Renaissance Presents: Utilities

Renaissance Presents: Utilities

ASIN: B0009R1SIW

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This double disc from the much acclaimed James Zabiela displays his penchant for ideas as progressive as his sound. The first disc ("Computerized") is software mixed and the second ("Recorded") uses traditional techniques. The opening half of "Computerized" contains a well sequenced and ethereal remix of Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker" and Zabiela really starts to find a groove around tracks 9 and 10 when he drops back-to-back breaks/house remixes of "Outta My Mind." "Recorded" has a much better sense of momentum, as James takes us from the deep haunting vocals of "Through You" to the driving distorted sounds of "At The Rave," finally bringing us back down to earth with the melodic broken-beat sounds of "Gyromancer." While these discs will certainly spark much debate and discussion, it is clear that James Zabiela is intent on both pushing the boundaries of electronic music and devastating the dance floor--a task that is certainly worthy of Sasha's protégé. -- Anish Acharya

Product Description
James Zabiela once again joins forces with Renaissance for the follow-up to 2004's acclaimed ‘ALiVE' mix album. On ‘Utilities,' James puts forth his strongest effort yet with this innovative mix that explores new techniques in DJ mixing. The two discs in the set are labeled as ‘Computed' and ‘Recorded,' and, as the names suggest, one uses the much publicized Ableton technology and was recorded entirely on computer, whilst the other makes a welcome return to last years format of three CDJs, samplers and an EFX unit.

But beyond the mixing techniques, James distinct musical style remains at the heart of the album. The album showcases James' growing ability to bridge the experimental and club worlds, and it embodies a sound that presents a dancefloor take on techy, electro flavored progressive house, with just enough breaks to keep the funk oozing in. ‘Utilities' is also a platform to showcase James' very first foray into the world of original production. The result is two incredible cuts - ‘Robophobia' and ‘EyeAMComputer', which are currently causing mayhem on dancefloors round the world. Beyond his own productions James draws on a host of current talent, including the previously unavailable Kriece remix of Aphex Twin's seminal ‘Windowlicker' and tracks and remixes from Infusion, Buick Project, Trentemoller, Lee Coombs, Montero and many more.

Renaissance Presents: Utilities

Renaissance Presents: Utilities,James Zabiela,Thrive (Red),Club/Dance,Dance,Dance Music,Pop,Progressive House

Average customer rating:

The Motherboard Of Music

Need More Inspiration

When Worlds Collide

Redeemed on CD2

This is not Zabiela

Renaissance Presents: Utilities
James Zabiela
Manufacturer: Thrive (Red)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0009R1SIW
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Tracks:

James Zabiela & Nick Boulton Quantum Realities (Intro)
Decomposed Subsonics Atlantic View
The Consumer Your Soul For Access
Wyatt Earp & Little Mike Android (Original Mix)
Aphex Twin Windowlicker
Solid Groove This Is Sick
James Zabiela EyeAmComputer
Soundex On/Off
Lee Coombs Outta My Mind (Breaks Mix)
Lee Coombs Outta My Mind (House Mix)
Will Saul Mbira (Infusion Remix)
James Zabiela Robophobia
Abysm Future Love
Nicolas Vallprnte Silvertone Theme From Silvertone
Hugg & Pepp Snabeln
Hisham "Outro"

Tracks:

Hisham Samawi & Dennis Rodgers Through You
Martin C The Escape
Trentem Rykketid
Walter Ercolino One Flew Over the Cocoos Nest
Montero Captain Hook Mix 2
Rob Mooney Feelin Electro
Buick Project At The Rave
Gerome Sportelli Growth
Hugg & Pepp Pellefant
PMT Gyromancer (Elite Force Mix)
The Carbon Community Simon Says
Ellen Allien Sehnsucht

