Dave Seaman – Renaissance: Awakening

Really not a fan of this. Far preferred D S’ s mixes from early to mid nineties with more variety - renaissance worldwide for example or renaissance volume 4 mix 1.

This is straight up prog trance that I find heavy and leaden. Unlike the aforementioned the mixing doesn’t add up to anything more than the sum of it’s parts. Just endured it a few times and it has sat on the shelf since.

You’d know the renaissance albums I liked the most by how thumb-marked and dog eared the plush packaging is. Fair to say Sasha and JD s Renaissance albums - the covers have split and the tapes have snapped. Mind you Ren 1 & 2 were extremely high benchmarks.

For a contrast have a listen to his DJ’s at work comp from 1995

https://discogs.pelisguay.com/Dave-Seaman-DJs-At-Work-Vol-1/master/780356

The tracks are great, really snappy mixing, and builds with loads of energy - really on the ball... Maybe I’m just showing my age. Still a cracking DJ/ producer though

May i comment on just how sublime the intro on CD2 is. Possibly the best opening to a compilation ever. Voyager and Clearwater on their own sounds nothing like what it is in this mix, but together they are out of this world.

There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said so I'm going to keep it simple, this is one of the best progressive mix comps of all time, Period.

The popiest mix DS has ever made. A reflection of how crap clubbing and superclub music had become in the year 2000. Not a bad mix but really commercial. Is it any wonder the scene died on its backside from NYE 1999 to about 2002.

First compilation that introduced me to Progressive House when I was a Tiesto fan boy in 1999/2000.
Britannia Airlines were using it on their in-flight radio around that time and I happened to listen in whilst on a flight to Crete. Perfect sound track all the way there. Beautifully atmospheric and tough.

Amazed the Natious Dub of Amethyst - Andalucia was never released.

Listening to it right now at work.

who needs to go out when you've this album playing full whack in ya living room??

This is absolutely the best mix cd of the 21th century!

First disc is very timeless and easy to hear. It's a bit smoother prog with a twist of house, some techno and beautiful trance in the end. My favourites are 'Bias', 'Ruhe', 'West on 27th' and 'Love Has Come Again'.

Second disc is very rocking progressive trance. All tracks are pure classics in my opinion. Mix has a great structure and all track combinations are second to none. Its impossible to point any highlights, because this whole mix is one.

CD 1 of this mix is what really finally drew me to Dave Seaman. Really nice dreamy beginning that draws into some thumping deep house and by the end of the CD into some really nice housey trance tunes (West on 27th, Love has come again). In my opinion much nicer than, say, the Brazil GU disks. Very nicely done.