Northern Exposure II: West Coast

Northern Exposure II: West Coast

ASIN: B000003SFT

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A smoother, steamier slice of house techno, this installment of the Northern Exposure series is a soft and sexy continuous mix that cruises comfortably in the fast lane without offering any standout moments of delirious excitement. Centering themselves firmly in the desert-trance arena, Sasha and Digweed opt for dreamy over direct every time. LSG's "Netherworld," Taucher's "Waters," and the William Orbit and Spooky mix of Sven Vath's "An Accident in Paradise" are all choice moments to get lost in, while Humate's "3.2" is a warm and cozy chunk of ambient techno. Overall, this edition of Northern Exposure is not the most essential member of the collection, but it does provide more than enough fluid trance-techno moments to satisfy dedicated fans. --Steffan Chirazi

Tracks:

Cygnus
Speedy J
Humate
Sven Vath
The Light
Third Man
LSG
Taucher
Art of Silence
Transa
Armin

Amazon.com

A smoother, steamier slice of house techno, this installment of the Northern Exposure series is a soft and sexy continuous mix that cruises comfortably in the fast lane without offering any standout moments of delirious excitement. Centering themselves firmly in the desert-trance arena, Sasha and Digweed opt for dreamy over direct every time. LSG's "Netherworld," Taucher's "Waters," and the William Orbit and Spooky mix of Sven Vath's "An Accident in Paradise" are all choice moments to get lost in, while Humate's "3.2" is a warm and cozy chunk of ambient techno. Overall, this edition of Northern Exposure is not the most essential member of the collection, but it does provide more than enough fluid trance-techno moments to satisfy dedicated fans. --Steffan Chirazi

Customer Reviews:

Sequels Are Usually Disappointing.......2007-06-06

The second volume in the Northern Exposure Series follows that very well known trend amongst movies where the original is usually considered the best while the sequel ends up being a disappointment.

The first release is a classic that will stand against the test of time despite being two years the junior to this album. Northern Exposure II: West Coast is outdated with tacky-sounding trance. Glowsticks and pacifiers anyone?

2.5/5 stars.

Classic - really is worth all 5 stars.......2007-01-12

I don't go buck wild over every cd I buy and give 5 stars because it sounds cool. But as others have said - NE: West coast stands the test of time and is worth the price listed. The buildup to Pete Heller's remix of Netherworld is one of the best I've heard.
Be sure to check out the East Coast edition - it's very different, but a good purchase still (I'd give it 4 stars).

ZRODN.......2006-10-26

once again sound rotation bpm off sync wrong meshed unstructured sound lends no focus to the true artist who by the way if your heard him live raw at various venues or clubs throughout the world you would be impressed and say hey were did all the energy bpm pitch and loud sound structure go it aint here on this cd. i would say fire the production sound team for they lend themselves to nothing cant anybody just record his live sets in clubs and put it on cd i mean its that simple he will make millions but this nonsense is so laughable but sorry i mean these music critics here lend themselves to so sorry cant anybody know the differnce fom slow bpms to fast bpms send everybody back to music school

Awesome!.......2005-09-13

This was my first experience to trance music, and it completely changed all my thoughts about the genre. Westcoast still remains my favorite out of the series. Great for chilling, and especially driving!! The whole cd is excellent but cuts of choice for me are 3.2, Solar Cycle, and Netherworld. This cd is incredible, as are all the Northern Exposures, and I highly recommend you buy it. This is money well spent here, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

A progressive house classic ..........2004-08-02

The follow-up to Sasha & John Digweed's Northern Exposure does not disappoint. Similar to Vol. 1, the UK and US versions were released differently. Whereas Northern Exposure 2 was released as a single, two CD set in the UK, the US version was split into separate releases, or different editions: the West Coast and East Coast editions. Don't be fooled however, they are completely different sets with different tracks. And both are absolutely essential purchases!

The West Coast edition is the more danceable of the two NE2s, with some of the best progressive house tracks of the era/ever. Opening with Cygnus X's "Protison" (incorrectly listed as "Superstrings" on the back cover), a lush, bouncy, euphoric mood is instantly created only to be torn down by the stabbing melodies and abrasive percussion Speedy J's "Fusion". Humate's classic "3.2" is mixed in creating a dark, atmospheric sound, that melds perfectly with William Orbit's remix of Sven Vath's techno classic "An Accident In Paradise". The Light's "Panfried" and Third Man's "Solar Cycle" keep the beat steady, before the duo really turn up the energy with L.S.G.'s "Netherworld". The Jules Vern mix heard on this album is the best version of the song I've ever heard emphasizing the best elements of the song, and creating a hard hitting progressive house floor-filler. Taucher's melodic "Waters" is perfectly mixed holding the peak created by "Netherworld" to over ten minutes of sheer electronic bliss. "Teach Me" by Art Of Silence is a serene break from the energy, but we're soon brought back to 4/4 floor-stomping energy with Transa's anthemic "Enervate", before slowly closing with the trance inducing groove of Armin's "Blue Fear".

While not as timeless as it's predecessor or the East Coast Edition, this is still a classic piece of progressive house. Although more immediately accessible, it is ultimately less rewarding than it's counterpart. Still, an essential purchase for progressive house/trance fans.

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