Perhaps Global Groove model Jose should have stepped outside the spotlight to let super-hottie DJ David Knapp grace the cover... we're drooling so much we need a bib! In any case, there's a pic of Knapp on the inside... oh yeah!... as well as the CD. Definitely one of the best CDs of the Summer, Knapp kicks out a discofied, energetic club mix perfect for the the beach, house or simply cruisin' boys in your car. The theme here fits the title perfectly, "Livin' Out Loud," as it's packed with the kind of tunes that make you feel alive and proud... maybe even more than the bevy of "pride" discs out at the moment. Expect an all-star cast to show up at Knapp's party, featuring Lonnie Gordon, Celeda, Loleatta Holloway, Ultra Nate... and, of course, you. Let the music play!

Includes: GTS featuring Loleatta Holloway, The Remixes, Lonnie Gordon, Verness Mitchell, Mind Trap & Loni Clark, Celeda, Ultra Nate, DJ Escape, Pat Hodges, Razor N Guido

Part II (Matty's Soulflower Dub)

It's probably redundant to even bother writing a review of this CD once you have a peek at the tracklisting. I mean, do you really need us to tell you that a CD featuring both Delerium's unforgettable "Inncoente" and DJ Tiesto's anthem-of-the-moment "Flight 643" is something you're gonna seriously enjoy? Okay... how 'bout if we told you it's mixed flawlessly by Swedish Egil and is one of the few trance collections to actually contain real trance from the genre's most respected artists? This ain't that bubblegum stuff that's suddenly decided it's trance- it's music by the artists who've been dedicated to furthering the sound since the beginning. Names like X-Cabs, Bedrock and Jan Johnston. They may not be familiar to you now, but give Trancemission 2 a shot and they may become your new favorites.

Includes: Delerium, Futureshock, Bedrock, Transa, Star, X-Cabs, Elecktronauts, BT, Maurice, Sunscreem, DJ Tiesto, Jason Dunne, Jan Johnston, Mekka

Delerium - Innocente (Falling In Love)

Lady bugs! Afro twins! Lady bugs! Afro twins! We may not be able to agree what those weird lookin' things are on the cover of Vibrations, but we're all on the same page when it comes to what we think of the collection itself- it's excellent. If you've ever found yourself unable to bear yet another "trance anthem" but ya don't want to be put to sleep with "chillout essentials" either, then Vibrations is the perfect solution. These funky and progressive house tracks that we can always depnd on to get our blood comfortably flowin'... not pumpin' outta control. A smart disc to start out with if you like gay dance music but want something that's a little less circuity. Oh, and by the way, they're afro twins.

Includes: Satoshi Tomiie Feat. Kelli Ali, Different Gear Vs Sia, Infrared Presents J Majik Feat. Kathy Brown, Delerium Feat. Leigh Nash, Sessomato, Funky Junction Vs Kc Flightt, Deepswing, Jakatta, Soul Providers, Kidstuff, The Goodfellas, Chocolate Puma, Bastian, Agent Sumo, Raven Maize, Bel Amour, Box Office, Goosebump Feat. Romina Johnson, Bob Sinclar, Shortie Vs Black Legend, Pound Boys, Rhythmcentric, Harry Choo-Choo Romero, Shelia, Behemoth, Laid Feat. Derek Conyer, Billy Lo Presents Soulflow Vol 3, Zorro, Slam

Soul Providers - Rise (Bini + Martini Mix

Everybody knows that lots of models want to be actors, and lots of actors want to be singers... but did you also know that lotsa DJs want to be producers? Those who've followed Richard "Humpty" Vission's career over the past several years know it's been a bumpy road for the West Coast DJ, who's prolific original remixes never quite seem to measure up. That's why it's cool to see Vission get back to his roots behind the decks to remind us why exactly we ever liked him in the first place. No doubt about it- the man has good taste in tunes- Damn That DJ Made My Day features tracks by artists known only to true aficionados, such as Olav Basoski, Rhythm Masters and Static Revenger. Excluded are the played-out picks we've got on 20 other collections, a clear indication that Vission is less concerned about pleasing the masses than creating an original product. With master-grade mixing skills and tons of great tunes, Damn That DJ Made My Day just might do the same for you.

