[USTM Review] Christopher Lawrence ‘Rush Hour – Best of 2013’
2013 has seen a resurgence in the underground dance music scene, specifically underground trance and progressive. Sure, the majority of dance music today has been bastardized by tacky, unoriginal productions and recycled sounds, but underground trance and progressive has remained true to its roots, with a handful incredibly talented underground artists championing that sound we have come to love. Pharmacy label boss Christopher Lawrence, a veteran and key player in the underground trance scene, captures that very sound in his latest mix compilation, “Rush Hour – Best of 2013”.
The mix is an incredible one hour and thirty eight minute journey down a rabbit hole of the best underground progressive, tech and psy-trance that he has featured on his monthly ‘Rush Hour’ radio show this year, including tracks and mixes by Savage Circuit, Hypnocoustics, Oberon, Mirok, Hypnoise, Timelock, Nick Sentience, Cylon, Molok, Polaris, Predators, Reaky, Ritmo, Twina and of course, Christopher Lawrence. His latest single, “Libra” – a personal favorite of mine – is a standout track in the mix and features powerful psy-trance grooves, shimmering melodies, breakbeat drops, and razor sharp acid lines . His mix progression demonstrates a solid understanding of what works on the dance floor and his track choices are powerful and inspiring. Certainly not for the faint of heart, these dark and trippy grooves represent twisted, underground trance at its purest form.
Lawrence’s influence draws from the early days of trance when its creative direction was driven by the dance floor, not by superstar DJs. “There are so many trance labels out there and most of them are trying to reproduce the success of Armada. The result is most trance sounds the same these days,” Lawrence said. “For me, it’s like going into a bar and your only choices are Bud Light or Miller Lite. My sound is like the Guinness of trance…you’ll never be embarrassed to admit that you like my trance sound, and you won’t.” (And we agree!)
Throughout his lengthy career in electronic dance music, Lawrence was the recipient of the “Best American DJ” award by the International Dance Music Awards (IDMA), as well as “Best American DJ” by DJ Times. He also ranked No. 4 in DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJ poll in 2006. Lawrence is a true trance pioneer who emerged as a global leader at the same time as such electronic dance music producers as Paul van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold and stayed true to the underground trance scene throughout a career that has spanned 19 years. Whether it’s Beyond Wonderland, Electric Daisy Festival, Burning Man or the darkest downtown afterhours, Christopher Lawrence can always be relied on to play powerful, mind-blowing sets and cause massive dance floor destruction everywhere.
If you’re itching for an unadulterated, no-nonsense (and NO CHEESE) trance album, this mix compilation is a match made in heaven for you. It’s out now exclusively on Beatport and will be available worldwide on Monday, December 16, 2013. Get on it!
Reviewed by Mikey Chiong Jr.
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