NAJM Dance Music Reviews - Victor Calderone



			5 out of 5 (by PJ)
		Victor Calderone - E=VC2 Volume 2 Superstar DJ Victor Calderone (Saturday night resident DJ of the Roxy) is back again and this time it is in the form of a follow-up to last year's hugely successful E=VC2. Entitled E=VC2 Vol. 2, this pumping tribal mix compilation is out now on Tommy Boy Silver Label. Most strikingly, this album is much darker than the first one. Pop anthems have given way to underground tribal and euro tracks that progressively get more commercial as the CD progresses. That's not to say that this is an overly commercial album, just that Calderone works the mix backwards from underground to more mainstream tribal house. The CD opens with the Circuit Boy feat. Alan T. - "The Door" (Danny Tenaglia Mix) which sets the classic Calderone tribal tone right from the start. Luke Slater's "All Exhale" seamlessly follows and continues the tone deep into the underground.

	The album hits a brick wall with Satoshi Tomiie's "Sneaky One" featuring vocal (if you'd call it that) by Deanna. This track is strikingly ruined by the off-key screeching of Deanna and should have never made it onto such a high quality album! Victor gets us quickly back into the groove with his awesome "Are You Satisfied" which features the silky vocals of Deborah Cooper (of C & C Music Factory). This is an all-new original production by Calderone and reminds us that not only is he a world class DJ, but a top-notch producer in the studio as well! Other album highlights include Mary Mary's "Shackles - Praise You" (Calderone's Big Room Mix) which may be one of Calderone's better mixes to dates, and the sultry soulful Mandalay "Beautiful" (Calderone After Hours Mix)! Calderone ends the mix with Madonna's "Skin" (The Collaboration Mix) that was previously unreleased up to this point. The collaboration refers to the work between Calderone and Club 69's Peter Rauhofer. One of the things that set Calderone apart from other "Superstar DJ's" is that the guy does more than just spin records. A lot of what he spins, he's created or remixed. "E=VC2 Volume 2" is an incredible resume builder for Calderone. The album features so much awesome music that is classically Calderone that you simple cannot go wrong. Recorded live in New York, "E=VC2 Volume 2" will allow audiences world-wide to experience a glimpse of why this DJ/Producer/remixer is at the top of his art.

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