Various - Bedrock: Chris Fortier

Pioneer: 2002

You'd think Chris Fortier would be better at the double-disc set. Progressive house was practically custom-made for it, the long journey over several hours, and few jocks within this scene have shown such impeccable track selection when utilizing but a single CD for their mixes. Yet when given the opportunity to stretch things out some, I find Mr. Fortier's sets drag, as though he's almost flustered by the extra hour of music he has at his disposal. Or perhaps the restriction of one disc forces him to be as economical with his musical weapons as possible, thus wasting little time in getting to the goods. No more was this apparent than with Balance 007, where the genre exercise of the bonus CD3 was far more memorable than the standard set construction of the first two discs. I can recall every twist and turn of Trance America and Audiotour, yet this Bedrock outing so often just passes me by.

There's never any problem in hooking me in from the jump, CD1 opening with more of that tasty, thumping, dubby prog vibe I love from this era of Bedrock Records. Yet it doesn't quite have the same dark groove as Jimmy Van M's outing in the previous volume does. This stuff feels stiff, angular, almost like... oh, it's tech-house in prog's clothing, isn't it. Yeah, that's a Jay Tripwire track in there. It also has a lot of tribalism going for it, letting my headspace turn inward as the all-encompassing rhythm takes over my senses. Nothing really sticks though, dance music as dutiful service in losing yourself on the dancefloor and nothing else. No highs, no lows, just one, long, uninterrupted stretch of functionalism. Y'know, tech-house.

The set's almost over by the time I feel like things are finally ramping up, and I haven't the foggiest of where we've been or how we've gotten to this point. This is great when you're out movin' and groovin', but as a 'sit down and listen' experience, hopelessly dry.

CD2 hints at a bit more of a melodic outing, Elemental from Women Of Color a rather blissy opener for the supposed 'Club Mix'. Then it goes... kinda' minimal? Wow, does Kolo's Nova ever predict where prog would end up half a decade later, but doesn't do much to get the blood pumpin' here. Yep, Mr. Fortier is once again opting for the slow, burning build of a set, and fortunately, once Steve Porter makes an appearance, things do ramp up some (ah, ever dependable, that Porter chap).

But yeah, this is still more of that techy, tribal, deep prog that's drawn out and very methodical and considered in how it moves forward. Great on a darkened dancefloor when all that exists around you is the thunderous sound-system enveloping your body, not so much at home with paper-thin apartment walls (good headphones help). Fortier's Bedrock forces total mental commitment to get much out of it. Probably would have been stronger if pared to a single disc.

Various - Balance 007: Chris Fortier

EQ Recordings: 2005

Balance? What is this? I recall that Bill Hamel guy was involved, but when the DJ mix market was flooded with serviceable prog sets with interesting photographic cover art, you'll forgive me for passing on the series' early editions. Tell me that Chris by-God Fortier has been tapped for a whopping 3CD set, however, and you've got my attention! Dude had twice kept my prog faith alive by that point, the previous year's Audiotour all but cementing my notion he could do no wrong. And now he was unleashing a triple-discer of the stuff? Who cares if I have to import it from Australia, there's no way this could go wrong!

Balance 007 became my least played release from Mr. Fortier, some of the CDs un-played since I first threw them on fifteen years ago. Oh... oh no! How did that happen?

It didn't take long to remember the sinking feeling with CD1. With an early run of trendy minimal tech-haus, it was my first indication that the prog bandwagon jump into that genre wasn't going to be pretty. Hell, the tunes from Alex Smoke and 2 Doller Egg aren't even that bad compared to what was to come, but stacked against the deep proggy vibes of Chris' previous mix CD, it was a serious letdown. Shame on me too, because the back-half of CD1 features some mint Soma Quality Recordings techno. My brain just wasn't ready to accept it from a Fortier set, I guess.

