Best known for his in-your-face breaks, and not having made a double mix CD in ten years, it’s no wonder there’s been so much chatter surrounding Adam Freeland’s Mexico City GU. Admittedly, this is Global Underground’s only significant departure, along with Lavelle, from the dependable progressive artists who have collectively cemented the record label in EDM history. Freeland defies the odds and mixes a masterfully solid release that I believe will earn him at least one more go on the GU label in the future.
CD1 swoops into full-force with a progressive breaks/house cocktail, slowly incorporating rock and electro. It is enough to turn your head into jelly - and jelly feels good. Freeland’s the type of DJ who keeps people moving by firing shots at their feet. It makes for a pretty memorable experience. The progressive breaks whip, whirl, twist and jump, sometimes lending a kiss of guitar without deviating from GU’s quality standards. I dare say there isn’t much room to lose attention on disc one because even after repeated listens I still find myself wondering, “where’s this gonna go next?” Remember that golden standard, “disc one chill / disc two energy”? Throw that silly notion out the window as Adam Freeland squelches the conventional! And who but Adam Freeland could mix together tracks from artists like Faze Action, Revl9n, Minimal Compact, Spank Rock and Evil 9 and actually have it make sense? Freeland’s own “Silverlake Pills” is a notably wild track, as is “Deadly Weapons,” “Sharpen the Knives” and “F**k.” The very titles of the tracks chosen seem to be competent indicators of what the first mix contains. Finally, “Testarossa” bores into Evil 9’s “Happy Ending,” concluding this heart-pounding experience.
CD2: Now enter “Ecstasy Symphony,” a track which seems too beautiful following the first mix. In fact, disc two’s mood marks a wonderful foil for the first mix as it is elegantly orchestrated. There is a time for madness and a time for contemplation, and disc two illustrates the contemplative side of Adam’s madness. Soon enough the smooth and funkified rhythm of “Zebras & Butterflies” has my head bobbing peacefully. Tracks further on churn out bassy, alien-esque wanderings before securing a consistent beat which resembles progressive trance. Employing tracks by artists like Cobblestone Jazz, Spaceman 3, James Holden and Justus Konche, disc two is a decidedly more calculated adventure - one that departs so much from Freeland’s musical attitude that I still cannot believe my ears when I hear it. 120 Days’ “Come Out” is a stand out track, essentially marking the point where the album gains some sort of speed and body; James Holden’s “Lump” is one of the dreamiest and hypnotic tracks I’ve heard in a long time. I would rate disc two amongst the top five oddball GU discs in the entire series, but it is so brilliantly mixed - perfect for cruising, slow dancing or laying on the couch, the styles jump from ambience to minimal to alternative rock. Freeland’s imagination is truly incredible. Disc two marks Freeland’s imagination blossoming.
I honestly cannot begin to imagine what this Global Underground party must have been like, but I think it is safe to say a couple people left the club on stretchers, others in the aftermath of a spiritual awakening. To those wary of purchasing this album based on the fact that Adam does not fit the typical mold of a Global Underground artist, you are missing out. Putting himself back on the map, Freeland satisfied my EDM appetite with gritty and diverse Mexican madness with a side of extraterrestrialism, and it is absolutely delicious.
-James Woodruff
