ATOMIC BABIES Get Up [BML] 

The Atomic Babies are one of those acts that you can't help but like- they have the groove to keep the house heads happy, they have the intensity and warped sounds to keep the techno heads happy. They apparently appeal to a lot of their musical peers as well, because this "maxi-single" brings remix work from Aphrohead (Felix the Housekat, Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes, Dj Dan and Dano, Mark Verbos, Frankie Bones, Micro, Influx (aka James Bernard. with a tech-step track this time- not his usual trance), and Kentucky's up-and-coming house act Auto Kinetic. Though I am not usually a fan of CD-5's and maxi-singles in the techno world, the artists chipping in are of a big variety, and change the track to their own style enough to not bore you. Get Up isn't that complicated of a track though, so it gave the remixers a big palette to work with. [bliss] 

AUDIO Compilation Vol.1 [Fine Audio Recordings/UCMG, GER]

Minimally designed CDs from Germany are good! Yay! This was mixed by Chris Liebing at the Omen Club in Frankfurt, and it features all tracks from the Audio label, #'s 1-10. The tracks are from the likes of: Thomas Krome, Oliver Ho, Andrew Richley, a bunch from Chris Liebing himself, and a few others. Bangin' minimal hard techno is the recipe, and it makes me realize even more that i have to check out the Omen before i die. Awesome mixing, especially being live. [bliss]

BASSLINES various artists [Moonshine] 

Billed as the ruffest and the tuffest, a continuous mix of 11 speed garage tracks. Moonshine must have a new set of employees. Moonshine and speed garage and the term "mixed" seems like a recipe for disaster. Instead, this cd turns out to be a very creative assortment and mix of 11 of the most premiere speed garage songs that go from the subtle ruffness of De'lacy "Hideaway 98" to the raw driving basslines of Ruff Da Menace "Kick the Party...". These tracks aren't Sugar is Sweeter clones but full fledged wikked stompin artistic house. An excellent assortment of tracks that don't copy + imitate but actually push speed garage on in evolution. a must buy. [kenya] 

BIGBEAT CONSPIRACY various artists [Pagan] 

Ok ok so I cringed at the title; some stuff does get a bad rap based on appearances. Anyways, forgoing the title and the artist roster, such as Chem Bros, Underworld, Fatboy Slim, I decided to listen and be judicial. I mean it could be MTV's AMP CD but still......So everyone knows what bigbeat is and that's what this CD is, pure and simple. All in all htough it's a good effort, track mix is varied and I thought it was entertaining. May not bring out the emotional side of electronic music, but the adrenaline rush if you're accepting of it, can be fun. [kenya] 

DIGITAL EMPIRE Electronica's Best [Cold Front/K-Tel] 

Oh boy, I had to type the E word. I really hate that electronica term. On with this... I waited till the last minute to listen to this; I really wasn't sure what to expect. Here we have some of electronic dance music's more famous acts compiled on a CD with some of electronic dance music's more underground acts. I mean, it's almost a sugar coated pill; but were the underground acts put on to make the hardcore kids buy it to see the big names aren't actually all that bad, or were the big names put on knowing that all the new kids coming into this new "electronica" thing will get a mouthful of the underground as they digest all their favorite AMP-flavored treats? That's the question. Here we have a CD with the likes of Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, Keoki, Propellerheads, Fatboy Slim, Fluke, and Underworld- the names everyone and their mother knows. Then you have the second eschelon of names everyone in the rave scene knows- Dubtribe, Joey Beltram, Hawke, Electric Skychurch, Headrillaz, Rabbit in the Moon, BT, Derrick May (with his classic "Nude Photo"), and Frankie Bones. Then, the cats who only the diehard recognize- Mark Verbos, Atomic Babies, Empirion (only because the song is an Advent mix), and Doormouse... Matt Massive must have an uncle at K-Tel or something (kidding). The verdict- I liked the Advent mix of Empirion's "Ciao", Mark Verbos' "Roots" (white boy's got soul), Joey Beltram's "Cop Car", the Atomic Babies' "Smiles" (the more I hear of them, the more I like), hearing Nude Photo again was a treat, and the finale by captain hairball himself- Doormouse. The rest was not much of a surprise- although the RITM track was one I hadn't heard before and wasn't too bad. The moral- see, this idea might look good on some record company exec's desk- but bridging the gap between the mainstream and techno is like taking a step backwards. While crossing the river of musical innovation, this CD is like filling in the spaces between the stepping stones we've already jumped to so more people can cross easily behind us. I personally would rather spend my energy on focusing on future stepping stones. [bliss] 

