Noel Sanger

Just in time for winter, Nettwerk issues the second installment in its Summerbreeze remix series. This time, Florida's Noel Sanger twiddles the knobs on other artists' tunes, filling out the two discs with a few originals. The DJ/producer showed up on the rave circuit in 1992, mixing for various groups in the studio while spinning in clubs nationally. Sanger went on to remix for the likes of BT and Delerium, eventually releasing his first solo album, Selections, in 1998. He reveals multiple personalities on Summerbreeze 2, serving up progressive house and trance on disc one and breaks on disc two -- all mixed into a seamlessly flowing set. Opener "Ocean of Blue," by Gpal, seduces listeners with erotic whispered vocals, throbbing bass, and a galloping backbeat. On his own "Kali Ma," Sanger delivers a deeper, darker groove, but truly devilish sounds emerge on Lexicon Ave's "Why R U Here." An oscillating tremolo guitar wash sets a haunting tone, and a scary narrator commands clubbers to consider the title question. "Your spirit is your guide," the spectral voice suggests, and -- just before the track ramps up to a peak -- reveals, "This is why you're here." Strayke's "Perfect Love" is a pure house groove juxtaposing burbling synths with bouncy, strident keys; "No Way Out" by Fitalic here morphs into an atmospheric, jazzy instrumental; and "My Prayer," another Sanger original, features pretty vocals by Dauby buoyed by a bubbly yet ethereal synthscape.

The second disc opens with "Daydreaming" by Prophecy, which receives a breakbeat overhaul of chopped-up beats and bass lines, plus layers of lush orchestration. On Ben Camp's "Syndrome," the slugging bottom end makes yours move while hypnotizing your head with a chiming, elliptical guitar refrain. "Wavespeech" by Pete Lazonby keeps driving with deep, staccato synthesizer stabs and dissonant sirens that eventually fade into the rabbit punch of Allen & Healy's "Head over Heels." The trance-breaks hybrid of "Controlfactor" by Penton and Duran buzzes with energy, which Sanger keeps elevated right to the last minute of this solid, two-and-a-half hour set.