- When thinking of Global Underground it's almost impossible not to think of Nick Warren. He's delivered seven mixes for the label over the past decade and has become synonymous with not only the GU brand, but progressive house in general. But after the landmark Reykjavik mix and the excellent follow-up, Shanghai, the last installment, Paris, sounded like a step backwards. With an unprecedented eighth mix, Lima, hitting the shelves, Warren has a chance to prove there's still life in prog yet.
This time around Warren abandons the usual formula of starting with ambient grooves in favour of keeping it dance floor-centric from the off. In this respect Lima flows like one long set. The first disc quickly sets the deeply progressive tone with "Seduction" and "An Why E," both from young producer Nils Nurnberg. It soon becomes clear that the usual spaced out melodies are present, but there's a new emphasis on subtlety and percussion. Quality tracks such as "Cassini" by Glide and "Kurs Zjazdowy" by Petersky provide the warmth that Warren fans are familiar with as well as bringing a slight tech influence to the proceedings.
The first disc is an enjoyable standalone mix, and a definite leap forward from Paris, but the second starts well only to disappointingly slip into a more predictable sound. Tracks such as "I Am Trying" by Nicolo Vivarelli and "Siberian Transit" by Martin Brodin make you feel like you could be listening to any one of Warren's last four GU mixes. There's still enough quality here to make it a decent listen, though—of note are the trippy chimes of "Revelation" by Etiket and Robert Babicz's remix of "Spaceman" by Way Out West.
Warren could be accused of not delving into more contemporary styles like his peers John Digweed and Danny Howells. But with every DJ and their dog turning to minimal and tech-house, it's reassuring to see a stalwart still seeking the best progressive records around—all tracks on the album are exclusive—rather than jumping on the bandwagon. While we may never see another mix like Reykjavik, progressive is far from dead. Lima is proof.
TracklistCD1
01. Paul Rogers - Intro
02. Nils Nuerenberg - Seduction
03. Kruse and Nuernberg - An Why E
04. Jarius Miller - Botnet
05. Babak Shayan - O in a Million (remix)
06. Twisted Turns - Ormatie
07. Glide - Cassini
08. Victoria R - Beauty Goes Blind
09. Petersky - Kurs Zjazdowy
10. Michael Burns - Panoptic Surface
11. Yura - Popov
12. Stan Kolev - Soma Funk (Yvel & Tristan Mix)
13. Astrid Suryanto - Distant Bar (16 Bit Lolita's Mix)
CD2
01. Alex Dolby - Long Beach
02. Etiket - Revelation
03. Chris Croat Yvel & Tristan - Panama
04. Nicolo Vivarelli - I am Trying
05. Richard Gale - Moloko Plus
06. Somnus Corps - Expo86
07. Thomas Sagstad - Castillian
08. Martin Brodin - Siberian Transit
09. The Steals vs. Graffiti - Sinner (Leama and James Davis 'Graffiti' Mix)
10. Way Out West - Spaceman (Robert Babicz Mix)
11. Analogue People in a Digital World - Before the Wind
12. Perc – Bosworth