Features &
Interviews

Chocolate Weasel
DJ Cam
DJ Method One
DJ Stratus
DJ 3D
Dwindle
Ed Rush
Electronica
Frank Lloyd Wright's California
Ganger
Gapeseed
Her Space Holiday
Holiday Flyer
ICU
Jungle Defined
Kim Salmon
King Rhythm
Laika
Latin Playboys
Lounge Lizards
Mark Robinson
Mixtapes
Monochrome
Most Secret Method
Music Appreciation 101
Pressure Drop
Terrastock II
Third Eye Foundation

van Dyk, Paul Another Way/Avenue CDSingle
Considered one of the smoothest 4/4 producers out there, PvD fails to disappoint once again. Listening through the first thirty minutes of this CD builds anticipation for the 19-minute "Another Way"/"Avenue" mix where PvD builds-up and breaks apart his own tracks providing an overnight outdoor party track welcoming the dawn of the new day. This six-pack of house tracks inevitably will find its way on to mixtapes and dancefloors and inside the spinal columns of the clubberatti within days of writing this. Hands raised 'n' whistles blowin' this is hedonistic hi-hat 'n' bass destined for the next Ibiza shakedown. (Mute 140 West 22nd Street, Suite 10A, NYC 10011) – Keith York

Van Helden’s, Armand Sampleslaya Enter The Meat Market CS
Historically, hip-hop has been thrown some interesting curve-balls by outsiders like Kraftwerk, Malcolm McLaren and Art of Noise. These collaborations yielded important and uncompromising influence upon the
impressionable headz. Unlike hip-hop predecessors, da' Sampleslaya is the latest cyber-artist putting a spin on a stagnating culture. Aside from throwing a Daft Punk-ish prog-garage-house track ("Ultrafunkula") at the
listener, Enter The Meat Market is an amalgamation of 303, 808 and 909 electro drums, riffs and vocals begged, borrowed and stolen from hip-hop's past. All of which as presented, yields a new tangent for a 'culture to
entertain itself for a while. Short, looped vocal phrases as evidenced on "This Is It!", and "Daaboodaa Munks" are the canvas from which Sampleslaya begins stretching his/its artistry. While not completely dependent on
hip-hop sound bites, tracks like "Black People" extend the riff to a paragraph's worth of verbiage calling out the 'burbs housing blaaack peeeeopple. With nods to the sounds' past, Enter The Meat Market marks
one of those ever-rarer occasions when a simple idea turns your head askew and draws much-needed questions from breathless lungs. As well as opening up a can of whoop-ass on the headz. (Ruffhouse/Columbia) - Keith York

Van Pelt The Speeding Train CDEP
Inspiration and increased vigor flow through the body long after these two songs have ceased rattling speakers. “The Speeding Train” illuminates the sky like a spectacular fireworks display. The surging, melodic jangle and tom-heavy drumming propel the singer, as if he is strapped to the front of that racing train. With outspread arms bent back slightly from the speed, he revels in the glory of the things that make him happy to be alive.
The closing song infuses an old riff with the energy only the Van Pelt could provide. Humorous, potent lyrics accentuate the songwriter’s twisted phrasings and pointed moral. “It’s the cowards, not the psychos who cause the crimes,” he shouts. The singer quips on a ton of things he finds unconscionable, in his politically charged diatribe. I haven’t slowed him down long enough to figure out what side he is on, but whose ever it is, today, at this fleeting moment, it sounds like that of the righteous. (Art Monk Construction (via Hyper Publicity) PO Box 6332 Falls Church, VA 22040 or info@artmonk.com) - Steven M. Brydges

Vaportrail EP CD
Wrapped in the giddy feeling after a first date with a new spectacle, you dance around the apartment accompanying a favorite CD. By the third date you are picking out soundtracks to candle-lit dinners, Sunday afternoon coastal drives, and your first sexual encounter. Ride did all of the above quite well; especially their track "Vapor Trail". Vaportrail extract some of the candle flicker from Ride, as well as somber moments from the likes of Red House Painters, Half Film, Idaho and American Music Club that light up your house like 4th of July sparklers in slow motion. As the astute, yet relaxed 4/4 drums crack along, Vaportrail's bass and guitar intertwine like lovers wrapped in a maze of sheets, pillows and half-opened dazed eyelids. Embraced, your mind wanders on rusty halos and the egg-shell fragility of your heart. Tired, drained, motionless you lay there staring at the ceiling trying to remember if the giddy feeling or the exhausted feeling are more valuable. More memorable. The answer should be obvious. (2012 Music 1490 Pine St. #5 San Francisco, CA 94109) - Keith York

Various Artists African Travels CD
What we hear in Afrobeat, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s legacy, culls from the innermost “tribal” linkages having been defined culturally, of this distant land Africa. Culling together tracks that witness the fusing of Afrobeat and Western dance music, African Travels is a must-have for anyone interested in either scene. While the “motherland” isn’t necessarily the home of these creations (artists are also from US and Europe), the sentiment of Fela’s (like Marley’s with Reggae) is in the spirit of every track. With dance pioneers Gus Gus, Organic Grooves, Bob Holroyd, Masters at Work, Beat Pharmacy and Future Loop Foundation sharing the stage with Issa Bagayogo, Mabi Thobejane, Les Go, Neba Solo and others, the remixed work flows elegantly into- and out-of the sounds of the Ivory Coast, South Africa and Fela’s worldwide stage. Essential. (Six Degress POB 411347 San Francisco, CA 94141) – Keith York

Various Artists Anakin CD
Nearly a dozen tracks highlighting the upcoming releases on 4AD in '98. Contributions are made by: His Name is Alive, Mojave 3, Scheer, Lisa Germano, Starry Smooth Bound, Gusgus, Thievery Corporation, The Hope Blister, Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke, Kristin Hersh, and Cuba. Anakin well documents the diversity of the label's established artists while drawing needed attention to their new signings: Thievery Corporation, and Cuba lay down molasses thick bass and breaks for some good ol' dance floor head bobbin'. (4AD) - Keith York

Various Artists Asphodelic CD
In what seems like a decade, the first five years of Asphodel have passed us by. Asphodelic rekindles some of the label's ashes long left dormant – tracks by We, X-ecutioners, Tipsy, Rob Swift, Mix Master Mike and (who could ever forget their role in launching the career of) DJ Spooky are contained on this sampler. Gathering together unreleased, import-only, and vinyl-only tracks on one CD not only serves as a balanced initiation for the novice, but also gathers tracks from disparate locales under one roof – one stop shopping for the fanatic. Asphodelic and the tracks contained are testament to Naut Human, the staff and of course the amazing stable of artists contributing thus far to the label's oeuvre. (Asphodel PO Box 51 Chelsea Station NYC 10113 ) – Keith York

Various Artists A Tribute to Galaxie 500 7”
My conflict of interest is apparent so let me caution the reader on this one. Hula Hoop’s cover of “Sorry” and Holiday Flyer’s cover of “It’s Getting Late” on this compilation have been previously released on Silver Girl - therefore I will just talk about the b-side. This 4-band tribute to the late great Galaxie 500 covers at least one song of each of their albums and is a forthcoming “sampler” of a full length CD of G500 cover tunes. Paying tribute to a much heralded combo like da’ 500 can be quite a touchy matter - - does the band get better points for reinterpreting songs or for faithfully recreating the original’s mood? Can bands live up to covering songs when their own songs are pretty lackluster? Japan’s Venus Peter have released a slew of stuff, only a fraction of which I have heard - though that tiny fraction I adored. Venus Peter do a fine version of “Blue Thunder” that closely resembles the track I recall from “On Fire.” The Spanish combo Pequenas Cosas Furiosas do little with their version of “Snow Storm.” Trying not to judge this as a prelude to what the album version may entail, this speaks highly in regard to a forthcoming tribute to one of the bands that gave me the rarest of joys by seeing them live once in New York City at a time in my life when I needed to see someone as inspirational as Wareham, Krukowski and Young were. (Elefant PO Box 331 Las Rozas 28230 Madrid Spain)

Various Artists Beluga on the Rocks 3 CD
Marking the third entry into Scott Beluga's compilation series, Volume 3 is comprised of 36 tracks by 35 Chicago-area bands. Including label stable bands Grand Theft Auto, Cats & Jammers, Today's My Super Spaceout Day, Big Angry Fish, Jupiter Down, Zipperhead and others, on the rocks makes another splash. From Motorhead-like rawk, to gentle sweeping radio-ready 3-minute pop songs, the gathering together of these bands has little to do with commonalities in song writing and everything to do with a local phone call. A great peak inside the social web that Mr. Beluga lives within. (Beluga PO Box 146751 Chicago, IL 60614) – Keith York

Various Artists Betty’s Hot Rod Muscle Car 7”
Garage rock songs by Electric Frankenstein, Sgt. 6 Assault, The Hellacopters and the Stuntmen. The Hellacopters reminded me of the UK Subs, The Stuntmen reminded me of Overwhelming Colorfast and the other side just reminded me of sub par Estrus outtakes. (Carbon 14 PO Box 29247 Philadelphia, PA 19125)

Various Artists Black Bean and Placenta Tape Club Comp #5 12”
Seven tracks by as many artists spread across this one-sided 12” say one thing, look out Shrimper their’s a new label in town! Mike Landucci has been working wonders collecting songs from lo-fi pop bands from around the world for this series of one-sided 12” comps as well as his one-sided 12” live series. Mike contributes his own piece to this comp. “Outro for comp 5” is a delightful keyboard murmur not unlike a warped version of “Take Me Out to The Ballgame” by a kid on drugs. Minnetonka, Earth to Nigel, Names for Pebbles, Musical Chairs, The Ninjas, and Callisto all donate the other six tracks and they are all worthwhile, not a clunker in the bunch. In Mike’s usual fashion, artwork is a last ditch effort; some construction paper, some photocopies and a Sharpie note on the back of some flyer...well at least he recycles! I have yet to determine why he has chosen the one-sided 12” as his label’s trademark, but he has cornered the market on the idea. Financially they are not much more expensive than doing a 7” single - depending on artwork - but then again I already mentioned his concept of packaging. The liner notes also mention this comes in a first edition of 165 copies so get them while they are hot! Write the address on your screen for more info. on the Landucci empire. (Blackbean and Placenta Tape Club 124 Ventura Avenue Oxnard, CA 93035)

Various Artists Blackout: Electronic Bands Drain Long Island’s Power Resources CD
A decade has passed since the post-industrial sonic mayhem of aggro electronics was a musical tour de force, let alone mere entertainment for emotionally stunted white suburban youth. By showcasing such nymphs on Blackout..., this label does itself a double-jeopardy by limiting the scope of the artists to those sharing residence on Long Island. Aside from tumbling down memory lane with the rumblings of Ensoniq samplers, Roland synth modules, fractured guitar attacks and screaming limiter-testing vocal distortion, Blackout... has little merit as a cohesive statement. Individual contributions by Dystopia One and Polymorph 3.1 were unique but don’t require the attention and landscape a single (or EP) might showcase. Controlled Bleeding, like the Swans, have continued tearing away their own legacy by remaining in existence so long as to create a caricature of themselves as the quality of their work declines (as witnessed with their contribution “Poisoner Excerpt”). For those curious about the Long Island black-clothing-dependent Xers, this may be the late Xmas gift you were hoping for. For the rest of us couch critics, Blackout... is a context-less pursuit in highlighting a “scene” seemingly invented to add credibility to this product’s existence. (None of the Above PO Box 654 Farmingville, NY 11738) - Keith York