Even worse, I was so checked out on what Fortier was doing with Balance 007 that I barely registered he supplied the prog I was craving in CD2. To be fair, the start of this disc is somewhat misleading, getting in on a little menacing robot music action. Plus, Vector Lovers is here! Oh man, hearing one of my favourite electro producers was so unexpected and enjoyed, nothing better could follow it, despite coming so early in the set. Have I mentioned I never realized there's some mighty fine deep, dubby prog in the back-half of CD2, that I only realized just now, after revisiting Balance 007 all these years later?

Honestly though, the main reason the first two discs of this triple-discer faded from my memory is because of CD3, a surprising bonus outing of proper electro from the Fade Records founder (plus a little Floridian and prog-breaks action towards the end). And when I say proper, I mean proper, Mr. Fortier firmly declaring the lamented appropriation of the word for obnoxious acid-fart house music an injustice to the roots of robot-funk music. Aw, man... brother, I feels you so hard in the year 2005, I do. *fist taps the heart* For sure, anytime I grabbed Balance 007, it was always CD3 played first and only. Such a breath of fresh air then, and still holds up remarkably well now. As do the other discs too, even if it took me this long to accept it.

Various - Fade Records Presents: Audiotour - Chris Fortier

Benz Street US: 2004

It's amazing how Chris Fortier repeatedly kept the 'trance' faith alive for me. I've already gone on a tonne over the hopelessly obscure Trance America mix from him, and wouldn't you know it, he did it again with an almost equally obscure mix CD, this little Audiotour item. Right, this isn't trance, but progressive house, or prog, whichever you prefer in the year 2004, though even then there were a number of notions of what prog-house was anymore. Was it the deep, dark, dubby tribal stuff Digweed had been championing for a while? Or was it the slighter, poppier stuff as heard from Gabriel & Dresden's various works? Was it some mutant hybrid with twinkly melodies and chugging rhythms? No one knew for sure, thus the scene was set to fracture in such a fashion that it still hasn't found common ground again. All I knew at the time was most of the mixes I was sampling weren't doing it for me, leaving me wondering whether I'd ever buy another prog-house CD.

And honestly, I wasn't expecting a revival or something from Chris Fortier – I was surprised enough seeing this release sitting idly in an A&B Sound that browsing day. I knew he'd done a mix for Digweed's Bedrock series, but had heard little else from him since Trance America. For all I knew, he had jumped on the McProg bandwagon too, or maybe pulled a Steve Porter and gone funky house! And hoo, did I fear the worst with the opening track A.B.E. from Motive, a short-lived project from Tom Anderson and Mark Hunt, featuring the vocals of Abegale Fishcer, and among the cheesiest prog-breaks tunes I've ever heard. Just... eugh. I'm flabbergasted that the label behind Fade would release such a track. Then again, they also were the first to remix Delerium's Silence.

Forget the first track. It has nothing to do with the rest of the mix, a total misdirection of where Audiotour takes you. Yes, this is basically a Fade Records showcase, and wouldn't you know it, Fortier had kept his label on the straight and narrow, releasing tunes like it's still the year 1999. Or 2001. Whenever you figure 'peak dark prog' was. Point is you get those tasty vintage deep dubby chuggers like Blackwatch's rub on Luigi's Creation, The Ally Qats' Talk To Me Goose (that breakdown!), and Chris Micali's L' Èvasion (complete with creepy sample of Dr. Loomis describing Michael Myers in the insane asylum).

The moody groovers out of the way, Fortier unleashes a few fun anthems for the close-out, including a cheeky collaborative remix with Steve Porter on D'Shake's old-timey Yaaaah! (that's four 'a's, yo'). Chris's own cut Wateveritis works the classic prog-house vibes as wonderfully as any tune from the '90s, while the final run of Fade tunes are fine, though strangely sound a tad dated compared to the tracks that came prior. Still, when it comes to '90's sounding mid-'00s prog-house, I'll take dated any day!

Chris Fortier - Trance America (2016 Update)

Engine Recordings: 2000

(Click here to read a bunch of hyperbolic gushing passing itself off as 'jurnarlizm'.)