DJ DEADLY BUDDHA Universal Dynamo [Deadly Systems] 

"Underground Global Hardcore" is the label attached to this CD, and the insert describes the meaning of that label. The tracks are straight from limited run records which sometimes were guarded as "secret weapons" by their owners (so no one else could find out what it was), and also from future releases coming out on Deadly Systems. 36 tracks of lesser known, but still solid tracks. The mixes are logical and not bad at all, though the CD did lose my interest after 3/4 in. Labels include: Fischkopf, Drop Bass, Praxis, Epsilon, and Deadly Systems of course. [bliss] 

DJ ENERGY Megatones [Time Unlimited/Energy Records] 

High energy trance anthems mixed by Time Unlimited's own DJ Energy. The tracks kinda ride to the Kraft side of the cheese line a lot, but there are some definitely decent ones one here: Nostrum "Brainchild (DJ Energy remix)", Kosmonova "Take Me Away", DJ Energy "Set You Free". The mixing is good; the tracks are played out a good bit, but given the style i can see why. Plus, it seems they are trying to glorify the tracks more than the dj, so i would think they should have named it a compilation name, and just slapped a "mixed by Dj Energy" sticker on the cover. Nice CD- not mindblowing, but one that you may be interested in. [bliss] 

DORAN Monuments [Fragrant, US] 

Doran Chambers, known for his releases on Rampant Records, delivers a very uplifting mixed CD of progressive trance and house. Monuments is not as driving as Christopher Lawrence's "Rise" cd on Fragrant, but is just as emotional, if not more so. Tracks from labels like: Fuzzy Logik, Fragrant, Db, Orbit, Firefly, Hook, UG, Native Dance. [bliss]

EQUINOX   Holon   [Hypnotic] 

It's Bill Leeb it's Bill Leeb!! Those are Jamie's words! I know this already! Yes I know he can write pseudo no industrial dance type music stuff. Yes I know he did Intermix! The first Intermix tape is where, I personally believe, Icee got the idea for funky breaks. Well past accomplishments aside (cough cough Front Line Assembly?) there is a new project out, Equinox. The album is not industrial, it's not Intermix. It's Dance music as only Bill Leeb could do it. Hard but still funky? I don't know how he does it. Some jungle tracks- although, as you may know with Bill, nothing is as it may seem. It's dance music but it's way more complex, like Bill Laswell; but if Bill Laswell's music is shiny chrome then Bill Leeb's music is a hand grenade exploding in a beautiful river. That's how it is. Extremely emotional and pretty at points and extremely non-user friendly and abrasive. Jungle and breaks with wikked old industrial synth lines, SuperCool! But it maintains the dance music edge somehow. This CD is very entertaining and well rewarding to any music fan and especially to all the old industrial heads in the house. BUY IT! [kenya]

FREAKY CHAKRA Blacklight Fantasy [Astralwerks, US]

Freaky is back after a bit of an absence, save for some work with Single Cell Orchestra which had them touring for a bit together. Blacklight Fantasy is a hodge-podge mixture of techno-house and techno-electro, and which is on some weird, mental trippy vibe. There is an older feel to this, like Tangerine Dream/Vangelis/Kraftwerk style, with a funky twist. Even the cover art hints at these inspirations: robot-like mannequins with lighted grids showing their contours. The CD is studio-mixed, and the whole album flows the whole way through, you can tell he has played live enough to have his programming down impeccably. I believe he is out touring for this album now, so be on the lookout. [bliss] 

FUTURE FRONTIER 001 --> 010 [Future Frontier/Paradiso, BEL] 

What a concept, a techno label putting out a recap CD of their first 10 releases. That way you can see what all you missed, what you are glad you passed up, what records you wanna look for or heard and now know the name of. If you don't know the sound, Future Frontier is hard techno. A lot of the more pounding stuff, as well as the Detroit influenced techno. Most tracks (12 in all) are by Argonic, and there are two from Dj Tuttle, two from The Unknown, and one from Mould (Adam Beyer). I wished they would have gotten someone to mix this. Oh well. In case you're interested, FF is on release #14??. [bliss] 

