Various Artists: Harbour Boat Trips 01

Various Artists
Harbour Boat Trips 01: Copenhagen
HFN
2009-06-09

This mix is worthy of serious props, if only because it is more of a mixtape than a traditional deejay mix. Thus, it is a surprise and possibly a risk from Denmark’s Anders Trentemøller, whose minimal tech-house has turned the industry on its ear since his 2006 full-length debut The Last Resort. True “mixing” has been kept to a minimum throughout this maiden Harbour Boat trip as Trentemøller focuses on the cream of independent rock with a little industrial and new wave tinge for added color. Harbour Boat Trips 01: Copenhagen is not easily anticipated, party-starting dance-floor filler like so many Fabric mixes. It comes off more like what was on Trentemøller’s iPod on-the-go playlist at the time rather than a collection of tracks that kind of sound like but aren’t as good as the music he typically makes. As such, it gives a greater insight into what makes Trentemøller tick, rather than regurgitating the top like-minded singles of the day. That makes it far more essential to fans and more palatable to prospective ones.

RATING 7 / 10