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Ok, review time.
01. Charlie May & Sasha - Seal Clubbing (James Zabiela's Seal Squeal Remix)--> 02. John Acquaviva & Swen Weber - First Stroke
I really don't understand the Seal Clubbing tune. lol. The politics of clubbing seals aside, I'm not sure what Sasha was thinking with that one. I don't really like it as an intro either -- it sets altogether the wrong tone in my opinion. However, the Zabiela remix makes it almost listenable, so I was able to plug through it and get to the meat of what came next.
First Stroke is again not one of my personal favorites, but if ever one should use this track, it is here. It gives purpose to the squelchy Seal, and takes this set an immediate notch higher. The energy pulses forward as the tune comes in, and makes for an enjoyable (and welcome) transition. The breakdown hinted at some elements that have a little bit of meat on them, but then the track reverts back to glitchy minimal stuff.
02. John Acquaviva & Swen Weber - First Stroke--> 03. Loafer - Dirtbike (16-Bit Lolitas Remix)
Thank goodness for the 16 Bit Lolitas. This transition was very interesting to the ear. First Stroke seems to drop out quickly, but with the new pulsating bassline that replaces it shortly, it works. Dirtbike is a fun tune, retaining some elements of the glitchiness of the first two tracks, but introducing a more housey feel as well that begins to get the toe to tap. By the time the vocal sample of Shake hits, the groove is on.
03. Loafer - Dirtbike (16-Bit Lolitas Remix)--> 04. Chris Lake & Micky Slim - Shake
Shake is a lot of fun. Much more funky now, this set has started to get my attention. The transition was ok, but I didn't like how the glitchy mid-level of Dirtbike clashed a bit with Shake. I think you realized it at one point, because Dirtbike disappeared rather abruptly, and probably too early. The phasing could have been a little bit better here, but it doesn't lag too badly. I think the transition would have been even better, however, if Shake had been further along by the time you brought it in. But despite the slow start the transition gave it, I enjoyed this tune a lot, and will probably be tracking down a copy for myself on Beatport.
04. Chris Lake & Micky Slim - Shake--> 05. Richard Dinsdale & Mark Knight - Crunch
Nice transition! This worked swell. What you did here you should have done in the previous transition I think. You layered Crunch very well over Shake, and as the transition finished, Crunch had already taken off and was in full force. This was a fun track, and another that I hadn't heard before, but will likely go out and find for myself. I loved the percussion! My head had joined my foot in synchronized bobbing at this point.
05. Richard Dinsdale & Mark Knight - Crunch--> 06. David Amo & Julio Navas vs. D-Nox & Beckers - Memory Cell
This was a very tight mix. Nothing flashy, but very good nonetheless. Quality mix begot quality track. It sounded like this mix got an extra life (pun intended -- there was definitely a noise like a 1-up on some NES game in this track). I apologize for everything bad I wrote about the first two tracks, you've made up for it now.
06. David Amo & Julio Navas vs. D-Nox & Beckers - Memory Cell--> 07. DJ Dan - Rock to the Rhythm (Starkillers Remix)
I had to listen to this transition twice to see where it began. I like the overlay you used there, very nice. More funk than tech now, and that's the way I like it. The vocal snippet in the track is unnecessary, but oh well. This sounds like a track that would be more fun in a club than on headphones, but still brings a level of fun in its production (- vocal).
07. DJ Dan - Rock to the Rhythm (Starkillers Remix)--> 08. Wonderlands Avenue - Whitehorse
I think you already diagnosed the problem with this mix. The loop could have been let go maybe one sequence earlier. But for me it was only a minor issue, and not one I probably would have noticed had I not read earlier replies in this thread before listening. This track made me laugh at first for the vocal, but I liked it. The two vocals are bit much back to back, but this one is far more enjoyable. Not one that I would play very often, but for my first listen it made me chuckle.
08. Wonderlands Avenue - Whitehorse--> 09. Common Grounds - To Be Given (Max Graham Mix)
I liked this track a lot. The transition worked well, and To Be Given had quite a groove to it.
09. Common Grounds - To Be Given (Max Graham Mix)--> 10. Eric Prydz presents Pryda - Frankfurt
Two things: One, I can see why people said Frankfurt killed the vibe of the mix. It has an incredibly long build, and for the end of a short mix like this, it doesn't keep the flow going at all. All of your prior tracks had been very uptempo, and this one definitely took the energy down a notch. For a short set like this, I think you need to end on a stormer, finish abruptly, and leave the listener wanting more.
Two, I do love the track. I think it's simply misplaced at the end of this set... now if you put it at the beginning and skipped the Seal Clubbing and First Stroke tracks... well, that might work quite nicely.
All in all, I enjoyed it, though the beginning wasn't my cup of tea. You've got a solid base in there, and the mixing was pretty tight. Traktor can be a pain to work with sometimes (that's what I use too), and I know loops, etc. aren't the easiest things to get a hang of on that program. I'll be looking for future efforts!
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I'm sorry that you're having trouble... hopefully it gets to ya...