KINETIK ARCHITECTURE various artists [Kinetic Records, Greece]

The inserted PR sheet takes the words right out of my mouth: "A Techno label is probably one of the last things you would expect to see coming from Greece! But hey, Techno is a universal language..." Kinetik is distributed through Neuton, so if you are a diehard techno buyer you have probably come across the label before. The sound is comparable to their German, Detroit, Belgian and Swedish counterparts- proof that Techno IS a universal language. Very minimal hard techno stuff, but lots of energy and some tracks have a minimal trance texture. [bliss] 

KRAFTWELT Retroish [Hypnotic]

Boy I bet these guys are happy Kraftwerk is on tour again. This outting is a LOT better than their previous release. They have matured a great deal, and seem to be finding their own identity in the shadow of their blatantly obvious Kraftwerk influences. The song structures are a lot tighter, more thought out. "Centershade", and "Low Life Lovers" (great name) shows their melodic side in an 70's meets 80's meet 90's meets 00's kinda way. "The Eight Approach" is my second favorite- dreamy melodies coming and going with chopped-up percussion, too fast to be dub, and not exactly drum and bass. My first favorite (yes i am still in kindergarden) is "r.t.f.2". [bliss] 

LE PUNK FUNK Best of House vol3 [Sm:)e] 

Another best of cd, again mixed. No brash statements about the quality or hip rave flyer artwork. What you see is almost what you get: quiet, subtle, strong deep house, at times a bit on the disco tip but for the most part very good soulful house. Definitely a good best of CD, the assortment isn't 10 tracks of the same flavor or cheesy amped up drum roll house, but it's rather a good CD that you can really get into. Very beautiful afterhours house, amen! [kenya] 

NIKO  Up Your Acid  [Adrenalin, US] 

Big surprise this name wasn't used before. I know what you're thinking- being that this is on Adrenaline, and it has a name like Up Your Acid, and the cover art is just your basic Photoshop vortex tiling filter, it's gotta be rehashed 303 tracks. But it's actually quite interesting. The moods change soo much and soo unnoticeably (except for a few sketchy studio mixes), going from some tweaked out swirling ambient, to hypnotic acid breaks, to grungy trance, even a track with heavy metal guitars. I swear the whole concept sounds so formulaic and unoriginal, but it's not. It's not exactly groundbreaking, envelope-pushing music that will be the next big thing, but it's worth checking out. The acid isn't overwhelming if you're worried about that. favorite sample- "Doctor, don't thank me now.. because... Godzilla is here!" [bliss] 

NOVAMUTE KOMPILATION  various artists  [Novamute] 

Novamute, probably North America's premiere techno label outside of Detroit and the +8 (now minus) crew, showcases their impressive roster with this 2 CD set. Luke Slater chips in two cuts from his acclaimed "Freek Funk" release from 97. Plastikman's resurgent track "Sickness"; Darren Price's melodic "Airspace" and "Blueprints"; Joey Beltram as (JB3) with his hit "Forklift (Luke Slater mix)" and "Curb (Dave Angel mix); others include Speedy J, Steve Stoll, Space Dj'z, 3 Phase, Fawn (Mark Bell from LFO), and Emmanual Top. Though not mixed, it's a nice audio yearbook of some of the more important releases by Novamute since early 97. [bliss] 

QBURNS ABSTRACT MESSAGE  Oeuvre   [Astralwerks] 

The latest CD by QBurns features 8 tracks- all smooth flowing with eclectic sampling and intricate programming. It takes you on a lifted journey as each track seems to flow together to make the albumn a whole and then drops into my favorite, "Toast", a nice melodic down tempo track, excellent... [Brian Stillwater] 

SAVAGE AURAL HOTBED  Gomi Daiko [TRG] 

