Friday, February 26, 2010

King Cannibal - Let The Night Roar














Ninja Tune: Cat. # ZENCD151 
Released October 2009 

Track List: 1. Intro (0:59) 
2. Aragami Style (6:14) 
3. Murder Us featuring Jahcoozi (6:16) 
4. Virgo featuring Face-A-Face (5:03) 
5. So… Embrace The Minimum (5:48) 
6. Dirt featuring Daddy Freddy (4:58) 
7. Colder Still (6:07) 
8. A Shining Force (6:12) 
9. The Untitled (5:40) 
10. Onwards Vultures (5:32) 
11. Flower Of Flesh And Blood (6:40) 

IN BRIEF: Grit, gunk, and grime. 

For the longest time, Ninja Tune was regarded as one of - if not the - premiere labels for streetwise EDM. Cultivating trip-hop, abstract-hop, jazz-hop, jungle-hop, and all that rot, the Coldcut crew brought several future funky head-beat stars to the forefront. Oh yes, there’s a few that need name-droppin’: The Herbaliser, Mr. Scruff, DJ Food, Amon Tobin… I’ll stop now. 

Yet, as seemed to happen to a number of big 90s labels, this previous decade saw Ninja Tune struggle to break form. The quality was never in question but was the buying public really all that interested in buying yet another collection of spliffed-out hip-hop jazz? Supposedly not, as the newer generation of ‘heads started flocking to upstart grime and dubstep labels like Hyperdub and Tempa while Ninja Tune pursued interests in stuff like post rock instead. Still, Ninja Tune never forgot its UK street roots, and though it had a bit of catching up to do, the label managed to drop one of the best damned dubstep albums the genre has seen: The Bug’s London Zoo

Though they continued to flirt with genres since, there was a bit of curiosity whether Ninja Tune could match that release with whatever dubstep follow-up came out. A couple years later, the debut album of newcomer King Cannibal, Let The Night Roar dropped. And, well, doesn’t quite reach The Bug’s lofty peak. Not that we should have expected it, mind. Dylan Richards has opted for a collection of tunes that’s quite straight-forward where EDM is concerned. 

Dubstep being his chosen domain, you have a few standard half-step numbers with ample wobble bass effects, a few grimy dancehall efforts, a couple flirtations into minimal techno, and even an experimental drone ambient offering (Onwards Vultures). It’s all finely produced, with a murky atmosphere that will appeal to those who prefer their dubstep sinister rather than gimmicky. In fact, it’s this consistent atmosphere that makes Let The Night Roar work better than it probably should. There’s no denying Richards is a capable producer but he jumps between styles of music so much that the album’s flow always seems to be in danger of derailing. 

For instance, second track proper Murder Us is a sludgy bit of techno which, some nifty melodic-glitch near the end notwithstanding, feels totally out of sync with the surrounding tunes. It’s as though Richards took one of dubstep’s more annoying attributes - herky-jerky rhythms - and applied it to minimal techno (the cut-up vocal effects don’t help either); yet, there’s something about Murder Us that works in spite of that, such that you’re not really tempted to skip by (probably that melodic section). 

His diversity will also undoubtedly split opinions on this album for most listeners. I quite love the dubby techno of Embrace The Minimum (even if the tune includes a pointless growling bass noise in the middle), but others may prefer the pure dancehall bedlam of Dirt. Or more obviously, straight-up atmospheric dubstep cuts like Aragami Style and Flower Of Flesh And Blood (which is some excellently sinister!) will get the party kids excited, whereas beat-heads will get their funky-feet on with A Shining Force

If anything, Richards has hedged his bets, even if it created a disjointed album in the process. Again, it’s the overriding murky tone that keeps things flowing as well as it does. I’ll grant if you don’t like murk’n’grime in your music, then Let The Night Roar won’t be getting much rotation in your player any time soon. It is a fine debut from King Cannibal, however, and one of the better dubstep albums you’re likely to find these days. Here’s hoping for more from Ninja Tune in the future. 

Score: 7/10 

ACE TRACKS
So… Embrace The Minimum 
A Shining Force 
Flower Of Flesh And Blood 

Written by Sykonee, 2010. © All rights reserved.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Felix da Housecat - Kittenz And Thee Glitz (Original TC Review)














Emperor Norton: Cat. # ENR 70472
Released June 2001

Track List:
1. Harlot (intro) (3:10)
2. Walk With Me (4:10)
3. Voicemail w/Miss Kittin (0:47)
4. Madame Hollywood (2:51)
5. Silver Screen Shower Scene (4:40)
6. Control Freaq (5:11)
7. What Does it Feel Like? (2:36)
8. Happy Hour (5:02)
9. The Enter View (1:14)
10. Glitz Rock (3:40)
11. Analog City (1:18)
12. Pray For A Star (3:54)
13. Sequel2Sub (3:50)
14. Magic Fly (3:00)
15. She Lives (3:03)
16. Runaway Dreamer (3:22)
17. What Does It Feel Like? (Röyksopp Return To The Sun Remix) (6:59)
18. Silver Screen Shower Scene (Thin White Duke Mix) (8:34)


(2010 Update:
Possibly one of the breeziest reviews I wrote. I honestly didn't anticipate it turning out the way it did. This was a case of me writing everything that immediately came to mind, and even if the idea was wacky, I ran with it. Not exactly a 'gonzo' review but definitely unconventional for us at the time. Hey, it's fun to read, ain'it? Oh, and the album still holds up excellently, as its inclusion in so many 'Best Of The 00s' EDM lists can attest to.)



IN BRIEF: If the mods had an 808...

It's time again for another edition of Trendsetting Albums: Do They Hold Up?, folks. This time, our glorious host, the straight-edged, gives-any-music-a-chance-provided-it's-not-CJ-Stone host Sykonee takes a look at yet another of the electro house movement's pioneers. Up to the plate is the album that practically set in stone the template for the genre we still hear today: Felix da Housecats Kittenz & Thee Glitz.

Hard to believe it's been half a decade since this was released. It doesn't feel that long ago all the underground hipsters were going apeshit over the raw, rocking analogue sounds coming from Felix and his compatriots (Electrikboy, Dave The Hustler, Miss Kittin, Junior Sanchez, Tommie Sunshine, Melistar, and Harrison Crump all lent their talents to this project). Yet here we are, five years later, and this music has been given the official stamp of mass-popularity approval thanks to Madonna's latest album. Now even your mothers can discover that awesome wicked cool sound you were gushing over in trendy clubs just after the turn of the century.

For no better reason than my electroclash camp was firmly with Tiga's Turbo label (and by association International Deejay Gigolos as well), I initially never jumped on the Felix bandwagon until after the hype died down. Of course, I'd heard some of the big singles but hadn't felt it necessary to pursue his material when I'd had The Hacker, Vitalic, DJ Hell, and so on to fill my needs. As such, I'm diving into Kittenz & Thee Glitz fresh. Let's see if time has been kind to the Muzik Magazine 2001 Album Of The Year.