So this CD. It’s still one of the best prog mixes I’ve heard, especially for such an obscure release. The label it came out on, Engine Recordings, has but three entries in Lord Discogs’ archives. This includes a DJ mix from Mr. C called Subterrain 100% Unreleased, and the Stateside copy of Layo & Bushwacka!’s debut Low Life. Lord Discogs also informs this print was a subsidiary of Will Records, which apparently mostly dealt with indie rock. If Will was taking a chance on that trendy ‘electronica’ at the turn of the century, they sure didn’t bother sticking with it for long. How Chris Fortier got involved with the label for a ‘prog’ mix titled Trance America is anyone’s guess; except for Chris, because obviously he knows firsthand. He did put out a ‘trancey breaks’ mix a couple years prior on StreetBeat Records, a print that got its start peddling that Miami bass business. Maybe Mr. Fortier just enjoyed bucking convention? No, that can’t be right. He’s behind Fade Records, the label that practically defined ‘prog’ before it became Bedrock’s genre du jour. Was there any style of dance music that sounded more conventionally traditional than ‘prog’? Whee, oxymoron!

See, 2004 Sykonee, see? That’s how you’re supposed to do a review. None of this ultra-long anecdotal nonsense about Trance America being “trance’s redemption”. A few actual nuggets of information goes a long way, especially when dealing with something as obscure as this CD. Not that it’s difficult to find on the used market, nor does it command a high price. Nay, its obscurity lies in how overlooked Trance America remains, an easily missed release due to its awfully generic title. Plus, despite his skill behind the decks and the acclaim he earned before and since the year 2000, Mr. Fortier never broke free of the scene that nurtured his career, forever just another DJ and producer that Sasha & Digweed liked. Hey, that’s not such a bad distinction, not at all!

If you’re a prog completist, Trance America does feature a number of one-offs in its tracklist. Hyper-X never released anything else, not that it matters since its Steve Porter’s remix that gets the glory here. Tranceiver didn’t do much else either, while Memnon and Devol faded a couple years after. 3 Monkeys only had the mint single Crazy People, though its members – Anthony Pappa, Alan Bremner, and Barry Gilbey – were incredibly prolific with other projects (Brothers In Rhythm, Mara, superstar DJing, etc.). And we all know the fates of Steve Porter and Max Graham, early progressive trance darlings that went in completely different directions once ‘prog’ fell out of favor.

Not that 2004 Sykonee knew much of this. Discogs was still skint in its early info’, still becoming a Lord That Knows All. Plus, who’d have thought ‘prog’ would completely die so soon, its tastemakers scurrying to the safety of trendier genres? Certainly not I back when. Maybe exhaustingly detailing the music was for the best. Yeah, no.

Chris Fortier - Trance America (Original TC Review)

Engine Recordings: Cat.# WIL33673
Released 2000

Track List:
1. Kolo - Pattern Of Sound (7:35)
2. Devol - Rude Spaces (7:05)
3. Hyper-X - Out There (Steve Porter Spacedrum Mix) (5:01)
4. Steve Porter - Innerpulse (5:37)
5. Sugarglider - Let Me In (Cass & Slide Or I'll Blow Your House Down Dub) (5:37)
6. 3 Monkeys - Crazy People (8:33)
7. Mara - Fall From Grace (Alderaanic Dub) (7:49)
8. Tranceiver - RPV (7:05)
9. Max Graham - Yaletown (6:19)
10. Memnon - Desire (2:26)
11. Memnon - Orchis (8:17)


(2010 Update:
I'll be honest. After I wrote this review, I absolutely dreaded ever purposely doing another 10/10 release that I also enthusiastically enjoyed. Although it isn't that bad for an early amateur effort, I felt I overdid the hyperbole here, and feared I wouldn't be able to reign myself in again until I was a better review writer. Though I did write a few more 10/10s over the years, it wasn't until this past year that I actually attempted something like this again. And yes, it was a huge improvement.)


IN BRIEF: For me, this was trance's redemption.