Includes: CZR & Ito, Stretch-N-Vern, Sebastien Leger, Warp Brothers vs Aquagen, Ingo, Richard Humpty Vission featuring Rozalla, Vinyl Fever, Tony B! & Radul Zerna, Filter Science, Adrenaline, Ferry Corsten & DJ Tiesto, Keoki, George Kranz, Gossip, Mike & Charlie, Sebastien Leger, Fallen Angel featuring DJ Mea, DJ Love, Conga Squad, Street Preacherz, Thick Dick, The Millenium Boogie United Friends Of Funk, Hatiras, Phoenix, Richard Humpty Vission & Static Revenger, Junior Sanchez & Christian Smith, Exodus, Bob Sinclair, Static Revenger, Olav Basoski, Rhythm Masters, Kings Of Tomorrow featuing Julie McNight, Afro Medusa, Static Revenger

Olav Basoski - Playing Da Game

From the boys who brought you the international smash "Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)" comes their full-length domestic CD, Episode II. Nine tracks included feature the Duo's signature display of tribal drumming alongside uplifting trance melodies, plus a few "slow jams" to chill you out while on vaca in Ibiza. We really liked the sordid sneakiness of "Snakefood" as well as their latest single, "Samb-Adagio" which forsakes the Cyndi Lauper cooldown in favor of an ever-so-slightly mutated version of another familiar hook, Alice Deejay's "Back In My Life." The big surprise here, however, is the final track, "Adagio"- a breathtakingly beautiful classical piece that'd make even the butchest bears weep like schoolgirls. We should add that most of the tracks are included in their entirety, so you DJs can likely use these songs in your sets. Very cool.

Includes: Safri Duo

Samb-Adagio

All those green swirls on the cover... the cheeseball text... exclamation points all over the place... uhhg... I don't feel so good. But mom was wise to tell us never to judge book by its cover, and so... at the risk of ruining our otherwise pristine reputation, we gotta give this horribly packaged domestic comp a very high rating. Mixed incredibly by St. John and designed with the idea that it'd provide a good mix of workout music, the exclamatory Work This! in fact manages to deliver more than hi-nrg papp with tracks that are as cool as they are fun to listen to. Sure, you got your meat n' potatoes- the all-too-familiar "Sandstorm" and Rui Da Silva's omnipresent "Touch Me," but they're outweighed by underrated essentials like Olav Basoski's remix of Malina's "By Your Side" and Mauro Picotto's "Komodo." And again, the mixing is masterful. It may look ugly as all hell, but it's what's inside that counts.

Includes: Rui Da Silva Feat. Cassandra, Junior Jack, Chili Hi Fly, Malina, Azzido Da Bass, Future Breeze, Klubbheadz, Lock N Load, Darude, Mystre, Diana Fox, Mauro Picotto, 4 Strings, Delerium Feat. Sarah McLachlan

Mauro Picotto - Komodo (Save A Soul)

Lucky Perfectbeat.com shoppers didn't have to deal with all the pushing and shoving that came about the day we got this much anticipated collection in the store. It was like the Cabbage Patch craze all over again... only no children were involved. What's behind all this commotion? Well, as one-half of the production powerhouse Thunderpuss, Barry Harris is also the brainchild behind gay anthem #1 "Dive In the Pool" and among the best circuit DJs you'll ever hear. It's balls to the wall on this collection as Harris takes things Afterhours to present something "...harder, deeper, faster..." for advanced ears. Includes Pusaka's "You're the Worst Thing For Me." Hell yeah.

