Roger Sanchez

Roger Sanchez

Roger Sanchez might not necessarily be a name that we are all too familiar with, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not there in the music we listen to. More famously known for his 8 or so hour long sets in Ibiza, or any club that is lucky enough to have him, the DJ/producer has released a compilation of his work in a monstrous 3 CD’s, and 34 tracks.

Describing this new project, Renaissance 3D, on his official website, The S-Man said:

“It’s a 3 disc affair with a Club mix to give you the current sound of my dance floors, with exclusive trax to heat things up, a Studio mix that revisits some of my productions and remixes over the past few years, and a Home mix that is eclectic mix of styles and sounds that I like to listen to after the party’s over and I come home to chill or I’m getting ready to head out.”

If I could put it better myself, I would, but he hits the nail on the head there. Split into 3 albums named Club, Studio and Home, they are all predictably as they are described. The Club album not only has all the energy and throttle expected at a live show, but the Home album is significantly calmer and less full on, and is an interesting insight into what Roger kicks back at home with, including tracks from Massive Attack, Daft Punk and The Klaxons. Funnily enough, it is the Studio album that stands out the most. Although probably too long-winded for the average fan of chart music, but probably ideal for a DJ’s set, many songs are wonderfully mixed with familiar sounds to rival any other dance music that might appear.

The fast pace of Take a Chance is driven by a Spanish background that makes you want to take dance lessons just so you can Salsa to it. It stands out as the most different of tracks on the album, but with a firm thudding beat alongside the exotic melody, it is perfectly fitting to the general dance theme.

The greatest dancy tracks go to tracks Another Chance and Contact. Another Chance, after reaching #1 in the UK in 2001, will always be one of his most loved songs, but Contact, if released in the same manner would surely receive as much acclaim.

Creating the effect of a jumping CD, Contact uses elongated chorus type vocals alongside silence, jumping rapidly between the two, and it works. With a funky bass line to accompany the jittery mix, it actually makes for a great track to bop about to.

Separating the 3 CD’s into location-based music, is not only a great idea but an ideal way for Roger to categorise the music for himself. It goes without saying that tracks that are 14 minutes long are just too much for general release, but DJ’s never tend to release the original versions anyway. If condensed into 3 or so minutes, the majority of these tracks, on any 3 of the albums, could easily make it big in the clubs and big in the charts. He’s done it before, and he can no doubt do it again.

Rating – 4/5

Skip to – Contact (Studio disc)

By Karen Asbury