And Harlot, billing itself as an intro track, is an encouraging sign of things to come. The mood is slinky, the synths are stuttery, and the rhythm is energetic. Only trouble is these elements rarely line-up together to form a standard song. Okay, fine, it isn't really trouble since this is an intro track (why blow your load all at once, right?), but it is a substantial tease, making you beg for more like it. With that in mind, Harlot is probably one of the most effective intros I’ve heard in a long time. Can't wait to see what's next.

Deep house, it would seem. Only... it's not. Structurally, Walk With Me has all the trappings of deep house -laid back rhythms, soulful lyrics, unobtrusive backing hooks and pads- but the sound patches are in a completely different world. The pads are a warm analogue synth, the percussion is perfectly suited for techno, and the lyrics are finely filtered into robo-land. Of course, at the time this was produced, these tricks had already been in use in numerous other styles of EDM. But deep house? Felix would have to be quite cheeky to tamper with that sacred genre.

Following a voice message from Miss Kittin, we're thrust into the two huge singles from this album. Since everyone's undoubtedly heard them by now, I'll just move along. Eh? You want some commentary from me anyways? How about I never really cared for these much. Sure, they're undeniably catchy, and Silver Screen’s march-a-long rabble rousing nature is irresistible on a dancefloor, but I personally feel it was done better on this album.

Happy Hour -now that's the one (yes, I know I'm going out of sequence; bear with me on this). It's structurally similar to Silver Screen but is a lot more fun. The fuzzed-out bass has some actual melody to it, there's great analogue synths, and the lyrics are a hoot! C'mon, I dare you to resist singing along to "808s, gives you power" as that beat throbs in the background. Happy Hour should have been an even bigger hit than Silver Screen. Why wasn't it? Probably the Miss Kittin factor had something to do with it. She was the rising starlett at the time, so her collaborations would get more attention. It's a shame, too, because I actually kind of prefer Melistar's sultry voice to Ms. Herves deadpan delivery (dammit, did it again!).

As we go further into Thee Glitz, I'm beginning to wonder where all the '80s revival theme' music journalists at the time were proclaiming made up the bulk of this album. Yes, there's plenty of 808 drum machines and analogue synths being used but only as a sound source. The musical styling, however, feels more like mod than synth-pop.

Another thing that strikes me is the diversity of all these songs: house, techno, soul, rock, italo. Every track borrows from a different style and is given an electro gloss-over without abandoning the substance of their attributes. With this much variety on hand, I can see why the music media was so quick to lump Thee Glitz into the electroclash camp -there's just no easy way to shuffle this into a tidy genre.

And that, my friends, is the mark of a great album (yes, I also know I’m not detailing all the songs anymore; just continue to bear with me). When a producer or team of them can craft an album that defies easy genre-fication, spawns tons of imitators, and still manages to sound fresh after the fact, you do indeed have something special on hand. By leaping across all sorts of scenes, Kittenz & The Glitz has created its own little bubble that exists outside of the trends of time. It sounds just as relevant being a part of the electroclash movement as it would have were it part of the mod rock movement or synth-pop movement. And it will undoubtedly be required listening for whatever the next post-modern hipster movement will be. Pick this up to be ahead of trends before they even start up again!

...Or better yet, just pick this up because it is a great collection of songs that, barring any production miracles in the electro house scene this spawned, will probably never be matched again.

Hmm. That kind of wraps up this review nice and tidily, doesn't it. It'd be redundant of me to go back now and detail all the songs like we normally do so I'll introduce my patent pending Interactive Review here. It's quite simple: I'll give you a selection of words, and you can arrange them however you see fit to help me describe my reactions to the songs on this album.

Step 1:
Choose from one of the following styles of music:
House
Techno
Soul
Mod Rock
Italo

Step 2:
Add Electro as the prefix.

Step 3:
Choose from one of the following words I felt describes what I heard in this release:
Awesome
Sweet
Rocking
Smooth

Step 4:
Add Fucking as the prefix.

Have fun!


Score: 9/10

ACE TRACKS:
Happy Hour
Glitz Rock
She Lives


Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Every trance cliche in one fell swoop.

Well, maybe not every one, but there sure is quite a few here. Then again, that's the point! Though not as funny as the classic "Tiesto played my record" spoof (dut dut dut!!!), this is a pretty good send-up of generic A State Of Global Harbors Around The World stuff. Heck, this sounds like something Richard Durand would have seriously produced, naff vocals exempt of course. The full title is I Believe In Miracles In The Ocean Underneath The Sky (Magic Miracle Tayle Vocal Mix).



Oh, and here's the lyrics. Now you can sing along!

Do you want to see forever
In the ocean
Beneath the white sky
In the dreamz

Can you believe in trance
Can you see the lazerbeam
Shining
Shining for you


You are the one for trance
Can you dance?
With the lazer

I believe in miracles
In the ocean
Underneath the sky

Goodbye
Goodbye
Hello
Goodbye
La la la la la
AAA
OOOOOOhhh


And here's another, called The Alienz Came For Me (Tech Mix).



Sky0cean, I tip my hat to you.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Setrise vs Kay Wilder - Poetry Clash














SPX Digital: SPX007
Released January 2010

Track List:
1. Poetry Clash (Original Mix) (7:15)
2. Poetry Clash (Ron Van Den Beuken Remix) (8:19)
3. Poetry Clash (Steve Birch Remix) (6:46)
4. Poetry Clash (John Gibbons & Scimon Tist Remix) (7:33)
5. Poetry Clash (Julius Beat & Eddy Karmona Remix) (7:42)


IN BRIEF: Routine.

It’s not every day some teenager gets playlisted by a top trance jock like Ferry Corsten, yet that’s what one Melle Bakker managed to do with an early digital single of his, Sunny Canon. Though it wasn’t much more than a typical melodic trance cover of Pachelbel’s Canon (you know, with the pleasant sweeping string arrangement that most associate with weddings or New Age meditation sessions these days), it was enough for the youngin’ to get his online label, Sunset To Sunrise Recordings, going. He’s since produced several singles for other labels like Redux and Infrasonic and Phoenix. Oh, and now also SPX.

Tagging along with him in this case is DJ Kay Wilder, who’s eight years Bakker’s senior. Together, they’ve produced a track called Poetry Clash, a title that doesn’t make much sense since there aren’t any lyrics involved but then what is in a name, oh pithy thee (or… something)? Anyhow, the track honestly isn’t much to get fussed over. Taking a page from Sander van Doorn, the rhythm is a deep, plodding rumble that’ll undoubtedly sound great on a large sound-system but lacks energy to get you excited for. The main hook is serviceable, though not terribly memorable, such that the duo feed it through pointless effects towards the end in an effort to somehow make it distinctive. Trancey synth washes and a brief squirt of hilariously constipated electro-fart round out the extras. That’s about it. Meh, expect this one to be lost in the annual glut quite rapidly.

