I have to say from the outset that I quite like Nick Warren as a DJ. In the past he has been criticised for his mixing in particular, but I must say that all the times I have seen this man live, I have never left disappointed. Being a great live DJ and release a quality mix compilation though are 2 entirely different things, and the crew at Global Underground obviously believe he can do both, as GU028 – Shanghai is the 5th Global release from Nick Warren. And after numerous listens of this album, I have to agree with the Boxed boys as this is another very enjoyable album from Nick.
The first CD is delightful, beginning with a smooth breakbeat intro thanks to SJ Esau. The stunning Aural Imbalance Remix of ‘Somehow’ is another one of those stunning early highlights thanks to some smooth beats, and a great atmosphere that is set throughout the production. The early part of this mix is simply breathtaking, again showed through the deep basslines and lush melodies of the Sunseeker Remix of Alex Stealthy’s ‘Once’. The groove continues thanks to Way Out West, Tini Tun and then Starecase while Seyton’s ‘The Drake Equation’ is quite eerie yet seductive at the same time. BCML deliver an intense progressive number with the delicious ‘Mr. Horowitz’ while the Quasar Remix of ‘Pillow’ is haunting with its smooth crisp beats and gritty basslines. Gardner & Star Mix of Solace ends the mix in a nice way thanks to some smooth electric riffs and cut up vocal hooks.
The second also begins smoothly with the Natural Highs of Chimera, a smooth broken beat track that leads into the more gritty and driving sounds of Shiloh’s Remix of Morozov’s ‘Fly Guitar’. It’s clear to see that Warren won’t hold back in this disc as he smoothly moves into the uplifting sounds and summery vocal vibes of ‘Conversations’ by Pop Shuvit. The Amateur Guitar Mix of Holden & Thompson’s fantastic ‘Come To Me’ builds the mix towards a peak time edge, an edge that is clearly visible with the pulsating sounds of ‘Synthetic Symphony’. Some acid house enters the fray with Hardfloor’s ‘Acperience’ while the Greek maestro in Kosmas Epsilon continues to keep the mix flowing with the epic sounds of ‘Sorry To Be Rude’. Marcel Schonbrann keeps the beats flowing intensely with ‘Maleta’ while Peter Martin’s ‘Grace’ signals the beginning of a quite simply stunning last 20 minutes to this mix. ‘Grace’ is a beautiful production and it leads delightfully into Mercurio’s ‘Simple Things’, a track full of crisp beats and simply stunning spine tingling emotive string patterns. The glorious sounds and emotions run high into Derek Howell’s breathtaking ‘Your Touch’, a track that concludes the album in a perfect fashion.
This is quite a strong mix from Warren, a mix that shows that he will always stick to his strong roots and not follow any bandwagons, a point that I wish I could apply to a lot more DJs out there. It’s an album full of melodies, driving moments and most of all some good depth. It’s an album that shows that Nick Warren, with all his experience and knowledge, still knows how to deliver a good old fashioned solid mix compilation.
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