Amazon.com

This double disc from the much acclaimed James Zabiela displays his penchant for ideas as progressive as his sound. The first disc ("Computerized") is software mixed and the second ("Recorded") uses traditional techniques. The opening half of "Computerized" contains a well sequenced and ethereal remix of Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker" and Zabiela really starts to find a groove around tracks 9 and 10 when he drops back-to-back breaks/house remixes of "Outta My Mind." "Recorded" has a much better sense of momentum, as James takes us from the deep haunting vocals of "Through You" to the driving distorted sounds of "At The Rave," finally bringing us back down to earth with the melodic broken-beat sounds of "Gyromancer." While these discs will certainly spark much debate and discussion, it is clear that James Zabiela is intent on both pushing the boundaries of electronic music and devastating the dance floor--a task that is certainly worthy of Sasha's protégé. -- Anish Acharya

Album Description

James Zabiela once again joins forces with Renaissance for the follow-up to 2004's acclaimed `ALiVE' mix album. On `Utilities,' James puts forth his strongest effort yet with this innovative mix that explores new techniques in DJ mixing. The two discs in the set are labeled as `Computed' and `Recorded,' and, as the names suggest, one uses the much publicized Ableton technology and was recorded entirely on computer, whilst the other makes a welcome return to last years format of three CDJs, samplers and an EFX unit.

But beyond the mixing techniques, James distinct musical style remains at the heart of the album. The album showcases James' growing ability to bridge the experimental and club worlds, and it embodies a sound that presents a dancefloor take on techy, electro flavored progressive house, with just enough breaks to keep the funk oozing in. `Utilities' is also a platform to showcase James' very first foray into the world of original production. The result is two incredible cuts - `Robophobia' and `EyeAMComputer', which are currently causing mayhem on dancefloors round the world. Beyond his own productions James draws on a host of current talent, including the previously unavailable Kriece remix of Aphex Twin's seminal `Windowlicker' and tracks and remixes from Infusion, Buick Project, Trentemoller, Lee Coombs, Montero and many more.

Customer Reviews:

The Motherboard Of Music.......2007-05-08

Young golden-boy James Zabiela has been smashing club floors with his talented energy and tech-house mixes since before the turn of the century, his deceptively delerious style drawing the attention of other house icons like Sasha (who signed up the Southampton DJ under Excession) and Nic Fanciulli (whom Zabiela has joined up with for a tour of collaborative appearances across the globe). This two-disc set offers a dense dose of Zabiela's distinctively digital dubbing, showcasing all of the cleverness and ingenuity that have steadily amped the fellow's reputation in Breakbeat circles and Tech-houses worldwide.

The first disc, entitled "Computed," was mixed and mastered via the much-lauded Ableton technology, and it throbs with a heavily mechanized feel. Zabiela takes urgently wicked tracks (Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker" and The Consumer's "Your Soul For Access," to name just a few) and applies, one at a time, steadily progressive tweaks and loops. The overall effect is one of a patiently crafted musical mobile, something both simple and complex, a chorus of elements that orbit perfectly without becoming entangled or overwhelming. Songs like "Atlantic View" with its robotic raindrop effects, or "On/Off" with its wiry back-scratching, or the trance cyclone of "Theme From Silvertone" make one want to keep turning the volume knob further to the right. And Zabiela's original pieces -- "EyeAMComputer" and "Robophobia" -- are absolutely stunning bits of hydraulic house, the kind of gut-punching tech-tracks that shake plaster off the walls and cause arrhythmia. This is the kind of pneumatic noise that makes tech-house so much fun, and Zabiela knows exactly how to whip it out.

The second disc -- "Recorded" -- was mixed live and plays like an hour long snapshot of a deep club's aural aura. (For those over-the-top house heads, Zabiela's liner notes include an in-depth analysis of the second disc's mechanics, providing -- literally -- a second-by-second explanation of the methods used with his samplers and mixing units.) It starts with a careful deep house (almost trancey) lift-off via Samawi and Rodgers' "Through You," but by the time the third track pulls into the deck with Trentemøller's "Rykketid," Zabiela has blasted off into stratospheric realms. The rest of the record is a dip-n-dive poeticism through vinyl-n-velour. Zabiela's loops are shaped like race tracks, his break-beats are as shattered as stained glass, his mixes are as thorough as H and two O's. By the time he eases the throttle down through Allien's sun-struck "Sehnsucht," it's obvious to any listener that Zabiela has made something honey-sweet and downy-dark, a perfect addendum to any house collection, and a pleasant reminder that the cavernous expanses of electronica still have skilled explorers to enlighten their furthest edges.

