Athens

DJ: Underworld.
For the scant few fans who finally ascertain that Underworld vs the Misterons come from the same dance act that spun off "Rez" and "Pearls Girl," most might be disappointed by the lack of glazed-eye trance on display throughout this mix album. (They'd also be forgiven for assuming from the title that it was a Global Underground mix recorded in the Greek clubbing hotspot.) A chillout date to be sure, Athens is an "influences" mix date that shows Karl Hyde and Rick Smith to be fans of spiritual jazz and jazz-rock of the past and present, beginning with the classic "Journey to Satchinanda" by Alice Coltrane with Pharoah Sanders and taking in a range of '70s fusion from Soft Machine and Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as present-day work from Squarepusher and the Detroit Experiment. Hyde and Smith's tastes are exquisite, and the first half provides an enchanting (read: not danceable) half-hour of music. During the last half, Underworld finally introduce house music, beginning with mellow Detroit phenom Moodymann and African house specialist Osunlade, plus tracks from Laurent Garnier and an uncompiled track from Underworld themselves, "Oh." The final track is pure bliss, a collaboration between Hyde and Brian Eno titled "Beebop Hurry." ~ John Bush