This Two CD set had all the hall marks of a promising pair of mixes, cool packaging, techy looking graphics, it’s Laurent Garnier and it’s on the REACT label. So why I didn’t like it is beyond me, even more confusing is I haven’t heard this for 15 years, I know it’s one of my least listened to CD’s (both discs barely have a single scratch between them!) but I’ve just listened to the whole thing to write this post and do you know what? It’s actually very good!
My musical tastes must have changed over the years because I distinctly remember being quite disappointed with this when I originally got it. It is a little mellow (read slow), with a jazzy if not minimalist tech sound it’s quite dark too. There aren’t really any stand out tracks to speak of and even if there were it would be very difficult to tell you what they are because each mix is on one track! Good luck skipping forward to your favourite bit 36 mins in. If you’re going to create a digital replacement for cassette tape why the hell would you exclude one of the main benefits of this format!
Despite it being a hidden gem in my collection I personally can’t see me dancing to most of what’s on here, I probably would be able to find something better to drive to aswell, but this is a near perfect CD for those times when you’re knocking about the house and you want some music on but don’t quite know what. It will be getting more play time from now on.
Mix One
1. Jungle Wonz – The Jungle
2. Funky People Presents The Blaze Tracks EP – Moonwalk
3. Green Velvet – Help Me
4. Braxton Holmes Presents John Redman – People Everyday (We Just Wanna Be Free)
5. A.J. Sound – Basemental
6. Broccoli Brothers – Ruhrschnellweg
7. Chaser – Sides Of Iron
8. 6k – Tomorrow Is The First Day
9. Fierce Ruling Diva – You Gotta Believe
10 Neil Landstumm – Takks (From Index Man EP)
11. DJ Deeon – House O Matic
12. Robert Armani – Ambulance
13. Speaker – Speaker (High Mix)
14. Stephan Brown – Gas Mask
15. Scan X – Bleu
16. Kosmic Messenger – Flash
17. K-Hand – XTC (From Groove EP)
18. Aux 88 – Bytes (1. Technosis 2. Tales From The Bass Side)
Mix 2
1. Laurent Garnier – The Force
2. 3MB Feat. Juan Atkins – Die Kosmischen Kuriere
3. Three – Let It Go
4. Teste – The Wipe
5. Big Foot Part 2 – All The Way In
6. Ration – Conflexx
7. Club MCM – Mind Control Music
8. The Purpose Maker – Reverting
9. Time Blind – Tre Qua
10. DJ SHufflemaster – Man-Me
11. Essit Musique – Essit Musique 1
12. Bobby Konders – Nervous Acid
13. Choice – Acid Eiffel
14. Rhythem is Rhythem – Beyond The Dance (Cult Mix)
15. Aphex Twin – ICCT Hedral (Phillip Glass Orchestration)
Electronica Restoration 