Involver 2 is, as you might guess, a sequel to Sasha‘s mega hit Involver album.
The last Sasha album we reviewed, Airdrawndagger, was an artist album, rather than a DJ mix. It got a lukewarm reception with some, despite being an interesting artist album. Involver 2, though, is a return trip to a world of carefully blended tracks that stretch the idea of a DJ mix.
On Involver 2, Sasha thinks well beyond the idea of mixing tracks together – towards crafting a music mix with an arch. Sasha draws on the artist chops he honed with Airdrawndagger, while also skillfully blending a variety of tracks by artists ranging from Ladytron to Thom York.
Sasha kicks things off nicely, blending Badger’s environmental/ambient track Intro smoothly into Telefon Tel Aviv’s You Are The Worst Thing In The World. While You Are The Worst Thing is a vocal track, Sasha stretches out the instrumental beginning, creating an long slow build to the first peak of the mix.
Next up is a trio of trance tracks, Flesh, Eclipse and Lowlife. This section is one of the highlights of the album, combining the three tracks together in a creamy hypnotic blend. Sasha then slows things down for a breather with Charlie May’s Midnight, but cranks things right back up with Apparat’s wonderfully Arcadia. Listen to the bassline on Arcadia closely and enjoy the rhythmic weirdness.
The next section of the album focuses on vocal tracks. Sasha makes some interesting choices, throwing together the likes of M83, Ladytron and Thom Yorke. Yorke’s track is the standout of this section, with its combination of ambient vocals and driving rhythms.
Sasha’s track 3 Little Piggies takes things back to Airdrawndagger territory. It’s a trance track that recalls the 80’s synth music of groups like Tangerine Dream – just with more driving beats.
The last track on Involver 2, Engineer’s Sometimes I Realise, is solid track – but doesn’t cap off the album as well as I would have liked. As a result, the album feels like it peaks early and has an overly extended dénouement.
On Involver 2, Sasha offers up a polished mix and takes fans back to proven territory. While I would really like to hear more of Sasha’s artist tracks, Involver 2 delivers the goods for fans of the original Involver.
Note to Sasha: Global Underground sends out their review disks with the spoken phrase “Global Underground Promotional Copy” mixed randomly and loudly over your mixes. It really detracts from the blending of tracks and the shape of the release. This may be a way of fighting piracy, but it’s like protecting a painting by rubber-stamping your name all over it.
Tracks:
- Intro Badger
- You Are The Worst Thing In The World – Telefon Tel Aviv
- Flesh Rone
- Eclipse – Sasha vs Ray LaMontagne
- Lowlife – Sasha vs Adam Parker
- Midnight – Charlie May
- Arcadia Apparat
- That You Might – Home Video
- Destroy Everything You Touch Ladytron
- Couleurs – M83
- The Eraser – Thom Yorke
- 3 Little Piggys Sasha
- Sometimes I Realise – Engineers
Thanks for the review. It is nice to see one that goes into some detail with opinions (rather than just copying the press release which many tend to do).
I am looking forward to hearing this new albumn. I loved Involver so I have high expectations. Hope the more minimalist feel to some tracks does not put me off as one of the releases on Emfire (who killed Sparky) I did not like. Others such as Coma (less minimalist) were awsome though.
Does anyone know if a vinyl release is planned for Involver2?
Thanks
Ed
A pretty accurate review.
I would say it is definately a much more rounded release than Involver , simply as from the middle to end there is not too much of a pace / tempo variation, as I think from Felix Da Housecat onwards in the previous release the whole feel went for anyway, where as from apparat he is on it , and the bassline is locked in as is the perc. Also the layering of yorke and the other chaps vox edits throughout is quality !!!!
I would strongly agree with the reviewer regarding the GU promo copy robovox , it is a nightmare 1
i think the reviewer should get a closer look at what he is reviewing before doing so because this review has a couple of misleading mistakes.
first of all, what in the world makes the reviewer think these tracks are ‘trance’ ? it might be anything from tech/progressive house thru idm to techno, but it is certainly not trance. just because tiesto won the dj poll couple of times, does not make trance the only electronic genre that is followed by 99% djs.
second thing, it is Apparat’s Arcadia as the 7th tune in the mix, not the other way around. Apparat is an IDM producer and dj from germany, also known from Ellen Allien & Apparat duo.
last thing, complaining about the ‘Global Underground Promotional Copy’ voiceover in the record? oh please, why do you think it says ‘promotional copy’ ? the release date of Invol2ver was Sept 8 for Europe and Sept 9 for US. as your review is from Aug 29, i can assure you that you were not reviewing the retail version.
just my fifty cents, no offence to anyone.
You know the first time I heard it, I didn’t like it much…but it does grow you on. Involver 1 was more ‘organic’ sounding than this, this is definitely fare more electronic sounding.
Still I really enjoyed it.