Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden are among the hottest talents today on the Progressive House scene. The pair first met at the Winter Music Conference in 2001 and their rise as collaborative mixers in the dance music industry since has been rapid. Their remixes of "Pavement Cracks" by Annie Lenox and "Me Against the Music" by Britney Spears featuring Madonna both topped Billboard's Dance chart in 2003. They slowed their remix work to complete Bloom, their first full-length album, and the results are impressive. Spread over 2 discs, Bloom is at once a representation of the state of the art in Progressive House and a sign pointing toward the future.

The album combines new songs and remixes by Gabriel and Dresden with complimentary cuts by other artists. All blend seamlessly for a set that leavens the intensity of ambient-washed trance with juiced house beats. Although clearly designed for club play, Bloom would make a pleasant backdrop for smaller, more intimate parties. Snippets of melody float in an intricate weave held together by the ever-present beat.

There are a number of individual track highlights here. The 10-minute plus remix of Dido's "Don't Leave Home," previously available only on vinyl, is truly epic in scope. Dido's ethereal vocals float above the drama of accelerated house beats and shifting ambient soundscapes. The Junkie XL mix of Sarah McLachlan's "World On Fire" included here further enhances her role as an unexpected, but surprisingly effective dance diva. The album opening featuring 3 tracks, "Arcadia," "Serendipity," and "Lament," by Gabriel and Dresden themselves, are a showcase of the progressive style of the artists. Andain's wistful but beat-happy version of Depeche Mode's "Here Is the House" (originally recorded on Black Celebration) blends perfectly with its surroundings.

Gabriel and Dresden's Bloom is another good example of why the Grammy Awards' addition of a Best Dance/Electronic Album category is long overdue. This album is not likely to be this year's winner, but it is another strong example of dance music stretched out into an album-length artistic statement. Bloom is not simply a set of individual mixes strung together to fill out 2 compact discs. It is a complete listening/dancing experience beautifully concluded by a simple acoustic mix of Imagination by the Gabriel and Dresden pseudonymous recording act Motorcycle. For progressive house fans, this set is required listening.