Ewan Pearson - Piece Work

Ewan Pearson must have the fattest phonebook in dance music. He's produced and programmed everyone from The Rapture to Gwen Stefani. He's written a book, runs a record label and has mixed recent Fabric and Sci:Fi Hi:Fi compilations. This double album parades yet another avenue of the last six years of remixes for his many friends and acquaintances. To be perfectly honest though, as much as his trumpet deserves to be blown, most of the compilation is distinctly average. From such a diverse range of primary material he seems to have created a lot of bland tech-house and dull electro. Granted, there are a few gems here: his mixes of The Chemical Brothers' Golden Path and Freeform Five's Perspex Sex stand out on CD1, as well as his disco epic mix of Ride a White Horse by Goldfrapp on CD2. But for such a talented producer you really expect better. [Peter Walker]