George Acosta

When rock bands have to remind audiences that they’re rocking, they only come across as desperate. Similarly, rappers who lack lyrical ideas often write about hip-hop itself, duping fans into mistaking bankrupt inspiration for a genuine ode to the art form. If George Acosta‘s History of Trance offers any indication, electronic albums that advertise their affiliation in their titles can’t be trusted, either. This two-disc collection, released last May, seemed like a well-intentioned primer, but Acosta’s longtime listeners found its selections insultingly obvious. This year, Acosta rebounded with Lost World, a mix of challenging, hard-charging underground remixes that ranks among the prolific producer’s best records. Should Acosta choose to issue History of Trance, Volume 2, he could just record one of his encyclopedic live sets, which include ambient chill-out compositions, high-adrenaline grooves and polyrhythmic Latin numbers, revealing the genre’s depth rather than simply chronicling its anthems.