On this, the fourth outing in the annual Anjunadeep series - as if the name didn't give that away - James Grant and Jaytech put more clear blue water between it and the trance-driven Anjunabeats series.
This time, and only on a few listens, I'll admit, I reckon Jaytech has slightly regained the upper hand with his more insistent mix (not that it's a competition, you understand), partly because I've become accustomed to this imprint's deeper sounds with undeniable dancefloor appeal, and because his own contributions of "Synergy" and "Overdrive" are among the most assured on the second disc (despite their Apprentice team name-style titles ;o).
That said, first listens can be deceptive, and my earlier reservations about the more downtempo, dream house-tinged vibe of James Grant's Disc 1 is giving way to a greater appreciation - there is some deep and dirty BASS on this mix. Martin Roth's "Beautiful Life" is taking no prisoners in this respect, while on Andrew Bayer's "You", a delicious hi-hat, horn and twinking "bell" effects join the orgy... I mean, party. And his remix (with Andrew Bayer) of Above & Beyond's "Prelude" elevates it from one of the more skippable tracks on their "Group Therapy" album to something altogether more compelling, and the one track it's easy to place on a dancefloor, with its understated, filtered breakdowns.
Vocals on Anjunadeep04 are ghosts of vocals, really - and that's not a criticism. What you're getting here is one disc of deep, laid-back sophistication - which gave me a similar feeling to Future Sound Of London's then-revolutionary "Lifeforms" did, back in the day, albeit that the technology has moved on A LOT, followed by an equally classy, driving progressive house collection with the emphasis on house.
Adrenaline-inducing big-room tunes might be slower to reveal themselves than on previous outings, but - do you know what - I feel as though, having led me to water with the Anjunadeep02 and 03, I've been educated by these guys to guzzle it down with relish. And no doubt I'll be back later, to add another star to this review...