Arguably considered one of the strongest trendsetting labels around, the forward thinking forces of Silk Royal are known to not only set the bar of excellence for many Progressive producers, but also have a commanding influence on future trends within the genre. With leaders such as Blood Groove & Kikis, Shingo Nakamura, Ad Brown and Zach Roth representing the coveted brand, it prides itself in its aggressive commitment towards excellence. As part of their annually acclaimed compilation series, Silk has unveiled their brilliant fourth edition of their highly esteemed Royal Showcase collection, which feature the best and the brightest that Progressive has to offer. Within this release, one can delve into a beautiful tale of music that twists and turns throughout a variety of different styles and textures as the waves of smooth melodies and harmonious designs ease you into pure enjoyment. This anthology is split up into two CD’s between Silk heroes Jacob Henry and Tom Fall, and each one promises to deliver a unique experience which plays off each others differences.
Jacob Henry is the head of A&R within SIlk Royal, and his CD ventures into the softer, more serene side of Progressive. The wonderful duo that is Blood Groove & Kikis immediately set the tone for this compendium, as their stellar intro mix to Pillow Fights by the legendary Mango perfectly compliments the silky tones of vocalist Richard J Aarden. The beginning starts off majestically serene, with David Broaders offering a stellar remix to Gregory Esayan‘s Starman and a gorgeous single entitled The Return by Your EDM favorite, Volant. As the mix moves along, we are graced with the fantastic talents of Sundriver and Matt Fax, as Jacob slowly and confidently raises the energy and passion to a beaming head. The talents of Vintage & Morelli and Gal Abutbul are also explored, as their tracks of Tsukiakari Ame and Reflected begin to signal the end of Side One. Finally, the mix ends with a perfectly fitting track by Schodt entitled Life Is Infinite, which neatly ties together the entire theme of the first side. 
While Tom Fall is now more known for his huge, dominant Progressive House/Electro sound, he still hasn’t given up his early passion for Progressive, and that much is clearly evident within his side of the compilation. His mix starts out with the aptly named track entitled, The Beginning, by eleven.five, which instantly adds a slim layer of grit and punch to compliment the softer, smoother section of Jacob. However, this isn’t to say that it goes completely off the rails entirely; more like it is naturally making its way towards Progressive Trance in a smooth, elegant fashion, which is explained in the genre bending track of Sumr by Dezza and Shoreliners. Next, the genres gradually peter out and move towards Progressive Trance territory with the brilliant Terry Da Libra remix of BXT‘s Moments offering glimmering highlights. Finally, it finishes off with explosive energy near the end, yet still maintains that quintessential Progressive edge, as Jerome Isma-Ae‘s remix of LTN‘s A Path To Nowhere smoothly transitions into Sean Mackey‘s Only Foals, which gracefully finishes off the mix with an air of exuberance and pride.
From start to finish, the entire showcase manages to keep the quality high while offering beautifully pioneering sounds that continue to push the boundaries of Progressive music. Silk Royal‘s momentous Showcase 04 is now available to purchase on Beatport and iTunes, so make sure you purchase this release and support real talent!
Tracklist
Jacob Henry (Part One)
1. Mango ft. Richard J Aarden – Pillow Fights (Blood Groove & Kikis Intro Mix)
2. Eastbound – Lust (Original Mix)
3. Gregory Esayan – Starman (David Broaders Remix)
4. Shawn Mitiska & Sedi – Double Tap (Original Mix)
5. Volant – The Return (Original Mix)
6. Mizar B & Heever – Lost World (Original Mix)
7. Thomas Hayes – Some Things Never Change (Original Mix)
8. Denis Laurent ft. Kaisa Martina – All I Need (Sundriver Remix)
9. Pconvolve – Cosmology (Matt Fax Remix)
10. Blood Groove & Kikis – Falling (Original Mix)
11. Vintage & Morelli – Tsukiakari Ame (Original Mix)
12. Aeron Aether – Synthanelia (Jayeson Andel Remix)
13. Gal Abutbul – Reflected (Original Mix)
14. Schodt – Life Is Infinite (Original Mix)
Tom Fall Mix (Part Two)
1. eleven.five – The Beginning (Intro Mix)
2. Blugazer – Ethereal Concepts (Original Mix)
3. Dezza & Shoreliners – Sumr (Nigel Good Remix)
4. AeroSoul – Strings Theory (Marsh Remix)
5. Barzek & Jethimself – Genesis (Original Mix)
6. Sound Quelle – Night Time (Vintage & Morelli Remix)
7. Vitodito – Tan Enamorados (Original Mix)
8. Johan Vilborg – Second Wind (Original Mix)
9. BXT – Moments (Terry Da Libra Remix)
10. Something Good – Firebird (Original Mix)
11. Justin Oh ft. Jennifer Yun – We Chase The Sun (Original Mix)
12. eleven.five – Pinnacle (Illuminor Remix)
13. Montends – Waiting For The Sun (Original Mix)
14. LTN – A Path To Nowhere (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix)
15. Sean Mackey – Only Foals (Original Mix)
Keep the music alive. -Q
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/release/silk-royal-showcase-04/1314648
