Energy 52 – Cafe' Del Mar

Got my copy today. Was mint but the record had two nasty jumps, no scarches on the vinyl. And the last three minutes of the three n one remix sounded awful. Went straight in the bin.

This set is clearly the best pack you can own from Cafe del Mar.

Remixing this track must be utterly difficult, since the original is so mind-blowing, that you risk to ruin an awesome track that everybody has their own great dancefloor-memories of. The „Porte De Bagnolet“-Remix is my personal favorite since it manages to add an additional layer on top of the great original. I don’t know if it’s the arrangement or the sounds, it simply makes the theme benefit. The.“Peace“-Mix is also very good, since it takes a rather stripped-down approach, which is also nice. From the newer remixes I quite like the Nalin & Kane version, because they don’t try to do the obvious. I have mixed emotions regarding the famous Three’N’One-Remix. I might have become a classic of its own and it’s well done, for sure but I simply don’t like the Pizzicato-Sound they used. I know that it was the Zeitgeist which started with Faithless using it in „Insomnia“ but at a certain point it became too much. That’s why I also don’t like the Hybrid-Remix of „Café Del Mar“ too much. While it’s fantastic sound design and a truly awesome track, it’s a shame they used the Pizzicato-sound from the Three’N’One-Remix because it rather ruins it.
For me the newer versions unfortunately don’t add anything, whether it’s Tale Of Us, Tim Engelhardt or Paul Van Dyk; they simply do the obvious with this ridiculously often remixed track (I think Oliver Lieb alone did 3 different versions).
The secret gems for me are the Michael Woods Ambient version and the Humate-Remix. After all, the track is called Café Del Mar, so what would fit better than a downbeat-version? Anyways, this is one of the all-time-classics of electronic music and nicely executed Trance-productions, I only see Humate’s „Love Stimulation“ and „The Age Of Love“ playing roughly in the same league of tracks from those times.

’98 in the title is inappropriate because all mixes were previously released in 1997 or earlier (track 5 in 1993).

I has to be the Three in One Mix. No tother mix even comes remotely close.

End of the discussion.

The Humate version is absolutely exquisite - no more versions necessary.

Curiously a slightly different Michael Woods mix is available on various chillout and Trance compilations released in 2000-2001, containing more elements from the ambient mix of his own track Into the Dawn

I have been around the Gerrman Techno scene since late 93. Hard Trance was top notch on many raves and parties. No dance without the legendary Kid Paul mix at that time. But I started to be more intertested in the Detrtoit sounds and followed the big Swedish influences you could not get around in the later 90ties. So Engery 52 somehow got lame and remixes followed remixes on remixes... Until? YES: Deau5 hit my case... I am glad that I bought this release. Modern within its 2008 influences, not missing the actual heart and Energy 52 spirit. But whatch out, the 2022 rerelease is diffrent... Thanks Deau5!!
https://discogs.librosgratis.biz/release/25202809-Energy-52-Caf%C3%A9-Del-Mar

For me, the Three 'N One remix is the definitive version. It was this release i bought back in 1997 as an HMV import. Played everywhere in summer 1997 and beyond, most memorably for me when i heard it at the Fantazia: The Return of a Legend gig at G-Mex Manchester October 1997. Took the roof off.

I have this too… single sided… was it a promo? Unofficial? Bought it in 1999 from 23rd Precinct