Back in the year 2000, anthem trance was undoubtedly at its peak. Unfortunately, as with anything extremely popular, it was grossly overplayed to the point of redundancy. Trance compilations and DJ mixes began to sound all too similar, with breakdowns and builds continuously overdone to the point of ruining any sense of momentum throughout. Catchy hooks and appealing riffs had replaced the otherworldly soundscapes that had defined the genre in its infancy. I was beginning to wonder if the original sounds of trance that had lured me into the wide world of EDM way back in the early 90s would be nothing more than a distant memory.

Then one day, a rather unassuming mix by a then unknown to me DJ named Chris Fortier appeared in the store. The cover art looked intriguing so I figured I'd give it a shot.

Right from the beginning of Kolo's Pattern Of Sound, I had a feeling I'd stumbled upon something special.

Building up proggy rhythm for a good two minutes, little sci-fi effects and noises flutter about, creating a sonic texture that conjures up futuristic urban settlements. Pulsing bass and simple percussion keep things grooving along quite nicely, looping throughout as dark synth pad washes suck you into a trance. About five minutes into Pattern Of Sound, the song breaks down to allow the pads to weave as the bass continues to pulse. A sample during this breakdown utters, "Drifting through the galaxy"; my thoughts exactly.

The rhythm comes back a minute later, more or less continuing with the loopy grooves earlier established as the song plays out into a mix into Rude Spaces by Devol. The spacey pads of this song suck you in even deeper as percussion keeps the momentum steady. Mechanical grumbles and electronic clicks tickle at the psyche as things play out for some two minutes worth of hypnotic prog. Soon enough, ominous, echoing synth stabs penetrate a murky ambience, embellishing along the way as they lead into a mild breakdown. As more menacing sounds and effects ooze with a guttural growl, little hollowed out chords plink about, letting the percussion rebuild itself in layers. By five minutes in, everything has come back together, leading us through a maze of futuristic soundscapes. As it reaches its peak, things fade back as we are taken into Steve Porter's mix of Hyper-X's Out There. The beats are laid on a bit thicker here, with more eerie pads permeating the background. After a brief, pad breakdown a minute into Out There, solid bass kicks start thumping, offset by mechanical effects throbbing in junction. Percussion is continuously layered as bass lines and subtle stuttering leads build the momentum up. This song is quite loopy, relying on slight changes in cybernetic textures to carry you forward as the groovy tempo keeps your feet moving (or head nodding, if you're sitting back as you listen to this). Out There is quite wonderful in a devious way; this is trance at its most primal, drawing you inward to the most meditative recesses of your consciousness.

And if you still haven't been entranced by these hypnotic textures, then Steve Porter's own Innerpulse will seize you and never let go again. The moment it starts after a brief mix with chugging rhythm and an ominous pad that touches the furthest reaches of your psyche, you are a goner. This is, without a doubt, one of the most hypnotic tracks I have ever heard. I could listen to a loop of the opening minute of this track for days as I explored the darkest corners of my mind.
However, the song gets even better as the pad leaves for a bit to allow stuttering synths stabs to layer up in a build, peaking wonderfully to lead right back to where we began with the pad, this time with a funky bit of bass added to the mix. Playing out for another two minutes of this as the synth stabs slowly build again in the background, finally cresting a minute later. Excellent stuff. With a mere four tracks, Fortier had taken my consciousness on a tranced out tour the likes of which I had not experienced in ages.

As Innerpulse finishes up with a percussive lead-out, Fortier takes us away from the ominous hypnotic tracks into something a little more benign with Let Me In by Sugarglider (with a playfully titled dub done by Cass & Slide). While menacing sounds and effects pulsate throughout, the rhythm keeps steady but gets a bit busier, upping the momentum a bit more. A chopped up female vocal sample begins to interlace itself to the rhythm some two minutes in; a minute later, it is given prominence as mechanical effects flutter about and warm pads accentuate it in a minute long breakdown.

