Born in Belgium, bred in Orlando, Florida, now based in New York, Jimmy van Mallehem's cosmopolitan background is perhaps what sets him aside from his contemporaries Sasha and – Bedrock label owner – John Digweed, both of whom Jimmy acts as agent/manager for in North America. In terms of both selection and mixing, Jimmy is at least as good as either and in places, better. They do beat him on the production front though. This CD, the second after Digweed's highly successful 1999 collection, works brilliantly, straddling the line between trance and house to come up with the perfect progressive house mix. Similar in sound to Dave Seaman's ‘Renaissance – Desire’ mix, but instead of opting for a house and then trance mix, Jimmy combines the sounds, keeping a house pace while letting the soundscape tendancies of trance to shine through. Highly recommended for all house, trance, and progressive lovers.
Review:
Following John Digweed's first mix in the series for Bedrock, Twilo
resident Jimmy Van M puts his own spin on several of the label's artists with
this two-disc set of diffusive progressive house. Disc one, which features such
notables as Floppy Sounds and Yum Yum, takes on a decidedly darker edge,
cascading with airy synths and subtle, tribal percussion. The mood remains quite
consistent, reaching a climax with Jimmy Van M's spooky “Love Like Sleep.”
Gears shift for the fleeting (and more interesting) beats of disc two, providing
a deeper shade of house with tracks such as the liberating “Music Don't
Stop.”
All Music Guide – Kenyon Hopkin