Includes: Ralphi Rosario Energy Factor #10, Pusaka, Donica, Razor N Guido, DJ Escape, Susumu Yokota, B. McCarthy, Abel, South East Players, Pietro In Da House, Harris & Cox

Is it just us or has pride come down like an iron fist this year? From coast to coast the energy, the magic, and undoubtedly the music are all back in full force for '01. Of course, our specialty is in the latter, and the recent wave club anthems have been nothing short of classic. So if you haven't had time to keep up on things, you can still catch quite a few of them on Pride 2001, the official dance CD of San Francisco Pride, mixed by Frank Abraham. This notable disc includes a veritable pride parade of hits- from Victor Calderone's attitude-assault "Are You Satisfied." to Thunderpuss' mighty "Stand Up"... and, of course, Pusaka and Thea Austin's parental-advisory anthem "You're The Worst Thing For Me." Abraham's mixing is on point throughout- keeping things running smoothly all the way down to the big finale from Da Buzz, the triumphant "Let Me Love You." Also important to note is that sales from the disc benefit the San Francisco GLBT Committee... so for once you're dollar doesn't just go up someone's nose. Nice!

Includes: Victor Calderone feat. Deborah, Inaya Day & China Ro, Vernessa Mitchell, Pusaka feat.Thea Austin, Thunderpuss feat. Latanza Waters, Byron Stingily, Massive, Gerri Halliwell, Da Buzz

Da Buzz - Let Me Love You

It's that time again! Pride is in the air and on the dance floor with the help of Logic Pride 4, the latest addition to the rainbow-riddled series mixed by DJ Keana. The tracks on this upbeat circuit set offer an alternative to the other Pride CDs, many of which share similar trackslistings. Volume 4 swiftly avoids this problem with alternatives from Illicit, ATB and Love Inc. Our only complaint lies in the mixing... we noticed a few songs suddenly begin to fade away without notice, a glitch due likely to the discs 74 minute time restriction. That's why we like 2CD sets so much. Still, Keana offers a positive daytime experience... worthy of blasting from your float as you glide down the avenue at pride's parade.

Includes: Love Inc., Ursula's World, Fable, Flutlicht, French Affair, Funkstar De Luxe Vs Bob Marley, Gloria, Etta James, MarQus, Sabrina, Lucrezia

Due to the impressive success of the original Beach House, which apparently outsold their competing Summer collections, our favorite candy-coated UK label Hed Kandi serve up the sequel, Beach House 2. The delicious packaging indicates that this is one collection designed to be played at medium volume, while lounging on the beach or doing a little "san shuffling," i.e. dancing. Lots of tasty yet little-known tracks here, all of which are UNEDITED and UNMIXED, making it a perfect companion for Summer DJs. And, of course, the cover art features Kandi clad yet again in a bikini. Hot.

Includes: Panyard, Bibi Presents, Malena, Karen Ramirez, Soulstice, Los Ladrones, Miguel Migs feet Leedia, Rhythm Plate, Da Lata, Bebel Gilberto, Mezzoforte, King Britt pres Sylk 130 feat Alma Horton, Moments Of Soul, Stephanie Cole, Axus, Physics, Wes Park and Richard Brooks, The Rurals, Petalpusher, Furry Phreaks feat Terra Deva, Fac 15 feat Cathi Ogden, Dubtribe Sound System

Furry Phreaks feat Terra Deva - Want Me Like Water

WOW! Nukleuz totally impresses us with their newest and by far most mature 2CD offering to date, the exquisite Nukeluz In Ibiza 2001. A sensational mix of progressive and uplifting trance, continuously mixed by BK and The Disco Brothers... the latter of which steal the show with a deeply funky progressive set that's so seamlessly mixed together, you'd think these tracks were written for each other. BK takes things a little more towards the hard house arena, but pulls back just in time to keep the mix intelligent and powerful. Includes sought after remixes from Storm, Tony De Vit, Praga Khan and Mauro Picotto. Excellent!

Includes: Mauro Picotto, Ca-Lo, Schiller, Joy Kitikonti, Mauro Picotto, Taiko, Lava aka Tillman Uhrmacher, The Crazy Drummer, Jonah, Nick Sentience & Tom Harding, Praga Khan, Nexus, Fragma, Lepore vs. Jon Doe, BK & Nick Sentience, Nick Sentience & Phil Reynolds, DJ Rubec, BK & Alan Thompson, Samuel E Reeve, Mr Boursin vs. Tweek, RR Fierce, Nick Rafferty, BK, Storm, BK, Dean Peters & The Edison Factor, Chris C, BK & Nick Sentience, E-Trax, Tony De Vit, Little Jon & Tim Priestly, Bexta, DJ Mishka Mad Game Mafia

There should be a law for DJs as to how many times they can put their own face on a CD cover. After all, it's not like they wrote any of the songs on the disc. Altogether, DJ Escape shoves his mug in your face eight times, just under BT's record of sixteen times for his last CD cover. Thankfull it's all forgivable since Escape lays out a slammin' collection of club hits, though we're not entirely sure they're "afterhours" material. More suitably, this is full-frontal peak-hour dance for people itichin' to get their groove on with tracks like Aurora's "Ordinary World," SuReal's "You Take My Breath Away" and Fragma's "Everytime You Need Me"... all of which are incidentally signed to Groovilicious, who are also the makers of this very compilation. What a coinkidink!

Includes: Sono, Aubrey, DJ Prince & Justin K, Darude, Abigail, Aurora Feat. Naimee Coleman, So Real, Fragma Feat. Maria Rubia, Derb, Svenson & Gielen, Airheadz, Warp Brothers Vs. Aquagen

You're confused. You don't know nuthin' 'bout no dance music... you think Hex Hector is the name of a voodoo curse, and that Rui Da Silva is a kind of precious metal. Your pants are on backwards, and your shoes have gone missing. For you, dear friend, may we recommend the latest collection of what we refer to as "training wheels tracks" designed for the beginning dance fan. Jokes aside, Totally Dance is a good compilation to start off those uninitiated in the ways of this rather confusing culture, featuring tracks from Moby, Dido, Spiller and tons more. All 19 tunes are presented in easy-to-swallow bite-sized format... you'll learn the art of extended mixes later. Enjoy.

Includes: Faithless, Dido, Moby, Sarina Paris, Dream, Pink, Eden's Crush, Gigi D'Agostino, Delerium, Rui Da Silva, Darude, Tamia, Eddy Grant, Trick Daddy, Cleptomaniacs, Spiller, Toni Braxton, Joy Enriquez, French Affair

Dido - Thank You (Deep Dish Vocal Mix)

Is this Faithless' best record? You'll have to hear Outrospective for yourself to make that call, but we're gonna stick our neck out and say.. yeah, it probably is. Of course, we all loved Irreverence more than our mother, and Sunday 8PM wasn't half bad, but what sets this one apart from the others is how well they've managed to capture a single mood while showcasing such a wide variety of styles. There's Sister-Bliss-styles progressive house numbers like the killer "We Come 1," sappy love songs like "Not Enuff Love," brilliant broken-heart ballads such as "English Summer," even a cinematic disco number in "Muhammad Ali." True, they're previous titles were also bent on being eclectic, but they've never pulled it off quite this effortlessly. Smart.

Includes: Faithless

Crazy English Summer

A pleasantly different DJ mix compilation, Magik Seven was recorded totally LIVE at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles with Holland's sensational DJ Tiesto behind the decks. This is a great collection of intense and uplifting trance in the style Tiesto's famous for, complete with all the crowd reaction that makes these sort of sets such a rush. You can hear all the clapping and lots of whistling- living proof that the vibe is very much alive in the States and that LA crowds do in fact give it up to those who deserve it. Notable selection here include Schiller's "Das Glockenspiel (Humate Remix)," Utah Saints' "Lost Vagueness (Oliver Lieb Mix)," and of course Tiesto's own "Flight 643." Powerful.

Includes: The Auranaut, Three Drives, Schiller, Ballroom, Insigma, Jan Johnston, Riva, Push, Push, Utah Saints, Mario Piu aka DJ Arabesque, DJ Tiesto, The Green Martian, Planishpere, CJ Bolland

Schiller - Das Glockenspiel (Humate Remix)

Having seriously downsized their line-up for their latest record, Delerium (now solely Bill Leeb), releases the otherworldly Poem. Leeb makes up for the lack of dedicated members by loading almost every song with vocalists, such as Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer and Matthew Sweet of... well... Matthew Sweet. The result is a kaleidescope of world music, new age, dance and folk. Sometimes is works, such as on the tearful "Innocente." Sometimes it doesn't, the progressive rock jam "A Poem For Bizantium." It's album that'll either make you say "Ooh!" or "Yawn" depending on your taste but whatever your response, Poem is inarguably at the top of its game.