Various Artists Blue Note Rare Grooves 2 x12”
I imagine this was put together with the rare groove DJ in mind - two 12”s of hot jazz drum action recorded between 1967 - ‘71. From the likes of Jimmy McGriff, Donald Byrd and Andrew Hill to Larry Young - a collection of funked up grooves is explored across a wide expanse of ideas. Breaks upon breaks make this a challenging night listen as you head out on the town, a great soundtrack to a martini party, and a dancefloor bootie quake. Riffs upon breaks upon melodies upon regulatin’ atmosphere; you can’t attend a more captivating event than the one with this as the mood-setting music. Whether spun at home or by the 1200s of an existentialist, rare grooves are worth their weight in gold - not only as historical artifact but as timeless songs keepin’ it real. (Blue Note 1290 6th Avenue NYC 10104)

Various Artists Bootyz in Motion CD
DJ Magic Mike mixes up a seamless serving of old skool BootyHop for the car stereo stompers. While lowered mini-trucks and 70s Monte Carlos may not be your thang, Magic Mike can turn your Saturn two-door into a mobile sound system for boulevard stylin'. With classic tracks such as the Miami booty hit "Me So Horny" by Two Live Crew, Seattle's booty bangin' mega-classic "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix A Lot, to Afro-Rican's skooled give, give, give..."Give It All You Got", Mike and friends allow any house party to become a booty party. Maybe even a booty fest! Admittedly, a lot of these tracks, like "Planet Rock", bring back fond memories of hip-hop radio in the mid-80s. Bootyz in Motion should also act as a reference point for the importance of hip-hop's ability to laugh at itself. Most "rock" and "country" musicians take themselves wildly serious (outside of the Weird Al's of the world), while much of the "Miami", "Bass" or "Booty" scenes allow for some joyous politically incorrect frolic. Salute your First Amendment rights by wavin' your booty in air! (Jake/Interscope 10900 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1230 Los Angeles, CA 90024) - Keith York

Various Artists Centre of the Universe II CD
After becoming enamored with Shiner on their recent explosive tour, a sampler compilation disc from their label seemed as fitting as any other exercise of using my free time. With Shiner being the highlight and All being the lowpoint, tons of great punk rock ethos manifest themselves in a wide range of tones – tracks by Someday I, Tanger, Wretch Like Me, Armchair Martian, Bad Astronaut, Janis Figure, Season to Risk and the Pavers. While the packaging concept takes on the book of Masons, it is the fine print that may get folks excited – this comp. Features exclusive recordings by most of the featured artists. Check it out at the $5.00 price point. (Owned & Operated Recordings PO Box 36 Ft. Collins, CO 80522) – Keith York

Various Artists Club Flys CD
Hovering over a stack of compilation records and CDs one realizes quickly that you save these for one or two tracks you may want to put on a mix tape or throw on your 1200s in the near future. You hold on to the whole collection at times for one break or one second of a recording you may sample at some point. Club Flys, a mixed CD sponsored by Black Flys sunglasses carries a mightier burden on your record collection. Which track is the track I really wanted to keep - they are all that good. From breakbeat to house, to electro to a Latin/ska thing - the whole ride is a joyously diverse jaunt through beats and rhymes that stir you in your sleep. From DJ Technique’s amazing breakbeat track to Witch Doctor’s dusting off Big Stick’s “Crack Attack” 12” for the rare sample. As one would expect, great contributions come to the Moonshine family from Uberzone, Josh Wink and Fatboy Slim - all keeping the beats alive. Nearly every track on here is worth being on an individual 12” in your set. (Moonshine 8525 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069)

Various Artists Coast to Coast: Progressive Breakbeat Fusion... CD
Acid, breakbeat, and electro rhythms flow from the hands & turntables of DJ Hardware - a specialist in tweaking & freaking his record collection into mad dance floor results. With the magic of acid flowing through the mix, shimmering female voices call us to look, bass lines make us listen and the breakbeats shake hips and flail our arms around and above the head. With Kingsize’s “Acid or XTC” the freakbeats really get rolling into King Bee’s “Back by Dope Demand” a stellar breakbeat track as quick tempered as they come. Like thunder, two Flexi tracks loom on the horizon book-ending “Believe in Me” by Kingsize. The second Flexi track “Waxin’ Taxin”’s vocal sample is numbing as the sweat pours from your brow. An essential product for parties with tons of open space while lacking a real live DJ. (ESP-SUN 536 Broadway NYC 10012)

Various Artists Cool Beans freebie with Issue Six 7”
Aside from driving a cab throughout San Francisco, Matt also does one of the finest zines around - Cool Beans! With his latest issue, Matt enclosed a free zingle (zine + single) compilation with Fuck, Snowmen, Harry Pussy, Kelley Deal 6000 and a bonus recording of one of his cab customers. The single is a great introduction to everyone save for the ‘da 6000 and the taxi cab patron is a hoot! “Situation” by Fuck takes the show with its climbing pace and dual vocals - melancholia like this pushes the pop listener into the doldrums along with the singer and players. “Dy-no-mite” by Snowmen is a nice Eitzel-ish sad pop number not unlike the Fuck song. Yet this one has more of a rootsy down to earth feel like the Volebeats or American Music Club whereas Fuck seemed a distant cousin to fashionable indie rockdom. The Harry Pussy track is a stellar live crash of rock - I continue to think they are the Pussy Galore of the 90s - underrated in their own time to become icons posthumously. “Stripper” by KD6K is dumb, but funny nonetheless - kinda like how silly Green Day is but not the same at all. (Cool Beans 3181 Mission #113 San Francisco, CA 94110)

Various Artists Dark Beloved Cloud Singing Catalog...vol. 2 7”
With yet another brilliant marketing move under his belt, Dark Beloved Cloud moves itself once again into indie-obscurity’s spotlight for more “minutes of fame” than allowed. By collecting what seems to be excerpts from tracks from DBC releases, or just short bits by each artist (I am not quite sure) this release allows the casual purveyor of 7”s to enter this wacked world. From deconstructed, if not destroyed, pop courtesy of Uncle Wiggly and Fly Ashtray to sinister near-Sonora-Pine sounding cello work via Azalia Snail - this compilation has a little bit of everything. Not since the label’s Clean tribute single have I re-entered DBC’s foyer - but once again I am sucked into this wonderfully odd world. The catalog contained inside the sleeve and within the grooves explains it all. It explains who Michael Evans is, why Phoaming Edison sounds the way it does, who comprises the staff of Dymaxion, what World (Without End) releases are one the horizon and who is behind The Stock Exchange. You gotta get one of these to really grasp what the hell I am going on at the mouth (read: pen) about. Simple, eloquent and to the point like all good marketing concepts. I do hope it reaches the appropriate demographic niche! (Dark Beloved Cloud 5-16 47th Road #3L Long Island, NY 11101)

Various Artists Destination House CD
The latest set by Texas DJ DeepFeel is for you to carry with you. Instead of his rockin’ a dancefloor somewhere in the nation, this 13-track set on 3 decks enjoys a life of its own as a separate artifact for others to enjoy outside of the party arena. Heavy on the vocal House, DeepFeel extends his hands across more jazzy, deep and soul-tinged 4/4 trax pushing the listener to the borderline of ecstacy time and again. With songs by Dennis Ferrer, C&M Productions, and Todd Gardner from strong labels such as Deep Touch, Mad House, Large, Naked, and Mad House, you are guaranteed one of the finest (current) house mixers out there. (Topaz 110 W. 40th St., Ste.1004 NYC 10018) - Keith York

Various Artists Destructive Urges CD
At first glance this appeared to be a label sampler compilation exhibiting their four finest acts. Upon a bit of liner note reading I learned this is actually a reissue of the label’s first 8 releases - a string of 7”,10” and 12” singles. Their label slogan “Common as Muck, Flash as Fuck” can be evidenced throughout this consumer entertainment product - its colors, graphics, and music. It seems this little-label-that-could wants to become more: though “more” of what I am not quite sure. This reissue of singles by The Secret Goldfish, The Leopards, Revolutionary Corps of Teenage Jesus, and Spacehopper sounds as varied as one of those NME samplers - from Velocity Girl-ish noisepop to garagey punk attitude, to Aphex Twin-like pounding samplers to American indie rock - this 18 song document has it all. And now I would like to vent on the issue of reissuing (supposedly) vinyl-only releases. It seems a growing number of labels (large and small) and even self-releasers have been turning around re-releasing what were once (7”, 10” and 12”) records (most of limited pressings, limited audiences and limited scope) onto CD. This behavior not only salutes the annihilation of the vinyl medium by supporting the corporate status quo dealing CDs to the masses as music products of which they horde like any other item at Walmart, but it also makes us vinyl aficionados skeptical of motives behind initial vinyl releases as well as subsequent re-releases. I am a skeptic, a cynic, a pessimist at times - and certainly all three when I see things like Destructive Urges placed into record store bins. I find that most of the songs contained on items like this had their place, had their moment when originally released on their original format - why muck that up? If this collection were a freebie given out by the label to tell the turntable-impaired about their fine roster - I would probably understand and have little to do but support their efforts. Some of us vinyl consumers will actually put off buying the vinyl knowing that odds are the thing is going to get re-released in a few months or a year on CD! And it is labels like Creeping Bent that encourage this social dilemma. (Creeping Bent PO Box 3645 Glasgow G42 9AU Scotland)

Various Artists Dream with the Fishes CD
I commend the sequencer of this CD on the arrangement of the tracks. Though I did not care for most of the songs, the flow of one song and style to the next is nearly seamless. In tribute to this well-sequenced album, I offer the following review, which flows like a waifdoll water-skiing across a whitecapped lake. Nick Drake opens the CD with a beautiful summer ballad that dances through fields of flowers and tall grass. A delicate acoustic melody and soft violins ease a gentle sway from a summer’s swoon. Would someone please take Greg Brown’s voice out back and shoot it. I don’t ever want to hear his pukey, “earnest” warble again. My brother’s name is Jeremy. He is a stout lad; a fan of both Metallica and Garth Brooks. I love him all the same. This record has one song each by two fellas named Jeremy, Mrs. Toback and Enigk. I think I speak for my brother when I say we do not like either of these songs. Toback opens with a rip-off of Hendrix’s “Castles in the Sand,” and cops Dave Matthews the rest of the way. Ick. Apparently, Enigk relocated to England from Seattle, became royalty and picked up an adorable accent. I’d like to pull him up by his roots and swing him about my real estate on a sunny day. Next up on the chopping block is Cal Tjader, who dumbs it down a shade with a stale lounge-Latin rumba. Why is it every alternative soundtrack has at least one song like this? “Don de esta me Tequila?!” Thankfully, the Squirrel Nut Zippers end my misery- if only for the moment, with the gorgeous, Cab Callowayesque, “Blue Angel.” Leroy and the Drivers’ song is either an extended-intro for an ESPN segment or a seventies' fusion mishap that snuck its way into this decade by waiting out the eighties in the pants pocket of a pair of thrift store bellbottom hip-huggers. Damn the fallout of popular fashion (and long series of prepositional phrases!). Ween and Granddaddy are the namedroppables that round out the back-third of the CD. What I have yet to put together, since I have not seen or heard a thing about this film, is how the music fits with the movie. Is it relegated to background music? Does it stroll across the screen like so many busy waitresses during the standard coffee house scene? Will my possession of this CD outlast the movie’s abbreviated stay at the theaters this fall? So many questions...so little reason to seek answers. (Will Records 1122 E. Pike #511 Seattle, WA 98122) - Steven M. Brydges

