Danny Howells "Choice: A Collection Of Classics"

Danny Howells is without a doubt one of the greatest DJs in the industry. His sound and style is ever evolving, and it was only a matter of time before he was asked to join the list of legends to put together a compilation for Azuli´s prestigious ´Choice´ series. The series has gained international acclaim from being able to boast names such as John Digweed, Danny Tenaglia, Jeff Mills, and Louie Vega. However, the past ´Choice´ CDs I have listened to I haven´t found myself able to fully enjoy. They certainly provided the listener with a window into the early influences of the DJ, which is of course interesting, but from a listener´s point of view, they were perhaps not CDs you would play out loud in your car. Therefore upon receiving their latest in the series, I was apprehensive and really went in with no specific expectations. After giving each CD a quick once over, I must say I was truly intrigued. Much unlike the others in the series, I could really get into the groove on this one!

The first disc takes us on a journey through Howells´ funkier and more house-influenced sound. Kicking off with the soulful vocal on Urban Soul´s ´Alright´, the listener immediately gets a feel for the direction the disc is going to take. If that old school vibe isn´t yet flowing in your blood, he drops a couple of ´Fire Island´ tracks to take care of that, even one featuring rap from N-Trance´s Ricardo Da Force! The sly and sexy groove of ´8 Minutes of Techfunk´ is sure to be received well by even the most upfront of house fans. An interesting selection is Howells´ own edit of the Todd Terry Remix of PM Dawn´s ´A Watchers Point Of View´. It only subtly twists things up, leaving the main vibe and overall feel of the track the same. Reworking any track here to a modern standard would simply kill it. From here the feel goes a lot deeper, into a much more underground groove. The tough acidified groove of ´Hocus Pocus´ still bangs as hard as it did the day it was released. ´Painkiller´ and ´Ready For Dead´ take us out on a very melodic and positive note. The disc succeeds on many different levels, and I found it to be much more accessible than some previous ´Choice´ outings.

However, the second disc is the real gem of this release. Here is where Howells showcase a much darker and twisted sound. The old-school synths of ´Space Face´ remind us we are listening to a selection of classics, however the sound is so unlike anything you would hear today that it is really quite refreshing! One of the best tracks showcased on the album is definitely Colcut & Hextatic´s ´Timber´. I remember picking the track up in 1998, and so hearing it again here meant I could really relate to it. The trippy vocal sample is still captivating today, and it is great to see some of these tracks being showcased all over again! From the powerful and emotive vocal on Japan´s ´Ghosts´, we move to a very interesting selection. Howells chose to include a personal favourite by ´Iron Butterfly´, which really showcases his eclectic nature as a DJ. From this strange almost interlude like breakdown, we are brought back up by the ever soulful outfit ´The Temptations´. A couple selections from Visnadi pulsate right into our heads, before reaching the amazing ´Impact´ by Orbital. As the disc reaches closure, we are treated to an emotive track by Black Science Orchestra titled ´Save Us´, which serves as an ending bridge before the Carly Simon classic "Why" which ends the journey. I really do have trouble finding fault with this disc, perhaps the only downside is that when it is over, you will find yourself drooling for more.

If you´ve had trouble getting into the earlier ´Choice´ CDs like myself, I strongly urge you to check out Danny Howells´ amazing addition to the series. With a series like ´Choice´, whether or not you enjoy a CD is likely to be proportional to whether or not you were brought up on a similar sound to the DJ. Perhaps while I couldn´t relate to the former CDs, others loved them. And perhaps while I loved this CD so much, others may not be into it at all. It really is a personal journey, and one you will have to experience for yourself to decide whether or not it is for you. We get a chance to see two very different sides to Howells here, and if you have ever enjoyed his work in the past, you pretty much can´t go wrong picking up this CD.