Includes: Delerium

At a time when we find ourselves overrun with Ibiza collections, we found ourselves extremely impressed with this 2CD set of Summer anthems compiled by Nick Bracegirdle, more cleverly known as Chicane. From its eclectic start, featuring Aphex Twin's smart-ass "Windowlicker," down the breathtaking finale, "Airwave" by Rank 1, this is a different kind of Ibiza comp for the slightly more advanced electronic enthusiast. But won't beginners like it, too? No, not really... again, there's some really heavy, sophisticated material here. Several of the tracks are by Chicane himself, plus selections he's chosen from his more obscure catalog that challenge the ear and stir the mind. Definitely in the running for the year's best, if not unique, Ibiza collections.

Includes: Kama Sutra, Heights Of Abraham, Aphex Twin, Sabres Of Paradise, Everything But The Girl, Chicane, Huff & Puff, Orb, Innocence, Simple Minds, Jean Michel Jarre, Hans Zimmer, Eric Serra, Chicane, Three Drives, Mansun, Tin Tin Out, Beat Foundation, E'voke, Spice, Rank 1

Sabres Of Paradise - Smokebelch (Beatless Mix)

We've been watching Sonique grow as an artist for nearly a decade and the woman just seems to get better every year. From her humble beginnings as the voice of S'Express, to paying her dues as a serious club DJ, capping it all off with her climbing the charts all across the world with her solo material. It felt so good. Sonique's latest project brings her back to the turntables, where she proves her talent both as a singer and DJ in this 2CD import. Sonique's legendary club sets have beenknown to include her singing live over the tracks, and you've got front-row tickets to the performance on Club Mix. The question on everybody's lips- does she sing "It Feels So Good?" And the answer is YES! Not only that, but Sonique's taste in music is beyond impressive. Few DJs can pull off a mix that features Storm's "Storm," Delerium's "Innocente," and Ratty's "Sunrise" all on one CD... but then there's not a lot of artists as cool as Sonique.

Includes: Silicone Soul, Colours, Xtra Large, Beber & Tamra, Mood II Swing, Members Of Mayday, Plump Dj's, Musique Vs U2, True Gold, Acrisio & Romagnoli, Minimalistix, Jamie Anderson, Trisco, Dulux Connection, Silvio Ecomo, Mutiny, Roland Klinkenberg, Zero Id, Tronica, Energy 52, Sonique, Jds, Storm, Rba, Mac Zimms, Tomba Vira, Natious, Rouge, Corvin Dalek, Delerium, Mr. Spring, Pro-Tech, Dj Tiesto, Scott & Leon, Dj Tomcraft, Body Shock, Dirt Devils, Ratty

Delerium - Innocente (Falling In Love) (Deep Dish Gladiator Remix)

BOMB ALERT! This one gets our vote as one of this Summer's best compilations. Filtered features over an hour of the best filtered house (aka disco), mixed beautifully by none other than Robbie Rivera. You guys have asked for these tunes time and time again, tracks like Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You" and Armand Van Helden's "You Don't Even Know Me," but you'd be hard-pressed to find all of them on one domestic collection. Well, they're all here, folks! Don't forget additional essentials like Madison Avenue's "Don't Call Me Baby" and Pete Heller's "Big Love" makin' this one comp you gotta git.

Includes: Stardust, Armand Van Helden, Joey Negro, Chris The Greek, Moloko, Dj Spiller, Junior Jack, Funkstar Deluxe Vs Bob Marley, Bob Sinclar, Mousse T Vs Hot 'N Juicy, Pete Heller, Information Society, Kc Fairlight, Trust & Fletch, Madison Avenue

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You

We've been selling so many of these Canadian imports, you'd think there was crack inside. There isn't... but Remixed is still quite a potent narcotic that'll have your head swooning in intergalactic pleasure. Several different artists offer their own unique twist on 9 classics drawn primarily from Sarah's first albums. Though despite the songs being handled by various sources, the disc plays hauntingly well from beginning to end. Perhaps this is because most of the tracks are progressive trance mixes, with the occasional experimental cut that give you much-needed a chance to catch your breath. Grade A.