Various Artists The Eagle Has Landed 2x12"
Contained uassumingly within a topographical map acting as the sleeve art is an amazing survey of indie-rock. Calibrating four sides of 12" vinyl to structurally support the weight of the music, Tranquility Base has gathered under one roof home, recordings, live recordings, exclusive songs, and experiments by rock luminaries (Ethel Meserve, Smart Went Crazy, At the Drive-In, Don Caballero, Cerberus Shoal, and Watts Systems Ltd. AKA Regulator Watts) as well as lesser knowns (Brave New Gun, Drill For Absentee, Glorium, Cordial etc.). Measuring the landscape in this manner has set the label up for future contract projects to map much of the terrain left untouched by this project, as well given many artists map coordinates that may have eluded the explorer of this region. The Eagle Has Landed is less a statement about moon landing, than it is a reference to the great unmapped regions of indie rock that contextualize the mammoth undertaking future compilations will endure. Looking skyward for the rock, we quickly realize there is plenty of untouched earth below us that labels struggle to document. Conceptually as well as practically distinct, unique and important, my congratulations go out to the bands and label pioneer Nik Sokol. (Tranquility Base PO Box 184 Bryn Mawr, PA 19010) - Keith York

Various Artists Earth Tone Collectiv 7”
The presentation of three projects’ performances: Fibreforms, Owl Eye and Waterwheel. “Ecru (Shift)” by Fibreforms combines clocktower bell tolls, a crackling microphone, and delay-soaked guitar underscored by a bass oscillator murmur. A deranged listen, subdued by mood-stabilizers. Owl Eye remind me of Monaural with their layers of reverb/delay guitar sounds hovering like cloaked UFOs. Fibreforms’ “April” builds from its murmuring ambient beginnings to a struggle of surging drums and lunging guitars as Nurse With Wound collaborate with Stereolab. It ends in a whir. Waterwheel: music for film. Cello-like synth lines in fogbank tones hover above a metropolis at dawn. Earth Tone Collectiv collects some interesting textural sounds from realms unknown placing them into a commodity context allowing for consumption by fans of the Mind Expansion catalog. Underestimated. (Mind Expansion PO Box 725161 Berkley, MI 48072

Various Artists Elefant Radio 68.2 FM Stereo CD
A sampler of a label I only recently have become curious about and familiar with - this CD owes much to my new found appreciation for what these folks are releasing. Across the 20 contributions to this disc we find our Stereolab derivatives, our C86 memories, are twee pop clones, songs in English, songs in Spanish, a “postrock” track and an haphazard electronic piece, a Casio new wave noodler, and some lush tropical adult pop that combined spins your head ‘round. Favorites included tracks by Stormclouds, Po!, Le Mans, Telefilme, Union Wireless and Silvania. I have recently taken note of some internet chat amongst people who have a fondness for Le Mans - who I assume must have a record separate from this compilation that is making some hearts flutter. (Elefant PO Box 331 Las Rozas 28230 Madrid Spain)

Various Artists Event Horizon CD
Like the polar caps of our planet, the desolate plains of ice flow must be simultaneously beautiful to look at from afar and frightening to experience close up. Numerous lives have perished at the helms of ships and expeditions on such alien landscapes. The Event Horizon is an international collection of icy, jagged cliffs supporting frigidly sinister beats culled from sampled and “real” instruments forging new paths on unknown planes - some of which illuminate the strangely soft touch of melting ice and the ironic pain of skin adhering to an icy surface. Borrowing from religions and mantras the world over, this collection highlights the intercontinental sonic archivist’s thirst for new ways of approaching the “chill”. Contributions by Naked Pretzel, Ambient Temple of Imagination, Trance Mission and Stillpoint are among the efforts highlighting the complexities of the coldest spots on earth. (City of Tribes 3025 17th Street San Francisco, CA 94110) - Keith York

Various Artists Fuck Jungle CD
Proposing to put NYC’s jungle collective on the map, especially those that work Koncrete Jungle into a frenzy, this compilation of artist’s from America’s largest city works. Notables, Soul Slinger and DJ Wally establish a good base from which to work from, as this collection of ten tracks ranges wildly from hardstep insanity to ambient near-dub moments of blurry-eyed chill out. Imagining some, if not all, of these tracks at one time being dub plates spun by Soul Slinger, Dara, DB, or Ani at the Koncrete Jungle stokes the wishful thinking to be present at the club week after week. Watching the scene evolve and produce fans, dancers, MCs and DJs that are worldclass AND on our own soil. While this CD collects some fine drum ‘n’ bass talent together, it by no means speaks to the depth and breadth offered by American junglists who are breaking ground mixing jungle up by adding scratching and hip-hop breaks to the Amen-break-dependent subgenre. Gladly this CD showcases a great deal of diversity that the experimental alter-ego that jungle posesses rather than harnessing the danceable more-generic jungle/d ‘n’ b structures that are slowly creeping into the mainstream. With little else to judge this label on, Fuck Jungle is a damn good start for me. Another fine example of me selling off my old CDs to the local retailer and finding gold in the record bins with the cash. (Jungle Sky 67 E. 3rd St. Suite B NYC 10003)

Various Artists Funkungfusion 2xCD
What, aside from "overwhelming", can one say about a thirty-track double CD released by THE monarchy of hip hop. Both the depth and breadth of this collection is awe-inspiring: the tracks and artists represented herein cover every square inch of the downtempo world, the trip hop kingdom, the breakbeat domain, and the drum 'n' bass arena, while romancing the stones of old skool hip hop. Every artist producing tracks for the Coldcut-run roster are here: DJ Food, Funki Porcini, Herbaliser, DJ Vadim, Luke Vibert, Amon Tobin, Chocolate Weasel, and the inimitable collaboration between Kid Koala & Money Mark to name but a few. Clocking in at over 150 minutes of non-stop beats, breaks and samples that don't let up, this collection will inspire DJs (as did the Headz and Headz2 releases) to add new dimensions to dusty record collections and turntable sets. Not only does it take a few days to soak all of this in, but once the listener is enveloped in the intimacy of these tracks, it's hard to let go. Impossible to break free of a CD player. Overwhelming. (Ninja Tune 1751 Richardson Suite 6108 Montreal Quebec H3K 1G6 Canada) - Keith York

Various Artists Global House Culture Vol. 4 CD
Chicago house DJ Bad Boy Bill serves up some of the tastiest house trax from his collection on this continuous mix CD. While supporting his favorite labels, Bill mixes and scratches an infinite variety of sounds and tones - all residing comfortably within the house sphere. These mix CDs offer more to those that want a non-stop beat at a small get together or for their dashboard, than to those that scrape cash together to buy the vinyl to spin themselves. At some point these mix CDs will be available in CD-ROM format such that you can watch Bill mix and match his career-choice at any day, date and time you desire. Until then, these two-dimensional versions of the club experience work wonders for the aerobically inclined. (ESP-SUN 536 Broadway NYC 10012)

Various Artists Grooverider Presents The Prototype Years CD
While working on his debut album slated for international release, Grooverider compiled tracks from his own recording archives (AKA Codename John) as well as from some of the folks he has curated on his own decks via his Prototype label. Grooverider has risen to acclaim for his skills as a jungle DJ - and soon we will know exactly what he is able to do in the studio. In the meantime this album doesn’t get rolling until track six; Dillinja’s “Silver Blade” is like a thundering apocalypse, the car chase scene soundtrack if John Carpenter directed a spy thriller or if Melrose Place and Millennium crossed paths on a dancefloor. Dillinja wins each time. From this point on the rinse takes effect; Ed Rush & Fierce go graverobbing with their “Locust” track replete with swirling, punching bass drops and the techstep breaks that Nico & Co. have built a foundation upon. “Locust” pulls wanderers through deserts of sound by the nose filling their screaming mouths with sand and insects and dirt and heat. the album closes as Boymerang and Lemon D display some of their most promising moments yet - placing the listener gently on a vibrating bed of nails. The DJ smiles. The kids scream for the rewind. Cut and pasted together a little tighter, this compilation would have rivaled Platinum Breaks for its diversity and impact. (Prototype/Columbia 550 Madison Ave. NYC 10022)

Various Artists Ground Rule Double, A Compilation CD
Reading like a Who’s Who of midwest independent rock, the list of bands on this compilation (and their song contributions) instantly, and inarguably, define this as a must-have item. Rocker hot shots like Shellac, Promise Ring and Mineral are here alongside rookies like C-Clamp, Dianogah, Gainer, and Lustre King - which all told is more like a state of the union than a mere documentation of good songs. Cover versions of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades, and Minor Threat’s “I don’t Want to Hear It” add a bit more depth to this 26-band collection. By pooling their resources, Divot and Actionboy 300 have put together one of the best collections since the Sub Pop 200 boxset came out on triple 12”. (Divot/Actionboy Box 14061 Chicago, IL 60614)

Various Artists Half Cocked, The Motion Picture Soundtrack CD
Whether or not you see the film, the soundtrack holds its own merits and musings aside from video accompaniment. Since the film doesn’t use entire songs, the CD allows us to hear the complete unexpurgated versions of some really fine independent rock. Highlights for me extended far past track #2 by Unwound. Pop songs by Sleepyhead, Helium, Retsin, Ruby Falls, Big Heiffer and Versus were at times breathtaking. The more “rock” contributions by Slant 6, Rodan, Polvo, Crain and the Grifters were gritty stomps that shook the roof tiles off the building. The movie’s fictional band Truckstop play three songs in all and those were more interesting with the visual accompaniment. The Truckstop tracks were taken from the actual staged film shoots as members of Ruby Falls, Retsin, Sonora Pine, Crain and Rodan took to the stage to pound out some cantankerous creations. Suprises by unknowns Boondoggle, Big Heiffer and Dungbeetle were the icing on the cake. (Matador 676 Broadway NYC NY 10012)

Various Artists Hardcorps CD
While jungle’s manic versions of 4/4 rhythms rumble along at 180 BPM, hardcore techno/gabber hits hips & eardrums at 200+ - far exceeding your heartrate’s ability to mimic the manic beat. Replete with dark/scare-core samples about crime & punishment, and distortion-soaked kick drums, gabber is the raver version of mid-80s Skinny Puppy (and their healthy numbers of imitators) but with a wry wit rarely witnessed outside the days when rave techno harnessed an appetite for cartoon character samples. While Digital Hardcore Recordings has brought the vocal version of hardcore to US radios with the likes of Atari Teenage Riot, EC8OR and Alec Empire’s variety of monikers, the laser-blast lit dancefloors of Rotterdam skinhead ravers has been swept under the rug by the dance cognoscenti. Hardcorps is a welcome introduction to the scene for the uninitiated - as contributions by Rob Gee, Da Predator, Prophet, Mystic and Omar Santana should send you in search of the latest your hardcore techno 12” record bins have to offer. Make a special note to yourself to seek out stuff on Ruffneck. Sadly unrepresented are Americans like SpaceWürm and Teknoman - but with a growing appetite for hardcore, we are likley to soon have many such compilations to choose from. (Moonshine 8525 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069)

