Paul Van Dyk Hands On In Between CD

Eminent German house and trance DJ Paul Van Dyk is no stranger to remixes, no matter whether he's behind the boards himself, or if it's his tracks providing fodder for other producers. HANDS ON IN BETWEEN is an example of the latter, with Van Dyk originals from 2007's IN BETWEEN receiving treatments from the likes of M.O.R.P.H., Jon Rundell, Tyler Michaud, and others. While the remixes provide a range of creative sonic textures, they stay true to Van Dyk's signature progressive house and trace aesthetics, making the album equally suited to headphones or the dancefloor.

Paul van Dyk's celebrated artist album In Between was followed by lots of touring, a situation that lends itself naturally to a follow-up placeholder release built purely out of remixes. A project like this can be either a cynical money move or a genuine artistic exploration that sheds new light on the original versions. In this case, it's mostly the latter -- and the budget-line pricing helps dispel the cynical view as well. The album opens powerfully with van Dyk's own remix of "Talk in Grey," a brilliant version on which Ryan Merchant's lush and laid-back vocal is counterposed with an urgent house beat. A Kyau & Albert remix of "Complicated" mines similar territory, though the beat is more complex and Ashley Tomberlin's vocals are even prettier. On the second disc, Tomberlin is back for the Giuseppe Ottaviani remix of "Get Back," on which a nervous and jumpy beat suddenly gives way to a straightforwardly gorgeous song. The Tyler Michaud remix of "Haunted" and Tom Colontonio's take on "Complicated" are equally lovely, and if the Reaves & Ahorn remix of "Détournement" is a bit headache-inducing, well, it's a rare house or trance compilation that can go that long without inducing a headache. [This edition includes a bonus disc featuring seven additional remixes.] ~ Rick Anderson

Lyricist: Alexander Rousmaniere.

Personnel: Lo-Fi Sugar, Ryan Merchant, Willem Faber, Ashley Tomberlin, Nick Terranova , Austin Leeds, Jessica Sutta (vocals).

Audio Mixers: Dirk Ever; Marco Green; Alexander Mieling; Rob "Just Fine" Stevenson; Paul van Dyk; Jon O'Bir.

Audio Remixers: Jon Rundell; Miika Eloranta; Dan Reaves; Greg Downey; Martin Accorsi; Janne Mansnerus; Rob "Just Fine" Stevenson; Tom Colontonio; Alex M.O.R.P.H.; Michael Luechinger; Slavko Gregoric; Paul Moelands; Niels Van Ahorn; Steven Moebius; D. Schimonik; Danny Reaves; Mateo Murphy; Paul van Dyk; Jon O'Bir; Ralph Kyau; Tyler Michaud; Giuseppe Ottaviani.

Recording information: Nucleus Tonstudio, Berlin, Germany.

Photographer: Olaf Heine.

Arrangers: Alex M.O.R.P.H.; D. Schimonik.Billboard (p.42) - "Everything here is lush, throbbing and epic -- just like van Dyk's originals."