Global Underground: Melbourne – Dave Seaman

Saving his best for one of his favorite cities, Dave Seaman turned in a varied set for Global Underground: Melbourne. Beginning with "Soliton Wave" by Our House, Seaman eases into the mix, dropping a few downbeat plates for atmosphere before kicking in with a Roger Sanchez remix of Howie B's "Folk." It's not quite a downtempo mix, but much of it certainly has an air of tranquility that wouldn't have quite made it out on the dancefloor. (Like most in the GU series, this mix was assembled in the studio, though a party "based" on the mix was held at the Good Shed in Melbourne.) Tracks from James Holden and Digital Mind Control set a tone of dark house with just a few nods to trance for the punters out there. Seaman often recalls the brooding ambient techno of early-'90s figures like Psychick Warriors and Robert Leiner, winding up the first disc with a mix of Orbital's "Illuminate." The second set has more of a good-time vibe, beginning with FC Kahuna's acid-by-numbers "Glitterball" and ending nearly an hour later with Tom Middleton's mix of "What Sound" by Lamb and "Slide" by Frakkar. Taking for granted the fact that few mix albums are actually recorded live anymore, Seaman compensated by carefully fashioning an up-tempo mix that works in nearly any context. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide