Julian O'Riordan — who is called Judge Jules on account of his law schooling — is one of many Oakenfoldian "best DJ in the world" DJs. He's consistently topped magazine and internet trance polls since 1998 and has won many awards of the same honor. And like most of those award-winning DJs, I cannot see what all the fuss is about. The boundaries of dance are left well intact by the release of Jules' first and only artist album in a popular, umpteen-year career. Aside from select subtle advancements in the field of electronic production (namely Cubase, if I haven't missed my guess), there's no reason why Proven Worldwide shouldn't have been released a decade ago. All the build-ups, synth pads, and synth-phonics are from that era; this could have been one of the all-time greats. That said, there's nothing to get offended about by the release of Proven either. If you just want something simple and thoughtless to dance to, this is surely it. "Rumble" does have a little warp to it and a comparatively less traditional structure, while the opening "Alma Fe" is pretty fun, so you could do a lot worse... especially with real Oakenfold.
1. Alma Fe
2. Ordinary Day
3. So Special
4. Keeps On Slipping
5. Without Love
6. Puesta Del Sol
7. The Night You Kept Me Warm
8. Diversion
9. Keep Me Running
10. Requiem For Rascals
11. The Serpent
12. Rumble
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