Various Artists Harmony of the Spheres 3x12”
The crowning achievement of a small independent record label is to release a memorable document. Whether it be attributed to the music recorded by the artist(s), the flawless vinyl courtesy of a smart pressing plant, kind liner notes by a well-instructed writer, or graphics lovingly assembled by an expert eye and a printer with a clue, most labels/releases are known for one of the above. Not all of them. It is a rare occasion to witness a document such as Harmony of the Spheres. With music contributions by: Jessamine, Flying Saucer Attack, Roy Montgomery, Charalambides, Bardo Pond, and Loren Mazzacane Connors and liner notes courtesy of Kevin Moist and Mike Trouchon this is a very special collection. What you get are three “virgin vinyl” 12”s courtesy of RTI (not cheap!), a stylish silver and black printed box and museum-style catalog/guide to the music and artists, and six side-long excursions by some of the more notable names in introspective “intuitive” music. Flying Saucer Attack and Charalambides take a trip into percussionless guitar-distortion drone. Bardo Pond and Roy Montgomery release the only actual “grooves” contained on this compilation by resting their laurels on repetition that encircles your senses. Loren Mazzacane Connors plays his guitar with distortion, producing a mutated intellectual blues. Jessamine opted to convey their ideas via an improvised 22 minute “practice session jam.” All the tracks have their unique sounds, styles, and senses of purpose. All will probably be tagged as drone or post-rock by the writers at glossier mags. Taking a couple hours out of your busy day to relax, unwind and meditate within the soundscapes could help you get past the hurdles and obstructions holding you back in life. These are meaningful minutes, collected together on a meaningful artifact. (Drunken Fish PO Box 460640 San Francisco, CA 94146)

Various Artists Headz 2a 4x12”
Contained within one of the most brilliantly decorated boxset-packages I have witnessed are four 12”s documenting the history and status behind MoWax, James Lavelle and the Beat/Headz scene. Culling the archives for some older tracks - a Nightmares on Wax track from ‘91 and a Stereo MCs track from ‘88 - this compilation goes beyond the notion of a label sampler or a scene report, this is a dissertation on the beathead manifesto. By introducing each side with a short DJ Krush track, each disc becomes a seamless continuation of the last. Lined up it takes nearly 3 hours to complete the listening experience - all the while holding the package in front of your eyes gazing at its imaginative turntable heads. Though nearly impossible to write an all-encompassing review of this collection, nearly every track deserves its own review as if each track were a single. While the big name talents of Beastie Boys, Folk Implosion, Massive Attack, and Tortoise may draw some folks into checking out this album - it is the farm team that wins the hearts and makes the pulse quicken. Whether you are smitten with the downbeat/trip hop of RPM’s jazzy looped bass, scratched horn blasts and Portishead-like compressed female vocals or the Folk Implosion’s re-introduction of the Silver Apples’ “Lovefingers” with their track “Simean Groove,” there is something for everybody, every evening and certainly every party. Ranging wildly within the slower communities of rhythms; Stasis provides listeners with an electro track akin to instrumental versions of Kraftwerk while DJ Wally wrote a score of a sinister, edge-of-the-seat spinetingling suspense murder-mystery flick with its biting piano loop, dark samples all anchored by a the requisite stunning drum track. Sam Sever and ROTLA’s “Do You Understand?” is probably the most memorable (aside from the unecessary mention of the brilliant Stereo MCs instrumental) skipped-heartbeat drum lines, saxophone comets zipping across the night sky and their addictive rhyming lyrics. Truly timeless. On the final side of the collection, the true stalwarts will find three jungle tracks in a row - though as calmly sinister as the rest of the hiphop, these tracks by Lunar Funk (AKA Alex Reece), Forme, and Solo wake you up to the proximity between really good jungle and the melancholy scratched vinyl policy of the DJ Krush interludes that breathe continuity through the first of the two-part compilation series. (Mo Wax Recordings)

Various Artists Headz 2b 4x12”
Thirty more songs to add to your collection, in a matching briefcase-like assemblage courtesty of J. Lavelle and Co. Though the majority of these tracks are from ‘96, the Jungle Brothers’ “Ultimatum Ultramix” is dated ‘89 and still sounding as real as ever. The first 12” contains mostly downbeat with notables like Money Mark, UNKLE, and Luke Vibert. The second 12” showcases more of a hip hop sound with interesting contributions by Dust Brothers, Beastie Boys, Jungle Brothers and Danny Breaks, the latter of which pushes some hard buttons. Each 12” is introduced by a brief interlude by The Prunes, in the same manner as Headz 2A showcases DJ Krust’s shorts. As a testament to MoWax diversity, this compilation reaches to the four corners of the world and the outer reaches of beathead jams: Peshay contributes a nine minute ambient jungle trip, Zimbabwe Legit offers a DJ Shadow sound, Max 404 provide a textured spacey mood with the help of oscillating, warbling beneath some singing synth sounds, and Innerzone Orchestra agree with Max 404’s delivery by stretching time with their FSOL-sounding ambient space drone - setting up a mood in which drums enter and exit at will. As for the jungle contributions, I think those on this set are better than those that appear in 2A. Contributions by Dillinja, Roni Size/DJ Krust, and Source Direct all hit the sweet spot with different ideas. Dillinja takes a smooth approach with his collection of rolling snares and female vocals. Roni Size & DJ Krust collaborate to produce an effectively sweet jungle track with male voices sampled. Their occasional downtime breaks up the pace yet the patterned consistent drum loops still makes you feel like the whole song is one extended break. Source Direct as always take the sinister off-ramp from the Jungle Expressway with their dark, eerie, yet driving lecture from the mount. Whether or not you buy this 2-part series on vinyl or CD, or you buy one set or the other, their are plenty of arguments either way. Choose the easy route, buy both on CD and spend two days laying around your apartment soaking up the beats and bass. (Mo Wax Recordings)

Various Artists How I Spent My Spring Break 7”
Kisswhistle and Screenwriter’s Build inhabit a new label’s debut disc with certain promise. Screenwriter’s Build do the quiet pop thing like Tipili used to. Four-track bedroom pop, perhaps bathroom or closet pop in this case twinkles like a dimming star. Kisswhistle rewind a dozen or so years to the first three Beat Happening singles with their quirky nervousness and shy accute appeal. As with Screenwriter’s Build’s lower-fi approach and lackadaisical playing make this as endearing as the Go Team. (No Mauritania c/o Quintin Cushner 110 Harrison Drive New Cumberland, PA 17070)

Various Artists Increase the Beats CD
Having not read Thrive's mission statement, I am under the assumption that compilations are the thrust of their establishing the brand name on consumer's palettes. After foraging ground in a DJ-mix, and a US DnB compilation, Increase the Beats hits the record bins with some fantastic breakbeat tracks akin to what one would find in DJ sets by Omar Santana or Armand Van Helden. Cyclops 4000's "Macroscope" hits hard with frenetic freestyle-style lyrics about the biomechanics of the 20th century. Thrive licensed several tracks for this collection, the best of which is "Fly Mutha Beats" (reviewed last issue) by Brownie; one of last year's best breakbeat 12"s replete with "It's The New Style" sample and ace breaks. Kurtis Mantronik resurfaces with "On The Beatbox " ...(No one rocks harder...) that grabs the headz by their lapels reminding 'em who defined this genre a decade ago. Additionally, Increase the Beats, showcases tracks by Uberzone, Single Cell Orchestra, Freddie Fresh, DJ Icey and more. If you are tired of buying Moonshine mix CDs, check this one out. (Thrive 7750 Sunset Blvd. LA, CA 90046) - Keith York

Various Artists Jungle Dub 3 2x12”
By collecting tracks from stars like Roni Size, Lemon D, Tek 9, Dillinja and DJ Krust from labels like V and Reinforced this is one of the best state-of-union addresses for the jungle. From sampled female vocal drop-ins, to Amen breaks, snare rolls, swarming bass and male reggae/toasting vocals - this is all over the jungle’s map. From Roni Size’s lead-off track “All the Crew” to the closing track “Burning” by DJ Krust, this collection of tracks from ‘95 is a heads-up for those on the outside, and a gathering of some important tracks in one package for those that may have collected the original 12”s over the past couple of years. While every track isn’t a keeper, the 6 or 8 that jump make the purchase worthwhile. Some of the breaks are indispensible, and the DJ SS track’s sax blasts define the realm of jazzy jungle/artcore. Since most of what I buy tends to be harder, darker, and crazier, it is worth it to buy compilations like this to see what else is out there - not to mention some of the breaks lacking in the diva vocal are well worth dropping in any mix. I am on the waiting list for Volume 4! (Kickin Unit 1 Acklam Workshops 10 Acklam Road London W10 5QZ)

Various Artists Jungle Tekno 8 2x12”
While shopping recently, I analyzed some jungle-DJ mix tapes over the counter with the cashier. I asked what seemed to him an odd question; “What kind of jungle are these guys spinnin?” To which he replied that one of the guys did more jazzy/ambient jungle, another attacked the hard step/tech step team and the other did more dancey stuff - but the cashier qualified his remarks by telling me that all jungle is hard(core). All jungle is not the same and this compilation is testament to that. As the liner notes profess Jungle Tekno to be a hard step drum ‘n’ bass collection, it is hardly as over-the-top as one might expect. House diva vocals ride atop most of these tracks amidst the “Amen” breaks and snare rat-a-tat-tats, while crazy and complex at times - this is not an exploration into dark jungle by any means. By licensing tracks (mostly with ‘95 copyright dates!) from other labels like Bear Necessities, Rollin, and Strictly Underground, this compilation serves as a better introduction to the merge of hardcore (psychotrance) into jungle (circa ‘95) than a document of what is going on today in the drum ‘n’ bass community. With the likes of DJ SS, Intense and Dub Technicians Jungle Tekno 8 is better off in the hands of a techno DJ trying to incorporate some highly danceable tracks into their set than headz lookin’ for the latest mutation of the genre. A fine introduction nonetheless. (Jumpin & Pumpin c/o 81 Crabtree Lane London SW6 6LW)

Various Artists Law of the Land CD
The US D&B massive in effect. The Law of the Land is the best sampling of US drum 'n' bass released in one compact package to date. World-class tracks by Dog Eat Dog (with The RZA) and Pish Posh (AKA DJ Wally) support the theory that the US can better any Brit invention, while tracks by SF's Westside Chemical and Dune check the "needs to improve" column on the primary school grade card. Tracks from the LA massive by RAW and Epsilon showcase the diverse styles within the city of angels - Epsilon (AKA DJ E-Sassin of the SoCal party circuit) wins the battle with his dark distorted bass stabs. Chicago's DJ3D breaks from his own labels' release schedules and offers "The Entity" stomping his work with Snuggles. Our own local boy, Stratus loaned one of his ambient-jungle tracks, "Floatation," off his second self-released 12" as fellow intelligent producer, Jamie Myerson (owner of the Ovum label) loaned Thrive his snare-y track "Listen" - both with good mood setting abilities. Bay area boy, Abstract (check out his stuff on The Green Label) throws down a good stomper hammocked between the RZA's funky freestyle and the Dune track. Pish Posh's near breakbeat fury gets the most repeat plays of the whole thing, but it's all relative to the dozens of times this compilation has warmed itself in my CD drive. Essential current events listening. (Thrive 7750 Sunset Blvd. LA, CA 90046) - Keith York