Includes: Sarah McLachlan

Hold On (BT Mix Edit)

If you enjoyed the Dancing Queens disco and drag collection as much as we did, you're probably just as sick of it as we are, too. Need something new? Your aural methadone may be Divas Of Dance a German import that almost continues where Dancing Queens left off, focusing on the contemporary dance floor hits of the 80's and 90's. The collection kicks off with the Thunderpuss remix of Jocelyn Enriquez's "When I Get Close To You" and keeps bumpin' and jumpin' through to Brenda K. Starr, Donna Summer, Erin Hamilton and legions more. Come to think of it, I don't think you'd want to be on a dance floor with all these divas at once. The potential for wig-snatching and weave-whacking just a little too high. Good thing it's only a CD.

Includes: Jocelyn Enriquez, Amber, Teresa Ambrosi, Shwan Christopher, Giorgio Moroder Pres. Gloria Gaynor, Erin Hamilton, Lorraine Reid, Sharon Williams, Brenda K Starr, Hilary Porter, Tima Reece, Donna Summer, Eartha Kitt, Nicki Shelton, Barbara Tucker, Mary Forbes, Thelma Houston, Beverlee

Jocelyn Enriquez - When I Get Close To You (Thunderpuss Original Radio Edit)

Considering employees at the store are still undergoing counseling after the riot that broke out over Barry Harris' Circuit Sessions 7, we can only imagine what terror they'll face when word gets out over Fusion.1, the latest installment in the essential Masterbeat series. Brett Henrichsen returns to the tables to illustrate a circuit mix like no other, featuring tracks you'll only find in this collection- such as the "Masterbeat Mix" of Barry Harris' "Dive In The Pool" combined with Darude's "Sandstorm," uncomfortably titled "Dive Into The Sandstorm." It's a killer combo, but who would wanna dive into a sandstorm? Sounds itchy. Anthems you've likely heard on the floor but have yet to own on disc seem to be the theme here, like The Love Bite's "Take Your Time," "Let Me Love You" by Da Buzz, and Kim English's Pride '01 anthem "Bumpin & Jumpin." We can go on, but we get a strange suspicion you've already clicked over to your shopping cart to get a copy for yourself.

Includes: Jana, The Lovebite, World of Shoes, Thunderpuss, Barry Harris vs. Darude, Kim English, Suzanne Palmer, Kim Sozzi, Da Buzz

Barry Harris vs. Darude - Dive Into the Sandstorm (MASTERbeat Mix)

Fans of chill-out collections may want to look into this impressively thorough 2CD import from London which sets you up with most all the recent additions to the laid-back lore. It's an all-star cast including ATB, Delerium, Paul Van Dyk, Chicane, Sister Bliss, Matt Darey, Faithless and Full Intention, to name just a fraction. Not wanting to ignore the past classics, Dreamstates also includes the elder essentials, like The Sabres Of Paradise's "Smokebelch," Leftfield's "Original," and, of course, Lustral's dreamy must-have "Everytime." Definitely a good place to start for folks just getting into the sound and anyone who truly loves it.

Includes: Tall Paul Vs INXS, Schiller, Roger Sanchez, Jakatta, Full Intention Presents Shena, Nightmares On Wax, Bent, BT, Delerium, Three Drives, ATB, Paul Van Dyk, Chicane, John Johnson, Luzon, CJ Stone, Matt Darey Pres DSP, Sister Bliss, Hybrid, William Orbit, Sasha And Emerson, Inner City, Faithless, Ruff Driverz, Ian Pooley, Xstasia, The Sabres Of Paradise, Life On Mars, Way Out West, Lustral, Origin, Jam And Spoon, Jamnesia, Freefall, Phreaq, Leftfield, Rithma, Moby, Energy 52, Salt Tank

DJ's Susan Morabito and Julian marsh team up for a sensational 2CD pride mix worth feeling proud about. This isn't just dance music that's kinda sorta queer, it's straight up GAY and as unapologetic as a drag queen on a city bus. The music here is beautiful- Morabito lays out a set that spells class song after song- from Kings of Tomorrow's absolute essential "Finally" to a remix of "Love Breeze" by 70's disco legends First Choice. If you've lived through the first disco era, you'll really appreciate what Susan's done here. If you haven't, now's your chance to hear an updated version of the sound that started it all. Marsh's mix continues where Morabito's retrospective ends, serving up a slightly more circuit sound with tunes from Hannah Jones and Steps. Altogether a superior compilation of the music that defines us to this day.

