In Between

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About In Between

Amazon.com It's 2007 and trance has been left for dead. Pop swooped in and cherry-picked the genre's egalitarian appeal, repackaged it, and squeezed the whole thing dry. Meanwhile its other flank was shredded by dance music itself and its brutally dynamic nature, evolving and expanding and making the genre seem simple-minded--or worse, irrelevant. In response, Paul Van Dyk has spent the last several years concocting In Between, which, as its name implies, is an attempt to find a sweet spot connecting the progressive sweep of past efforts like Seven Ways and his own long-simmering commercial instincts. At least as gifted in the studio as he is on the decks, Van Dyk's record glitters with production depth and a veteran's panache. Guest vocalist Lo-Fi Sugar helps turn the lead track "Haunted" into a delightful shimmer, and for a moment we think he might spring an ambient record on us. But that notion is cleanly dismissed by the chunky synths of the electro-house excursion "White Lies," and from there, the DJ attempts with limited success to stuff the usual peaks and valleys into the tight confines of pop songs. He occasionally succeeds: "New York City" is especially good fun, as Van Dyk puts a siren sample in the background that'll have you reaching for your license and registration. But he's squeezed 17 tracks onto this single-disc release, and you can feel the struggle to sustain momentum--shorter tracks like "Talk in Grey" (featuring Ryan Merchant) end just as they might genuinely take off. Nothing sinks in with any depth. Van Dyk is a master practitioner and his efforts to evolve are laudable, but on In Between, his determination to cross over into pop too often mutes his more progressive and compelling instincts. --Matthew Cooke Product Description The world's #1 DJ Paul van Dyk is back with IN BETWEEN, a dynamic new effort that spotlights his incredible talent as a producer and recording artist. The album features a wide range of collaborations including David Byrne (Talking Heads), Jessica Sutta (Pussycat Dolls), Ashley Tomberlin (Luminary), Alex M.O.R.P.H, Lo Fi Sugar, Rea Garvey (Reamonn), Ryan Merchant and Wayne Jackson. Paul van Dyk received a Grammy nomination in 2005 for Best Dance/Electronic Album for his original album "Reflections" - this marked the first time NARAS recognized this category. His original productions from "Reflections" have been licensed for major television commercials, such as Motorola, Land Rover and most recently for Jeep.