Various Artists Lemonline: Volume Two CD
The third compilation of indie-pop that continues to reinforce/affirm SpinArt's longitudinal and latitudinal location in the music cartographer's log book. Some of those present here are recognizable because of past releases: Holiday, Witch Hazel, Honeyrider, Bunnygrunt, Purple Ivy Shadows. The remaining power pop, country twang, dream pop, as well as those Beat Happening or Byrds-influenced bands remain in pop obscurity. Commendable for introducing new artists to the record buying public, this borders on over stimulating the consumer with the breadth of the work: appreciating 23 songs is like trying to get the same thrill from each of Disneyland's offerings before lunch time. Arguably, this could replace buying a dozen small-label 7"s in search of new bands. (SpinArt PO Box 1798 NYC 10156) - Keith York

Various Artists Les Pauls & Breaking Glass CD
Collecting together a dozen tracks from a dozen releases on Coldfront records, Les Pauls is old-skool style punk rock. Reminiscing with early ‘80s punk rock (Dead Boys’ track was recorded in 1980), American Heartbreaks, Toilet Boys, Bellrays, Cherry 13, Libertine, Street Walkin’ Cheetahs, Electric Frankenstein, El Diablo and the Candy Snatcher present their street-savvy pre-GreenDay garage punk cynicism in a beer swillin’ frenzy. Reason enough to have a keg party soon. (Coldfront POB 8345 Berkeley, CA 94707, coldfrontrecords.com) – Keith York

Various Artists Letters to Aliens East/West 2xCDs
Two CDs in separate vellum envelopes placed in a clear plastic bag. And believe me that is not all! One CD marked “East” and the other marked “West” contain twenty bands playing something approximating rock music for the combined length of nearly two hours. Each envelope contains a CD, three alien postcards, a booklet of liner notes and an Undercover Inc. sticker. The set of postcards are also sold separately, as is an “alien pen.” Once you get past your awe of the detailed care that went into producing the package, the music is undeniably impressive. Letters to Aliens compiles tracks by such known bands as Helios Creed, Furry Things, Space Needle, Reservoir, Black Watch, Snowmen, Kickstand, Chrome, Brilliantine and Flaming Box of Ants with such uknown surprises as Ashtar Command (impressive Seefeel-ish drone bop), Farflung (“rock” version of Jessamine), and Illyah Kuryahkin (Bedhead-ish fuzzdrone). Lots of space/alien themes to song titles, lots of “space rock,” and a generous helping of pop songs and noise songs - melding the collection together making a statement about earthlings vs. aliens - the only frontier left. This is a collection with tons of depth and plenty of unanswered questions (why are tracks 9 and 10 of the “East” CD blank?) regarding humanity, alien cultures and why alien conspiracies are so fun to ponder. Quite possibly the sleeper compilation of ‘97. Sold separately or as a set. (Undercover Inc. PO Box 14561 Portland, OR 97293)

Various Artists Little Darla Has a Treat For You Vol.11 CD
With 8 of the 18 songs by Darla-related artists, the latest in the Little Darla series is as much a promotional brochure (Darla's catalog is inside printed inside the booklet as well) for the San Francisco label as a venue for bands and labels to pay/barter for the inclusion of their track. Whether released by Darla formally or distributed to its key stores, every track on here represents the 3-person company's motto "Fresh sounds from around the corner and around the globe." Around the corner is represented here by Sweet Trip, Junior Varsity km, Holiday Flyer, Wussom*Pow (wonderful cover of "Since Yesterday"), and Flowchart/Technicolor. The around-the-globe portion of Darla's mantra is evidenced in tracks by Cat's Miaow, Steward, GNAC, ISAN, and India's Kalanji Ananji (a track of last year's Bombay the Hardway album). Whether the track is taken from a Darla produced or distributed (labels such as Fuzzy Box, 555, TeenBeat) release, or one of the many tracks exclusive to this disc, the record shopper is presented with a wealth of new sounds to consider. (Darla 625 Scott St. #301 San Francisco, CA 94117) – Keith York

Various Artists Losing Today; Painted Dream II CD
To help celebrate the featured artists in Losing Today magazine, the Painted Dream CDs extend the impact of new releases and promote new like-minded music. Following the paths of post-goth, post-shoegazer pop bands being Losing Today's raison-détre, the latest in the series showcases some of the best in drone-pop. Songs by Ecstasy of St Theresa, Trembling Blue Stars, Antartica, Lycia, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and Claire Voyant are notable, but the compilation as a whole flows elegantly for over 70 minutes – never once letting up. (www.losingtoday.com) – Keith York

Various Artists Montecarlo CD
A rare breed is the compilation CD that transcends each contribution. The whole being larger than the sum of its parts. The track listing is a veritable who's-who of worldwide indie pop: The Brits are represented by Blueboy, Trembling Blue Stars, BMX Bandits, Pastels, Orchids and Eggplant; Stateside pop icons like Holiday Flyer, Honeybunch, Allen Clapp, Autumn Leaves, Benito and Damon & Naomi are also present. Not only are these countries represented but Spain, Australia and France are part of this United Nations of Pop collection celebrating the independence and color of Montecarlo. A truly splendid way to spend the weekend away, or the weekend indoors, Montecarlo is an affordable vacation from your troubled life. (Elefant PO Box 331 Las Rozas 28230 Madrid Spain) - Keith York

Various Artists Moonshine Mixed Vol. 2 CD
Followers of Moonshine expect the latest in funky technoacidelectro breakbeat releases from a variety of folks like Cirrus, and Keoki (both with mixes exclusive to this release) and with Moonshine Mixed Vol. 2, one is not to be disappointed. Not only are tracks present from the aforementioned stars, but additionally Steve Levy’s DJ-mix of the label’s stable features tracks by Stateside, Elli Mac (who’s “Celebrate” comes in two delightful versions - Uberzone’s breakbeat antics and Tall Paul’s 11+ minute house burner), Top Kat, Blakdoktor, EKO, Kellee and quicksteppin’ junglist newcomers Cleveland Lounge. For those hunting a new mix CD for the party or the long coastal drive between secret beach spots, the mountain excursion for the secluded trails, or the hustle-bustle of the snowboards-only section of the hill, Moonshine Mixed Vol. 2 is one of the best state-of-the-art compilations out there. Romping, stomping technohousebreakbeat fury that demands the attention of anyone inclined to own a CD player and able to yell “I just can’t cope without my dope...” (Moonshine Music 8525 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069) - Keith York

Various Artists MyOhioActionPalBoyGoldGod300 CD
Three record labels pool their resources by investing time, money, sweat and their bands' discographies to create a tri-partite promotional document. While a savvy co-venture for sure, the songs are at the heart of this CDs intrinsic value. Contributions by: Hurl, Dianogah, Lustre King, 90 Day Men, C-Clamp, A Minor Forest, and Dis- are all noteworthy and now prioritized for further investigation. Half of the songs are exclusive to this collection, while the remaining songs are found on releases this document is trying to draw attention to. A Minor Forest's cover of The Little River Band's "Lady" wins as the most kitschy moment on this album that otherwise celebrates some of the finest, astutely calculated intelligent rock music around. (MyPalgod PO Box 13335 Chicago, IL 60613, Ohiogold PO Box 25441 Chicago, IL 60625, Actionboy PO Box 14471 Chicago, IL 60614) - Keith York

Various The Next Step CD
Jazz-infused drum ‘n’ bass. Next Step is THE collection folks will cautiously enter into, and refuse to be pulled away from. Tracks culled from Instinct releases and others licensed from labels like Shadow, Warp, and Hydrogen Dukebox make up the ingredients - but as always the whole is not just a sum of its parts. While some of these indexed trips follow a soothing, massage-relaxed pace afforded to the “intelligent” set, most of these excursions are full of quick-paced breaks, punchy jazzy bass, flutes, keys, and horns baby lots & lots o’ horns! The contributors to Next Step collectively herald Herbie Hancock as the BMOC, though stating subtley that Tom Jenkinson isn’t the only guy expressing jazz’s interlacing threadwork with drum ‘n’ bass. This stuff is extreme! (Instinct 26 W. 17th St. 5th Floor NYC 10011)

Various Artists 1998 Teenbeat Sampler CD
Sampler albums are like postcards trying to emulate a real geographic location in one simple two dimensional statement. Thankfully the Teenbeat samplers genuinely reflect the bands and the label’s roster as accurately as Guinness symbolizes good beer. I think even Mark Robinson would have a hard time believing that too many of us like (or love for that matter) each of the bands he employs to wave the Teenbeat banner: But in all honesty the work is so diverse it takes a sampler album to really grasp what the Teenbeat institution stands for. Outstanding contributions are witnessed here by Tel Aviv, Ropers (from the Slumberland LP), Evelyn (woman from Blast Off Country Style covering Magnetic Fields’ “Smoke & Mirrors”), Phil Krauth, and Versus (song recorded eight years ago!). Since Mark sells these as cheap as postcards, so send one to a friend that lives far from the boundaries that Teenbeat resides in. (Teenbeat PO Box 3265 Arlington, VA 22203) - Keith York

Various Artists Noise Reduction II CD
Claustrophobic feelings. Constricted. Nervous tension disallows comfortable breathing as bleached tones fracture your comfort. From the melodramatic drone rock of Waterwheel, to Resident Phase Shifter's vocal sample cut-ups, to TV P.O.W.'s restructuring (Third Eye Foundation's) ideas of white noise drum 'n' bass, this collection of ambient electronic sounds displaces comfort levels in most households while creates texture for a good chill. Otraslab offer the most unique downtempo rhythmic explorations of the bunch. Additional submissions by: Dijislov, Romance, Tribes of Neurot, Solaris, and Final. (Alley Sweeper PO Box 361 Clawson, MI 48017) - Keith York

Various Artists Nokturnel Mix Sessions: DJ Moda CD
Late in the summer of 2000 Bay Area DJ Moda spent a night ceating this live set at Columbia, Missouri’s Pure Lounge mixing the latest in progressive house and trance trax for a crowd. With the assistance of Topaz, that evening’s energy can be carried with you – making for a portable DJ-set to soundtrack your car drives, and outings with friends. With highly spirited melodic tracks by Cirque, Cajun, Inertia, Mau Mau and Moda himself, a guaranteed hands-in-the-air event can be anywhere you are. (Topaz 110 W. 40th St., Ste.1004 NYC 10018) - Keith York

Various Artists Not So Quiet on the Coldfront CD
Brett Matthews of Coldfront collected together 28 songs from his catalog of artists for this label sampler. With pop-punk-rock being the mantra tracks by Divit, Odd Numbers, Travoltas, Diesel Boy, Hagfish, Wynona Riders, Limp, Mcrackins and the Vindictives are present and accounted for. If you haven’t brushed up against this stable of artists while perusing your local record shop’s offerings, Not So Quiet on the Coldfront is a perfect invitation. Stellar. (Coldfront POB 8345 Berkeley, CA 94707, coldfrontrecords.com) – Keith York

Various Artists Permanent Vacation CD
Bands that tour together love to share split-CDs together. Last year San Francisco’s The Fairways (members of Aislers Set, Skypark, Month of Sundays) shared left coast stages with Tokyo’s Three Berry Icecream (Mayumi Ikemizu of Bridge), and now share real estate on a digital disc. Playing one of their own, and one of their compatriots songs, this four-song EP gives us great insight into the latest crop of twee j-pop (3BI) and post-Sarah (Fairways) starlets. Be careful, as loungey, 60s dream-pop is highly addictive. (Dogprint POB 2120 Teaneck, NJ 07666) – Keith York

