Colette

Colette and DJ Heather are two of the most celebrated artists on the Om Records roster, working around the globe on recording projects and in concerts with such artists as Depeche Mode, Derrick Carter, and Greens Keepers. This entry in the label's House of Om series finds the pair splitting up mixing duties on a two-disc set. The first disc is Colette's, and she demonstrates yet again why it is that her tracks are always the highlights of other DJs' mixes: though there are rarely any big sonic surprises, she brings a sassy, carbonated sparkle to everything she does. Her voice is sweet but possessed of a certain edge, and on her disc everything except an inexplicably lackluster mix of Craig David's "All the Way" is guaranteed to keep you out of your seat. DJ Heather's disc is equally enjoyable, but in a different way: her sound is more repetitive and hypnotic, but somehow never boring. Heather is a master of texture, and of the unanticipated change-up (note, for example, the sudden breakdown smack in the middle of Kinky Movement's "Getting There (Inland Knights Remix)"). The hint of mambo on Trademarq's jazzy "Orange Julius" is a nice touch, as are the excellent horns on "Step Your Game Up" by No Assembly Firm. On "Uptown," unfortunately, Tracey Cooper demonstrates the near-impossibility of rapping effectively over a house beat, but overall this disc is, like its companion, a nearly perfect example of top-notch, forward-thinking dance music. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide