Steve Porter - Nordica / The Return FLAC album

While Nordica is no doubt the more popular track with this release, it's The Return that is the more sophisticated and musical monster of a track. This track starts very minimal and from there it evolves into a sophisticated progressive house number that quite frankly is one of the best of 2003. Once the bouncy bassline begins, snippets of chords periodically groove with the beat and track "chuggs" away into the sublime. By the time the main chord comes in with a secondary driving bassline you're blown away by the sheer beauty of the track.

The Return has some incredible dynamics to it. First, if there's one thing that a lot of progressive house does is adding layers. The Return does this better than any progressive house track that I've heard. It literally sounds like a machine unfolding into a dream. Every sound Steve Porter used for this track is integral and meshes into perfect unison. Then there are the sounds Mr. Porter uses that are highly contrasting but have a cinematic quality that has to be heard to comprehend.

Steve Porter during 2000-2004 was evolving as a pinnacle progressive house producer who always concentrated more on the percussion and beats. He was introducing elements of tech house before most other producers were. While Steve Porter was a master of his craft, with this release, he proved he could produce well textured progressive house with emotion and beauty.

One of my favorite tracks my Steve Porter-bar none.