This penultimate edition of Pacific Front Sessions starts off truly downtempo with a new track from The Last Atlant. The melody meanders into G-Pal’s downtempo-breaks remix of Sunset Blvd who they hear a train coming – which is in fact Kasey Taylor’s remix of Wombat. Wombat’s “Helo” starts off chugging like a locomotive leaving the train station, picking up speed and delivering at our destination just in time for Spooky’s new weird one, “Eypes Mouth.” Weird but good, which is what I’ve come to expect from the duo of May/Forbes. Matt Rowan and Robbie Lowe are up next with a crunchy, tech-break house track called Ground Swell. This is followed up by “Tears on the Leaf,” one of my favourite tracks of the year – beautiful production and melody. Dousk’s complete gem of a track, “Chrysalis,” comes next with an outstanding breakdown, and Luke Chable delivers a brand new progressive monster (it’s about time!) in the form of “Pressure.” Great to hear Mr. Chable back into production – his sound has been missed. Steve Porter’s “Don’t Be Afrayed” takes the mix in a bit of a funkier and dancier direction before transitioning into a classic track by Lexos called “The Key.” Finally, a rare remix of Planet Funk’s “Chase The Sun” finishes things off in style with some melodic vocal progressive breaks.
Tracklisting:

1. The Last Atlant – Anima Mundi (Original mix) [Platipus]
2. Sunset Blvd – Train Comin (G-Pal Downtempo remix) [Klik Records]
3. Wombat – Helo (Kasey Taylor remix) [Open Records]
4. Spooky – Eypes Mouth (Lyme Bay Version) [Platipus]
5. Matt Rowan and Robbie Lowe – Ground Swell (Original mix) [Proton Music]
6. Kostas Skretas – Tears On The Leaf (Claes Rosen remix) [Dark Pleasure Records]
7. Dousk – Chrysalis (Album version) [Klik Records]
8. Luke Chable – Pressure (Original mix) [Neon Records]
9. Steve Porter – Don’t Be Afrayed (Original mix) [PH Recordings]
10. Lexos – The Key (Adam Dived No Vox) [Bang On!]
11. Planet Funk – Chase The Sun (Future Perfect’s SunFunk mix) [Unreleased]

Starts off atmospheric and breaky, quickly moves to four on the floor. This mix is one of layering and programming, every track building on the one before it in some way. It ends, literally, the same way it began with only one semitone of difference and some bpm shift. The tracks on here were selected for their summer-time feel and the parties and festivals that happen during the next few months. Hope you like it.
Tracklisting:

1. DJ Remy – Unplugged (Original mix – intro) [Audio Therapy]
2. David West – Illectronics (Original mix) [Tolerant Recordings]
3. Bastards of Funk and Sonic Union – Glitter (Original mix) [Lowbit]
4. Orkidea – Metaverse (Jody Wisternoff remix) [AVA Recordings]
5. Somnus Corp and Emjay – Across the Border (Electrobios and Interplay remix) [Discoteca Music]
6. Claes Rosen – Eighties 09 (Original dub) [Dumbest]
7. Beatman and Ludmilla – Couldn’t Sleep (Shiloh remix) [Aurium Recordings]
8. Max Graham – Smack (Original mix) [Re-Brand records]
9. Claes Rosen – Mystify (Original mix) [Discoteca Music]
10. Oliver Smith – Restless (Original mix) [Anjuna beats]
11. DJ Remy – Unplugged (Original mix – outro) [Audio Therapy]

Bit of breaks, bit of pumped up trancey progressive, and some breaks and ambient at the end. A few new-to-me names in the mix here, and I think they fit in very well. Enjoy.
Tracklisting:

1. Dieselromantik – Ice on the Sun (Original mix) [Plusquam Division]
2. Planisphere – Centaure (Original mix) [Green Martian]
3. Aeron Aether and Elfsong – Kaivalya (Original mix) [Silk Digital Records]
4. Planisphere – Cyborganic (Original mix) [Green Martian]
5. Jaytech – Groove Nova (Oliver Smith Tech mix) [Anjunabeats]
6. Eelke Kleijn and Nick Hogendoo – Where Are My Goggles (Fine Taste remix) [Baroque Limited]
7. Claes Rosen – Re-Offensive (Original mix) [Sick Watona]
8. John Morgan and Kevin Shiu – 8 Feet Under (AFK’s Overkill remix) [Powerplant Music]
9. Aeron Aether – Lake in the Well (Original mix) [Silk Digital Records)
10. Art of Trance - Madagascar (Michael Woods Chillout mix) [Platipus]

March is the time of year where the days start to get longer, people spend a little more time outside and become a little more social overall as the overcast days start to break in favour of the sun. This mix reflects some of that mood – many of these tracks were ones I played recently at a sold out show where myself and Formulate shared the headline slot. We did a 2.5 hour set, playing 12:30 AM – 4:00 AM through a time change at 2 AM where it became 3 AM. Whenever you have an engaged audience, you find yourself making that little extra effort to connect with them in some way and many of the tracks I selected reflected this.

