Stockholm Mix Sessions, Vol. 3

Montreal's Turbo label perpetuates their flawless series of mix CDs by consistently featuring the best underground artists from around the world. Swedish techno stalwart Adam Beyer continues the label's stylistic shift from house mixes by Jori Hulkkonen and Jesper Dahlbäck to harder techno sets, which started with Kenny Glasgow's Toronto Mix Sessions. And much like the Glasgow mix, Beyer eases back on the full-throttle pummeling of his live set to deliver a session that is equally driving and melodic. Beyer heavily represents the Swedish domination of contemporary loop-based techno production, featuring three of his own tracks as well as cuts by fellow Swedes Christian Smith, Cari Lekebusch, and Dahlbäck. But he also looks to Detroit for a melodic edge by including tracks by E-Dancer, Kenny Larkin, and Aril Brikha, who, while Swedish in nationality, found a home for his Detroit-inspired hit "Groove La Chord" on the seminal Motor City label Transmat. Frenchman Fabric Lig also mines the Detroit sound on "12 Months of Happiness" under his Soul Designer moniker. As should be expected, the mixing is not only flawless but also creative, with Beyer making ample use of his mastery of the third turntable. Many tracks last little more than two minutes, yet the music flows smoothly, with no signs of the hard cutting usually associated with such quick mixing. Serious techno fans might feel that a few of the tracks Beyer chooses are overplayed, particularly in light of Turbo's usual cutting-edge selection. Others might initially be put off by the relative softness of this mix when compared to Beyer's live assault. But place the preconceptions aside, and this has the potential to be Turbo's finest session to date.