Summer Collection Vol 2

The followup to last year’s Set 5: Summer Collection has a lot to live up to. We thought we knew where we were with Sets 2 and 3, and then Set 4 showcased some of the braver Iboga sounds. With Set 5, however, the roof was blown off – dreamy, creamy summer progressive that avoided cheese and provided the soundtrack to much in the way of shared summertime hi-jinx and, let’s face it, shagging. T

he sequel has some good moments, but doesn’t really live up to its predecessor’s dominant legacy. Freq’s Brazil gets a classy remix from 05 Turner, lending it effortless glide and quality over an epic ten minutes. It’s beautiful, understated and subtle – and as such is already making this CD a better-advised purchase than Freq’s new album. Ace Ventura’s Cardiac Arrest gets a remix from Aerospace, and I have to say it’s the best version of it I’ve heard yet. Some stunning topend work sets it apart, while the lower frequencies are busy taking care of the groove, the shift, and the unswervingly solid backbone.

Elastic Motion’s Dance Reaction has been caned round these parts lately – bloody fantastic stuff, it’s got every single ingredient in the right place. Tight yet funky, with a quirky 80’s feel to it, there’s even some psychedelic swirl thrown in for good measure. Sublime. Emok’s Da Shizzy is a massive tune, the kind of massive tune that only comes around now and again, but whose sound is to uniquely individual that you can spot it a mile off – which is just as well, considering the play it’s been getting. There’s some electro going on here, there’s some incredibly tight and hypnotic trance, and above all there’s some serious quality at every turn.

Behind Blue Eyes and Perfect Stranger collaborate on Diamond In The Rough, an interesting track with a heavy, phased bottom end where most of the action happens. It’s more minimal and stripped-down than what’s come before it, but its effectiveness is impossibly to deny: a hypnotic capsule of a tune. Liquid Soul is making a hell of a name for himself, and the Motion remix of I Get A Rush is absolutely bloody outstanding. A hooked vox sits perfectly over an open, morphing backbone and unfolds beautifully into just what you want it to – a veritable flower of a track. I love you.

I also love Sun Control Species, but in a slightly different way. The boy’s done well with Two Point Five, which is essentially the latest demonstration of how he’s musically out there on his own. The escalation and development are among the best he’s ever been associated with, and the tune’s got more than enough confidence, intelligence and groove to seeit standing way up in its own right. Cafu’s Vista Style has a harder, housier edge that underlines Iboga’s current club and crossover appeal. It’s decent enough, but a little one-dimensional, lacking some of the intricacy and soul of the better offerings here. Finally, Flow E Zoe vs Audio Factory’s Movin’ is a decent enough track, even if it does sound a little rushed. Tecchy percussion drives it along tightly, and minimal sounds drop in over the top to add atmosphere more than anything else.

At the end of the day Summer Collection 2 isn’t a bad release. The quality may not be as consistent as the previous album, but the good moments here will sound especially good with the sun streaming onto your face.