After successful ’3D’ outings by Progressive and House giants Satoshi Tomiie and Faithless, Renaissance taps into the marvelously talented mind of Tom Middleton – better known (aside from his solo work over the years) as one half of the cosmic digital-duo The Jedi Knights, whose 1996 record “New School Science” wrecked ’90s conventionality and rightfully earned its place amongst the most revered electronic albums to have surfaced during the 1990′s. But, twelve years later, what has Tom Middleton got to offer the electronic masses?
The answer, as evidenced by Renaissance: 3D, lies almost beyond words. The first disc, “Club,” is a fascinating and intricate movement-mix of contemporary electrohouse tune.; Without being tacky, “Club” is an album that you will find yourself bouncing to whilst simultaneously marveling at its supersonic and diverse tracks that drop in beautiful and harmonious succession. The entire disc feels like one solid, complete venture into the dimly-lit dancefloors of modern electronica. “Club” is composed, arranged and mixed so deftly that I would not hesitate to compare the overall product to the quality with which Tomiie represents the second disc of his Master’s Series installment. Amongst such dance stalwarts as James Zabiela, Simian Mobile Disco, Funk D’Void, Hipp-E, Groove Armada and Ben Watt, Middleton embraces a wider, more varied dance experience with tracks by The Timewriter, Kenny Hawkins, Mood II Swing, Mike Acetate, Artec and WiNK. Certainly the most solid of the three “Club” discs released thus far, Middleton’s dancecapade alone is a must-have.
“Studio,” a ten-track unmixed disc, is an interesting proposition. Whilst I did not have Ableton or Logic at my fingertips to experiment with the tracks chosen by Middleton for the second disc in this collaborative effort, and neither being much of a fan of unmixed dance albums, I thought this “Studio” mix was completely satisfying. There are some straight-up masterpiece tracks included on this disc alone by the likes of Kerri Chandler, Francois Dubois, Ulrich Schnauss and Lamb; furthermore, every track on the disc (with the exception of The Modwheel’s ”Spiritcatcher”) has been, in some capacity, re-worked by Middleton. In other words, this DJ has created an unmixed album of varying artists that is a complete reflection of his work in the studio; it is an excellent representation of the concept Renaissance originally pitched in regards to a “studio” disc, and serves its purpose very well.
Last, and certainly not least, is “Home” – in my opinion, the most fascinating and addictive of the three albums by leaps and bounds. With a generous selection of twenty tracks, “Home” is a behemoth of a dance genre’s musical orgy; what ensues is nothing short of beautiful. Orbital’s “Halcyon” and System 7/Derrick May’s “Attitude” are some of the tracks one might recognize instantly; moving further into the album, however, the direction the first quarter of the disc seems to take changes completely; so, too, does this happen at the halfway point (roughly speaking) and again, towards the end of the disc. “Home” embraces beauty, without reserve, in widely varying aspects of atmospheric electronica, electrohouse, vocal house, R&B, Hip Hop and ambience. And again, Middleton seems to possess an uncanny, almost inbred knack for capturing the essence of what any of the three given albums is meant to represent musically. The third disc is best experienced as accompaniment to tasks and activities centered around home-living; that is, cooking, cleaning, work, reading, entertaining, and anything else one might care to add to the list. As good as, if not completely different from, Middleton’s “Club” disc, “Home” rounds off what might be, for all intensive purposes, a flawless contemporary house album.
As I sit here listening to strumming guitar chords and harmonica-synth riffs shimmering beneath foreign-tongue spoken word, I write with complete confidence that thus far, Tom Middleton’s Renaissance: 3D is the single most accomplished and compositionally flawless album of its kind this year.
Twelve years’ time has shown nothing but the fine aging and appreciation of a DJ whose influence spans decades and – at this rate – shall continue to do so. I give this my highest recommendation.
Club
1. Funk D’Void Feat. Jay Leblone – Lovin’ (Your Body Remix)
2. Kenny Hawkes & David Parr – Gemini
3. Rhythm Plate – Remember The Days
4. Hipp-e – Fade (Palm Skin Productions Smooth Edit)
5. Shur-i-kan vs. Milton Jackson – Swap Shop (Shur-i-kan’s Swaparama Dub)
6. Mike Acetate / Carlos Gibbs Feat. Roy Davis – Jus’ Move (Jimpster Mix)
7. Mona Lisa – Dancin’ (1200 Warriors NYC Mix)
8. Ben Watt – Lone Cat (Dennis Ferrer & Steve Martinez Special Re-rub)
9. Mood II Swing Feat. Tara J – Passing Time (Main Vocal Mix)
10 Groove Armada – Love Sweet Sound (Mark Knight & Funkagenda’s R.H.B Remix)
11. Mari Boine – Voui Voui Mui (Henrik Schwarz Mix)
12. Aya – Sean (Eric’s 2WFU Dub)
13. Trackheadz – Our Music
14. The Timewriter Introducing Sid Thomson – Life Is Just A Timeless Motion
15. James Zabiela – Human (Intro Mix)
16. Artec – Nine Times The Speed Of Sound
17. Wink – Swirl
18. Slg – Nine Hours
19. Simian Mobile Disco – Clock
Studio (Unmixed)
1. Cosmos – Take Me With You (Tom’s Y2K 3D Edit)*
2. Cosmos – Lost Inside (Tom Middleton 3D Dub – Unreleased)*
3. Ulrich Schnauss – In All The Wrong Places (TM’s 3D VIP Mix)*
4. Lamb – What Sound (Tom Middleton Vox)
5. The Modwheel – Jungle Drums (Tom Middleton 3D Dub)*
6. The Modwheel – Spiritcatcher
7. Kerri Chandler – Bar A Thym (Tom Middleton Cosmos Vox)
8. François DuBois – Blood (Tom Middleton Deep Mix)
9. Hefner vs. Cosmos – Dive Into You (Tom Middleton Vox)
10. The Modwheel – Into The Deep (Tom Middleton 3D Dub)** = 3D exclusives
Home
1. Middlewood Sessions – Fall Back (Spiritual South Remix)
2. System 7 & Derrick May – Altitude
3. Speakeasy – Allright
4. Orbital – Halcyon
5. Irresistible Force – Nepalese Bliss (Fila Brazilia Mix)
6. Incognito – I Can See The Future
7. Mudd – 54B
8. Crazy P – Music’s My Love
9. The Vogado Projects Feat. Lucy Gale – Never Come Back
10. The Foreign Exchange – Come Around (Edit)
11. Danny Breaks – Junkie For Beatz
12. Fenomenon – Out Of Control
13. Harmonic 33 – Rainsong
14. Jon Hopkins – Second Sense
15. Blu Mar Ten – Ghost Trio
16. Groovecatcher – Castaway
17. Edward Sheamur – Grand Central
18. Alucidnation – Pedal Steal
19. LA Synthesis – Zyllvakrynn
Words: Jamie Woodruff
