DEEP DISH TORONTO #025

AT LAST!!! Grammy award winning remix/production duo Deep Dish step to the plate again with their second installment in the esteemed Global Underground series, GU#025 Toronto. Not only is this 2xCD mix the logical progression from their 2001 Global Underground debut, GU#021 Moscow, it is the silver anniversary edition for the series that has introduced dance music’s international elite (Oakenfold, Sasha, Digweed, etc.) to the world. This duo, currently enjoying the success of their Billboard chart-topping remix of Justin Timberlake, has worked with everyone, from Janet Jackson to The Rolling Stones and are recognized globally for their signature DJ mixes and remix credits. On Toronto, Ali and Sharam subtly fuse together Deep House, Garage, Tech-House and Techno in the typically eclectic style that has become the trademark of their DJ sets the world over. Their deep and soulful eight-hour set (playing to over 3,000 attendees) at Canada’s largest nightclub, Toronto’s The Guvernment, in December 2002 inspired the double disc set which includes an abundant amount of exclusive tracks and outstanding vocal remixes, a standard of Deep Dish production. As Moscow before it, this release be the definitive dance music mixed compilation for years to come. Album Description

Deep Dish At Their Best...As Deep Dish

I was lucky with my acquisition of this album. Mine was the four disc box set that included Dubfire and Sharam's own Afterclub mixes and it was the same price as the two disc set. It seems that the four disc box set is not available so I will review the Afterclub mixes separately. Ironic that the duo stamped their indivual names on the Afterclub mixes...foreshawdowing for GU029: Dubai and GU031: Taipei?

Overall Global Underground 025: Toronto demonstrates what Deep Dish are masters at. Mixing (not producing) great house and progressive house tracks. There a few tracks from other genres mixed in for good measure but this is predominantly a "house" album.

The decision to give the album a 5 star rating was due to rounding up and not down the ratings I gave each individual track for each disc and then taking in context the entire set overall.

Disc 1 is a fairly decent mix, but what a dissapointment that the last track is P. Diddy's atrocious attempt to contibute to the world of electronica, "Lets Get Ill". In case you are wondering...not even Deep Dish's phenomenal mixing skills improve on the original release. Did these guys own him a favor or something?

Disc 2 is pure and untainted by any dud tracks. "Breezer" by Junkie XL and Sasha is a gem of a track.

Disc 1 gets 4/5 stars (mostly because of the last track dragging down the overall average) and disc 2 5/5 stars.
April 1, 2007

-----------------UNCHARTED DEPTHS---------------------------

DEEP DISH are the best globe-trotting jocks on the planet. Global Underground 025 solidifies that. Even amongst the progressive UK heavy-hitters, DEEP DISH is in a class of their own. Finally, DEEP DISH and the U.S. rise to the top. Don't waste your time with the Yoshi CDs, Global is the sound of DEEP DISH today; Dark, sexy, under-the-influence and relentless. TORONTO takes twists and turns but never loses it's direction. The sound is moody, at times its drowning in the DUB, other times its in the clouds. The track selection is impecable. The sexiest vocals, coupled with bass lines of depths not yet charted by anyone, anywhere. This is House! DEEP DISH is the future. you can quote me on that. November 22, 2003

They're STARS not SARS

Well, our poor neighbors to the north needed a little lift and a HEAVY dosage of Deep Dish was the answer. I keep asking myself why are these guys so cool. Dubfire and Sharam, that is. This, the 25th and Golden, release from global underground really kicks. The first track Diamond Life is minimalist at heart but the melody from the diva vocals are really, really cool. Deep Dish is all about the groove and they are the soul brothers of the progressive house movement. Their track selection is superior on this outing and I feel overall pretty uplifting. I enjoy their music a lot. It is fresh but at the same time gives me a sense of flashing back to the heady days of old school disco in the late '70s and early '80s. The mixing by these guys is also really good. No 3 minute minimalistic fills that drone on and on which lately has been touted as "real" mixing but rather deftly added changes in direction done at the right time. Deep Dish keep the listener engaged throughout the double disc set. Funky, groovy and still cool. These guys are smooth. November 20, 2003

Setting the record straight

I sick of reading Global Underground reviews exclaiming how "flawless" the mixes are. Of course they are. I hate to burst your bubble, but all of the global underground CD's are mixed by the same guy, in a studio, on a computer. The artist picks the tracklisting, and is the face on the cover of the cd...Thats it. These albums are NOT mixed live, and G.U. has never claimed them to be. But, besides that fact, they are great albums. November 19, 2003

Took a bit of time to grow on me

I really enjoyed GU Moscow and expected something very similar here. I wasn't disappointed but needed a couple of spins to actually appreciate and enjoy this release. It has definitley more vocals (which didn't go down too well) as apposed to Moscow. I found the latter half of cd1 good and cd2 great. I probably would have rated this at least a 4 if it wasn't for the first half of cd1. But overall a good offering from DD. November 13, 2003

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