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The opening
number (“Bring Dat” by A-Sides featuring MC Fats) expertly introduces the
disc, DJ Craze, and the awesome Miami-bred fusion of Jungle and Hip-Hop to
the
rest of the world in typical, over-the-top name-dropping fashion, but this
disc absolutely explodes into a fury of scratches, crab crawls, and
downright
CRAZY turntable wizardry on track 2, “NO.1 Sound” by Photek & MC MC. The
track
then drops out totally, returning with an awesomely evil bass lick that will
have heads spinning. The mix into track 3 is utterly flawless (but
disappointingly only one of a handful), and totally undetectable to the best
and highly trained ears, leaving my living room speakers nearly broken and
my
desk in disarray in a matter of minutes. The hyperactive, plunging bass line
of “Guns at Dawn” by Pendulum & Baron (track #4) is a stellar example of
today’s best club-style jungle sounds, while “Going in Circles” by Total
Science (appearing at position #8) is an amazing example of songwriting in
the
Drum n Bass genre, with its great vocal loops, sliding bass line, and
ultra-crisp drum track. Track 10, “Distorted Minds” by Stay Focused
(featuring
Timo Maas’ darling MC Skipadee) is an absolute STORMER, featuring barking
vocals and a fun, spooky underbelly. #14, “Creeper” by Zinc, is so addictive
it should warrant a government warning label on this CD, while #15, “All
That
Jazz” by Fresh, fills out the middle in a deliciously tasty bass heavy way.
Towards the end of the disc at track #18, “Love’s Theme” by Chase and Status
is beautifully atmospheric, and just plain pretty in spots, while “No More
Violence” by Digital (track #22) brings a hint of politics to this
incredible
mix. The last two tracks, (“Dub Tings” by TC; “Duppy Man” by Chase and
Status)
are purely bizarre but ripping tracks that end the disc in extravagant
fashion.Great track selection, and (thank
god!) you didn’t overdue the scratching!!
-- review by Carl Noone, Jr.
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