Mongoland Podcast

December's Tracks Part 1: Progressive House, Deep House, D&B and more!

This week it's another episode where I drop the split-show format in order to deliver the necessary wealth of music and get through December's tracks in a scant two weeks.  So it's two full hours of Mongo Mixes as I probe deeply into some Progressive House and Deep House tracks, as well as a good amount of Drum & Bass.  Pay particular attention to the Open System remixes from Rise and Fall out on Bonzai Progressive.  Progressive House, Deep House, D&B

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December's Tracks: Progressive House, Deep House, D&B
Set 1: Drum & Bass, Electronica, Techno & Chill Out Progressive House, Deep House, D&B

Sealed (Intro) is a swelling drone that lasts only as long as my opening remarks.  It transitions nicely into Fractal by Dub Head, a powerful Drum & Bass track with a slightly awkward rhythm.  We get a bit of a break with Stewart Road's gentle Techno beat that lets your mind expand nicely as the set begins to stretch out.  Then we plunge into a trilogy, actually, comprised of three tracks from Urbandawn's Cloudless EP.  Pay close attention to the second of these, Vona, as it draws in the open space and provides a beautiful focus in the central piano melody which weaves around through the frenetic drum line.  Then, before the third of these tracks, we take a brief frolic and detour into some tasty, and tasteful, Chill Out from Shakes & Seven.  This is the first of two vocal tracks in the set, with a sexy, bouncy feel that quickly dissipates and regroups amidst some bluesy guitar which, though light, shows a strong influence from David Gilmour.  The female vocals from this track flow smoothly into those of the final Urbandawn track, which delivers a gentle, yet pronounced spiritual D&B uplift as the set concludes.

Set 2: Deep House & Progressive House Progressive House, Deep House, D&B

The set opens with the original mix of Open System by Rise and Fall.  This is the first track of another Trilogy, actually.  The Open System release is essentially an EP which includes both this original mix and a few remixes thereof.  Watch sets 3 and 4 for the remixes.  The original mix is a driving, spacey Progressive House jaunt with a catchy, slightly complex rhythm that strides atop a monstrous yawning chasmic space.  Epica kicks in at 8:17, with a strong synth melody soaking up the focus, which dissolves into space, only to re-emerge as the driving bass line.  A transition, then, into Devil Face, an Electronica track which serves to bridge the flow from Progressive House into Deep House.

The trio, but not a Trilogy, of Deep House tracks is dominated by the A and B sides of the latest single from Yotto:  Mulholland 99 and Personal Space.  Mulholland 99 provides a moment of resolution in the set in a triumphant strut lead by deep and fat synths .  Personal Space finishes the set with a sense of intrigue brewing beneath the Mongolian voiceover of yours truly.

Set 3: Progressive House Progressive House, Deep House, D&B

We open the 3rd set with the Rick Pier O/Neil Remix of the Open System track which opened the second set.  Get it?  Still yawning, still driving, still spacey, just different, and faster.  Sort of.  Youngen's The Long Way Home summons imagery of spaced out buses and trains dancing in some aeronautic realm.  The Mauritian Experience proves that yes, computers can snap their fingers too.  And better than you can. Colorblind is what happens when droids sing slave songs. Finally, we close the set with Magnet, which is a minimalist Techno progression.  Just relax and let it happen to you.

Set 4: Deep House & a Mishmash Progressive House, Deep House, D&B

Imagine Kraftwerk's classic Autobahn set in a tiny prison cell and you've got Eli & Fur's I Stole A Car, which opens the fourth set.  When the musical incantation of "Love me" kicks in,