Bart Skils

The electronic scene in Amsterdam has for years been a steadily growing presence in Europe, hosting some of the biggest festivals with worldwide attendees (i.e., Five Days Off). Not to downplay the national talent, Holland-based DJ (and Voltt Nights founder) Bart Skils has taken everything that encapsulates the nation's new school techno and house scene ― the Voltt Loves Summer Festival, Voltt Nights at Amsterdam's Mazzo and a roster of the country's foremost house, techno and minimal DJs ― to produce Volume 1 of the Voltt mix series, a platform to highlight Dutch movers and shakers. A noble endeavour on Skils's part but a bit of a bomb in terms of the range and diversity the mix attempts to capture. Minimal house and techno start the disc off with only slight variations in mix structures to differentiate one track from the next. The monotony plays throughout most of the album, segueing briefly on "Mamdaye" by Julien Chaptal and "No Booth" by Carlo Lio with bubbly, staggered synths. The one redeemer Voltt Volume 1 holds is District One's remix of Pitto's "The Feeling," a house-y stomper with the vocal overlay a touch out of place on the repetitive disc, but it's a great way to round out the album nonetheless.