Global Underground: Shanghai

Global Underground: Shanghai

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Fat Cat

2. Somehow [Aural Imbalance Remix]

3. Once [Sunseeker Remix]

4. Don't Forget Me [Way Out West's Clifton High Instrumental Mix] - Way Out West

5. Over It

6. Vapour Trails - Starecase

7. Drake Equation - Denny Seyton & the Sabres

8. Horowitz

9. Sunshine - Starecase

10. Pillow [Quasar Remix] - Tristan,

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Natural High

2. Fly Guitar [Astero Breaks Mix]

3. Conversations [Shiloh Remix]

4. Come to Me [Amateur Guitar Mix]

5. Synthetic Symphony

6. Acperience 1 - Hardfloor

7. Sorry for Being Rude - Kosmas Epsilon

8. Maleta

9. Flame - Murat Uncuoglu

10. Changing in the Face of Grace

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Global Underground: Shanghai,Nick Warren,Global Und. [Studio],Club/Dance,Dance Music,Pop,Progressive House

Average customer rating:

F-ing fantastic.

Nick Warren...Sultan of All DJ's

A Breath of Fresh Air for Global Underground

Not Shanghaied

A handful of good tracks with mediocre mixing.

Global Underground: Shanghai
Nick Warren
Manufacturer: Global Underground
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Global Underground: Miami

Fabric 20

Fundacion NYC

Global Underground 030: Paris

Dubai

ASIN: B0009F2C9S
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Tracks:

Fat Cat - SJ Esau
Somehow (Aural Imbalance Remix) - Jacob Todd
Once (Sunseeker Remix) - Alex Stealthy
Don't Forget Me (Way Out West's Clifton High Instrumental Mix) - Way Out West
Over It - Tini Tun
Vapour Trails - Starecase
The Drake Equation - Seyton
Horowitz - BCML
Sunshine - Starecase
Pillow (Quasar Remix) - Tristan
Solace (Gardner & Star Mix) - Lustral

Tracks:

Natural High - Chimera
Fly Guitar (Astero Breaks Remix) - Morozov
Conversations (Shiloh Remix) - Pot Shuvit
Come To Me (Amateur Guitar Mix) - Holden & Thompson
Synthetic Symphony - Blendbrank
Acperience 1 - Hardfloor
Sorry For Being Rude - Kosmas Epsilon
Maleta - Marcel Shoenbrunn
Flame - Murat Uncuoglu
Changing In The Face Of Grace - Peter Martin
Simple Things - Mercurio
Your Touch - Derek Howell

Customer Reviews:

F-ing fantastic........2007-04-11

To be frank, I find Global Underground to be a most conceited and over-rated series. Nearly every installment gets massive publicity, good reviews by majority, and probably flies off the shelves upon initial release. I myself own upwards of a dozen GU albums, ranging from Sasha to Digweed to Deep Dish to Danny Howells to Nick Warren to James Lavelle, and the other day I had an epiphany: I only listen to the Warren mixes.

Budapest is hard and in your face. Amsterdam, dreamy and smooth. Reykjavik was mellow and downbeat, with a half-cup of chill, and two teaspoons of surrealistic melody lightly sauteed with a pinch of funk. Original and unbalanced, it's a great listen. Shanghai, however, is better. Much better. Shanghai is f-ing fantastic. DJ Esau's "Fat Cat" sets the tone instantly, and remarkably, Warren manages to include a diverse array of sounds while remaining true to that first taste. It's upbeat, classy, and light on its feet without being oppressive and predictable. There are of course highs and lows throughout the album, but compared to every other GU, and even his previous work, Warren's latest is remarkbly controlled and balanced throughout. Like a forced-induction automobile engine, Warren hits his sonic plateau and keeps it level from then on out, offering you something superb no matter where you are on the album. It's brilliant.

I don't claim to be the definitive word on electronic music, and can only really state my opinion. But hundreds of dollars in albums later, the only ones I play repeatedly, the only ones that continue to excite me with each listen, and the only ones I actually recommend to friends and family who don't listen to electronic music, are those by Briton Nick Warren. Can't wait to hear Paris.

Nick Warren...Sultan of All DJ's.......2007-02-21

I saw Nick Warren play a live set at a dreary club called Axis and Radius in Scottsdale, Arizona a few months back. The electronica scene in Arizona is horrible, but it was so great to listen to a true master at work for a change. By the end of the night, he was so hammered from all the free drinks that the management were hitting him with. However, no matter how intoxicated he got...he still was flawless. I can't say enough about this guy's talent and electronica collection.

What does this album's review have to do with Nick Warren's random set that night? Well nothing really, but to drive home a point. The guy is amazing even when he doesn't try to bring the house down. Global Underground 028:Shanghai is a product of Nick Warren when he is sober, concentrating, and putting in his full effort and talent. A scary thought.

