Spooky - Gargantuan

Little Bullet part one has to be the basic, maximalism style tune of progressive trance that not many people have ever heard, which so effectively and simply accomplishes what dance tunes are supposed to, that it is overlooked. It is also called overproduction by white label lovers. The superficiality is quite noticeable on the first two tracks. The annoying Mike D sample from the Beastie Boys makes it sound like Mickey Mouse. It is still a testament to the current trance which is spewing forth like a geyser of which none are memorable enough as this album. Schmoodub is a very lucrative offering on this disc. The CD is worth much more to me than what I bought it for, and I wish Spooky mainstream success in the future although it seems unlikely.

Along with Leftfield's Leftism, Spooky's Gargantuan helped define the progressive house that we all know and love today. There are some bonafide classics on this album. The epic "Little Bullet Part One" sounds absolutely majestic over a decade later, and so do, to a lesser extent, "Little Bullet Part Two" and "Schmoo" (including the more somber dub version). These tracks are timeless classics that have aged marvelously.

Your not going to like every song though. The opening "Don't Panic" is just cheesy and annoying, and "Land Of Oz" is in the same vein saved only by an infectious bassline. Also, the closing "Let Go" doesn't really do much for me either. But for the most part, what's here is good. Progressive house fans should pick this up for their collection, but this is by no means essential (save for "Little Bullet", which should be in everyone's collection). Also, check out the superb "Little Bullet" High Velocity remix on Sasha & John Digweed's Renaissance Mix Collection or on the single release.