Various Artists Platipus Presents the Evolution of Trance CD
Mixing together in one flawless set the "brightest moments" from one of the premiere trance labels in the world, DJ-extraordinaire Scott Stubbs documents Platipus' evolution, and the leading role the label has played in fostering trance as a progressive form. Ebbing and flowing 4/4 kick 'n' hi-hat concussions raid the dancesport staring at the PA output. Synth lines light up the room already aglow in sweaty enthusiasm hypnotized by the seductive nature of trance. Melting the together the wax tracks by I Ching, Art of Trance, Moogwai, Ambassador, POB, Quietman and Salamander, Stubbs performs a public service by allowing the deck-less kids to bring this into their private realms – slumber parties will never be the same. (Topaz POB 1532, Madison Square Station NYC 10159) – Keith York

Various Artists Pop Jingu Volume 1 CD
Assuming there will be additional volumes to this series, this label is putting its foot forward to creating and documenting a Japanese pop movement otherwise left alone. Fuzzy Box will also be releasing some of the same bands with their own compilation of Jap pop soon. Pop Jingu or “pop shrine” is a wildly addictive gathering of interesting, youthful ideas - from slow moving (Low-ish) Peatmos songs to Pastels influenced Kactus songs, to the stellar Drum Solo track “Limelight” which rewrites the best moments of Rocketship’s catalog. From K Records influences to appreciation for C86-era Pink and Creation releases (the latter is most evident on Smiley’s “Lanky” which strays little from the best moments by the Weather Prophets!), Pop Jingu is at the heart of why independently released compilations are needed. CDs like this introduce us to new artists, new ways of listening and a cultural dichotomy that argues who/what/when/where and how influences come to stretch across seas and touch the creative mindset of a distinctly different (yet identical on this plane of thinking/creativity) people. Writers and readers of zines like Incite!, Thrill, For Paper Airplane Pilots, and Power Toot will embrace this as the latest One Last Kiss, or Popstars Can’t Dance. (Sonorama PO Box 25952 Los Angeles, CA 90025)

Various Artists Popular World CD
If you love pop confectionary, Tim Hinely (Dagger fanzine) has set up a candy store and ain’t checking IDs for age nor indie-cred(it) cards for equity. With notables St. Christopher, Ladybug Transistor, Saturnine, Witch Hazel Sound, and Mendoza Line, the salesperson shouldn’t have to work too hard across the counter-top getting you to part with your weekly allowance. In the same fashion as his writings, the purpose of gathering together 23 artists, is to expose the average listener to some exotic rarities that only Tim has been able to hunt down. Personal faves are the electronic pop of The Cherry Orchard (remixed by Kinky) and (the Lolita dating practices of) The Relationships. (Sky Blue Records POB 7605 Santa Rosa, CA 95407)

Various Artists Portraits in Sound... CD
Music like this is such a joke. Instead of opening someone's eyes to what the sound, style and culture of the music is really like, we homogenize it with ultra-high fidelity recording, cheesy dancey drums and our pop influences. We socialize everything. Like society itself, "world" musics are stripped of their essence, Americanized, and shoveled onto the piles. Instead of celebrating the represented foreign culture for its own ornate and thriving beauty by, we say how nice it blends with synthesized dance beats. I'd rather
order Chinese from a chain restaurant than listen to this new age S'milk again. (World Domination 3575 Cahuenga Blvd. West #450 L.A., CA 90068) - Steven M. Brydges

Various Artists Possible: Sonics Everywhere 2xCD
This double disc set allows for a quick introduction to the diverse offerings from Birmingham's breakbeat label, Possible. What appears to be one disc of A-sides, and another of their complimentary B-sides, the listener gets about eight 12"s worth of tracks recorded mostly in '96. These tracks retain a fresh sound for the uninitiated, while the anti-archivist DJ set will likely critically analyze the merits of multi-year old tracks.
Two tracks by PCM present noisy bobbing bass, in an old-skool Doc Scott wardrobe. Four songs by Scorn, display Mick Harris' downtempo ambient drone. SIMM's contributions of sci-fi sounds and drugged-slow bass lines end the downtempo sections of each CD. Next up, we hear Jupiter Crew's Squarepusher-like frantic breaks alongside the warm sounds of (thousands of) bees swarming around their honey-encrusted queen. Ambush hits the floor hard with tech step; Cronic Crew crisp snare hits and shimmering glassy synths fuck with distorted bass. Quoit (another incarnation of Mick Harris) serves uptempo J. Majik-like quick change drum breaks disguising the 4/4 simplicity well. Ambush's second tier of tracks hit well with Boymerang-like tech step cloaked in continuous bass groans. Each disc wraps up with final blows by Interceptor. Eraldo Bernocchi's tracks as Interceptor revolve around downtempo funky grooves. Look forward to more from the Possible camp. (Possible/Invisible PO Box 16008 Chicago, IL 60616) - Keith York

Various Artists Post Marked Stamps CD
After three and a half years of hand-crafting his series of nine 45s built around the theme of long distance love affairs, Tree's Ken Shipley has laid it to rest. The tombstone and eulogy are packaged together as this 18-song document. The single that evolved into a series of singles consuming Ken's life speaks to the passions not only of long distance relationships, but well-defines the passions that drive independent label helmers. In the liner notes (which are the most well-written odes to the indie rock lifestyle), Ken explains how each single came to be, the delays, the mishaps and misfortunes, as well as how the CD version fails to do justice to the process of making/buying the 9 singles themselves (unless you were a handful of to get the series-subscriber-only 10th single and box to store the singles in) over the many months leading to January 2000 when the last nail was hammered into the coffin. Listing the bands is the simplest way of communicating the achievement of this series not to mention that no track by no contributor falters: Aspera Ad Astra, Braid, Get Up Kids, Compound Red, Rainer Maria, Giants Chair, A Minor Forest, Hal Al Shedad, Sweep the Leg Johnny, Haelah, Very Secretary, Ida all donated tracks to the effort. If you are late in introductions to the series, give this a listen and see what all the talk has been about. Ken deserves a round of applause. (Tree PO Box 578582 Chicago, IL 60657) – Keith York

Various Artists Progressive House Anthems: Best of Limbo Records CD
22-tracks on two discs, mixed effortlessly by three DJs numerically adds up. If I only mentioned this twin-disc bonanza exclusively showcases tracks from Scotland’s Limbo Records, few would understand the complexity of the statement. Add Las Vegas DJ Scott Stubbs (Platipus, Depths of Progressive Trance) to the helm as well as the duo of Christ Fortier and Neil Kolo (AKA Fade) to the credential list, stating the obvious that they each have a set on one of the discs makes bridges the gap between those in-the-know and just those that love prog-house. Tracks by White Boy, Tipple, Gypsy, Havana, Ritmo De Vida as well as those by the Fade duo themselves really do elevate this to a best of collection… and could easily be stretched well outside the confines of only being the best-of-Limbo. Truly spectacular 4/4. Topaz is on a roll. (Topaz 110 W. 40th St., Ste.1004 NYC 10018) - Keith York

Various Artists ReDirection: A Polyvinyl Sampler CD
Celebrating their 5-year anniversary, Polyvinyl collected nineteen tracks from the stable of artists they have had the fortune to work with throughout their short yet productive history. Culling from recent releases (AM/FM, Sunday’s Best, Pele, Rainer Maria); those dating back a bit (Radio Flyer, American Football); as well as previously unreleased recordings (Ivory Coast, Aloha, Pele, Matt Pond PA), ReDirection (boldly, proudly) encapsulates the aggregate of 5 years’ work in one package. If these artists or label have somehow flown below your radar in the past, there’s no better excuse, in the present, than this catalog sampler to engage them. (Polyvinyl POB 1885 Danville, IL 61834) – Keith York

Various Artists Return of the DJ Vol. I CD
Getting these CDs (volume 1 and 2) not in the opposite order they were released, I only recognized two DJs appearing on both collections: Kool DJ EQ and Z-Trip. Both brilliantly mix, match, scratch and slam songs into one another like a train rolling over a car parked on the tracks. Riffs and samples taken from the familiar and unfamiliar take on breathtaking new hues than thought possible. Though Coldcut and DJ Krush have released some great reversioning of Ninja Tune releases, the dozen re-interpretations of hip hop’s finest hours leaves them far behind in the dust. With recently witnessed write ups on the Invisible Scratch Pickles, this was my first exposure to their craft. The Pickles along with others like DJ Getto, Cut Chemist, Rob Swift and Jeep Beat Collective create a hip hop vibe but with what seems to be a brand new palette of colors. Whether live or multi-tracked, the cuts archived on both volumes of Return of the DJ should inspire many new kids to join the foray of B-boys, MCs, DJs, and Graffiti artists that have fallen from the limelight. Looking forward to additions to this series, I hope it strikes an important chord with the lost teens of post-X Generation, a group of young people that become more important as I join the fold (in age) with their parents’ generation. Beat ecstacy, plain and simple. (Bomb Hip-Hop 4104 24th Street #105 San Francisco, CA 94114)

Various Artists Return of the DJ Vol. II 2x12”/CD
Turntablists. Not producers, not musicians, but a musical force as important and distinct as any other are showcased on the second installment of an important series of releases. After reading Option’s review of this compilation I picked this up at my local retailer, a purchase met with praise by the guy manning the cash register. The talents showcased here, while coming from around the world, support hip hop’s creative drive - something that lacks inclusion on the radio presentation of the genre. This isn’t just about scratching as one would assume. The sound collages created by these Technics 1200 adventurers are at times just that, a collage, while others create new elements in the hip-hop mise en scene moving far past the established/accepted static dialogue between DJs and MCs. The ingredients rely on hip hop beats, vocal samples, and riffs taken from others’ releases. The turntablist uses a mixer and 1200s to create something new from that which is known...a Beastie Boys or Run DMC riff is placed in a new context as it is sandwiched between an unrecognizable sound or sample and a beat-loop from a different song (here we find AC/DC, Black Sabbath, or Eddie Murphy as examples). When hip hop required a DJ to spin a backbeat created by two copies of the same instrumental track or riff has long since died, now the DJ organizes rhythms and textures to create a vibrant new dimension to the established matrix of hip hop subculture. While “the hip hop avant garde” as MoWax contends may not showcase turntablists, but instead revolve around new forays into the use of standardized beats, this compilation helps define the avant garde. An important document to illustrate the importance of an unrecognized art. (Bomb Hip-Hop 4104 24th Street #105 San Francisco, CA 94114)

Various Artists Rhythm & Quad CD
What has been deemed “bass music” seems to be yet another trivial strain of hip-hop exemplified by drum machine chatter and R&B big-budget stylized vocal production. Rhythm & Quad represents the Atlanta bass contingent; who, likely due to proximity, sound a great deal like the Miami bass scene of yesteryear. While not as crude in delivery as Two Live Crew and their coattail draggers-ons, Atlanta locals like Sammy Sam take the electro-fun of the bass scene and push it toward the indie-breakbeat realm with quick-footed drum rolls and minimal vocals sidestepped by the important looped vocal sample. Rhythm & Quad includes a few campy skits in between tracks to make this variety show come full circle in a ready-for-Soul Train package. Not billed as the hardcore, bass scenes are usually comprised of the ne’erdowells of commercial pop syndication - the gray area between artistry and lack thereof. Thankfully this isn’t true here. Atlanta and the new metaphor for its underground R&B-isms, Rhythm & Quad, are likely to benefit from such a varied and healthy representation. (East West/Elektra) - Keith York

