John Digweed – Global Underground 019: Los Angeles

It's funny how the atmosphere of this double mix contrasts with the glamorous and sunny picture most people have from Los Angeles, especially non-Americans. It may be closer to Skid Row at night for me, given how gritty, techy, tribal and gloomy the music gets.
"Love In Trafic", "Paranoize", "Release" and "Genesis" are the ones I'm picking up and playing on repeat. Despite their darkness, they diffuse some serious sexy vibes.

I particularly like the last sentence from this Allmusic review : "Those who weaned on late-'90s Oakenfold-esque progressive trance may find this album uneventful, yet anyone looking for a mix that trims away theatrical gaudiness and focuses instead strictly on rhythm, nuance, and sublime poetics should find this Digweed's most rewarding release to date -- it's surely his most restrained and least saccharine so far".

Why do these late 90s / early 00s prog mixes sound so flat? Is it due to the mastering? I notice this a lot with GU compilations. I have to crank up the volume and it still doesn't sound right...whereas the individual tracks sound spot on.

LA is perhaps his most complete GU mix of the series. This is Hong Kong stripped back, clarified and distilled. Operating from the shadows, a gritty, quasi filmic Michael Mann quality permeates both mixes… It’s uncompromising, it rarely relents… but being honest I’m never sure if the listener is rewarded for their time, such is it’s intractable nature.

Disc 2 does open up: moody and expansive, it builds to tracks like Cass, Breeder and Aria… Big percussive ages with moments of light… I wonder if he could have explored that more? Salt Tank is anti climactic. Dave Seaman made it an art in his GU series of blowing the roof off with great final flourishes, but this just feels like a big dump at the end.

It’s a far cry from his 1994 JDJ mix… LA is claustrophobic and intense. Gone are the glow sticks, melodic opening sweeteners and big breakdowns. But comparatively - try Hong Kong disc 1: similar percussive elements build subtly without smashing your head against a wall.

I liked this chaps additional context ( on a Nick Warren review ) - he didn’t say it here, but sums up nicely the issue maybe a lot of us have with it when coming from the REN 1 1994 fan base

… ‘This new swing for gloomy, tech-y beats and sound f/x was initially interesting, even invigorating, upon the dance floor and through the home head-phones ... but, unfortunate for those of us who had cut our teeth with the original Renaissance/Northern Exposure releases, the absence of melody often made the music a borderline-tedious affair. The goal of this style was subtle: to blend records to the point that transitions were indistinguishable, crafting a journey of smooth, uninterrupted flow, usually peaking an hour or so of dark, driving percussion with a brief glimmer of techno-shine or even a synthscape at the very end - therein pushing to the limit the "struggle for pleasure" -type brain-massage endemic to nearly all forms of media. John Digweed's GU 019, Los Angeles, can be seen as the pinnacle/nadir of this dark ethic‘

Absolutely love this album. it's my 3rd favourite in the series and here are my reasons why: Firstly, i really like the rhythm and the sample vocals from Apollo Vibes by Pole Folder and as it starts the set off well and it has a dark and eerie feeling to it. Also on Disc 1 another couple of highlights for me are Music (16B Remix) by Jamez/Tatoine, mainly because it's a good mid-set tune and has some great beats. Another one is Groove is In the Air (Simon's Future Dreams Mix) by Tijuana, once again because it gives off dark vibes and also because it's mixed in well. finally to finish disc 1, 1-800 Ming (Rui Da Silva Remix) is a well crafted tune mixed in well with the others. i don't know if people agree with me here but, i think that this tune sounds sombre in of mood but it still works if you know what i mean.

Now then on to Disc 2, it starts of with a really good tune, that being Sanctuary by Jimmy van M, a good opener if you ask me. the mix rolls along with almost every tune being a banger, mainly Adyssa by DJ Gogo, Inner Laugh (James Holden Remix) by Roland Klinkenberg, One Last Time (Amityville Dub) by Quivver and finally Carnival XIII (Rowan Blades Agro Mix) by Breeder. not to forget Cass's Genesis either because that's a nice tune also.

I Understand what many people have said about this album being lackluster or boring but like some people, i like a DJ that steps out of their norm and this is what diggers has done here, a nice dark journey from start to finish that's mixed well and a joy to listen to. i also like a cd that's filled with club classics like GU013 Ibiza by Sasha but John shows that a darker take can still smash it.

Overall, an epic 5 star album. It's not on my Global Underground Podium for nothing and this is the reason why it's my favourite John Digweed album also. anyone who has never heard this gem, should definitely give it a listen because it's certainly worth one. cheers John for an absolute cracker :)

I have heard most of the GU's, didn't like this one so much, as others have stated, it's dark, which makes it different from other CD mixes.
Best song from the cd for me was Brothers Love Dubs - 1-800 Ming (Rui Da Silva Remix), and FYI Barbarella – My Name Is Barbarella is the original.

A turning point in GU city series....LA marks the pinnacle of progressive sound as we know it from the 90s. Deeper and darker more tribal than trancey, shows why Digweed was the king with stunning programming and laser accurate mixing.

This is imo the best GU set ever. It's prog house at its best, so dark and sexy. Simply incredible, a masterpiece.

A fantastic mix. Yes it is very dark & tribal. But if anyone has ever read the inlay by Dom Phillips, it mentions that this set was based around Halloween. Might put some context behind why John chose so many dark tracks.

1-3 Madam - Penetration seems to be the dub version, or perhaps a slightly different unreleased version

019 - is the first release I bought, then my journey across whole series has started. Still collecting them, just 2 missing