Unfortunately, the remixes lack anything to recommend either. It’s not their fault, mind, as they don’t exactly have much to work with here. Rob van den Bueken offers the most intriguing of the bunch, giving a deep, spacey trance rub to the original, not to mention some vital rhythmic energy. Steve Birch ups the energy more as well but drowns the hook in effects. Meanwhile, the final two remixes are fairly typical trance rubs and almost identical in structure, with the John Gibbons & Scimon Tist Remix sounding a little clubbier and the Julius Beat & Eddy Karmona Remix sounding a little chunkier. In the end, these remixes are perfectly functional but, aside from Bueken, even less memorable than the original.

There isn’t much more for me to say here. If you hear the hook and it does something for you, then you’ll probably get more out of this single. For yours truly, however, Poetry Clash is just another drop in the sea of adequate, unremarkable trance.


Score: 4/10

Written by Sykonee, 2010. © All rights reserved.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Azuli Presents John Digweed: Choice - A Collection Of Classics (Original TC Review)














Azuli Records: Cat. # AZCD35X 
Released March 28/2005 

Track List: CD 1 
1. Voices Of Africa - Hoomba Hoomba (4:33) 
2. The Grid - Floatation (3:17) 
3. T Tauri - Joy To The World (No Felt) (4:35) 
4. Hypnotone - Dreambeam (Ben Chapman 12" Remix) (3:55) 
5. Smith & Mighty - Dark House (4:00) 
6. Peech Boys - Don’t Make Me Wait (5:05) 
7. Propaganda - Your Wildlife (Red Zone Mix) (4:45) 
8. The Beat Club - Security 88 (Midnight Club Mix) (5:06)
9. Sheertaft - Cascades (Hypnotone Mix) (5:08) 
10. Euphoria - Mecurial (Euphoric Original Mix) (4:29) 
11. One Dove - White Love (Scott Hardkiss’ Psychic Masturbation Mix) (5:23) 
12. Dance 2 Trance - We Came In Peace (John Digweed Re-edit) (4:57) 
13. Desert Storm - Desert Storm (6:06) 
14. Abfarht - Alone, It’s Me (Alley Cat Edit) (5:40) 
15. Underworld - Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You (Jamscraper Mix) (6:46) 

CD 2 1. Babble - Beautiful (Blue Mix) (6:38) 
2. Waterlillies - Tempted (Spooky Mix) (5:18) 
3. INXS - Disappear (Morales 12" Mix) (5:03) 
4. Megatonk - Belgium (Nintendotone Mix) (3:52) 
5. DSK - What Would You Do (8 Minutes Of Madness Mix) (5:14) 
6. Reese & Santonio - Back To The Beat (With The Sound) (3:34) 
7. Jody Watley - I’m The One (Def Dub Version; John Digweed Re-edit) (4:39) 
8. Saint Etienne - Cool Kids Of Death (Underworld Mix) (6:16) 
9. Hi-Bias - Drive It Home (4:47) 
10. Young American Primitive - Young American Primitive? (4:26) 
11. DJ H. featuring Steffy - Come On Boy (Larry Levan Remix) (5:29) 
12. Secret Knowledge - Sugar Daddy (7:27) 
13. The Cure - A Forest (Mark Saunders Mix) (6:46) 

(2010 Update: Man, I wish I'd spent "only" two paragraphs on the first disc too. Then I wouldn't have ended up with a cumbersome 2000+ word review. Still a fun compilation to throw on once and a while, certainly more so than some of Digweed's more recent forays into dry minimal-tech house. Bring back the classics, Diggers!) 

IN BRIEF: A history of Digweed untouched upon by the media. 

In this era of placing DJs on unreachable pedestals for their fans to idolize, it’s grown increasingly difficult for them to do what they do best - namely bring the listeners a variety of diverse music strung together into a cohesive flow. To quote from the liner notes of this release written by Sean Cusick: “A DJ’s fanbase can have very weighty expectations...invisible limits placed on diversity and the potential creativity that distinct music encourages. A dedicated fan-base comes to expect ‘more of the same’ from their hero and sometimes very little else.” 

While not all EDM scenes are quite this picky, the trance scene, for the most part, can be very guilty of this. How many fans of, say, Oakenfold, abandoned him when he stopped playing tracks from his Tranceport compilation (and don’t give me that ‘his DJing got worse’ excuse - it was always like that; you just didn’t notice it because you liked the tunes he played). For DJs whom grew up exposed to music long before their fan-base’s niche even existed, I’d imagine this can be a very frustrating thing. 

Let’s face it. Good DJs, of any style, have exposed themselves to a lot of music. Their music collections tend to be ridiculously large, even if they only get to play out a fraction of it. Labels realized this and figured out a way to not only introduce a new form of compilation, but also give these DJs a chance to do what every music collector loves: show off their records. 

So maybe you could argue these sorts of compilations are just stroking a DJ’s ego, or are redundant because there’s nothing but old tracks that any connoisseur will already have. Fair arguments, but I tend to take a less cynical route with this. Compilations like Back To Mine, Life:Styles, and Choice serve as a chance for DJs to create a sort of mix-tape for their audience. No scrutiny placed on them to only have the latest tracks, no critical analyzing of their technical skill - just one music lover sharing their tastes and influences with others. 

Prog house legend John Digweed was tapped for this particular edition of Azuli Records’ Choice series (which has featured mostly house legends like Frankie Knuckles and Danny Tenaglia). There’s no need to get into the history of the man, as I’m sure many already know about his raise to super-stardom from the Renaissance days on. Besides, most of that is moot here, as Digweed takes us on a little trip to an era before that. Most of the music on display here dates back to a time when the man was just a fledgling DJ, working from the ground up. As such, much of the music that tells the tale here is a far cry from what his more recent fans have come to expect of him, even if the elements that would come to define the Digweed sound are scattered about. 

Indeed, who’d have ever thought a song like Hoomba Hoomba by Voices Of Africa - a world beat group more akin to Enigma than Banco de Gaia - would ever find its way on a Digweed compilation? Yet here it is, right out of the gate. The first disc is littered with willful genre jumping so don’t expect any kind of typical DJ mix here. Digweed’s aim is to showcase songs, sometimes in their entirety, that have a personal connection to his young DJing career. It also gives his newer fans a chance to hear music they may have overlooked. 

Second song, The Grid’s Floatation, is a prime example. Everyone knows the groups’ ‘spaghetti western’ tunes like Texas Cowboy but who knows they did blissy, downtempo tracks like this? Not many, I’d imagine. A good chunk of the opening act of the first disc dwells on groovey, laid back tunes. It is definitely not a sound Digweed’s newer fans are likely to connect with him but they may stick around to see where he’s going with this. 

With Smith & Mighty’s Dark House, it’s straight into the old Chicago clubs. Rest assured, these are some old songs on display, and folks weaned on the pristinely produced cuts of the 21st Century will probably be a bit put off - provided that infectious bassline doesn’t hook them in regardless. Or, hey! How about some classic disco to make his new fans run for the hills? Despite being made in ‘82, Don’t Make me Wait by Peech Boys (a Larry Levan production) sounds as though it could have come straight from the glory years of disco’s birth (that’s pre-Saturday Night Fever, folks). Well, they use a drum machine instead here, but the spirit of old disco is still present. It’s a groovy song, as most old time garage is, but I’m willing to bet only the most trusting of Digweed fans will buy into his showcase of one of the most heavily sampled tunes around (Lord knows I’ve heard bits of Don’t Make Me Wait scattered about the last thirteen years). 

The eclectic choice of tracks continues unabated: the Morales remix of Propaganda’s Your Wildlife is a great grooving house number, if you don’t mind some of the late 80s pop hooks sprinkled about; The Beat Club’s Security takes us through an erotic trip in freestyle’s dungeon - yes, freestyle proper, as in massive use of the good ol’ 808 drum machine; Sheertaft’s Cascades brings us back to the groovy ambient dub on display from earlier; and Mercurial from Euphoria touches on the chunky prog house Digweed would soon embrace. 

So much musical territory to cover, so little time. I get the impression Diggers had even more than this in his initial selection but was cut short due to trying to keep some sort of cohesive narrative to the whole enterprise; even mixtapes like to tell a story when possible. But our man knows his audience well enough to give them something they’re familiar with. 

Probably striking parallels to the early Northern Exposure series, the Hardkiss remix of One Dove’s White Love certainly is a groovy gem of dreamy prog house done as only the names Andy Weatherall, Scott Hardkiss, and Dot Allison can imagine. It’s a shame these names aren’t given the recognition they deserve today. Well, at least Digweed does here. 

 And, of course, he let’s all of his ‘99 fans have a taste of trance towards the end - classic trance, that is (hah!). No progressive anthem schlock for you. Instead, you get the trance tune that practically defined the genre: Dance 2 Trance’s We Came In Peace. After what seems like a lengthy bit of minimal techno going nowhere, the song’s building tension is finally unleashed with synthy strings accompanied with a sample uttering the song’s title repeatedly. It’s an incredibly simple technique but is still just as effective in putting your mind in space as it must have been fifteen years ago. 

 With the cleverly ironic follow-up Desert Storm, the hypnotic trend continues. Again, nothing fancy with this track: looping rhythms, gently bubbling acid and melancholy three-note chord progression played on spacey pads defines the bulk of it. Yet, it’s far easier to become entranced listening to a track like this than anything with a supersaw in it. As the disc wraps up with Abfarht (hey, it’s Nosie Katzmaan again!) And Underworld, I can’t help but notice this starts to sound like, dare I say it, an actual DJ mix! No, there’s no beat-matching or transitions fancier than brief crossfades, but the final run of tracks have such amazing chemistry together, it sounds just as smooth as any decent mix. How’s that for track selection, eh? 

If you figure the end of the first disc is a sign of things to come in the second disc, you’d be partially right. For the first half of CD2, Digweed takes us on a tour of all sorts of 2nd generation house music: deep house, prog house, tech house, deep prog house, prog tech house, tech deep house, deep prog tech house, and some New York stylings, too. But, most notably, ‘choice’ house (hah, again!). Most of these tracks tend to play out without much mixing, but they all segue nicely together so as things don’t sound too disjointed. 

For the final stretch of this disc, our intrepid DJ digs into his crates an unloads a bevy of rarities and obscurities that collectors would cash in their retirement reserves to own. In case Skyscraper wasn’t enough convincing, Underworld’s remix of Cool Kids Of Death is further proof we should really be hoping for that eventual reunion tour [involving Emerson, that is -2010 Syk]. And the genres begin to liberally jump again, sometimes within the same song (like Young American Primitive, a track more akin to Banco de Gaia than Enigma) before ending off on Mark Saunders’ mix of The Cure’s A Forest, a track that sounds like it could have helped spur the electroclash movement had it not been produced ten years prior. 

If you’re wondering why I’ve only given two paragraphs to describe what goes on in CD2, the answer is I don’t feel it quite lives up to the expectations set out by CD1. Of course, all the songs on display are nice and make for decent listening, but aside from the tail end of it, it lacks the spontaneity of the first disc. As such, it doesn’t engage you with surprises like you might have hoped. But don’t let this nitpick of mine put you off of this whole compilation. For folks looking for some history in either Digweed’s own musical beginnings or discovering older, obscure EDM cuts, this edition of Choice is fine buying. 

In fact, I’d go so far as to say this, and any of the Choice releases, should be required listening for those who wish to explore the rich tapestry EDM has created in the last thirty years. There was so much that was left to the recycle bin by major record executives, we are quite fortunate to have compilations like these to remind us where this music came from and where it is still going. However dated some of these songs may sound, their influences can still be heard over a decade later. 

Score: 7/10 

ACE TRACKS
The Grid - Floatation 
Desert Storm - Desert Storm 
Saint Etienne - Cool Kids Of Death (Underworld Mix) 

Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.

Things I've Talked About

...txt 10 Records 16 Bit Lolita's 1963 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 Play Records 2 Unlimited 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 20xx Update 2562 3 Loop Music 302 Acid 36 3FORCE 3six Recordings 4AD 6 x 6 Records 75 Ark 7L & Esoteric 808 State A Perfect Circle A Positive Life A-Wave a.r.t.less A&M Records A&R Records Abandoned Communities Abasi Above and Beyond abstract AC/DC Ace Trace Ace Tracks Playlists Ace Ventura acid acid house acid jazz acid techno acoustic Acroplane Recordings Adam Beyer Adam Ellis Adam Freeland Adham Shaikh ADNY Adrian Younge adult contemporary Advanced UFO Phantom Aegri Somnia AEI Music Aes Dana Afgin Afrika Bambaataa Afro-house Afterhours Agoria Aidan Casserly Aira Mitsuki Airwaves Ajana Records Ajna AK1200 Akshan album Aldrin Alex Smoke Alex Theory Alice In Chains Alien Community Alien Project Alio Die All Saints Alpha Wave Movement Alphabet Zoo Alphaxone Altar Records Alter Ego alternative rock Alucidnation Ambelion Ambidextrous ambient ambient dub ambient techno Ambient World Ambientium Ametsub Amon Amarth Amon Tobin Amplexus Anabolic Frolic Anatolya Andrea Parker Andrew Heath Androcell Anduin Andy C anecdotes Aniplex Anjunabeats Annibale Records Anodize Another Fine Day Antendex anthem house Anthony Paul Kerby Anthony Rother Anti-Social Network Anzio Green Aoide Aphasia Records Aphex Twin Apócrýphos Apollo Apollo 440 Apple Records April Records Aqua Aquarellist Aquascape Aquasky Aquila Arcade Architects Of Existence Archives Arcturus arena rock Arista Armada Armin van Buuren Arpatle Artifact303 Arts & Crafts ASC Ashtech Asia Asian Dub Foundation Astral Engineering Astral Projection Astral Waves Astralwerks AstroPilot AstroPilot Music Asura Asylum Records ATB ATCO Records Atlantic Atlantis atmospheric jungle Atom Heart Atomic Hooligan Atomine Elektrine Atrium Carceri Attic Attoya Audiobulb Records Audion AuroraX Autechre Autistici Autumn Of Communion Auxilary Auxiliary Avantgarde Avatar Records Aveparthe Avicii Axiom Axs Axtone Records Aythar B.G. The Prince Of Rap B°TONG B12 Babygrande Balance Balanced Records Balearic ballad Bålsam Banco de Gaia Bandulu Barker & Baumecker Battle Axe Records battle-rap Bauri Beastie Boys Beat Buzz Records Beat Pharmacy Beatbox Machinery Beats & Pieces bebop Beck Bedouin Soundclash Bedrock Records Beechwood Music Benny Benassi Bent Benz Street US Berlin-School Beto Narme Beyond bhangra Bicep big beat Big Boi Big Dada Recordings Big L Big Life Bill Hamel Bill Laswell Bill Leeb BIlly Idol BineMusic BioMetal Biophon Records Biosphere Bipolar Music BKS Black Hole Recordings black metal black rebel motorcycle club Black Swan Sounds Blanco Y Negro Blasterjaxx Bleep Blend Blood Music Blow Up Blue Amazon Blue Hour Blue Öyster Cult blues blues rock Bluescreen Bluetech BMG Boards Of Canada Bob Dylan Bob Marley Bobina Bogdan Raczynzki Bombay Records Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Boney M Bong Load Records Bonobo Bonzai Boogie Down Productions Booka Shade Botchit & Scarper Bows Boxed Boys Noize Boysnoize Records BPitch Control braindance Brandt Brauer Frick Brasil & The Gallowbrothers Band breakbeats breakcore breaks Brian Eno Brian Wilson Brick Records Britpop Brodinski broken beat Brooklyn Music Ltd Bryan Adams BT Bubble Buffalo Springfield Bulk Recordings Burial Burned CDs Bursak Records Bush Busta Rhymes Buttertones bvdub C.I.A. Calibre calypso Canibus Canned Resistor Capitol Records Capsula Captain Hollywood Project Captured Digital Carbon Based Lifeforms Caribou Carl B Carl Craig Carlos Ferreira Carol C Caroline Records Carpe Sonum Novum Carpe Sonum Records Castroe Casual Cat Sun CD-Maximum Ceephax Acid Crew Celestial Dragon Records Cell Celtic Centaspike Cevin Fisher Cheb i Sabbah Cheeky Records chemical breaks Chihei Hatakeyama Children Of The Bong chill out chill-out chiptune Chris Duckenfield Chris Fortier Chris Korda Chris Liebing Chris Sheppard Chris Witoski Christmas Christopher Lawrence Chromeo Chronos Chrysalis Ciaran Byrne cinematic soundscapes Circle of Pines Circular Ciro Berenguer Cirrus Cities Last Broadcast City Of Angels CJ Stone Claptone classic house classic rock classical Claude Young Clear Label Records Clementz Cleopatra Cloud 9 Club Culture Club Cutz Club Tools Cocoon Recordings Cold Spring Coldcut Coldplay coldwave Colette collagist Columbia Com.Pact Records Coma Eye comedy Compilation Comrie Smith Congo Natty Conjure One Connect.Ohm conscious Control Music Convextion Cooking Vinyl Cor Fijneman Corderoy Cosmic Gate Cosmic Replicant Cosmo Cocktail Cosmos Studios Cottonbelly Council Estate Electronics Council Of Nine Counter Records country country rock Covert Operations Recordings Craig Padilla Craig Richards Crazy Horse Cream Creamfields Creedence Clearwater Revival Crockett's Theme Crosby Stills And Nash Crossing Mind Crosstown Rebels crunk Cryo Chamber Cryobiosis Cryogenic Weekend Cryostasis Crystal Moon Cube Guys Culture Beat Curb Records Current Curve cut'n'paste CYAN Cyan Music Cyber Productions CyberOctave Cyclic Law Cygna Cypher 7 Cypress Hill Cyril Secq Czarface D-Bridge D-Fuse D-Topia Entertainment Daar Dacru Records Daddy G Daft Punk Dag Rosenqvist Damian Lazarus Damon Albarn Damon Wild Dan Terminus Dan The Automator Dance 2 Trance Dance Pool Dance With The Dead dancehall Daniel Heatcliff Daniel Lentz Daniel Pemberton Daniel Wanrooy Danny Howells Danny Tenaglia Dao Da Noize Daphni dark ambient dark disco dark psy darkcore darkside darkstep darksynth darkwave Darla Records Darren Emerson Darren McClure Darren Nye DAT Records Databloem dataObscura David Alvarado David Bickley David Bridie David Cordero David Guetta David Morley DDR De-tuned Dead Coast Dead Melodies Deadmau5 Death Grips death metal Death Row Records Decimal Deconstruction Dedicated Deejay Goldfinger Deep Dish Deep Forest deep house Deeply Rooted House Deepwater Black Deetron Def Jam Recordings Del Tha Funkee Homosapien Delerium Delsin Deltron 3030 Denshi Danshi Depeche Mode Der Dritte Raum Derek Carr Detroit Deviant Records Devin Underwood Devroka Deysn Masiello DFA DGC diametric. Dido Dieselboy Different DigiCube Dillinja Dirk Serries dirty house Dirty South Dirty Vegas Dis Fig disco