The Ananda Project

Just as Chris Brann followed up his debut album, Release, with a remix collection, Re-Release, he followed up his second album, Morning Light, with Relight, a seamlessly mixed collection of remixes from that album that comes with an accompanying bonus disc of yet more remixes, these dating from between 1998 and 2005. All of this amounts to a whopping 22 tracks of Ananda Project, almost of all of which, amazingly, are on a par with Brann's standard output, if more inclined toward dancefloor play. For that reason, those who prefer his up-tempo house work over his more chilled-out album-listening work will savor the first disc of Relight, as it plays like a standard DJ mix, albeit one of nothing but Ananda Project tracks and one that lets the tracks play out to near-end before a quick fade (that is, DJ mixing that emphasizes the tracks, not the mixing itself). A few of the tracks are previously unreleased, including the back-to-back run of "Wasting My Love" and "Everything You Are (Atlanta Rising)," which gets the mix going in high gear early on and gives Relight some distinction from its source album. Moreover, a few of the tracks on the first disc are outsourced mixes, by Gabriel Rene (as Aquanote), DJ Spinna, and Eric Kupper, though these producers don't depart too far from the Ananda Project style. The second disc is likewise mixed DJ-style, and is a bit more eclectic. A couple of the mixes here are previously unreleased, and a good half of them appeared in their original versions on Release. Outsourced remixers here include Richard Morel, Wally Lopez, and Kyoto Jazz Massive. While a great many of these sort of dance remix albums are tedious cash-in efforts that appeal mainly to disciples and completists, Relight is an exception to the norm -- one that is just as enjoyable as its source, if not more so, given its dancefloor emphasis -- just as Brann's consistently excellent output is exceptional among his innumerable house peers. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide