Renaissance: Revelation

The latest in the dreamy, opulent, and hedonistically hazy Renaissance series has been entrusted to trance house stalwarts Nick Warren and Danny Howells, both specialists in the arts of till-dawn dancing and beat-driven ecstasy. Warren's set, while still miles ahead of those of most other DJs, is strangely subdued; the pulsing stew doesn't ever take off. Delving into deeper, funkier grooves, it's a set for the altered mind, the peak being a thoroughly deep and dark mix of his own project Way Out West's "Stealth," remixed by Quivver (whose stellar work also appears on the recently released Transport 5).

Howells, meanwhile, offers a stirring contrast with his warm, smooth journey through the dance floor. The sassy vocals and sexy loops of Reset's "Runway (Del 5 Dub)" soon blend into trance overdrive (Indaba's "Dark Light") before the funky tribal flavor gets even heavier, with Groove Juice's "Back to Africa" keeping the booty swing in full force. Indeed, by the time Sharpside's "Belgian Resistance" pumps and prances across the floor, Howells has found the heart of Manhattan circa '77 and parked it smack in the middle of Ibiza. A satisfying, if not electric, release. --Steffan Chirazi