However, more menacing effects, building back into some fierce rhythms and eventually overtaking the vocal itself, interrupt the peaceful interlude. This is merely a build towards a quick mix into Crazy People by 3 Monkeys. Picking up its cue, Crazy People gets right to work with some great lead-in percussion progressively layered as it builds in intensity with futuristic effects accentuating along. By three minutes in, we're introduced to a spoken sample from which this track gains its title from (12 Monkeys being the source, if I may trainspot for a moment) and a little beeping lead joins the fray as well. Four minutes into Crazy People now and things are bumping along with vicious intensity.

Eventually, things fade back for a bit as the sample gets slowed and stretched into a brief breakdown. Once it retreats, a bassy sound emerges, pulsing for a bit as electronic synth note stabs and percussion build. A minute later, we're right back into the thick of things, grooving right along as the song plays out to a stirring climax of dark prog textures.

As a percussion lead-out plays, a murky, throbbing bassline of Fall From Grace by Mara emerges and burbles along, taking us back into a meditative trance. Once Crazy People finishes up, effects weave about as the song slowly begins to build in intensity, layers of synths and hypnotic voices growing. Three minutes later, things retreat for a moment, allowing a stuttering mechanical effect to take the reigns as soundscapes create a futuristic ambience. More sounds and effects are added as the song progresses; string leads, pulsing acid, dubby pads, growing again to another brief breakdown two minutes later. Building upon its momentum, Fall From Grace creates another trancey stuttering effect as it takes us out with echoing vocals weaving in and out.

Building upon the momentum created by the stuttering sounds of the previous track, Fortier's choice of RPV by Tranceiver to follow up Fall From Grace couldn't be more spot on. After taking us down into a bit of a minimal rhythm, a bubbling bit of bass murmurs in the background as some deep synth chords stutter about, getting their pitch subtly bent throughout. Yet another deep trancer, things never really build into anything bigger than initially established, instead allowing us to become lost in rhythmic sounds. By the time Max Graham's Yaletown starts nearly seven minutes later, you'll hardly notice any time has gone by; such is good trance.

Picking up the intensity with heavy rhythm, Yaletown continues the stuttering nature of the last couple tracks, eventually leading into some synth chord stabs with delay effects tickling at the mind. These get some great prominence in a breakdown over three minutes in, never loosing momentum in the process as they get played and tweaked about throughout the breakdown's minute long duration. They fade down briefly, then come roaring back with heavy percussion, a nice little string pad in the background accentuating the moment in a wonderful climax.

Yaletown finishes up with a percussive lead-out, and we're brought into a minimal bit of prog with Desire by Memnon. With mostly mechanical percussion and effects supported by a pulsing bassline, this track really only serves as a prelude to the next track, Orchis (also by Memnon). As Desire plays out, the ethereal vocals of Seroya begin to gradually emerge, weaving with haunting grace as this track throbs along, percussion and acid effects slowly and surely added to increasingly draw us into trance. A brief breakdown three and a half minutes in gives us a breather, then we're right back into it, easily cruising along to simple, pulsing rhythm and spacey voice effects. The bassline embellishes a little towards the end but Orchis isn't about big moments; this track is specifically placed at the end to ease us out of the trance-induced journey Fortier started right from the very beginning with Pattern Of Sound. And, my friends, what a journey it has been.

This mix was like a breath of fresh air from the suffocating sounds of anthem trance when I'd heard it four years ago (as of this writing) and it holds up remarkably well. There is a timeless quality here as most of these tracks create a futuristic atmosphere for your consciousness to explore.

I'll grant that these are not particularly fast tracks and they don't go for large climaxes; those weaned on such types of trance will probably wonder what the big deal is. However, that is kind of the point here. Trance isn't just about moments of euphoria; it should be able to draw you deep within, allowing your awareness to drift from its surroundings and be carried away with your imagination. Fortier has crafted a CD that achieves this in ways rarely matched by typical trance releases.

I highly recommend getting this. You may never look at trance the same way again.


Score: 10/10

ACE MIXES/TRACKS:
Pattern Of Sound through Innerpulse
3 Monkeys - Crazy People
Max Graham - Yaletown

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2004 for TranceCritic.com.© All rights reserved.