Disco Gecko disco house Disco Pinata Records disco punk Discover (label) Disky Disques Dreyfus Distant System Distinct'ive Breaks Disturbance Divination DJ 3000 DJ Brian DJ Craze DJ Dag DJ Dan DJ Dean DJ Gonzalo DJ Heather DJ John Kelley DJ John Storm DJ Merlin DJ Mix DJ Moe Sticky DJ Observer DJ Premier DJ Q-Bert DJ Shadow DJ Soul Slinger DJ-Kicks Djen Ajakan Shean DJMag DMC DMC Records Doc Scott Dogon Dogwhistle Dooflex Doom Poets Dopplereffekt Dossier Dousk downtempo dowtempo Dr. Alban Dr. Atmo Dr. Dre Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show Dr. Octagon Dragon Quest dream house dream pop DreamWorks Records Drexciya drill 'n' bass Dronarivm drone Dronny Darko drum 'n' bass DrumNBassArena drumstep drunken review dub Dub Pistols dub techno Dub Trees Dubfire dubstep Dubtribe Sound System DuMonde Dune Dusted Dyadik Dynatron E-Mantra E-Z Rollers Eardream Music Earth Earth Nation Earthling Eastcoast Eastcost Eastern Dub Tactik EastWest Eastworld Eat Static EBM Echodub Ed Rush & Optical Editions EG EDM World Weekly News Ektoplazm Electric Universe electro Electro House Electro Sun electro-funk electro-pop electroclash Electronic Dance Essentials Electronic Music Guide Electrovoya Elektra Elektrolux em:t EMC update EMI Emiliana Torrini Eminem Emmerichk Emperor Norton Empire enCAPSULAte Encym Engine Recordings Enigma Enmarta Ensiferum Enya EP Epic epic trance EQ Recordings Equal Stones Erased Tapes Records Eric Borgo Erik Vee Erol Alkan Escape Esko Barba Esoteric Reactive Espacio Cielo ethereal Etic Etnica Etnoscope Euphoria euro dance eurodance eurotrance Eurythmics Eve Records Everlast Ewan Pearson Exitab experimental Eye Q Records Ezdanitoff F Communications Fabric Facture Fade Records Faex Optim Faint Faithless Falcon Reekon Fallen False Mirror fanfic Fantastisizer Fantasy Enhancing faru Fatboy Slim Fax +49-69/450464 Fear Factory Fedde Le Grand Fehrplay Feist Fektive Records Felix da Housecat Fennesz Ferry Corsten FFRR Fictivision field recordings Filter filters Final Fantasy Firescope Five AM Fjäder Flashover Recordings Floating Points Flowers For Bodysnatchers Flowjob Fluke Fluxion Flying Lotus folk Fontana footwork Force Intel Fountain Music Four Tet FPU Frame Francis M Gri Frank Bretschneider Frankie Bones Frankie Knuckles Frans de Waard Fred Everything freestyle French house Front Line Assembly Frou Frou fsoldigital.com Fugees full-on Fun Factory funk future garage Future Sound Of London Futuregrapher futurepop g-funk G-Prod gabber Gabriel Le Mar Gaither Music Group Galaktlan Galati Gang Starr gangsta garage Gareth Davis Gary Martin Gas Gasoline Alley Records Gee Street Geffen Records Gel-Sol Genesis Geometry Combat George Issakidis Gerald Donald Get Physical Music ghetto Ghostface Killah Ghostly International Glacial Movements Records glam Gliese 581C glitch Glitch Hop Global Communication Global Underground Globular goa trance Goasia God Body Disconnect Gorillaz gospel Gost goth Grammy Awards Gravediggaz Green Bay Wax Green Day Grey Area Greytone Gridlock grime Groove Armada Groove Corporation Grooverider grunge Guru Gustaf Hidlebrand Gusto Records GZA H:U:M H2O Records Haddaway Halgrath happy hardcore hard house hard rock hard techno hard trance hardcore Hardfloor Hardly Art hardstyle Harlequins Enigma Harmless Harmonic 33 Harmonic Resonance Recordings Harold Budd Harthouse Harthouse Mannheim Hawtin Headphone Hearts Of Space Hed Kandi Hefty Records Helen Marnie Hell Hercules And Love Affair Hernán Cattáneo Hexstatic Hi-Bias Records Hic Sunt Leones Hide And Sequence Hiero Emperium Hieroglyphics High Contrast High Note Records Higher Ground Higher Intelligence Agency Hilyard hip-hop hip-house hipno Hollywood Burns Home Normal Honest Jon's Records Hooj Choons Hope Records horrorcore Hospital Records Hot Chip Hotflush Recordings house Howie B Huey Lewis & The News Human Blue Humanoid Hybrid Hybrid Leisureland Hymen Records Hyperdub Hypertrophy Hypnotic Hypnoxock I Awake I-Cube i! Records I.F. I.F.O.R. I.R.S. Records Iboga Records Icarus Music Ice Cube Ice H2o Records ICE MC IDM Iempamo Ignis Fatum Igorrr Ikjoyce illbient ILUITEQ Imogen Heap Imperial Dancefloor Imploded View In Charge In Trance We Trust Incoming Incubus Indica Records indie rock Indisc Industrial Infastructure New York Infected Mushroom Infinite Guitar influence records Infonet Inhmost Ink Midget Inner Ocean Records Innovative Leisure Records Insane Clown Posse Inspectah Deck Instinct Ambient Instra-Mental Intellitronic Bubble Inter-Modo Interchill Records Internal International Deejays Gigolo Interscope Records Intimate Productions Intuition Recordings ISBA Music Entertainment Ishkur Ishq Island Def Jam Music Group Island Records Islands Of Light Italians Do It Better italo disco italo house Item Caligo J-pop Jack Moss Jackpot Jacob Newman Jafu Jake Stephenson Jam and Spoon Jam El Mar James Blake James Holden James Horner James Lavelle James Murray James Zabiela Jamie Jones Jamie Myerson Jamie Principle Jamiroquai Javelin Ltd. Jay Haze Jay Tripwire Jaydee jazz jazz dance jazzdance jazzstep Jean-Michel Jarre Jefferson Airplane Jerry Goldsmith Jesper Dahlbäck Jessy Lanza Jimmy Van M Jiri.Ceiver Jive Jive Electro Jliat Jlin JMJ Joel Mull Joey Beltram John '00' Fleming John Acquaviva John Beltran John Digweed John Graham John Kelly John O'Callaghan John Oswald John Shima Johnny Cash Johnny Jewel Jon Hester Jonny L Jori Hulkkonen Joris Voorn Jørn Stenzel Josh Christie Josh Wink Journeys By DJ™ LLC Joyful Noise Recordings Juan Atkins juke Jump Cut jump up Jumpin' & Pumpin' jungle Junior Boy's Own Junkie XL Juno Reactor Jupiter 8000 Jurassic 5 Kaico Kay Wilder KDJ Keith Farrugia Ken Ishii Kenji Kawai Kenny Glasgow Keoki Keosz Kerri Chandler Kevin Braheny Kevin Yost Kevorkian Records Khetzal Khooman Khruangbin Ki/oon Kid Koala Kiko Killing Joke Kinder Atom Kinetic Records King Cannibal King Midas Sound King Tubby Kitaro Klang Elektronik Klaus Schulze Klik Records KMFDM Koch Records Koichi Sugiyama Kolhoosi 13 Komakino Kompakt Kon Kan Kool Keith Kozo Kraftwelt Kraftwerk Krafty Kuts Kranky krautrock Kriistal Ann Krill.Minima Kris O'Neil Kriztal KRS-One Kruder and Dorfmeister Krusseldorf Kubinski KuckKuck Kulor Kurupt Kwook L.B. Dub Corp L.S.G. L'usine