I was psyched to hear this CD after getting it right after their mind-blowing performance at Even Furthur. Gomi Daiko, for me, wasn't representative of the stuff they played at Furthur, or maybe i was just too gone to remember. This is still very demented experimental industrial-funk, imagine seeing Stomp! jamming with Primus in some dive bar in with no sign in some dark alley. I definitely recommend seeing Savage Aural Hotbed perform (or booking them, if you are a promoter). The visual elements they presented live can't possibly be recreated on CD, not to say it wasn't good itself, just not AS good as the real thing. [bliss] 

SOLVENT  Solvent [Suction Records, Canada] 

If you're genuinely into electronic music, more than to the degree where you can think of yourself as being super-cool and trendy for diggin' progressive house or whateverthefuck, then go buy this CD. You will not regret it. A brilliantly produced highly rhythmic electro-accoustic ambient mental tripout extravaganza, you just really need to track this down and pop it in and let it work its magic. Try it on headphones for a real headtrip, and try it on _other_ things for a TOTAL skullfuck. Very beautiful melodies and rhythms, at times quite melancholic, although you'll find yourself craving it anyway. I played this album at work and totally bugged out my co-werkers, it was awesome... and this was in a computer music studio! If you need help tracking it down, get in touch with Jason Szostek, (szostek@serotoninusa.com) who's a good buddy of Solvent. [pezboy] 

STATE OF THE NU ART 2  various artists   [Shadow Electronica] 

The first Nu-Art CD was the wikked bizness. I thought Shadow was really on point with their selection of what they defined as electronica. Well CD #2 is out and the vision has not been lost. The drum and bass tracks on the CD are excellent, better quality than most of the 12" I get these days. Dark and upfront drum and in the vein of Tuff at the Top but always with a little more of that Shadow depth. The "triphop" tracks offer a little more in the programming department as well. And well, their funky tracks are just super marvelous funky stuff. All in all track 8 is the bomb- an ill, dark trip hop song with wedding bells, crazy sick scratching, everything. Expect each track to surprise you somehow, surprise in a good way! A must buy. A living book of examples of the best in our scene. [kenya] 

SUNKINGS Soul Sleeping [Blue Room America, US] 

This album will probably make a big impression if you are into psychedelic trance. The atmospheric level is almost perfect, almost. The only problem I have with the album is the same problem I have with many of the psychedelic labels like Matsuri, Blue Room, and Transient. The producers tend to get carried away with layering the music's textures. Luckily on this release the layering doesn't go too overboard. The Sunkings keep the tracks somewhat stripped down for a majority of the album, allowing the atmospheric background textures to do the talking. This is definitely the album's strength. If you want to hear psychedelic trance that doesn't pump along at 150 bpm with predictable screeching acid whips and melodramatic chanting, the Sunkings deliver. By the way, many Blue Room fans will be happy to hear the opening of Blue Room Americas in San Francisco. This outlet will allow this popular and dare I say Goa-trance label to release their material at a domestic price to the American trance enthusiasts. [Rick Salzer] 

SYMBIOSIS Meta [Domestic Recordings] 

Daryl and Stan Dorsett have been responsible for a couple of major underground anthems, most notably the release on the Hardkiss label entitled "Numinous." Since then the brothers have released a couple of very successful 12's on the Domestic imprint out of San Francisco. After a 10 month hiatus, Symbiosis returns with a stunning take on atmospheric drum and bass. Each and every track has the most deep and lush background from the track's intro to the track's finish. Eventually the beats creep in and take over, but it is not until after a perfect build of anxiety that the listener is sucked in and consumed with the deepness of "Meta." This past year has seen a movement away from ridiculous, synthetic sounding nonsense and a move toward deep, ambient, atmospheric textures. Not only has Symbiosis moved toward this all-encompassing atmospheric music, but they have done it quite brilliantly. If LTJ Bukem is your thing, do not miss out on the best album since Logical Progression volume 1. In a word, stunning. [Rick Salzer] 

SYSTEM 7 777 [Hypnotic] 

This is a re-release of their second album, originally released in '93, which spawned the classic "7:7 Expansion". This is the first time it has been released in the US, however. So, for all of you fans wanting to complete your collection- go get it. All the tranced-out melodies, percussion-fiddling, and occasional atmospheric guitar riffs that typify the unique System 7 sound. There are 9 tracks on here, including two mixes of "Expansion", and the other singles which came off the original release- "Quest" and "Sinbad". "A Cool Dry Place" should have been released on 12" as well if you ask me. "Ship of the Desert" is a wicked spine-tingling trancy-dub track, wow. [bliss]