This 2 disc set is enjoyable when listening to any particular track solely, but the brilliance of his musical journey comes through when the entire set is listened to from track 1 of disc 1 to the final track on disc 2. With most Global Underground compilations, I usually favor one disc heavily over the other, but I love both of these discs equally.

Global Underground 028:Shanghai is not a pure progressive trance album. Many other reviewers seem to think everything is progressive trance or progressive house. Sorry, but they are wrong. The selected tracks encompass indie-rock influenced vocal tracks to sweetly melodic deep house to raging acid. This variety of electronica genres is part of this compilation's charm and Nick Warren's secret for being the most dynamic DJ of all time.

Both discs get 5/5 stars from me.

A Breath of Fresh Air for Global Underground.......2007-01-17

And it really couldn't have come at any better a time for the Global Underground series & label, because a lot of people were disheartened with Moscow, Barcelona & Romania, Singapore and Miami. Some even disliked Los Angeles and Toronto. I am not expressing my opinions in this review regarding any of the aforementioned albums, only stating the impressions I have gotten from the trance/house community in general.

Now, enter: Old Faithful. Nick Warren is an amazing musical alchemist, and has been given apt opportunity to display this quality on his Prague, Brazil, Budapest, Amsterdam and Reykjavik releases. Some claim the GU market is becoming saturated with Warren mixes, that the Warren Well has been tapped dry; I sympathize, to some extent, with these remarks - I think his Paris release should be what Reykjavik was supposed to be; his last, as far as GU is concerned. GU seems to fall back on his brilliance and stability too often in order to promote their series. I would like to see Warren expand and do some other projects outside of W.O.W. and Back to Mine. Anyway, on to Shanghai.

This is a mix that I am especially grateful to own. From the start, Warren establishes a superbly atmospheric consistency; on Reykjavik, for example, this atmosphere was "bubbly chilled out dub, but tranced over". On this release, there seems to be a "polished, glistening and magical touch" to the songs as they cycle through. The only track I will bother to mention specifically (because they are all great selections, and naming every high point of this mix would be arduous indeed) is the very first track on the first CD, SJ Esau's "Fat Cat". Hands down, the best opening track of any GU I've ever heard. Listen to it. It sets the tone for the following twenty-two tracks.

Not surprisingly, the subtlety with which Warren makes his transitions is almost astonishing from hypnotic valley to pulsating peak and back again. One minute, you'll find yourself gazing complacently, completely caught up in some devious backdrop harmonic line. The next minute, you'll find your leg involuntarily bounching up and down as you've hit a musical crest without even realizing it. Truly amazing.

I think with each Global Underground release, Nick Warren has become more and more polished. Prague and Budapest seem rudimentary when compared to Reykjavik and Shanghai in terms of production and track selection - and that's saying a lot. Shanghai is a very logical (if completely different, atmospherically) progression from the ethereal smoothness of Reykjavik; it sort of reminds me of Digweed's Hong Kong in this regard: Both albums can be considered both relatively chilled out and at once hard-hitting without running into a rut along the way. Both are just *polished* pieces of art. For the avid progressive trance fanatic, dismayed with recent releases or not, Shanghai is your breath of fresh air. Enjoy it, in all its magical sweetness.

This is, in my mind, one of the few essential Global Underground Series releases to date.

~Lex

Not Shanghaied.......2006-11-24

Nick Warren is a fisherman...can you tell ? This record shows you the beauty of a well balanced act.

For the NW fans, the sell is easy. If you've always enjoyed the fine line where his previous works have navigated you through (not easy to define one NW record in a single style), then this piece here is that, to a more defined level, more thorough and focused.

For those of you not knowing what Warren is about, one could say he is the gentleman DJ of all these superstars: he always manages to reel you in without forcing anything upon you. It seems there is no ego here, which I believe is a sign of intelligence and talent. It's really all about the textures and the steadiness of the beats with an accessible range which allows you to delve easily into electronicness.
Disc one is a slower than usual paced intro and the kick off with "Once" is just delight. Steady bass. Glowing spatial tunes. From there the beat gets heavier but it's all manageable (Over all it has a great shakeable groove with almost tribal feel which increases). Tunes like "Vapour trails", "The Drake equation", "Pillow". This side ends on a rougher edge, definitely techno.
Disc two starts with that same NW feel: delicat and spatial with a D&B touch. "Fly guitar" takes out there yet again, with repeating keyboards and a two step in the back, "Conversations" has soft female vocals but intertwined with a metallic grind and sturdy bass while guitar riffs keep you up there, "Come to me" is a dreamlike moment, when "synthetic symphony" is all of a sudden wake up in technoland again. Following is a typical well tuned in series of technoish wonders. "Flame" has again that wandering touch with delicate waves underscored by the soft pulse the record never looses. From "Changing..grace" to the end, you are lifted with powerful trance and Warren unwinds that last surge of beats with another spatial like piece not remote from earlier Jean Michel Jarre's "Oxygene".

