Reflections

Album Review

Paul Van Dyk is one of the few trance DJs with a sure touch in the producer's chair as well as the DJ booth. Reflections, Van Dyk's first album of new productions in three years, illustrates that his long years of Smiths/New Order fandom left him with a good sense for a sublime hook. While not a pop album by any means, Van Dyk did write songs for Reflections, and collaborated with several artists, all of them obscure and strictly to type (Vega 4 equals Dirty Vegas, Jan Johnston equals Sarah Cracknell). "Like a Friend" is a standout: a sublime melody and an unencumbered backing track prove the perfect setup for Johnston's sincere platitudes about friendship ("Be aware of the world/And be true to your conscience"). Most of the songs here are detached in their attempts at euphoria, always with a strong melody linked to a percussion line that sits back and waits for several minutes to elapse before fading away. [In 2004 Mute released a special edition featuring a bonus disc of eight remixes.]