Includes: Kings Of Tomrrow, Knee Deep, Ricky Montarani, First Choice, Bring It Down, Loleatta Holloway, Bini & Martini, The Italian Connection, Milk & Sugar, United Friends of Funk, Sheldon, Hannah Jones, Pat Hodges, Happy Charles, The Dream Girls, Marty Thomas, Red Thunder, Tory Kay vs Franca Morgano, Steps, Loop Du Jour

Kings Of Tomrrow - Finally

If we had to give an oral presentation of this review we'd be jumpin' up an' down like a bunch of ninnies. But since we don't, we'll simply squeal softly as we paw all the tracks on MTV Dance... yeah, that's right MT-freakin-V. Considering the last domestic dance release to come out of MTV was Party To Go Mixed By Thunderpuss, which was so bad it took about 2 years off our life, it's no surprise that this 2CD set is a UK import. Almost EVERY SINGLE SONG on this collection is a winner, each one having already achieved some kind of chart success overseas, available in unmixed radio format. There's Da Hool's "Meet Her @ The Love Parade," Texas' "I Don't Want A Lover," Musique Vs. U2's "New Years Dub," plus hits from Delerium, Fatboy Slim, Dina Caroll, Rui Da Silva and the mind-boggling "Funny Break (One Is Enough)" by Orbital... s song so good it's sure to give you Goosebumps on the first listen. An amazing release... this is why they make compilations in the first place.

Includes: Static Revenger, Jakatta, Da Hool, Members Of Mayday -10 In 01, Sound DeZign, Bel Amour, Texas, Modjo, Stereo MCs, Dirty Vegas, Santos, Dario G, Alice Deejay, Safri Duo, Schiller, Musique Vs Dub, Coast 2 Coast Feat Discovery, Eye To Eye, Public Domain Feat Chuck D, Fatboy Slim Feat Bootsy Collins, Orbital, Rui Da Silva, Shaft, David Morales Pres The Face, Anastacia, Artful Dodger, Scott And Leon Featuring Sylvia Mason-James, DJ Luck And MC Neat, Three Amigos, BT, Delerium Featuring Leigh Nash, Dina Carroll, Marc Et Claude, JBN, Angelic, Plaything, Push, DuMonde, Citizen Caned, Lock N Load, Elektrochemie LK

Orbital - Funny Break (One Is Enough)

Listen to Nocturnal Frequencies Volume 3 and you get a distinct feeling that Danny Howells is a DJ who knows what he's doing and has been doin' for a long time. His residency at the UK's legendary Renaissance speaks for itself, although some of you may have experienced his skills firsthand from his gigs at Twilo and Home. The style? Sultry progressive house tracks that'll gently warm your bassbins while making your groin go "awww yeah." This 2CD set includes a wide variety of artists (Riva, Nitzer Ebb, Halo Varga) many of whom have yet to become household names in the States, though they're huge just about every where else. Artists like Pete Heller and Stylus Trouble, who's single "Sputnik" has been on just about every major import comp of late while failing to appear on virtually any US collections. The Brits are probably just as tired of that tune as we are of Sandstorm. So why not take a break from your aging anthems and dive into a new kind of pool?

