Established by former head of Credence Records and one half of MYNC Project, Mark Brown, in 2004, Cr2 Records has become one of the main independent house labels in the world, releasing material by such major players as Eric Prydz, Danny Howells and Spencer Parker. One of the label’s biggest success stories came with the release of Fedde Le Grand’s Put Your Hands Up for Detroit. In an attempt to spread the sound of Cr2 further, the label also stages parties in various parts of the world. The Live & Direct name acts as a brand for Cr2 club nights and events, with the compilations sitting alongside, this one marking the fourteenth release in the series. With many labels crashing and burning in recent times with the shift from physical product to downloads, Brown has done remarkably well, positioning Cr2 at the forefront of the contemporary dance scene.

UK-based MYNC Project is made up of Brown and Nick Correlli, and they typically employ a four-decks / two-mixers approach when playing live, combining them with various effects units to go a little beyond your average conception of DJing into something more akin to live music creation and performance. Operating within the realms of house music, they’ve been compared to other dance teams like Harry Choo Choo Romero and Jose Nunez’s Constipated Monkeys partnership, so the teaming of the two duos on this release makes sense. As well as DJing, they’ve racked up various remixing and production credits over the past decade. Their mix here is something special, and they kick things off in spectacular fashion with the Riva Starr remix of the Arthur Baker piano-driven, soulful house modern classic Tear Down the Walls. Brown and Correlli team up with Romero and Nunez on Boogers, and it’s a fantastic slice of tribal-infused, chant-like deep house that takes the mix into darker territory, and the dirty, fuzzed-up electro of Invasion’s Spells of Deception has a warped charm. The surging peak of the mix comes with the sheer genius of Felix Da Housecat’s Elvi$ and its crazy looped synth lines, siren-like wails, and funky breakdowns, and with the blinding District One remix of Pitto’s Feelin’ that rolls along on a hypnotically incessant groove. To round things off, there’s the widescreen progressive house of Tobita from Jeremy Lecarour’s alter ego Norman Doray, and then MYNC turn in an exclusive remix of Sun to Me by Faithless, and it’s a suitably epic finish to a towering mix.

The second disc is helmed by US house legends Romero and Nunez, and it’s a wild journey of solid beats, crazy sounds, and beautiful melodies, and some of the tunes are just gorgeous. If you’re a fan of some of their older work on Subliminal with Erick Morillo, then you’ll love this. The lush, deep tones of Fortuna by Alex Niggemann & Superlounge form an exquisite introduction, and the sparse, minimal, ghostly textures of the Alex Celler dub of Dollhouse maintain an intriguing level of delicate restraint. The mix then shifts up a gear with the subtle funk of Richard Grey’s Something’s Going On, which updates the old Todd Terry classic, and then there’s another mix of Boogers, which strips out the tribal rhythmic foundations of the original in favour of something more electro-like. The sleazy, psychedelic electronica of Adam K’s Ragnarok takes you on a wild sonic trip, and the vocals on both DJ Eako’s Shine On and Aly-Us’ early ‘90s house classic Follow Me lend the mix a soulful vibe. Romero’s classic Night @ The Black gets an update, its funky guitar breaks perfectly complimenting the bouncing rhythms and creepy vocal licks, and Layo & Bushwacka’s darkly atmospheric deep house cut The Raw Road is just sublime. The mix concludes with the awesome Music Brings You Back from Vision Factory & Nina Hall, which rides along on layers of uplifting synths, piano stabs, and heavenly vocals. With one eye on the DJ market, Cr2 have also included a third disc, which features a selection of seven tracks from across both mixed discs in full length, unmixed form.

This is definitely something to put on your shopping list. Both discs are close to perfect, in terms of track selection, flow, mood, and mixing. The vast experience of both duos shines through, and it’s a really enjoyable trip listening to their efforts on here. If you’re a lover of quality uplifting house music, that engages you both physically and emotionally, and that is funky, driving, melodic, and electrifying, then I highly recommend that you get hold of this. Every single track across the two discs works its magic. You’re sucked in right from the start of both mixes, and with nothing at all in the way of filler, you’ll be captivated right through to the very end of each one.