by Sean Meddel

Has it already been ten months since Around the World? After some extensive club dates to push his February CD release and his vinyl release, "Nitro," on Hook, I was very surprised to see the latest offering on System Recordings coming from this hardworking, yet under-recognized American trance DJ, Christopher Lawrence.

To be honest, I was not particularly impressed by the club dates. Around the World felt so lukewarm that my natural reaction to another CD was going to be a blanket one—buy it if you're a fan, but skip it if you're not a subscriber to Lawrence's particular power progressive style (translation: trance, for the rest of us). So the CD sat in the case for a few days, neglected.

Can you fault me? The opening track, "Nightstalker," contains trite samples from The Matrix, and track nine is called "Touch the Lazer." I asked myself, "What was he thinking?!" Then during one particular late night cruising session, the CD went back in by mistake. Once I skipped over the beginning and overlooked the wannabe-anthem, "MxM Overdrive," I remembered why I liked this guy so much—it's the smooth mixing, the transition and the residual sensation after the seventy-four minutes that makes him a great DJ.

Graham Fee's "Forever" running out into Mark Lowndes' "Weekender (Chill Mix)" will touch you in that melodic, lush way. That redeemed the whole CD for me, as well as the DJ.

p.s. Trance is coming back in 2003. Believe it.

• Brett's interview with Christopher Lawrence

Exposure IV
by Christopher Lawrence
Track Listing:

1. Transa - Nightstalker
2. Dre Stortion - Bent Revolution
3. Shibumi - Sign of the Sun
4. Illuminati - Bohemian Groove
5. Crash Guard - Outbreak
6. Marc Dawn - Expander
7. Captain Tinrib - Eminority
8. BK - The Revolution
9. Nuw Idol - Touch the Lazer
10. Syntax - Pray (Instrumental)
11. M.O.R.P.H. - MxM OverDrive (1st Mix)
12. Graham Fee - Forever
13. Mark Lowndes - Weekender (Chill Mix)