Danny Zee

In a world where entire factories are devoted to pressing trance compilations, this collection by Los Angeles DJ Zee separates itself from the pack. Wonderfully eclectic, it's great for winding up or winding down. Van M. Leeds's "More" is downright spooky, the aural equivalent of sprinting through the woods with hell hounds on your trail. To follow that up with the giddy mix of Steve Porter's "Pipe Dream" is brilliant sequencing. The tracks are beat-focused, for the most part, with a total absence of bombast and just the right serving of atmospheric candy (see Axel's "Paradiso" and Science Dept.'s "Repercussion"). It's not perfect, as a few tracks, including the closer, don't stack up, but at this juncture, being different is nearly as important.