The first various-artists-on-CD release from one of the most adventurous and consistent
dance
labels of the early 2000s, this package comes with an unmixed disc of previously released tracks and exclusives, along with a blinding 33-track mix from label associate
Ryan Elliott
. The unmixed disc gets top billing, but it's eclipsed by the mix, even though the mix presents only a minute or two from selections that often deserve to be heard in full.
Elliott
takes it all in, whipping through major highlights from the label's catalog while including dozens of less-recognized productions. Points of interest:
Lawrence
's quick-step necro-
house
in
"Five Leaves,"
Matthew Dear
's depth-charge electronic body music in
"Anger Management,"
and
"Apple,"
where
Hieroglyphic Being
sets the sound of a rusted roller coaster swaying in a stiff wind to a cosmic thump. Above all, there's
James T. Cotton
's gut-punching
"The Drain,"
a potential nausea-inducing experience in which the mechanized handclaps seem to be the only element not twisting and warping.
knows these tracks inside out, covers lots of ground, and provides a trip of a trip through the label's back catalog. It's one of the best
mixes made available in 2005. Not to be completely outstripped, disc one is attractive by itself.
Osborne
's
"Bout Ready to Jak"
combines humor and menace with a deep vocal command and even deeper bass pressure.
's bounding warhead
"Je Suis Musique"
is cyborg tribal
, the opposite of the French
disco
-
implied with its title. Kept until the very end is the radio edit of
's delirious
"Dog Days,"
the label's most popular track; two years on, it sounds more like a step forward than a look back. Like elders
Kompakt
Playhouse
,
Spectral Sound
has grown and thrived at the same time. Their releases are almost as reliable as the sleek, die-cut sleeves they come in. ~ Andy Kellman