Paul van Dyk brings us the long awaited follow up to the first edition of The Politics of Dancing, which some would call one of the most highly acclaimed mix CD's of all time. Right off the bat it's obvious that the man has done it again. Paul van Dyk has come a long way since first reaching the surface of dance music. For years he has used the turntables to bring endless trance gems to light, and this double disc is no exception.

The Vitals

Label: Mute
Genre: Trance, Progressive Trance
Number of Tracks: 17, 15 (2 Discs)
How you can obtain a copy: http://www.paulvandyk.de/, www.amazon.com

Factor Scores:

• Production Quality: 9.0
• Programming and Arrangement: 9.2
• Entertainment Quality: 8.9
• Total: 9.0 – Tasty & Fresh

 Summary:

Paul van Dyk brings us the long awaited follow up to the first edition of The Politics of Dancing, which some would call one of the most highly acclaimed mix CD's of all time. Right off the bat it's obvious that the man has done it again. Paul van Dyk has come a long way since first reaching the surface of dance music. For years he has used the turntables to bring endless trance gems to light, and this double disc is no exception. The glorious ambient opening is provided by Alex Gold's String Theory, which makes way for the long, but never dull progression of the mix. Before one knows it one is swept away by the flawless key matched mixes, making each song one with another in a way no other DJ can. Also notable is the appearance of our very own friends Shiloh, with Luke Chable's intricate, yet bangin' remix of Dream On. Spinning trance is a dangerous thing these days. One of the easiest traps to fall into is in focusing on generic, uninspired trance, of which there is an over abundance. A couple low points in energy include Alone by Thomas Datt, and Why from Lolo, tracks seven and eight. However with this mix Paul van Dyk mostly stays clear of this hole, introducing brave and innovative tracks such as the cryptically malicious Adrenalin by Purple Haze, and the hard tech trance vocal anthem from Filo & Peri featuring Fisher, Closer Now. Through the end of Disc One PvD relentlessly throws down this year's up and coming melodic trance hits, such as Marc Van Linden's Forbidden Love, and Mr. Sam's Lyteo.

Disc Two opens with Paul van Dyk's own track featuring Wayne Jackson, The Other Side. The disc overall shows the harder side of PvD, exemplifying several of what I call industrial trance tunes, like Mark Norman's T34. Many of the songs intertwined progressive with hard trance, and created the perfect harmony between two opposing moods. Several points in the set left me without speech, including CJ Stone's Shin" (most importantly its breakdown featuring the 808 drum samples, seldom heard in trance). Slowly the mix builds and builds to its end, Nothing by Holden & Thompson. This ending seemed weak (in comparison with the dynamic of the rest of the mix) and even more so out of place. Such a strange ending definitely left more to be desired after all the expert progression throughout the rest of the mix. Overall this is a solid new mix from PvD, good enough to be on the same scale as the first edition of TPOD. It’s a great addition to any collection of trance or progressive mix CD's.

Factor Scores:

Production Quality: 9.0

This is one of the greatest and most well crafted areas of the mix. From key matched mixes, to seamless transitioning one of the best-produced mixes I've heard in quite some time. Paul van Dyk has once again graced us with a near perfectly structured double disc mix CD.

Programming & Arrangement: 9.2

The programming and arrangement is top drawer on this CD. Just as he is known for, Paul van Dyk delivers golden tune after golden tune. While many DJ's fail to properly and seamlessly progress a mix, PvD flies past them with his impeccable building techniques, combining the best of progressive and hard melodic trance.

Entertainment Quality: 8.9

Entertainment quality on the mix wasn't quite a nine, because I think PvD could have pushed the midpoints of each mix a little further (creativity wise). Other than those parts, the mix is rockin'! Like I mentioned before, he brings a lot of great new tunes to light, bringing the whole experience to another level.

Total: 9.0 – Tasty & Fresh

Don't be the only one on your block to miss out on Paul van Dyk's The Politics Of Dancing 2. For fans of trance and other various styles of dance music alike, this CD is a must have. It’s a bombshell of a mix, featuring incredibly driving transitions, imaginative track selection, and an overall fun ride.

Brian's Take:

Though I've slowly grown away from my trance roots, I'm happy to let Paul van Dyk take me back with this excellent mix. Personally several of the tracks bored me, however I don't want that to stop any other trance fan from listening. I was thoroughly impressed by almost all of it.