La Luz Lab 4 Ladytron LaFace Records Lafleche Lamb Lange Large Records Lars Leonhard Laserlight Digital LateNightTales Latin Laurent Garnier Layer 3 LCD Soundsystem Le Moors Leaf Leama and Moor Lee 'Scratch' Perry Lee Burridge Lee Norris Leftfield Leftfield Records Legacy Legiac Legowelt Lemony Records Leon Bolier Les Disques Du Crépuscule LFO Linear Labs Lingua Lustra Lionel Weets Liquid Frog Records liquid funk Liquid Sound Design Liquid Stranger Liquid Zen Literon Live live album LL Cool J lo fi Loco Dice Lodsb LoFi London acid crew London Classics London Elektricity London Records 90 Ltd London-Sire Records LongWalkShortDock Loop Guru Loreena McKennitt Lorenzo Masotto Lorenzo Montanà loscil Lost Language Lotek Records Loud Records Louderbach Loverboy Lowfish Luaka Bop Lucette Bourdin Luciano Luke Slater Lunarian Records Lustmord M_nus M.A.N.D.Y. M.I.K.E. Mack 10 Madonna Magda Magik Muzik Mahiane Mali Malignant Records Mammoth Records Mantacoup Marc Simz Marcel Dettmann Marcel Fengler Marco Carola Marco V Marcus Intalex Mark Farina Mark Norman Mark Pritchard Markus Schulz Marshmello Martin Allin Martin Cooper Martin Nonstatic Märtini Brös Marvin Gaye Maschine Massimo Vivona Massive Attack Masta Killa Master Margherita Matthew Dear Max Graham maximal Maxx MCA MCA Records McProg Meanwhile Meat Loaf Median Project Medicine Label Meditronica Melusine Records Memex Menno de Jong Mercury Merr0w Mesmobeat metal Metal Blade Records Metamatics Method Man Metro Area Metroplex Metropolis MF Doom Miami Bass Miami Beach Force Miami Dub Machine Michael Brook Michael Jackson Michael Mantra Michael Mayer Mick Chillage micro-house microfunk Microscopics MIG Miguel Migs Mike Saint-Jules Mike Shiver Miktek Mille Plateaux Millennium Records Mind Distortion System Mind Over MIDI mini-CDs minimal minimal tech-house Ministry Of Sound miscellaneous Misja Helsloot Miss Kittin Miss Moneypenny's Mistical Mixmag Mixmaster Morris Mo Wax Mo-Do MO-DU Moby Model 500 modern classical Modeselektor Mohlao Moist Music Moljebka Pvulse Moodymann Moonshine Morgan Morphic Resonance Morphology Moss Covered Technology Moss Garden Motech Motionfield Motorbass Mount Shrine Move D Moving Shadow Mr. Scruff Mujaji Murk Murmur Mushy Records Music link Music Man Records musique concrete Mutant Sound System Mute MUX Muzik Magazine My Best Friend Mystery Tape Laboratory Mystica Tribe Mystified N-Trance Nacht Plank Nadia Ali Nano Records Napalm Records Nas Nashville Natural Life Essence Natural Midi Nature Sounds Naughty By Nature Nav Bhinder Nebula Neil Young Neo Ouija Neo-Adventures Neon Droid Neotantra Neotropic nerdcore Nervous Records Nettwerk Neurobiotic Records neurofunk Neuropa Records New Age New Beat New Jack Swing New Order new wave Nic Fanciulli Nick Höppner Night Hex Night Time Stories Nightmares On Wax Nightwind Records Nimanty Nine Inch Nails Ninja Tune Nirvana nizmusic No Mask Effect Nobuo Uematsu noise Noise Factory Records Nomad Nonesuch Nonplus Records Nookie Nordic Trax Norken Norman Cook Norman Feller North South Northumbria Not Now Music Nothing Records Nova NovaMute NRG Ntone nu-italo nu-jazz nu-metal nu-skool Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast Entertainment Nulll Nunc Stans Nurse With Wound NXP Nyquist Oasis Ocelot Octagen Offshoot Offshoot Records Ol' Dirty Bastard Olan Mill Old Europa Cafe old school rave Ole Højer Hansen Olga Musik Olien Oliver Lieb Olivier Orand Olsen OM Records Omni Trio Omnimotion Omnisonus One Little Indian Onyx Oophoi Oosh Open Open Canvas Opium Opus III orchestral Original TranceCritic review Origo Sound Orkidea Orla Wren Ornament Ostgut Ton Ott Ottsonic Music Ouragan Out Of The Box OutKast Outmosphere Records Outpost Records Overdream Owl P-Ben Pale Glow Paleowolf Pan Sonic Pantera Pantha Du Prince Paolo Mojo Parental Advisory Parlaphone Part-Sub-Merged Pascal F.E.O.S. Past Inside The Present Patreon Patrick Dream Paul Moelands Paul Oakenfold Paul van Dyk Pendulum Pentatonik Perfect Stranger Perfecto Perturbator Pet Shop Boys Petar Dundov Pete Namlook Pete Tong Peter Andersson Peter Benisch Peter Broderick Peter Gabriel Peter Tosh Phantogram Phonothek Photek Phutureprimitive Phynn PIAS Recordings Pinch Pink Floyd Pioneer Pitch Black PJ Harvey Plaid Planet Dog Planet Earth Recordings Planet Mu Planetary Assault Systems Planetary Consciousness Plastic City Plastikman Platinum Platipus Pleq Plump DJs Plunderphonic Plus 8 Records PM Dawn Poker Flat Recordings Polar Seas Recordings Pole Folder politics Polydor Polytel pop Popular Records Porya Hatami positivesource post-dubstep post-punk power electronics Prince Prince Paul Prins Thomas Priority Records Private Mountain Procs Profondita prog prog metal prog psy prog rock prog-psy progress house Progression progressive breaks progressive house progressive rock progressive trance Prolifica Proper Records Prototype Recordings protoU Pryda psy chill psy dub Psy Spy Records psy trance psy-chill psy-dub psychedelia Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia Psychomanteum Psychonavigation Psychonavigation Records Psycoholic Psykosonik Psysolation Public Enemy Pulse-8 Records punk punk rock Pureuphoria Records Purl Purple Soil Push PWL International Quadrophonia Quality Quango Quantic Quantum Quinlan Road R & S Records R'n'B R&B Ra Rabbit In The Moon Radio Slave Radioactive Radioactive Man Radiohead Rae Raekwon ragga Rainbow Vector raison d'etre Raja Ram Ralf Hildenbeutel Ralph Lawson RAM Records Randal Collier-Ford Random Review Rank 1 rant Rapoon RareNoise Records Ras Command Rascalz Raster-Noton Ratatat Raum Records rave RCA React Rebecca & Nathan Recycle Or Die Red Fog Red Jerry Redman Refracted reggae ReKaB REKIDS remixes Renaissance Renaissance Man Rephlex Reprise Records Republic Records Resist Music Restless Records RetroSynther Reverse Alignment Reverse Pulse Rhino Records Rhys Fulber Ricardo Villalobos Richard Durand Richard Stonefield Riley Reinhold Ringo Sheena Rising High Records RnB Roadrunner Records Robert Hood Robert Miles Robert Oleysyck Robert Rich Roc Raida rock rock opera rockabilly rocktronica Roger Sanchez ROIR Rollo Roman Ridder Rough Trade Rub-N-Tug Ruben Garcia Rudy Adrian Ruffhouse Records Rumour Records Running Back Ruptured