Dave Seaman - Renaissance: Masters Series Volume 14

Dave Seaman
The Masters Series pt 14
RENAISSANCE

In the nine years it's been running, the Renaissance Masters Series has earnt the reputation of being the quintessential series in the progressive house space. Looking at the names that have adorned previous mixes, it’s little wonder: Howells, Tomiie, Deep Dish and most recently, Cattaneo, whose latest contribution to the series left many gasping. That being the case, who better to take the mantle for the next edition than Dave Seaman.  With past talent on show in the series he certainly has his work cut out for him, but to say the Brit knows a thing or two about the prog genre is an understatement. If this was your captain speaking, he’d assure you that the Master Series submarine was in safe hands.

He steals us into an opening that is soft, soothing and tribal. Surprised they could even be used in the same sentence? Seaman does it with absolute aplomb. Through Swimmer by Four Tet and into the DJ Koze Remix of Ben Watt’s Guinea Pig, slowly but surely, it absorbs you, as Dave builds the anticipation.  Then, it happens, gliding into Soultan by Butch and through a tune that sounds as good as it does Deutsche; Mit Liese Der Auf Wiese'  from Extrawelt, Dave eases on the pressure. Heading sea bound, the tanks are filled with water and we get deep. Real deep. From Saul & Coopers Through the Smoke to Ian Pooley’s Compact all the way to Gui Boratto’s fantastic remix of Moby’s Pale Horses, this section mid way through the first CD is one of the compilation peaks. Wrapping part one up with his own ‘intravenous remodelling’ of Ewan Pearson’s touch-up of Jon Hopkins Light Through The Veins, with a coldplay-esque riff (Viva La Vida in case you were wondering), you surface from disc one fulfilled.

Turning to disc two, he sets our course and takes it right back into it with a nice little rework of his own: UNKLE’s Hold My Hand (Innervisions Orchestra Dub Mix) into Moderat’s Les Grandes Marches. Impressive. Then through a sequence of equally accomplished productions, the breathtaking Erphun remix of his own Gobbledygook leading the charge, all the way up to 10% from Nic Fanciulli and Steve Mac, he doesn’t let up.

As we head towards our berth, the track selection remains top shelf: 16 Bit Lolitas’ Gig on the Moon and Gregor Tesher’s The Life Wire, both testament to that. Our journey complete, the atmospheric Teardrops from Darko Esser takes us home, and with samples from previous tracks thrown in to litter the shore, we disembark.

As a fan of the Masters Series, you’re almost always guaranteed of a journey that will not let you down, and sometimes (more often than not in fact), you are blown away. While Seaman's work here nudges the latter category, it probably falls just short.

Also noteworthy is the fact that while impressive that he squeezes so many tracks into just over 2 hours of music, it perhaps doesn’t allow for full appreciation of some of the tunes. You get just 4 or so minutes of what are ultimately 8-9 minute prog bombs, especially notable in a genre that is famed for long productions.

That being said, it is one that grows on you with a few listens, is a fine offering, and one that sounds oh so sweet at 7am on a Sunday morning, reminiscing about everything that came before. After all, when it comes to smooth journeys, Renaissance and Dave definitely know what they're doing.

Tracklisting: Dave Seaman Masters Series pt. 14
Disc: 1
1. Four Tet - Swimmer
2. Ben Watt - Guinea Pig (Vocal Variation With Julia Biel) (DJ Koze Remix)
3. Culoe De Song - The Bright Forest
4. Butch Feat. Julie - Soultan
5. Extrawelt - Mit Liese Der Auf Wiese
6. Andre Winter - Trauma c/w UNKLE - Heaven (King Unique Acapella Remix)
7. Will Saul & Tam Cooper - Through The Smoke
8. Ian Pooley - Compact
9. Sahar Z & Audio Junkies - Beyond Detroit
10. Quivver - Sludge
11. Djuma Soundsystem - Bi Polar
12. Moby - Pale Horses (Gui Boratto's Last Window Remix)
13. Triangle Feat. Joel Xavier - Three
14. Spooky - Outernebula
15. The Youngsters - The Phoenix
16. Fiol Lasse - Svedala
17. Jon Hopkins - Light Through The Veins (Ewan Pearson-s Downtown Lights Remix) (Seaman's Intravenous Remodel)

Disc: 2
1. UNKLE - Hold My Hand (Innervisions Orchestra Dub Mix) c/w Moderat - Les Grandes Marches
2. Guy J - Esperanza
3. Dave Seaman - Gobbledygook (Erphun Remix)
4. Agoria - Baboul Hair Cuttin (Radio Slave Remix)
5. Infusion - So Soon (King Unique Remix)
6. Jay Lumen - Morning CallNic Fanciulli & Steve Mac - 10%
7. Delphic - Counterpoint (Paul Woolford Remix)
8. Popof - Shades
9. Nick Muir - Fu Man Chew
10. Niko Fantin - Fire Games (Venue 44 Edit)
11. 16 Bit Lolita's - Gig On The Moon
12. Gregor Tresher - The Life Wire
13. Freeland - Mancry (Gui Boratto Remix)
14. Darko Esser - Teardrops 

Eliot Giakalis