- Key remixes from a ambient techno act worthy of "lost classic" status.
- 2021 is likely the best era for ambient house since, well, the early '90s, when Alex Paterson was mixing Steve Hillage with beats at Land Of Oz. There are a myriad of producers and DJs dedicated to the creation of a modern chill-out sound as well as attendant gems from the past being re-contextualized on compilations like Virtual Dreams and reissues of unappreciated records from the era like Trans-4M's Sublunar Oracles.
The latter album, the work of Belgian brothers Dimitri and Stefan van Elsen, is fully worthy of its "lost classic" status, an epic journey of sweeping ambience and mellow beats on the level of various high points in the Fax +49-69/450464 catalogue. At the time of its creation, Stefan had been a working club DJ for years, which makes the 1992 Dencity 12-inch—containing dance floor-ready versions of the album's second track—a natural companion piece.
The just-reissued Safe Trip version of the Dencity 12-inch includes the two original remixes, an alternative album mix and a previously unreleased track called "Butterflies." The remixes are a tour of dominant early '90s club sounds. The "Urban Tribe" mix has a classic New York-New Jersey '90s feel down to the Korg M1 organ bassline. The "Club Mix," meanwhile, goes for an over-the-top pop-rave sound reminiscent of 2 Unlimited's epochal "Get Ready For This." Personally, I prefer the remix of "Arrival," which splits the difference between Trans-4M's floating euphoria and the dance floor. (The previously-unheard remix was released on 12-inch in 2019 and more recently on digital as part of the Sublunar Oracles Remixes package.) The unheard cut, "Butterflies," is also stellar, a pulsating ambient journey that connects the Berlin school with heady '90s chill-out zones.
Tracklist01. Butterflies
02. Dencity (Urban Tribe Mix)
03. Dencity (Club Mix)
04. Dencity (Alternative Album Mix)
05. Arrival (Remix)
06. Amma (Moon Mix)