Hernan Cattaneo’s second installment in his self-realized “Sequential” series is a highly intelligent and logical sequel to the successful first installment, and is in every way as haunting, smooth and colorful as its album’s cover might indicate. Hernan is arguably the smoothest DJ on the scene right now, able to slyly manipulate the transitions between songs whose eclectic nature one cannot help but savor and appreciate. What works wildly in Hernan’s favor is the fact that Sequential, Vol. 2 is not so much merely a “sequel” as much as it is a progression – not only for the Sequential series, but for Hernan Cattaneo himself.
The layout of Sequential 2 is similar to that of Sequential, Vol. 1; that is, the first disc is a wonderful, (dare I mention the word timeless already?) smooth and sexy mix of what is, without argument, a superb track selection. Though brief, Cattaneo and John Tonks’ `Little Intro Mix’ of “Sweep” swept me off my feet; the two artists manage to change a rather familiar song into something brief and beautiful – two attributes that offer further insight as to what will follow. As usual, Cattaneo’s track selection is impeccable as he mixes quirky tracks like “18 Years” alongside more conventional tracks like “Monochrome.” Those of you familiar with Hernan’s overtly sly DJ’ing style will, no doubt, find lovely the transitions between Nic Fanciulli’s remix of “I Try” and the `Sequential Mix’ of “Anime” (produced by Cattaneo and Tonks themselves). The beauty of disc one steadily escalates as the tracks progress forward; I truly believe Hernan meticulously placed these tracks in “sequence” to provide this effect. He succeeds – brilliantly. The aforementioned “beauty” of the first disc is counter-weighted by midtempo, beat-oriented tracks beginning somewhat early in the mix; from tracks five until sixteen, Hernan manipulates the sound so that, with regards to the `mysticism of the music,’ the intrusion of heavier beats becomes irrelavent, though still thoroughly enjoyable. Some note-worthy tracks include “Goodbye Pluto” and Martin Buttrich’s sublime remix of “Rhythm Acupuncture,” which segues into the superbly chosen “Popsky,” aiding “Smooth Drive” in bringing closure to the first disc with the same elegance with which it began.
True to “Sequential” prototype, the second mix begins to illustrate what the cover of the album can only convey visually; a certain type of aural color is injected into the tracks on this mix, similar to the color one might find on the recently released Balance 011. That is not to say that disc two resembles house music, by any means; it is, in fact, tracks such as Guy Gerber & David K’s mix of “Neon,” “Arachnofunk” and “Everyone Loves Candy” that illustrate this colorful timbre – and we only find ourselves on the fourth track! This is definitely a mix to cherish, just as its predecessor was. The style is fresh; it is the “new car smell” of EDM, and it simply never fails to get the body moving. “Everyone Loves Candy,” in fact, launches the album into danceable bliss with echoic female “voices” (not to be confused with vocals) and a relentless rhythmic dancefloor beat that will promote beads of sweat on your face as you let loose to its sound. Take it or leave it, but this is one wicked album. The remix of Layo & Bushwacka!’s “Saudade” deserves specific praise here, I think, because it is one of my top favorites on the second mix due to its ethnically-infused funk gyration. Add a dash of electro and flip on the strobe-lights because the party’s going from dusk `til dawn. Any dance album has the capacity to precipitate an all-night party, but what catches my attention are tracks like “Nobody Beats the Biz,” where Hernan transitions from funk-laden grooves to hard-hitting minimal house a la Tiefschwarz (at sporadic moments); how he manages this mad flow without losing the listener nor the pace continues to elude me; in fact, it excites me to the point where I’m not sure if I’m liable to care how he does it – I just want to taste that aural sugarcane. Two unique and subsequent `Sequential Mixes’ of “Airtight” and “Paper Dove” bring even more authenticity to the already stellar performance that Cattaneo has brought us, and what’s more, Hernan could not have picked a better track than faithful Stel’s “Infinitiy” to close out the second mix which displays the sexy fusion of house, Balearic and trance EDM tightly bound within the confines of eight minutes. Superb.
The second volume of Sequential shows Hernan at perhaps his finest peak thus far as we have watched his style move through that of the fifth Master’s Series to the Sequential series and the continued success of his Metro 95.1 radio show. This is an album worth purchasing; ideal for a club or for a home entertainment system, there is never a point during which the listener feels his intelligence is being insulted with repetitious “four-on-the-floor” amateur antics. This is simply not Hernan’s style. Expect the same sly, smooth and sexy trance we have all come to know and love Hernan Cattaneo for – though dually, expect it to be of a higher caliber than we have seen from him before. Unlike John Digweed’s Transitions, Vol. 2, which is a fantastic album in its own right but is a mere continuation of the first volume, the second Sequential release is a step forward from the previous excursion, and exercises both the mind and body in ecstatic unity.
-James Woodruff
