Various - Ultraviolet I

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  • Officially, the Ultraviolet I compilation marks the arrival of Visionquest's 50th release, but it also unofficially announces the end of the label's first chapter. Nowadays it's run by Shaun Reeves, Ryan Crosson and Lee Curtiss, with de facto frontman Seth Troxler having done like many rock stars before him and gone solo. What impact, if any, that will have on Visionquest will only be known in time, but it's fair to say a lot has already happened since VQ001 dropped in 2011. The label launched with a purple run of tracks from the likes of Benoit & Sergio, Footprintz and Tale of Us. That output was fresh and unique, and embodied a sound—showcased here on Disc One with tracks like "Walk & Talk," "Dark Song" and "Fallin"— that Troxler once referred to as "underground pop." What this compilation succinctly shows is a transition from those early tracks into more melodic and spiritual techno. This is the style that characterizes Disc Two, thanks to efforts from Guy Gerber, Dinky and Chaim. Ultraviolet I notably draws more from tracks leading up to 2013, and for good reason: since those first few golden years, it has become harder and harder to figure out Visionquest's identity. In place of epic Ewan Pearson remixes, tender synth pop lullabies and spine-tingling tech house are more faceless club offerings from a wider clutch of artists. Maybe that's only natural if you're headlining increasingly oversized and impersonal festivals, or maybe it reflects how hard it is to remain original after 50 EPs and a string of full-lengths (itself a principled effort for a group who are basically on an endless tour of the planet). As for the third disc, DJ Three stitches together cuts that didn't make Disc One or Two. The resulting mix is one of restraint, and is the sound of Visionquest at its most deep and late-night. There are no real fireworks. Instead, it's an undulating ride through broody grooves that should appeal to both mass markets and more mindful listeners.
  • Tracklist
      CD1: 01. Benoit & Sergio – Walk & Talk 02. Footprintz – Utopia (Ewan Pearson The Tale Of Bolo Brown Re-Trip) 03. Lee Curtiss featuring Debbie Rennalds – Body Twitch 04. Lauren Lane featuring Jaw – Lazer Eyez 05. Maceo Plex – Fallin’ 06. Eric Volta & Sebastian Voigt featuring Forrest – Words and Chance 07. Wareika featuring Derek Kammm – Madame Scorpion (Henrick Schwarz Remix) 08. Dinky – Falling Angel (Matthew Styles Remix) 09. Laura Jones – Let Me In 10. Alex Delano & Shaun Reeves featuring Charlotte Carter-Allen – The Breeze 11. Tale Of Us – Dark Song CD2: 01. Dinky – Blind (Prins Thomas Diskomiks) 02. My Favorite Robot – Forest Fires 03. Qbeck featuring Julia Govor – Alice 04. Guy Gerber – The Mirror Game 05. Subb-an featuring Footprinz – Rain 06. Brett Johnson featuring Ellipsis – Move Power 07. Benoit & Sergio – Your Darkness 08. Rework – Touch 09. Chaim – Underwater 10. Clarian & Guy Gerber – Claire 11. Footprintz – Fear of Numbers (Leo Zero Remix) CD3: DJ Three Laterna Magika Visionquest Mix 01. Quilla - A Million Broken Bikes (Three's Villalobos & Reeves Edit) 02. Mirko Loko feat. Francesco Tristano - Timeline 03. Konrad Black - Trophic Cascade 04. Quilla - We All Have Shadow (Ryan Crosson Acid Blast Remix) 05. Pezzner - The Island Fantastic 06. Javier Orduna - Addicted Brains 07. Moreon & Baffa - Penzar (Deadbeat Remix) 08. Wareika feat. Derek Kamm - Madame Scorpion 09. Merveille & Crosson - The Day You Left 10. Butch - Om Namaha Shiva 11. Ryan Crosson & Tale Of Us - Angel 12. Rework - Any Other 13. Clarian - U 14. Dinky - Falling Angel (Pepe Bradock's Detournement au Phlogiston) 15. Footprintz - Fear Of Numbers (Three's Screwed UP Leo Zero Dub) 16. Riccardo Rizza - Clut 17. Shaun Reeves & Tuccillo - Seclusion
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