNKLE moniker, with a long list of collaborators that have included DJ Shadow, Tim Goldsworthy and Richard File, has been responsible for several earthshaking albums, and their songs appearing on numerous compilations. Lavelle’s previous releases for Global Underground assured him with a global audience, but for some reason, I wasn’t among them. So when the opportunity came along to plug a glaring gap in my collection, I quickly jumped on it.

Some time ago I developed a habit with double compilations of listening to the second mix first. Most of the music I initially like on any compilation is usually found there, so it makes sense to get to the best bits first. In this instance however, after three or four listens to the second disc I found myself quite dejected as it didn’t appeal to me at all. I felt frustrated by it (more of that later), so I decided to give the first mix a listen. My experience was turned on its head in the best way possible.

Disc one opens with a voice telling you that this mix should be listened to using headphones in the dark, because that way you’ll hear it all. I did exactly as told, with excellent quality headphones, and I suggest that you also take this advice! Now, you may be sitting there with the impression that this is a dance music compilation, and to a degree you’d be correct; but it is so much more than that. The first three pieces of music on the first disc are classical, indie rock and a piece called Summertime Clothes, which I can only describe as being lifted from a 1970s hippy movie. None of the tracks sound similar to each other and yet amazingly, they work together brilliantly. This eclectic style admittedly does feel alien at first but after a few listens, I really began to appreciate exactly what James was aiming at. It also helps that I happen to really like each song in its own right!

The first real dance music track, You Are Here by Nathan Fake, has a light summery feel to it and proves quite a clever bridge between Summertime Clothes and the frankly pitifully dull 10101 by James Holden. Thankfully, this track represents the single low point on the first disc, and from there it builds beautifully and continues through to the end of the disc. Far too many DJs play a series of tracks that are really just different versions of the same lifeless boring track they were playing an hour or two before, but James doesn’t fall into that trap with this mix. It’s full of dark energy and deep melodies, but it’s also capable of being very playful and, amazingly for modern progressive, uplifting. If you don’t believe me just listen to UNKLE’s own remix of The Big Pink’s Too Young to Love!

On the first disc James manages brilliantly to walk that dangerous tightrope of being interesting and engaging, while playing music that by and large you’ll want to dance to. And he manages to do all this without ever forgetting that this is the first mix of two, and that the real energy should really be reserved for later in the release. It’s the best first disc of a double-CD compilation since James Holden’s scintillating Balance 05 mix. I want to stress that this isn’t on a par with that mix overall, because that one stands alone as one of the finest first discs we’ve heard in the past five years. But this is my favourite since that one. High praise indeed!

So here we find ourselves once more back with disc two, and no matter how many times I hear this mix, I still can’t understand what James was trying to do. It’s a schizophrenic, fussy and confusing choice of tracks that promises much and in the ends, delivers only disappointment. It starts off well with the moody Trouble in Paradise by UNKLE, and then it morphs into a different version of the same track – which unfortunately is the musical equivalent of suffering premature ejaculation and the whinging about your own shortcomings… so to speak. What’s worse is that the epic classical strings at the start of the track deserve to be followed by much more than the drab, miserable, monotonous plodding nothing that follows for the next three tracks. If James seemed well aware during the first mix that the real energy should be reserved for the second one, he’s completely forgotten it by this point!

Then amazingly – suddenly and completely inexplicably – James wakes from his self-induced coma and puts together a section of four of the best tracks on the entire compilation. Now I’m On It by X-Press 2 is a mind-bending, brain-melting piece of filthy brilliance that quite frankly deserves to be the National Anthem of my mind. I love it!

This bouncing, energetic, old-school driving progressive house is followed by three more old-school progressive tunes, including an updated version of the classic prog house tune Dirty. Then, just when I’m about to forgive James for such an average opening to the second mix, he kills it completely with a serious attempt to bore his audience to death. He plays three tracks in a row that barely contain one drumbeat among them, which I can only describe them as atmospheric noise tracks. There’s barely any melody or rhythm, no kick, and nothing to excite the senses. If a dance music album is a bouncy castle at a children’s birthday party, then James waited until the kiddies were bouncing away before turning off the generator and letting the castle deflate. The fact he apologises afterwards by throwing in an awesome choice as the final track on the album is irrelevant – the mix has been completely ruined.

If you’re happy to buy a double compilation for one disc alone, then please go out and get yourself a copy of Global Underground 37. The first disc really works as an eclectic and interesting mix of music. It’s just a pity that the excellent opening disc is let down so badly by the second, as this really had the potential to be a Global Underground classic.