Trilogy, Part One: Empire

Amazon.com
Another excursion into the pacier side of trance compilations, Christopher Lawrence's collection of mixed cuts carry the atmosphere of mainstream Saturday night contemporary discoland, as well as the fluidity you'd expect of trance masters such as Van Dyk and Digweed. In other words, the cheese flows but it tastes really good, electro-Velveeta style. Old-school club-floor "builders" such as Cassidy's "Implode" find synergy with sex-stuffed grinders such as Icon's "Slowburn" and the wonderfully Adamski-esque "Sound System" by Colossus. But it never gets better than when Lawrence sneaks himself into the proceedings. Coming off the back of Baby Doc's thumping, hedonistic 2 a.m. "Hard Work," "Renegade" sees Lawrence working his way between the sea of dance floor hands and Goa-spiced progressions. And as for "Rush Hour," it might well be that Danny Purists and trainspotting types find Lawrence's mix a little too easy, but for the average electronic ear, it's a pleasant, digestible mix that will happily entertain without requiring too much effort. --Steffan Chirazi

Tracks:

Persuasion (Animated Mix) - Animated Rhythm
Eterna - Christian West
Implode - Cassidy
Slowburn - Icon
Colossus - The Sound System
Rhythm Of Life (Trance Mix) - The Secret
Hard Work - Baby Doc
Renegade - Christopher Lawrence
Twin Town - Ian Wilkie Vs. Timo Maas
Bubble & Squeak - Baby Doc
Rush Hour - Christopher Lawrence

Amazon.com

Another excursion into the pacier side of trance compilations, Christopher Lawrence's collection of mixed cuts carry the atmosphere of mainstream Saturday night contemporary discoland, as well as the fluidity you'd expect of trance masters such as Van Dyk and Digweed. In other words, the cheese flows but it tastes really good, electro-Velveeta style. Old-school club-floor "builders" such as Cassidy's "Implode" find synergy with sex-stuffed grinders such as Icon's "Slowburn" and the wonderfully Adamski-esque "Sound System" by Colossus. But it never gets better than when Lawrence sneaks himself into the proceedings. Coming off the back of Baby Doc's thumping, hedonistic 2 a.m. "Hard Work," "Renegade" sees Lawrence working his way between the sea of dance floor hands and Goa-spiced progressions. And as for "Rush Hour," it might well be that Danny Purists and trainspotting types find Lawrence's mix a little too easy, but for the average electronic ear, it's a pleasant, digestible mix that will happily entertain without requiring too much effort. --Steffan Chirazi

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite!!!!.......2006-10-08

This was the first Christopher Lawrence album I bought and I love it!!! By the first 3 tracks, I was hooked. A few of them when I heard them for the first time I wouldn't have liked, but after listening through the whole album, they kinda grew on me. This album has prompted me to buy further albums of his. This is a great album to get you pumped up when on your way to work.

back to empire.......2006-07-19

i love djcl's music, but i always say about his best mixes-that they are back to empire. because empire is chris lawrence's first really masterful mix.

Cristopher Lawrence.......2002-10-24

This CD is a bit harder, and "Techier" than his past releases. Christopher can't go wrong, but he could have done better in picking the records he threw down here. If you are a beginning "Electronic" listener, stay away from these beats. But otherwise, get it and dance!!!

Good, but not Temptation.......2001-01-27

Christopher Lawrence, like Thomas Micheal, BT, and Kimball Collins, show that trance is alive and kicking in the US, despite what our friends across the Atlantic may think. Lawrence's Hook Recordings and Temptation show just how good American trance can be with their rough edges and beats surrounding rhythmic,dreamy trancescapes. This is pure trance here, only building beats cascading into climaxes that make the breakdowns give you a chance to catch your breath. Temptation and Rise impressed me by the way they kept me interested despite the lack of Sasha-esque breakdown.

But Trilogy does not keep the same energy-level of Lawrence's previous work. Seaman and Lawrence are not peanut butter and jelly in terms of trance, but Lawrence uses two tracks from GU:Buenos Aires, which I found to be the farthest thing from his previous sets. Moreover, I had already heard many of the other tracks on other compilations. Perhaps I would have enjoyed Trilogy more had I heard it before I heard those compilations, but hearing them in a different context diminishes the appeal of both the individual tracks and the mix itself.

Nevertheless, Trilogy is a good example of how good Lawrence's mixing is and how American trance contrasts from Eurotrance. If you are familiar with CL's sound, be prepared for a lower energy set than what Rise, Hook Recordings, and Temptation had. But Christopher Lawrence is still my favorite American DJ and deserves a shot at a GU Nu Breed release.

Wow.......2000-11-16

This cd is good for chilling out. This cd is awesome for dancing. This cd is amazing in the right mood!! At the right mood and at the right time it is hypnotic and powerful. Check it out for yourself. Peace.

Album Review:

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Twice As Nice Sexy & Stylish [Import]

Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine

Birtwistle: Secret Theatre; Silbury Air

Music: Calling [Import]

Buckcherry [Clean]

Blacken the Angel

Black Gospel Explosion, Vol. 2

Californication Pt.2 [CD-single]

Bridges Over Heaven [Import]

Brahms: The Four Symphonies / Toscanini, Philharmonia Orchestra

Bird's Eyes, Vol. 25: Open Door '52 2nd Part

Ancient City Piano Collection [Import]

Braindead V.6 [Import]

You're Welcome to Ride

Avant Garde (Mlps)