Various Artists Ropeladder 12 CD
When you hear the word "underground" anymore it's likely someone searching to be part of a subculture they haven't got admission to. What we call posers, are those that knock on doors for the hip-factor rather than just end up where they're at by "keepin' it real." It's even rarer still, that hip-hop and "underground" are truthfully connected in sentences that don't suggest someone's frontin'. Feel confident that the upcoming roster of Mush releases (of which Ropeladder 12 is a taster) will present tastemakers in the haute-couture of beatery, boisterous free-verse, and poetic experimentalism as well as well-intentioned melodic standard styles. Contributors to this collection (Jel, So Called Artists, Pedestrian, DJ Osiris etc.) hail from New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Portland, ME, L.A., Baltimore and San Francisco representing styles as varied as their neighborhood's economics, traffic and weather. If you have been searching the local record shop for street-level hip-hop rumblings, this is as good as any a place to start the search. Where you'll end up after Mush starts rollin' phat releases to the dealers is another story entirely. (Mush/Dirty Loop 244 5th Ave. #F212 NYC 10001) – Keith York

Various Artists Saddle Creek Records, A Sampler CD
Normally, I fail to be entertained by sampler compilations if not only for one of two reasons - they tease you with the only great tracks by a band or leave you cold with a band’s half-attempt at turning something out for a compilation with a due date (by an otherwise spectacular combo). I failed to be disappointed by this wonderful 7 band album (2 songs each by Faint, Cursive, Lullaby for the Working Class, Commander Venus, Park Ave, Gabardine, Bright Eyes) of Saddle Creek (a.k.a. Lumberjack) bands comprised of songs from past and/or forthcoming releases. Plenty of pop songs to melt hearts and rock songs to remind you, you are human. (Saddle Creek 7640 Fairfax Ave. Lincoln, NE 68505)

Various Artists The Saint CD
As much as I loathe Val Kilmer, this soundtrack has some kickin’ albeit mass consumed tracks on it. From the Euro post-industrial Underworld track to the intelligent jungle tinged “Before Today” by Everything But the Girl. Downbeat occurs with Dreadzone’s “A Dream Within a Dream” following soon after the pop-music R&B slow hop of Sneaker Pimps. Of course there are some problems with this album - Duran Duran, Duncan Sheik, Luscious Jackson, David Bowie etc. Many of these tracks have hit the dancefloors with remixes galore, and seem to be working well - Orbital, Fluke, Daft Punk especially. Other than City of Industry, I can’t think of another soundtrack with highlights (and consequently low points) like those contained herein. (Virgin)

Various Artists Samba Soul 70! CD
Compiled by the talent behind Bossacucanova, this disc collects sixteen essential Brazilian samba-soul tracks from 1968-75. Taking cues from American pop and R&B, these vintage Samba trax blend funky drum and bass stylings in a timeless display. For those who haven’t read the liner notes contained herein, it’s likely to hear these as recent vinyl offerings from from local DJ set. Brilliant entertainment! (Six Degress POB 411347 San Francisco, CA 94141) – Keith York

Various Artists Sampling The Future CD
Sampling The Future is a sub-seamless, near DJ-mix collection hosted by Seattle’s DJ Donald Glaude. Having heard a great number of mix Cds in the last year, I have noticed two distinct camps: the first being a representative sample of records and mix techniques by an up ‘n’ coming DJ, and those that are merely compilations with the tracks edited together in an air conditioned austere L.A. (or New York) studio. Sampling The Future seems to of the latter sub-category as some of the segues are brilliantly, invisibly, executed while others are slammed together without the mastering process EQ’n them together (though the seam betweeh Josh Wink’s and Ebe’s track is perfect). Critiques of the production aside, Glaude assembled a playlist of progressive house tracks that stray at times into more acid, funk, garage and breakbeat areas only to return to the cymbal/snare/kick assemblage of 4/4 house foundations. One thing Glaude did do was to pick a group of tracks (from the likes of Simply Jeff, Tranquility Bass, and Rabbit in the Moon) that sound alike; each including a fairly sizable break and consequent build up that allows the clubkids to catch their breath before their raised hands and screaming faces erupt the space. Samples range from Godzilla’s scream to helicopters to squawking caged birds to vocals and sounds from hip hop’s past all amidst the rhythms championed by famed Frenchies Daft Punk. (Thrive 7750 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046)

Various Artists San Francisco Groove CD
Dance music has its inseparable connection to urban living, San Francisco having one the tighter grips around. DJ Jim Hopkins presents his vision of late night parties and endless dancefloors with a postcard from San Francisco. A postcard from a small collective of folks like Bassbin Twins, Bass Kittens, Astral Matrix and Hopkins’ own Twitching Iris - coincidentally mimicking his own Twitch Recordings’ label name. San Francisco Groove is a seamless DJ set for your living room, your bedroom and your car stereo; mixing a variety of house, trance, acid, ambient and breakbeat tracks for those not paying a cover charge each night. (V Wax PO Box 7033 Santa Monica, CA 90406-7033)

Various Artists Shanti Project Collection CD
Put together by Dylan Magierek (AKA Misc) to benefit San Francisco's Shanti Project (www.shanti.org), this collection of exclusive and non-exclusive tracks by Red House Painters, Low, Idaho, Hayden and Misc is the perfect bad-weather-day shut-in lifestyle soundtrack. San Franciscan Mark Kozelek and his Red House Painters deliver a demo version ("Smokey") and three other tracks including a stunning cover of Neil Young's "Midnight on the Bay." Low contribute three tracks coincidentally (licensed) from three different record labels tracing their recent career - one would never know if this has saddened Alan Sparhawk and crew as their music borders on the melodrama of slow motion and stark landscapes. Idaho strum in slow discourse as well; the duo of Dan Seta and Jeff Martin contribute a song from their back catalog ("Trip Over" originally written in '95) and "The Sun is All There Is." My first introduction to both Hayden (Desser) and Misc provided a great deal of new-found-friend glee as their contributions to this CD equal, if not outweigh, the contributions of preceding artists. Despite its starkness and solemnity, this whole collection is spiritually uplifting. (Badman 1388 Haight Street #211 San Francisco, CA 94117) – Keith York

Various Artists Slow Death in the Metronome Factory CD
Collections, soundtracks, compilations and box-sets gather together the extensive works of one artist or function as a one-stop shop for a multitude of artists around a common theme. The latter is employed on Slow Death ... by using post-rock (their use, not mine) as the new revolution banner headline partially defining the thin thread that barely connects any of these artists (and songs for that matter) together. Each of the artists on their own, possess the necessary entertainment delivery to single them out as THE reason to search out this album. The valuable "names" present here include: Pram, Colin Newman, Ui, Scenic, Scala (ex-Seefeel), Electric Company (ex-Medicine), Flotilla (ex-Idaho), and Japan's Sugar Plant. Plenty of reasons to listen to this, only one reason to boycott: This helps foster a false sense of a post-rock niche, furthering the rock critics' creation of this new void. (World Domination PO Box 8097 Universal City Station North Hollywood, CA 90068) - Keith York

Various Artists Songs for the Jetset CD
Bachelor pad pop with nary a Mancini rip nor a rainforest birdcall...this is a wonderful sound. Lots of memories from high school erupted as this disc indexed through its dozen different moods. Memories of time spent listening to Style Council, early Everything But The Girl, Colour Field, Tracey Thorn, and even David Bowie’s Manish Boys (Loveletter’s cover of “Barbarella”). The record collection of a friend, the kingpin mod in town, was something of a treasure in my youth. Treasures every once in a while return, like the sound of the Legendary Jim Ruiz Group which for some strange reason is absent as an essential contributor to this compilation. This is one of the most addicting albums I have witnessed in my 29 years as an earthling. Contributions by Wallpaper, Tomorrow’s World, Loveletter, Milky, Fantastic Everlasting Gobstopper, South American Getaway, and Viva Maria range wildly from twee pop, to loungey soulful post-Combustible Edison sin to fuzzy psychedelic buzz. Replete with instrumentals, this should motivate everyone to have a cocktail party and let this album spark the night afire. Amongst the tinkling of martini glasses, three-button sharkskin suits, and cool ray sunglasses the songs will get people to sigh, to smile, to laugh to dance. Once again, addictive. (Jetset 740 Broadway 2nd Floor NYC, NY 10003)

Various Artists Songs for the Jetset Vol. 3 CD
In the mid-80s, there existed two important 60s lounge labels; one would close its doors (él), and the other would continue on selling millions of records globally (Creation). Creation founder (as well as a member of Biff Bang Pow and early J&M Chain manager) Alan McGee is likely a millionaire today (without the help of US dot-com stock), while Mike Alway continues to inspire us with his 6Ts movie soundtrack coloring books – the Songs for the Jetset series – a collaborative effort between his (post-él) If imprint and Jetset. In its third iteration, the 2000 edition of ...Jetset features songs by Tomorrow’s World, Daisies, Wallpaper, Death By Chocolate, Loveletter (Simon Fisher Turner AKA King of Luxembourg), and Milky. For those that love early Creation Records releases by Momus, Revolving Paint Dream, Zarjaz, and Biff Bang Pow as well as él and Cherry Red (Always’ other career success) stable artists. If you dream of overcast café sitting, sipping espresso while wearing an ascot, this is your soundtrack. For the mods, and the lovers of Austin Powers’ serious side… (Jetset 67 Vestry St. NYC 10013) – Keith York

Various Artists Spectrum CD
High-tech futurist hip-hop tracks produced by DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born, Chief Xcel, EI-P, and Soul Saints set the stage for the label's political platform. Launching candidate MCs, Spectrum's index marks give the mic to Quannum MCs, Jurassic 5, Blackalicious, Latyrx, Divine Styler, Maroons, Joyo Velarde, Poets of Rhythm, Souls of Mischief, as well as the track producers themselves. Any civil unrest hinted at by lyricists and producers is born from the nation's lack of civic participation as political platforms are relegated to discussion about sitcom actors, boybands and the latest in the dot-com swollen stock market. The grassroots politic of the streets (urban, suburban as well as rural) is well-addressed by the variety of points of view and tones of those representin' their clan, crew, and state of mind. The only thing familiar about Spectrum is a few of the breaks used and even the context these are placed in pushes the envelope in high-integrity hack-free hip-hop. (Quannum, no address given) – Keith York

Various Artists Songs for the Jetset Vol. 3 CD
In the mid-80s, there existed two important 60s lounge labels; one would close its doors (él), and the other would continue on selling millions of records globally (Creation). Creation founder (as well as a member of Biff Bang Pow and early J&M Chain manager) Alan McGee is likely a millionaire today (without the help of US dot-com stock), while Mike Alway continues to inspire us with his 6Ts movie soundtrack coloring books – the Songs for the Jetset series – a collaborative effort between his (post-él) If imprint and Jetset. In its third iteration, the 2000 edition of ...Jetset features songs by Tomorrow's World, Daisies, Wallpaper, Death By Chocolate, Loveletter (Simon Fisher Turner AKA King of Luxembourg), and Milky. For those that love early Creation Records releases by Momus, Revolving Paint Dream, Zarjaz, and Biff Bang Pow as well as él and Cherry Red (Always, other career success) stable artists. If you dream of overcast café sitting, sipping espresso while wearing an ascot, this is your soundtrack. For the mods, and the lovers of Austin Powers' serious side. (Jetset 67 Vestry St. NYC 10013) – Keith York

