John Digweed - Global Underground 019: Los Angeles

This Album is one of my best ever. It reminds me when i was starting college and just wanted to go home to put my headphones, laid on bed and listen cd2, paying speciall relax attention to the mix of One Last Time and Genesis. In fact, I painted a pastell colors picture just drawing those colors and music senses. Awsome!!. I recomended to listen it to those people who consider that time as the best electronic music year as the realeases of pure clasics. Try to draw it, its very visual... Dam high visual.

A fantastic set, with some stellar tracks that appear to have aged well in six years. I'm having trouble thinking of an adjective besides "epic" to describe most of these tunes. As had happened with many other mix releases, Digweed is responsible for introducing the world to a new set of producers because he gets the tracks before everyone. I've listened to every (commercially released) mix he's done since, and they all pale in comparison to this.

I've heard more than one person say the first disc is slow, but I disagree. It starts very quietly, but launches quickly into high drama, absolutely dripping with big sounding songs, and perfectly evokes the mood of a night out in Los Angeles.

I think the only real weak points of Disc 1 are the first and last songs, which don't really seem to go anywhere. It just feels like gear shifting.

Disc 2 starts brilliantly. (I still prefer this version of "Sanctuary" to van M's released version on Bedrock.) And it ends strong, but gets a little bland in between.

One of the great commercially released mixes of the decade, for sure.

This CD is what serious progressive music is about. Can't believe I read a review that said he nearly fell asleep. This will go down as not only one of the best GU releases ever, it will be one of the best mix CDs ever.

CD 1 is perfect warmup, dark progressive tracks that are blended in seamlessly by Digweed. Happy to sit back and listen even after 5 years.

But CD 2 is what it is all about. From the onset this is the Bomb. It is hard to highlight as I could go through all 11 tracks but if I have to highlight then the mixes of One Last Time into Genesis (one of the best tracks ever laid down) in Carnival XIII is absolutely majestic. Special mentions to The Fall, Inner Laugh and One.

If you are serious about your progressive this CD is a must own. Will stand the test of time for ever. Sure I will be pulling this out in 2030 and telling people that this is what it was all about early in this century.

They just don't make them like this anymore unfortunately, but they didn't really make them this good beforehand either. Classic.

the track selection is pretty much perfect in terms of flow...brooding, minimal tribal cuts build into the big ones, and even those darker tracks are a cut above the influx of similar tunes from around then - DJ Gogo's Adyssa stands out for me on CD2, and Bipath's Paranoize on disc 1. The mixing is probably the most seamless i have heard on any CD. amazing...

re-defines the surroundings with evolving depth and emotional darkness, a sense of sound from futuristic highways. perfect music for low light environments, blends sensual voices with lush steel and stealthy tech-material

John Digweed illustrates a path connecting a subliminal selection of tracks through state of the art programmed mixing, and that i think, sets John Digweed on a unique platform

GU 019 Los Angeles contain serious music for progressive listening. interpretation is subject to evolve and morph through time as much as it is subject to innerself perception, in relation to the way the sound blends with the current surroundings

i like this 2xCD release, take it anywhere, with your headphones on, and let the music carry you, places will never look the same. worth a lifetime

Digweed is the master of the flawlessly programmed mix,and this finds him at the height of his powers.
Constructing two very deep,dark and purist sets of 'dubby'
progressive,the programming and mixing defy belief,placing Digweed in a league of his own.
This mix has been often immitated,and it has set the standard for both progressive music and the art of the
mix-CD.Insperational.

John Digweed's third release for the global underground series mixes a fine selection of dark house tracks so well it would leave the un-acquainted listener feeling very disturbed. Los Angeles plays a fitting backdrop to a seamless mix of driving basslines, twisted samples and tribal rhythms to create a trademark Digweed sound

John Digweed has been an integral part of house music for over 10 years. He gained notoriety at the famous Renaissance club in the early nineties prior to partnering up with Sasha to take their Northern Exposure tour worldwide. Digweeds production skills are highlighted by his remixing of M-People, the Huge Trainspotting tune “For What You Dream Of” and the more recent ”Heaven Scent”. A recent visitor to Australia over the New Year, Digweed currently holds court over his own Bedrock parties every Thursday at London’s Heaven club as well as a monthly residency at New York’s Twilo.

Starting off with a Sunset over the Pacific with the Pen Folder & CP track “Vibes”, Digweed wastes no time plunging into darkness with simmering samples complimenting a driving house beat of New York House master Satoshi Tomie’s “Love In Traffic”. Again but under the alias of Madam, Satoshi creates some stabbing sounds with “Penetration” and the proceeding tunes utilise some strong progressive tribal/tech combinations and echoing vocals. Fluid sounds from the fluid label in "Music" by Jamez presents Tatoine and fine percussion layers of "Paranoize" by Bipath warp and throb the sound scape weaving their way into “Groove is in the Air” from Tijuana. A track that definitely transcends the dance floor. The Spanish vocals of “Musica” by Dirty Harry and the Balearic arrangement of sounds from Brothers Luv Dubs “1-800 Ming” complete the mix in preparation for CD2

CD2 Gets of to a grinding, sleazy start with US DJ Jimmy Van M’s “Sanctuary”, moving quickly into the heavyweight house sound of “Strapped by White Room. Funky tribal elements continue in this mix with “Inner Laugh” by Roland Klinkenburg taking you out of the swamp and straight into space. The Bedrock remix of “The Fall” by Way out West (A project of Nick Warren’s) builds and squelches into the groovier sounds of Cass’ “Genesis” which proves build ups don’t need snare drums in 2001. “One” by Aria is a great selection which avoids genre classification. The haunting sounds gradually ease of with the more conventional beats of the final track “Energy” by Salt Tank.

This is one of those mixes that digs deep into your brain with new arrangements of sound welded to a driving house beat. It sounds like a natural and more refined progression from his earlier Sydney and Hong Kong compilations. Digweed’s mixing is brilliant with several examples of 2 minute plus overlays. I’d personally prefer to listen to this in my own little world rather than be distracted by the other charms of a night club dance floor.