One bit of trivia here is that I was unsatisfied with the opening tracks at my disposal so I simply made one for this set. It’s called Lever but I doubt it’s going to live far outside of this set – maybe it will live only in this set. I’d be fine with that. After that is a track by the Chance Jumpers – there’s actually three remixes of this track that I really enjoy and this is one of them. It is likely you will hear another version on an upcoming mix. This song does a nice job of setting the mood without going over the top and sets up Kasey Taylor’s killer remix of Tim Davison’s “Patrol.” I know it’s not really an overtly energetic track but you just have to see what it does to the dancefloor, it’s something to take note of indeed. Reflekt’s classic “Need To Feel Loved” gets a newer treatment from Adam K and Soha and what a beauty it turned out to be – you may recognize this one from the movie “It’s All Gone Pete Tong.” Following this is an atmospheric progressive house gem from Elfsong and Aeron Aether called “Sylleptica.” Not sure what the word means, but like the song, it sounds cool. Fine Taste follow this up with something AIG will likely have to offer potential employees to entice them into the company – the song is called “My Golden Parachute.” The term refers to a payout to an employee should something happen to their job. It’s an agreement usually made on hiring for high-risk jobs. Fancy severance. The track itself actually reminds me a bit of Sonic the Hedgehog meets progressive house. There’s something about the mood that just reminds me of the game in a good way. Bright and festive, and just a little bit out there – definitely a party track. Not to be outdone, D-Nox and Beckers also bring the party with an energetic “Naked Punch,” which sets up one of my favorite tracks of the last year. Sudha hooked up with the unmistakable Zoe Johnston to make a song called “Leche” (not to be confused with “letchie”) and it gets a massive remix treatment from Thomas Schwartz and Fausto Fanizza. Stunning piece of vocal progressive, the kind that does not come along every day, let alone every month. The next track is by a fellow that is no stranger to my record bag, Steve Porter. I’ve got so many of his releases, and I was pleased to acquire this track recently, as it shows he’s in top producer form still. The track is called “Rizer” and it does what you suspect in Steve’s distinctive style. Ending the session is Planisphere with their epic “Spacetrash.” It’s really out there and I think it’s a fine way to end a mix. Enjoy!
Tracklisting:

1. AFK – Lever (Introduction Edit) [Unreleased]
2. Chance Jumpers – Korona (Ilya Malyuev Softtech Mix) [Morphosis]
3. Tim Davison – Patrol (Kasey Taylor remix) [Vapour]
4. Reflekt – Need To Feel Loved (Adam K and Soha Vocal mix) [Positiva]
5. Elfsong and Aeron Aether – Sylleptica (Original mix) [Proton Music]
6. Fine Taste – My Golden Parachute (Original mix) [Extrema Records]
7. D-Nox and Beckers – Naked Punch (Original mix) [HOMmega Productions]
8. Sudha featuring Zoe Johnston – Leche (Thomas Schwartz and Fausto Fanizza Vocal mix) [Bish Bash]
9. Steve Porter – Rizer (Original mix) [PH Recordings]
10. Planisphere – Spacetrash (Original mix) [Music Worx]

Pacific Front Sessions January 2009 starts off the new year with some cool, mellow tracks that reflect the mood of winter in Victoria. The first track by Soundstorm is remixed by Dynamic Illusion into a subdued atmospheric house piece. Local techno legend Rennie Foster’s track adds a little fun into the mix with a remix from The Youngsters, which is followed up by 16B’s tech-funk house piece “To Run To.” The Humbertron (aka Formulate) remix of Trifecta makes its way into the mix by picking up the pace and slamming the speakers with bass and ride cymbals. I’d really like to hear that one on a big system. Next up is the final and official version of my own Bergamot – it’s fairly different than the version that aired last summer on Pacific Front Sessions. Last night I walked into Noodlebox and the next track was playing – Dale Anderson and Stewart Keenan’s “End To End.” Really beautiful breaks remix by Aeron Aether – not to be messed with. This sets up Dousk’s superb Blender which gets mixed heavily with Mango’s “Forever July” which then plays by itself for around a minute before Paul Keeley’s “Run To You” finishes off the mix.
Tracklisting:

1. Soundstorm – Iris (Dynamic Illusion remix) [Silk Digital Records]
2. Rennie Foster – Devils Water (The Youngsters remix) [Rebirth]
3. Omid 16B – To Run To (Original mix) [SexOnWax Recordings]
4. Trifecta – Terraforce (Humbertron remix) [Pacific Front Recordings]
5. AFK – Bergamot (Original mix) [Pacific Front Recordings]
6. Dale Anderson and Stewart Keenan – End to End (Aeron Aether remix) [Navigation Limited]
7. Dousk – Blender (Original mix) [Vapour Recordings]
8. Mango – Forever July (Original mix) [Proton Music]
9. Paul Keeley – Run To You (Original mix) [Baroque Records]