By now, you've been kindly engaged, gently lifted into nowhere-land, faced with thumping reminders and let to escape in dreamy like rests, pulled back in and softly let go...all with subtle fury.

A handful of good tracks with mediocre mixing........2006-06-17

I don't know why this gets rave reviews - yes there are a few strong songs, but the rest are lacking and the whole mix is not very adventurous. Danny Howells' GU set is far better.

The good tracks on disc 1: Don't forget me (Way Out West always rocks), Vapour Trails (Quite a good track, possibly one ofthe best in the past year). That's it! Just 2.

The good tracks on disc 2: Come to Me, Synthetic Symphony, Acperience1, Maleta, Flame. Only 5 good tracks.

The general problem w/this set is that it doesn't move you much aside from the above 7 tracks. And those 7 tracks, which are quite melancholy will not stay in your head long like a good set does. Indeed, almost all of the other tracks are dreary and depressing too. Not too mention that the mixing is about as exotic as the iTunes crossfade playback. Sorry I just cannot get excited over this set. Compare it to Danny Howells' first set, Miami, and you'll feel even more Shanghaied by Nick Warren.

Average customer rating:

Trance that's easy to listen to.
Nick saves his best GU for last!

Global Underground: Shanghai
Nick Warren
Manufacturer: Global Underground
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Fundacion NYC
Fabric 20
Global Underground 030: Paris
Dubai
Global Underground: Miami

ASIN: B0009F2CAC
Release Date: 2005-07-25

Tracks:

Fat Cat
Somehow [Aural Imbalance Remix]
Once [Sunseeker Remix] - Alex Stealthy
Don't Forget Me [Way Out West's Clifton High Instrumental Mix] - Way Out West
Over It
Vapour Trails - Starecase
Drake Equation - Denny Seyton & the Sabres
Horowitz
Sunshine - Starecase
Pillow [Quasar Remix] - Tristan,
Solace [Gardner & Star Mix] - Lustral

Tracks:

Natural High
Fly Guitar [Astero Breaks Mix]
Conversations [Shiloh Remix]
Come to Me [Amateur Guitar Mix] - Holden & Thompson,
Synthetic Symphony
Acperience 1 - Hardfloor
Sorry for Being Rude - Kosmas Epsilon
Maleta
Flame - Murat Uncuoglu
Changing in the Face of Grace
Simple Things
Your Touch - Derek Howell

Customer Reviews:

Trance that's easy to listen to........2005-09-08

I have to admit that when I bought this album I was unfamiliar with Nick Warren's previous works. But when I heard the new track from Way Out West I ordered it right away. This album is everything that got me into electronic music to begin with: extremely melodic trance sounds that make you feel great, and some experimental sounding house beats that really get you going. I really like listening to this album on my PC when I'm working because its just so energizing and yet relaxing. The best part was when I brought it into work on a slow Saturday morning and me and the other employee got to listen to the whole album, we both really enjoyed it.
The whole album is very well composed, no tracks here that don't meet my quality standards. It's too bad Nick Warren is saying he wants this to be his last album mix.

Nick saves his best GU for last!.......2005-07-13

Nick Warren's 6th Global Underground release is the best one yet, and should go down as one of the best of all the GU series. He started with some funky trance (Prague), moved into some harder, progressive trance (Budapest, Amsterdam, Brazil), then most recently into some quirky progressive house (Reykjavik). Reykjavik was not my style at all, but the superb Way Out West artist album released last year brought Nick back to my attention very quickly, and the bonus mix CD from Don't Look Now was just the tip of the iceberg of what is to come with GU#28, Shanghai.

It starts off slow, just like that last mix, and slowly brings you uptempo until the beats begin to tear as we get into one of the best tracks on CD1-Over It by Tini Tun. Nick has assembled tracks from artists all over the world for this mix, but you wouldn't know it as the steady beats, and generous melodies all seem to come together perfectly on the 2 discs. Attention to theme definitely played a big part here, as the entire CD 1 is an incredible journey from start to finish, and it's STILL only a taste of what is to come with the even better CD2.

CD2 wastes no time pumping the BPM's and we get some nice vocal tracks early on, then a steady mix of dance floor stomping progressive house tracks and some breakbeat follow. The pace never lets up until the last track, where you finally get a breather.

Much more danceable and consistently faster than either Reykjavik or the Don't Look Now mix CD, this one get Nick back to true form, a dance floor filling madman on the decks!

Nick Warren's best in the series and one of the best GU's you will find. I got the limited long box, which has a very nice, and very big book inside. It's worth the extra few bucks, as this one is something special.

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