Need More Inspiration.......2007-04-22

"Utilities" moved me, some what. Although whenever I saw Zabiela live, he just bring out the sound 10 times better. Zabiela, man, you're a talented DJ fo sho. How about starting more compilations of your "mixed live" sessions. Do IT!!

+ Strong Tracks +
* This Is Sick... Truly a sick track - LUV IT!!
* Rykketid
* At the Rave
* Gyromancer... Take that! Crystal Method

When Worlds Collide.......2007-01-07

This is really the only officially released Zabiela album worthy of review in my eyes, so I'll gladly take a stab at it since he is one of my all-time favorite up and coming DJs.

The first time I heard Zabiela, it was blasting through my friend's excessively large headphones as we walked down the main road of our campus. When I asked who it was and the name 'James Zabiela' entered my musical vocabulary, personal history was made. Of course, back then I thought he must be an older, dignified pro to have created the sounds that he did; later on I found out he's fairly new, and considered Sasha's protege. I never understood this label - Sasha may have taken him under his wing and got him signed after Lee Burridge passed one of JZ's mix tapes onto him, but the styles diverge so utterly, so completely that there really is no comparison - other than musical ingenuity. And perhaps mixing skills.

This album from Renaissance is a unique one, not only because of the choice DJ showcased within this double-disc set, but also due to the collision of two worlds. Respect the names of each CD ('Computerized' and 'Recorded', respectively): they are entirely indicative of the content within.

'Computerized' is the largest deviation from mainstream dance, trance and house music that I have ever heard - more along the lines of a breakbeat Digweed Fabric20 - and took me the longest to get into. Now I can't put it down. The term 'Robot Funk' has been mentioned above, and I will reiterate that heartily. Computerized starts out weakly; the first four tracks don't excite me, and the fifth track I only listen to because it builds nicely into the sixth track - the point at which the album really picks up. Tracks 6,7 (This Is Sick, EyeAmComputer) are fantastic, and EyeAmComputer is one of two tracks of Zabiela's own devising. Following these are two successive mixes of Lee Coombs' "Outta My Mind". Tracks like James Zabiela's second original, "Robophobia (JZ Childhood Edit)", "Future Love" and "Snabein" show indications that Zabiela has finally hit his stride as far as Computerized is concerned.

James did an interesting thing ending Computerized with "Through You (Outro) and beginning Recorded with "Through You". Within this album there is a clash between technology and man - a clash seemingly easy to demonstrate. What makes the Outro of Computerized and the first track of Recorded significant is the attempt to -connect- the two divergent worlds, producing a package of cerebral assault beats utilizing computer technology like Ableton Live (Mix 1) and the more traditional CDJ1000's/sampler/FX units (Mix 2). I think James tried to make this clash of technologies obvious; on the inside insert on the CD booklet there is a photo of Zabiela surrounded by toy robots; but the one he holds up, the robot from "Futurama", sports an apron which says "Kill All Humans." A scary thought, but I found it humorous.

'Recorded', as mentioned above, is mixed and simply created more traditionally, but it is the better of the two mixes as many below me have stated. 'Through You', the mix's 10+ minute lead-in, crashes into 'The Escape', and then the insanity of 'Rykketid' and 'One Flew Over the Cucoo's Nest" follow closely at the heels. This mix never lets the listener take a significant breather, and the beats are nothing short of SICK. This is definitely breakbeat-infused raving progressive trance music at its finest; the track selection on Recorded is one of my favorite line-ups in any mix CD I own. 'Feelin Electro' and 'At the Rave' echo this sentiment - not just in name only! Zabiela adds some absolutely WACKY and wholly unorthodox samples and effects into these tracks, as my buddy would say, "...simply because he can."