Includes: Little Green Men, Bluem, KC Flight, Halo Hipp-e & Tony, Mo Shic & Zeidan, john Creamer & Stephanie K, Lisha, Universal Principle (Silicon Soulu Mix), Mooncats, Thire Movement, Funk D Void, yann Fontaine, Transcener, Riva, Nitzer Ebb, Pete Heller, Private Taste, Greed, Monika Kruse Wavez Cycle, Mike Vandenberg, Changing Shape, Slam

John Creamer & Stephanie K - Wish You Were Here

Oops! They did it again... only this time with less success. Groovilicious continue their Ultimate series with Underground, mixed by Steven Lee. Like it's predecessor, Afterhours, Underground is completely mis-titled as it contains early-hour filtered disco cuts perfect for mainstream audiences, though still cool enough to play in front of purists. However, there some are a few bumps along this road... such as the opening track, Soul Du Jour's unbearable rip-off of Daft Punk's "One More Time," coincidentally titled "Here We Go Again." Steven, why? You didn't get the memo? No self-respecting queen dances to imitations. The disc picks up again towards the center with offerings from Boris Dlusgosch, Everything But The Girl (yeah, they're underground) and- surprise, surprise- Rui Da Silva... who's "Touch Me" may be the most licensed song ever. Altogether, Underground is worth the price of admission, only we doubt imagine it's a ride you'll want to keep going on for more than a month.

Includes: Soul Du Jour, Illicit, M&S Presents The Girl Next Door, Simon, X-Press 2- Muzikizum, Adam Beyer, Datar, Rui Da Silva, Whatever Girl, Boris Dlugosch, Karen Ramirez, Airheadz, Resonance, Michael Moog, EBTG Vs. Soul Vision

With virtually ever major club now equipped with at least one kind of CD turntable, it's only natural that the CD-DJ community would start to come out of the closet and celebrate their shiny digital diversity. DJ Meeting, presented by premier European label Dos Or Die in conjunction with Pioneer, makers of the most popular CD decks, is a 2CD collection of Euro house and trance hits mixed well by Caba Kroll and really well by DJ Kosmonova. Both discs, of course, were mixed using CD turntables and the result sounds... well... like they mixed it usin' vinyl. The selection is strong, offering tracks from Milk & Sugar, CJ Stone and Rui Da Silva... but as with so many German collections, they do all they can to pack as many songs on one comp that the tunes are practically castrated in length... many of which play no more than 3 minutes. If you're familiar with these tunes and know what you're getting into, you'll surely like DJ Meeting. Novices, on the other hand, may want to look elsewhere.

Includes: Bass Bumpers, Disco Tex, One Love, Milk & Sugar, United Friends Of Funk, Robbie Rivera, DJ Pagano, Blaze Featuring Palmer Brown, Alpha Omega, Spyder, Frenetik Rhythms, Sweat Of 303, Gomorra, Rene Campo, Mark Van Dale Featuring CD Milton, Mario Lopez, CJ Stone, RMB, DJ Jose vs. G Spott, Off-Cast-Project, Norman Bass, Airheadz, Wicked Twins, DJ John vs. Feraz, Clan DJ Team, Daniel G. Starr, Shaun Baker, Sunbeam, Svenson, Cosmoquito, Miss Spectra, Native, George Acosta Featuring Sarah Simon, Das Licht, Accenter & Three O, Styles & Romeo, Rui Da Silva, Scott Mac, DJs @ Work, Tony Walker, Hardfloor

Fans of Moloko will be dancing in the street once they get their hot little hands on this equally sizzling 2CD UK import featuring TONS of the band's greatest remixes, plus 10 previously unreleased tracks! A virtual who's who of remix artists make an appearance on this set- including Robbie Rivera, Pizzicato 5, Mousse T, DJ Krust and Ashley Beedle, each offering their unique slant on Moloko's singles spanning '95-2000. As with all of Moloko's work, great attention was paid to the ultra-chic artwork, so it makes great looking as well as listening. Yum!

Includes: Moloko

Ferry Corsten fires what may be the uplifting trance missile of the year, the dreamlicious Out Of The Blue. This is that kind of trance that leaves you feeling invincible, makin' you want to run up to that guy you're too shy to talk to and just kiss him for an hour. Vocal talents are offered from artists such as the legendary Marc Almond for "Soul On Soul," as well as the unforgettable Saskia Lie Atjam's for her performance on the heartbreaking "Cry" (which is also included in an exceptional "Unplugged" version). For uplifting trance fans, this one comes highly recommended.

Includes: System F