- When it comes to label showcase albums, things don’t get much more interesting then Bedrock’s Layered Sounds. The 2nd installment of the series arrives at a time when Bedrock the label is at perhaps its most exciting time, with artists such as Terry Grant, Weird Continental Types, Pole Folder, Luke Fair and many others all delivering must buy releases. What Bedrock also does well here is deliver a double album that features many unreleased mixes of back catalogue gems, a point well made on the more downtempo first disc.
Terry Grant’s ‘I’ll Kill You Softly’ is an early highlight on Layer 1, unleashing the smooth and seductive vocals of Jennifer Horne. There are some delightful smooth productions here, such as the hypnotic mellow sounds of Yunus Guvenen’s ‘Open Arms’ as well as Astrid’s delicious vocal remix of ‘All I Know’. Luke Chable delivers a real tasty treat in the Am Bee En Tea Remix of ‘Melburn’ while Voyager and Kris Avedon deliver their 2nd track in the disc with the melodic and spaced out sounds of ‘Downtown Bubble’. Nick Muir & John Digweed team to deliver a smooth and groovy remix of ‘Glimmer’ by Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby. The hallmark vocal effects of Steiger’s ‘Postcards from the Edge’ feature as does the stunning Downey Remix of Jiva’s ‘Strange Dimensions’, a real delight thanks to its vocal wails and smooth melodic touches. Terry Grant finishes that album as he started it, this time with John Debo delivering a very smooth conclusion with his remix of ‘I’ll Kill You’. It concludes what is quite simply a very tasty and smooth first disc that showcases some very high quality remixes of Bedrocks biggest anthems.
It doesn’t take long for Layer 2 to lift the pace with the chunky broken beat sounds of Fretwell’s gritty remix of Bedrock’s ‘Forge’ and then the smooth baselines of ‘Reality Theory’ opening this disc superbly. Many of you should know how brilliant the Grayarea remix of Bedrock’s ‘Emerald’ is, but if not then you will discover its brilliance early on in this mix. The mix moves into 4/4 territory and unleashes some smooth and chunky baselines with the help of ‘Aimless Dame’ and then Dousk’s very solid ‘Pa Dida’. There are some smooth melodies as well from the likes of Derek Howell and POB & Taylor while Tim Skinner & Martin Accorsi add some twisted techy edges midway in. There’s some good funk thrown in for good measure by Luke Fair with ‘Lokitas’ which then moves into some more twisted breakbeat sounds brought to you by Weird Continental Types and then Elite Force. The tough gritty baselines of Nick Muir’s remix of Pole Folder’s ‘Salvation on Slavery Sins’ drives the album home nicely in the penultimate track, a track that merges smoothly into the driving sounds and epic moments of Max Graham’s ‘Stoppage Time’ remix by Guy Gerber. It concludes quite an interesting disc that moves from an array of different sounds quite smoothly, and somehow all gems together like a John Digweed mix.
Well if you are a Bedrock Records fan as I am then you will definitely be impressed with this mix. Layer 1 is worth the CD price alone, with a mix of some real stunning downtempo versions all compiled together superbly and with though, unlike the multitude of label albums you often find on the record store shelves. Later 2 you most likely have heard before, but its again compiled in a very artistic way, adding to the strength of this very solid release.
Layer 1
1. Terry Grant - I'll Kill You (Softly)
2. Voyager & Kris Avedon - The March (Original)
3. Yunus Guvenen - Open Arms (Original)
4. Morgan - All I Know (Astrid's Downtempo Version)
5. Luke Chable - Melburn (Am Bee En Tea Mix)
6. Yunus Guvenen - Indigo (Original)
7. Voyager & Kris Avedon - Downtown Bubble (Original)
8. Steiger - Postcard From The Edge (Ambient Mix 2)
9. Jiva - Strange Dimensions (Downey Mix)
10. Terry Grant - I'll Kill You (John Debo Ambient Mix)
Layer 2
1. Bedrock - Forge (Fretwell Remix)
2. KVK - Reality Theory'
3. Bedrock - Emerald (Grayarea's Speakeasy Mix)
4. Astro & Glyde - Aimless Dame (Rjones Delayed Dub)
5. Dousk - Pa Dida (Original)
6. Derek Howell - Happy To Be Sad (Original)
7. POB & Taylor - Aura (Northern Lights Mix)
8. Skinner & Accorsi - Playing for Digweed
9. Luke Fair - Lokitas (Original Mix)
10. Steiger - Postcard From The Edge (Breaks Mix
11. Weird Continental Types - Phat As (Original)
12. Elite Force - Sk8r (Original)
13. Pole Folder - Salvation on Slavery Sins (Nick Muir Remix)
14. Guy Gerber - Stoppage Time (Max Graham Sidechain Remix)