Paul Van Dyk

Reflections (Mute)
by Wa

Paul Van Dyk, close on the coattails of Paul Oakenfold, is the second best DJ. There, I’ve said it. Perhaps it has something to do with being named Paul? Reflections is Paul Van Dyk’s newest offering to the electronic masses since his 2000 release, Out There and Back. You’ve heard some of the album already if you’ve seen the Motorola commercial with Paul Van Dyk’s track “Connected.” In the commercial, he drives up to a stoplight, his Motorola phone rings, the ringtone being his song “Connected,” and all of the parked cars around him proceed to bounce up and down to the beat.

Connected is exactly the sound and feel of Reflections, his fourth album. Working with a collection of artists, like the tasty German indie rock act Vega 4 on “Time of Your Lives,” and vocal diva Jan Johnston on “Like a Friend,” “Nothing But You,” “Homage,” and “Spellbound,” Paul Van Dyk succeeds at creating a hot dance electronic album that has the distinctive wisdom of an aging master. A very sophisticated, incredibly lush, and sensual sound. A recommended buy this year for dance enthusiasts.
(www.mute.com)