As a DJ, Ron Trent is an icon for the deeper than deep set. Moving from his New York City residency with Giant Step to a new night entitled African Blues has evidentially pushed Trent even deeper. And if this mix is any indication, he seems to have gone too far. The beauty of Trent's style has always been in the sheer exuberance he can extract from what might at first seem like a down-key affair. His previous mix CD, recorded for the Giant Step residency, did just that. Musical Reflections has...
As a DJ, Ron Trent is an icon for the deeper than deep set. Moving from his New York City residency with Giant Step to a new night entitled African Blues has evidentially pushed Trent even deeper. And if this mix is any indication, he seems to have gone too far. The beauty of Trent's style has always been in the sheer exuberance he can extract from what might at first seem like a down-key affair. His previous mix CD, recorded for the Giant Step residency, did just that. Musical Reflections has a few moments of mellow intensity, particularly found in the most minimal cuts, including Trent's remix of Richard Worth's "Rise" and the all too brief jackin' bells interlude of James Mason's "Nightgruv." But much of the strength of these cuts is lost in subsequent selections by Joi and Curtis Harmon, which are tinged with a bit too much smooth jazz or R&B flavor. The basic premise of this mix is to combine old and new songs into one musical whole. And it is easy to do with records like Asso's "Don't Stop," a legendary post-disco synth workout that acts as the template for contemporary producers, most notably Metro Area. But not all classics age as well. The closing selection, "I Want Your Love," again by Mason, sounds little better than watered-down R&B wailing despite the repetitive laser sounds that presumably make it relevant. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