TIMEWRITER  Jigsaw Pieces   [Twisted/Plastic City] 

If you have been digging the sounds of Terry Lee Brown, Jr., Plastic City or Deep Dish Boys- that soulfull techno-house, then definitely pick up this one. Jigsaw Pieces was just recently licensed by Twisted Records, and that will bring much more exposure to this incredible montage of emotion and technology. The CD begins with an ambient, almost movie-like beginning and a baby crying, violins... uhh.. violining, and children playing. They make the emotional element present from the get-go. The rest of the music explores the groove of house using tools of techno- deep explorations into the mechanical soul. There are still places in the nooks and crannies of the heart and mind that electronic music hasn't yet tapped, and Jigsaw Pieces offers proof of that. It's not emotional in every track, but even the ones that aren't are deep. [bliss] 

TRANCE CENTRAL  Return to the Classics [Planetary Consciousness]  

A continous mix from Dj HH on his new label, Planetary Consciousness. PC is about bringing back the TRUE sounds of trance and progressive trance and ending the confusion as to what exactly TRANCE is. The cover and packaging reminds me a lot of the Sasha and Digweed "Northern Exposure" CD, but don't let that scare you. The classic trance sound, represented with tracks like: Cosmic Baby "Liebe", Vision of Shiva "How Much Can You Take", Mark NRG "In My Brain", and Paul Van Dyk's remix of Joe T. Vanelli's "Play With the Voice in Germany". Seek this out for a treat. [bliss] 

TRIP THROUGH SOUND  various artists [Blue Room America]  

The Blue Room label has been at the front of the psychedelic trance music movement for some time. Along with labels like Flying Rhino and Transient, Blue Room has always had a large presence in many trance DJ's sets. Now the Blue Room outfit has set up shop and the states and already has a couple of albums slated for release. One of them is entitled Trip Through Sound 2 and it is a compilation showcasing various artists on the label. It is obviously a follow up to Trip Through Sound 1 and also the 1997 album entitled Made on Earth. If you are fan of relentlessly ass kicking trance do not miss this opportunity to pick up a handful of trance gems all in one tightly packaged compilation. The album includes but is not limited to Montauk P's "Hallucinate," Koxbox's "Midnight at the End," Metal Spark's "Sonic Feet," Man with No Name's mix of Juno Reactor's "Jardin De Cecile," and X-Dream's mix of Saafi Brother's "Internal Code Error." [Rick Salzer]

TUFF JAMS  Undergroundsound of London [Ultra]  

Apparently the definitive collection of speed garage. Even if I hadn't received the Moonshine CD, this CD still would be subpar. The Moonshine and Le Punk Funk CDs both come up with a more headstrong and diverse selection. The tracks aren't bad, a bit soulful and deep, but mostly the selection as a whole is lacking in that certain cohesive feel of a good CD or set. Spend your money elsewhere unless you have all the others. [kenya]

Various Artists mixed by DJ Hardware   Vol. 1 "Funky Breaks" and Vol. 2 "Trance"   [Street Beat] 

This 2 CD package showcases the mixing and track selection of DJ Hardware, the most prolific compilation guy in Florida. If you have never heard of the guy, it is probably because you have never owned any of the Adrenalin releases this guy was responsible for. Although there were one or two standouts, most of those outings were mediocre at best anyway. DJ Hardware's latest venture, "Funky Breaks" and "Trance" are arguably his best work to date. The funky breaks edition starts off with (of course) a DJ Icey mix, specifically his mix of Boston Bruin's "Raise Your Hands." It also has Junkie XL and Texas' own Southside Reverb in the mix. The trance addition is even better. The mix starts with Commander Tom's take on Microworld's "Booby Trap." It is immediately followed by some acid techno courtesy of the UK Liberator DJs and D.A.V.E. the Drummer via their Geezer and DDR project names. Next up is Choci from the now defunct Choci's Choons as well as the VCF label. If you want the music you hear in the progressive clubs in Florida these two CDs will substitute just fine. [Rick Salzer] 
 

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