World Ruthless Records RX-101 Rykodisc RZA S.E.T.I. Saafi Brothers Sabled Sun SadGirl Saitoh Tomohiro Sakanaction Salt Tank Salted Music Salvation Music Samim Samora sampling Samurai Red Seal Sanctuary Records Sander van Doorn Sandoz Sandwell District SantAAgostino Saphileaum Sarah McLachlan Sash Sasha Saul Stokes Scandinavian Records Scann-Tec sci-fi Science Scooter Scott Grooves Scott Hardkiss Scott Stubbs Scuba Seán Quinn Seaworthy Segue Sense Sentimony Records Sequential Seraphim Rytm Setrise Seven Davis Jr. Sghor sgnl_fltr Shackleton Shaded Explorations Shaded Explorer Shadow Records Sharam Shawn Francis shoegaze Shpongle Shuta Yasukochi Si Matthews Side Effects SideOneDummy Records Sidereal Signature Records SiJ Silent Season Silent Universe Silentes Silentes Minimal Editions Silicone Soul silly gimmicks Silver Age Simian Mobile Disco Simon Berry Simon Heath Simon Posford Simon Scott Simple Records Sinden Sine Silex single Single Gun Theory Sire Records Company Six Degrees Sixeleven Records Sixtoo ska Skanfrom Skare Skin To Skin Skua Atlantic Slaapwel Records Slam Sleep Research Facility Slinky Music Slowcraft Records Sly and Robbie Smalltown Supersound SME Visual Works Inc. SMTG Limited Snap Sneijder Snoop Dogg Snowy Tension Pole soft rock Soiree Records International Solar Fields Solaris Recordings Solarstone Soleilmoon Recordings Solieb Solieb Digital Solipsism Soliquid Solstice Music Europe Solvent Soma Quality Recordings Songbird Sony Music Entertainment SOS soul Soul Temple Entertainment soul:r Souls Of Mischief Sound Of Ceres Soundgarden Sounds From The Ground soundtrack southern rap southern rock space ambient Space Dimension Controller space disco Space Manoeuvres space music space synth Spacetime Continuum Spaghetti Recordings Spank Rock Special D Specta Ciera speed garage Speedy J SPG Music Sphäre Sechs Spicelab Spielerei Spinefarm Records Spiritech spoken word Sport Spotify Suggestions Spotted Peccary Spring Hill SPX Digital Spy vs Spice Squarepusher Squaresoft Stacey Pullen Stanton Warriors Star Trek Stardust Statrax Stay Up Forever Stealth Sonic Recordings Stephanie B Stephen Kroos Stereolab Steve Angello Steve Brand Steve Lawler Steve Miller Band Steve Porter Steven Rutter Stijn van Cauter Stimulus Timbre Stone Temple Pilots Stonebridge Stormloop Stray Gators Street Fighter Stuart McLean Studio K7 Stylophonic Sub Focus Subharmonic Sublime Sublime Porte Netlabel Subotika Substance Suction Records Suduaya Suicide Squeeze SUN Project Sun Station Sunbeam Sunday Best Recordings Sunscreem Suntrip Records Supercar Superstition surf rock Susumu Yokota Sven Väth SVLBRD Swayzak Sweet Trip swing Switch Swollen Members Sykonee Survey Sylk 130 Symmetry Sync24 Synergy Synkro synth pop synth-pop synthwave System 7 Tactic Records Take Me To The Hospital Tall Paul Tammy Wynette Tangerine Dream Tau Ceti Taylor Tayo tech house Tech Itch Digital Tech Itch Recordings tech-house tech-step tech-trance Technical Itch techno technobass Technoboy Tectonic Telefon Tel Aviv Telstar Terminal Antwerp Terra Ferma Terror Cell Terry Lee Brown Jr Tetsu Inoue Textere Oris The Angling Loser The B-52's The Beach Boys The Beatles The Black Dog The Boats The Brian Jonestown Massacre The Bug The Chemical Brothers The Circular Ruins The Clash The Council The Cranberries The Crystal Method The Digital Blonde The Dust Brothers The Field The Frozen Vaults The Gentle People The Glimmers The Green Kingdom The Grey Area The Grid The Hacker The Herbaliser The Human League The Irresistible Force The KLF The Micronauts The Misted Muppet The Movement The Music Cartel The Null Corporation The Oak Ridge Boys The Offspring The Orb The Police The Prodigy The Real McCoy The Roots The Sabres Of Paradise The Shamen The Sharp Boys The Sonic Voyagers The Squires The Stills-Young Band The Stray Gators The Tea Party The Tragically Hip The Velvet Underground The Wailers The White Stripes The Winterhouse themes Thievery Corporation Third Contact Third World Tholen Thrive Records Tiefschwarz Tiësto Tiga Tiger & Woods Tijuana Panthers Time Life Music Time Warp Timecode Timestalker Tipper Tobias Tocadisco Todd Terje Toki Fuko Tom Middleton Tom Tom Club Tomas Jirku Tomita Tommy '86 Tommy Boy Ton T.B. Tone Depth Tony Anderson Sound Orchestra Too Pure Tool tools Topaz Tosca Toto Touch Touched Tourette Records Toxik Synther Tracing Xircles Traffic Entertainment Group trance Trancelucent Tranquillo Records Trans'Pact Transcend Transformers Transient Records trap Trax Records Trend Trentemøller Tresor tribal Tricky Triloka Records trip-hop Trishula Records Tristan Troum Troy Pierce TRS Records Tru Thoughts Tsuba Records Tsubasa Records Tuff Gong Tunnel Records Turbo Recordings turntablism TUU TVT Records Twisted Records Type O Negative Týr U-God U-Recken U2 U4IC DJs Überzone Ugasanie UK acid house UK Garage UK Hard House Ultimae Records Ultra Records Umbra Underworld Union Jack United Dairies United DJs Of America United Recordings Universal Motown Universal Music Universal Records Universal Republic Records UNKLE Unknown Tone Records Unusual Cosmic Process UOVI Upstream Records Urban Icon Records Utada Hikaru V2 Vagrant Records Valanx Valiska Valley Of The Sun Vangelis Vap VAST Vector Lovers Venetian Snares Venonza Records Vermont Vernon Versatile Records Verus Records Verve Records VGM Vibrant Music Vice Records Victor Calderone Victor Entertainment Vidna Obmana Viking metal Vince DiCola Vinyl Cafe Productions Virgin Virtual Vault Virus Recordings Visionquest Visions Vitalic vocal trance Vortex Voxxov Records Voyage Wagram Music Waki Wanderwelle Warmth Warner Bros. Records Warp Records Warren G Water Music Dance Wave Recordings Wave Records Waveform Waveform Records Wax Trax Records Way Out West WC WEA Wednesday Campanella Weekend Players Weekly Mini-Review Werk Discs Werkstatt Recordings WestBam Westside Connection White Cloud White Swan Records Wichita Will Saul William Orbit Willie Nelson Wintersun world beat world music writing reflections Wrong Records Wu-Tang Clan Wurrm Wyatt Keusch Xerxes The Dark XL Recordings XTT Recordings Yahgan Yamaoka Yello Yes Ylid Youth Youtube YoYo Records Yul Records zakè Zenith ZerO One Zoharum Zomby Zoo Entertainment ZTT Zyron ZYX Music µ-Ziq