Various Artists Suburbia Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD
I honestly have no interest in viewing this film in a crowded multiplex but listening to this CD alone in my house works well for my mood. While extremely varied, Suburbia could put most listeners off - but the variety is what makes this attractive. From downbeat (UNKLE’s “Berry Meditation”) to indie rock (Superchunk, Girls Against Boys, Boss Hog, Sonic Youth) to darkwave (Skinny Puppy) to a classic AM radio track (Gene Pitney’s “Town Without Pity”), this compilation may compel the curious to seek out the VHS or tracks by some of these now-famous altrockers. “Unheard Music” pairs Elastica and Stephen Malkmus together for a delightful, spirited powerpop 3-minute blast that opens this soundtrack on a good note. The Sonic Youth and Butthole Surfers tracks left me cold while Beck, and UNKLE’s track added the much-need phunk to this collection. Terribly white, this film must cover topics of crime, sex and teen angst - not sure how much of a surprise any of this really is anymore. (Geffen)

Various Artists Sunshine State of Mind CD
Billed as a “collection of Florida underground electronic music,” Sunshine State of Minds presents a dozen examples of moderately innovative genre-bound dance tracks. With the likes of Rabbit in the Moon, M5, Nu Tribe, and DJ Icey aboard, Sunshine State of Mind dips its feet in acid, house, electro and breakbeat ponds without hesitation or over-the-shoulder-backwards glance. Like computing hardware, many of these dance tracks become dated the day they arrive on retail shelves - but for the bedroom DJ and casual clubgoer the contents of this CD should remain viable past the “freshness dated” packaging. By sidestepping the cost of buying a dozen different 12”s, your pocketbook should have plenty left over to spend on packing a tight bowl and spending an afternoon with the Florida “underground”. (FFRR 825 8th Ave. NYC 10019)

Various Artists Sweet Mother: Free Activation Series CD
A valiant effort put forth is always one that reaps the greatest rewards. With their northwestern blood boiling, this collective of DJs, samplers, singers and headz create an hour-long worldscape owned and operated by themselves without outside input. In a similar vein as Pussy Foot, Wall of Sound and yes, even MoWax - this collection translates a new vibe of the urban hip hop horizon. With forays into drum n’ bass, downbeat, trip hop etc. - though without the active lifestyles of jazz’s muted horns. Admittedly the pop songs, torch songs and otherwise noted as those songs with female vocals are the furthest from interesting but tracks like Alms for the Poor’s “Jumpin’ the Turnstyles” inimitable scratching, Earth’s “Crooked Axis...” throbbing ambient sprawl, and TSR’s “Drum & Bays” are more than worth the admission price - especially if you enjoy sitting through a movie trailer to find out how good other films are. Pigeonhed close up the theater house while the credits roll up the screen a leftover song from the soundtrack plays - almost pushing you to leave the popcorn littered rows of seats as quick as possible. Thus is life...beats are life. (Sweet Mother/Sub Pop 1506 11th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122)

Various Artists Tech Steppin: A Journey into Experimental Drum & Bass 2x12”
With the likes of Doc Scott, Cronic Crew and Ed Rush on this double 12” compilation - it was an easy decision to investigate (rationalizing the $20 price tag). As the title states, this collection of seven artists culminates some of the front-runners in pushing drum & bass to its extreme. Some of the results are dance floor palatable while all are impassioned labors of sampler, sequencer, synth and drum machine mechanics. While “experimental drum & bass” is interpretable to a variety of extremes - all contained here ride the dueling snare and snarling bass train through unlit corridors of massive sound system equipped buildings. Whirring and flying, the synths rarely attempt harmonies, melodies and avoid verse-chorus-verse methodology in favor of relentless driving breaks and rolls that at times are punishing. No diva vocals, no staccato rave synths and rarely an element of jazz or dub reggae - this is the hardcore. Naturally Doc Scott’s “Machines” and Ed Rush’s “Check Me Out” rise above the other instrumental tracks with both of their unique rap-style vocals treated and exploited into almost inhuman results. Cronic Crew’s “Black Marbles” and The Limit’s “Get Stoned” were surprises that pushed me to look for more of their releases - both are maniacal excursions by the prodigal sons of the sampler revolution. Thrilling. (Emotif 8 Strutton Ground London SW1P 2HP UK)

Various Artists Texas CD
Same story as the Tokyo Trashville review, with a few minor modifications. Replace “Asian karaoke bar” with “country-Western karaoke bar.” Switch “Mutant Monster Beach Party” with “Insert Texas Garage/Surf/Rockabilly Band Here” and the Robert Plant vocal reference to, “sounds like the state of Texas collectively passing a cheese grater.” I wish to exclude the following from the Texas bashing: Trance Syndicate/Emperor Jones Records and their affiliates, Baboon, Framed! Records, my friend John Anderson, family friends the Petersens, Troy Aikman, and those adorable Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. (AuGoGo (via Autotonic) PO Box 542d Melbourne, VIC 3001 Australia) - Steven M. Brydges

Various Artists Tokyo Trashville CD
Kill the brain and the heart will die. Not so, say Tokyo. The music on this compilation kicks and screams with energy and spirit, yet it is completely devoid of originality. A bunch of Japanese youth infatuated with looking either like Elvis, an early 1950’s high school pep squad, or Johnny Ramone, and into playing derivative “garage-surf-rockabilly” schlock. In this context, the word “derivative” is less of an adjective and more of a preresiquite to inclusion in the scene. “Johnny, Be Good” has been covered and renamed “Johnny, Please, for the Last Time, Be Original.” The cover should be covered with a sheet. It is obvious what these impressionable rockers are listening to, and I urge the US to push the backlog of Sonic Youth CDs through Japanese customs. Who knows, one of these players could have become the next Ash Bowie. On a side note, a two winters ago, I spent an evening in Madison, Wisconsin, drinking in an Asian karaoke bar with two friends of mine from Thailand. I listened to numerous interpretations of Asian pop songs and watched the lyrics scroll across the video screen in their native languages. I didn’t understand a word, but butchering a song is evident in any language. Suffice to say, none of the bands on this CD were on the karaoke bar’s playlist. To who’s benefit, I’m not sure. That said, the CD is practically worth purchasing to hear the Mutant Monster Beach Party’s female singer accidentally copping a mid-orgasm Robert Plant (I dare you to tell me the difference between this undoubtedly frequent occurrence and his utterances on many of Led Zeppelin’s songs). (AuGoGo (via Autotonic) PO Box 542d Melbourne, VIC 3001 Australia) - Steven M. Brydges

Various Artists Torchbearers CD
Gathering together eleven "club culture vanguards" to contribute tracks, Torchbearers has recently become a state-of-the-union in the dance scene. Getting these DJs off the radio and away from their residencies at clubs from California to Florida, the Torchbearers DJ tour took shape. With talent known for their dance shows on KCRW, KIIS, KROQ, Groove Radio, Live 105 and a host of other "alternative" and dance-oriented stations, Torchbearers has a respectable depth of credentials backing the contributors. But it is the tracks these DJs have produced that really make it all worthwhile. From big beat to house, and every other 4/4 genre in between, folks like Jason Bentley, Jed the Fish, Christian B, and Aaron Axelsen cut up floors (both inside clubs and living rooms) with their tracks born of years at the helm rockin' crowds. (Risk/404 510 Edgewood Ave. SE Suite 1, Atlanta, GA 30312 ) – Keith York

Various Artists Torque 3x12”
Torque is as Torque does. The combined tensions of pushing/pulling, stretching/collapsing and inhaling/exhaling - the duality’s of inaction and action stretch and contort the dancing body through lights and smoke and other bodies. Contortions, Torque manifests. Malformed, misshapen bodies and entities thrive in this electronic, circuit-born madness - the noir-ish cyberpunk ethos of each song, each drum hit each snare tumble. This is as 21st century as it comes. Though pop music and their techno-suave songwriters will continue to thrive in decades to come, it is minds like Nico’s that will really poke and probe and turn things on end to search for a rabid underbelly of promise. Of ideas and fascinations with a Bladerunner world these tracks were formed, mixed and mastered. No sense of violence, or sex but purely ambiguous drone jungle that mutates and changes tenfold before you realize what hit you on the first go ‘round. The combined talents of Ed Rush, DJ Trace, Fierce and producer/helmsman Nico meld like mercury drops together into a blissful din of metallic drum racket and sampled satellite frequency noise attempting to communicate with alien life while occasionally all goes wrong and circuit boards & generators explode across your speakers annihilating the prior movements and mission of the song “structure” in favor of a swift turn. Stunning in its rapture, these tracks are trying tests of your endurance, your quickstep abilities and your stamina for sound. Whether you deem this darkwave jungle, experimental drum & bass, tech step, hard step etc. the sound is all that matters in the end. (No U-Turn Records Ltd Metrostore London W3 7YG)

Various Artists Traveler '00 CD
Culling from a catalog of recent releases (on Palm, Six Degrees, City of Tribes), Traveler collects together some of the world's best ethnically diverse music translated for the dance floor by remixers and beat-mechanics. French song writers, Brazilian electronica, samba, bossa nova, as well as South Africans Ladysmith Black Mambazo (who's drum 'n' bass remix make this CD essential) come together with remixers Arling & Cameron, Thievery Corporation, RSL, Da Lata, Freezy Jam, Ben Wisch and others for a collection that lasts play after play in the dashboard deck on a world-wide roadtrip. As if supporting real-world testing of advertising hipness of electronica and the new Passat, we've spent a great deal of time with Traveler in the dash driving up and down California's coast with great effect. (Six Degrees POB 411347 San Francisco, CA 94141) – Keith York

Various Artists Traveler ’01 CD
As with last year’s Traveler ’00, the listener is treated to a sampling of Six Degrees’ latest finds – including necessary remixes of album tracks. From Cuba to the U.S. and U.K. electronic a producers well-versed in latin rhythms, jazz stylings, hip-hop and techno have found a new home with the San Francisco label. Six Degrees’ annual compilations (starting with Planetful of Grooves) have become synonymous with the sound itself. Alongside each stunning contribution to this album by the label’s stable (Euphoria, Bob Holroyd, Batdios, Zuco 103, Dzihan & Kamien, State of Bengal, Patato, Karsh Kale, Another Fine Day, Monica Ramos, and Continuo) come the requisite remix talent sucha s UFO, Beastmasters, Fila Brazilia, as well as the UK’s Future Loop Foundation. Traveler ’01 is both an evening’s worth of chilled-ambience and frenzied sweat-drenched dancing. (Six Degress POB 411347 San Francisco, CA 94141) – Keith York

Various Artists Trip Hop Test Part 3 CD
Without boring you dear reader, I should keep my praise brief. There are several outstanding tracks on here worth a listen by God Within, Wizard of Oh, Danny Saber, Mekon and Basco - these are the more jumped-up tracks outside of the usual Mo Wax downbeat stuff that tends to