Overall, this album is a must for anyone who enjoys Zabiela's style, in any capacity. Compared to his live sets (which are nothing short of ecstasy and adrenaline) this album pales; I see this as an indication of his true ability. It's easy to create a damn good studio album with the right talent - but when one is known better for performing live... well, James has this going for him. But as a studio album, for the prospective buyer and anyone looking to get into Zabiela, "Utilities" is a truly fine set of insanity that I believe will lead most anybody to watch out for this guy. It is truly a set of fantastic recordings and genius that will see itself paving the way for electronic music in the future.

~Lex

Redeemed on CD2.......2006-05-02

James Zabiela is a guy who tries to blaze his own trail, even when few wish to follow. This new dual CD release shows an embrace of the new emerging Ableton mixing methods while still not leaving his quirky old style behind.

I'll be honest. I don't much care for his old style, or track choice. Therefore I don't feel CD1 warrants a deep review. Don't get me wrong, there are a few decent tracks on CD1, but with a clunky track progression (not to mention a few tracks that make me want to chew aluminum foil) it doesn't feel like a complete mix.

The second disc, however, is a fine display of Zabiela's capabilities and has a very well rounded sound from top to bottom. The mix starts off with "Through You", an amazing track with haunting vocal harmonics and sizzling liquid percussion topped with Zabiela's own soupy sampling - that is off just enough to be right freaking on. The track fades to the disparate beat of "The Escape", which progresses with a rubber band beat. Layer in some acidic synths and spacey samples a la Bedrock, and things start rocking - but we are only two tracks in! On comes the insectoid house of "Rykketid". James quickly rolls into "One flew Over..." a funky robotic house track, then blasts right into the chugging progressiveness of "Captain Hook". If you aren't dancing by now you have no pulse. Next up is "Feelin Electro". JZ takes you down and back with the hi energy old school techhouse with a neuron vocal. Zabiela fades in more old school acid with "At the Rave". Things really get tech with "Growth", a stream of consciousness minimalist acid track with salt shaker drums. "Pellefant" turns the corner and changes pace now, leaving you in a dark room filled with sick electro strings and acapella male vocals. Things keep getting darker as "Gyromancer"'s toe stomping breaks, Zabiela style turntablism, and trancey riffs take over while never losing that acidic common thread. James comes again with the breaks, "Simon says" is a fat garagy breakbeat with spacey female vocals. The beats get very complex and layered now, combining percussion and distorted tones to form a rich beautiful soundscape. The disc starts to take a trancey turn after the breakdown, but still stays aggressive on the beats. James rolls into home with a washed out tub tone breakbeat track by Ellen Allien's "Sehnsucht". Zabiela chops the beats up lights them on fire and serves them with faded melodies.

Overall I would say this is one of the finest mixes released this year. Buy it. If not only for the amazing second disc.

This is not Zabiela.......2005-12-23

Im not saying the mix sucks for it is damn good, but this mix is not 'Alive'. His last installment alive was by far his real sound a must have if you like Zabiela's true mixes.

Disc One: One thing about this disc that everyone needs to know is that he did this on Ableton live, which means this one of those new live computer mixes every top dj is going for now. This would be why it is robot funky house. Each Dj is expirmenting right now so expect some off sounding mixes from the top djs right now. This is a really good mix though but it is way to house for the likes of Zabiela.

Disc Two: Now this is with pioneer's EFX-1000 at his his side,which pioneer has sposored him to show it off. The man has class when it comes to using that effects processor. If you compare it to the Ableton set, which is easier to get effects you want for they are programmed in the software, he does a really good job. The difference between this disc and disc one is he didnt go nuts with the effects. This mix is really good too but still not up to What i expected of Zabiela.

I gave this mix five stars because it is incredible and im not going to say 1 because it didnt live to the zabiela i know. I loved this mix, but he went way to progressive for me.

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