Max Graham - Cycles 7
Featuring a flawlessly selected & mixed tracklist, ‘Cycles 7’ sports the work of seasoned operators, evermore-familiar artists and ascendant stars-of-tomorrow.
The neo-trance rhythms & moving melodies of ‘Equinox’ from Guy J haunt the opening minutes of the mix, which dovetail into Brian Cid’s elegiac ‘Errors’. Graham’s favourite producer of last year, Rick Pier O’Neil, contributes no less than three new originals to ‘Cycles 7’. The bassline domination of ‘To Declare’ strikes early, while back-to-back in its midsection comes ‘Up To The Groove’ and ‘Chaotically’ – both dealing comparable levels of sonic damage.
Avenax’s softly sung tones on Ewan Rill’s ‘Lotos’ and THNK’s more housily voxed ‘Into You’ gives a voice to Max’s latest ‘Cycles’. Also making notable appearances are John O’Callaghan (under his Henrik Zuberstein alias) with the Pavlovian brilliance of ‘Elicit Response’ and Trent Cantrelle’s ‘Im Nin Alu’ spin, ‘Out Of Line’; both mainstays of Graham’s latter sets.
His attuned ear for up-and-coming talent has also seen places secured in the mix for Dimi Mechero, Apsara, Matt Fax and others. Marking the 15-year anniversary of Graham’s classic ‘Airtight’ comes a next-level rendering from Tim Penner… Per DJ Mag “Splicing” an 8/10 scoring “tough, techno-like gene into proceedings”, it’s one that Graham hailed as his ‘Remix Of The Year’ in 2015.
Building the pressure evermore is the Raw version of Max’s latest, ‘One Hundred’, with its rotund bass and highly sculpted builds, which perfect the mix’s cresting minutes. Tim Penner’s ‘Shadow Light’ meanwhile delivers it its final breath-stealing coup de grace outro.
Max Graham presents Cycles 7
01. Guy J – Equinox
02. Brian Cid – Errors
03. Rick Pier O'Neil – To Declare
04. Ewan Rill featuring Avenax – Lotos (Vocal Mix)
05. Dimi Mechero – Out Of Staight
06. THNK – Into You
07. Apsara – Terminal
08. Rick Pier O'Neil – Chaotically
09. Rick Pier O’Neil – Up To The Groove (Dub Mix)
10. THNK & Pim Kos – Wall
11. Max Graham – One Hundred (Raw Mix)
12. Trent Cantrelle – Out Of Line
13. Max Graham – Airtight (Tim Penner Remix)
14. Henrik Zuberstein – Elicit Response
15. Matt Fax – Stuck
16. Tim Penner – Shadow Light (Cycles 7 Outro Mix)