Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Rock the Funky Beat [Radio Edit] - Natural Born Chillers
2. Treat Imfamy [7'' Main Mix] - Rest Assured
3. Smack My Bitch Up [DJ Hype Remix] - The Prodigy
4. Going Out of My Head - Fatboy Slim
5. Release Yo' Delf [Prodigy Remix] - Method Man
6. Subfusion - Rabbit in the Moon
7. My Mate Paul - David Holmes
8. Freaks - Überzone
9. B-Boy Stance [Cut & Paste Remix] - Freestylers
10. City of Groove - DJ Icey
11. Temper, Temper [Grooverider Remix] - Goldie
12. Ultrasonic Sound - Hive
13. What Does Your Soul Look Like - DJ Die, DJ Shadow
14. Over - Portishead

Disc 2:

1. Chime - Orbital
2. Cubik (Kings County Dub) - 808 State
3. Voodoo Ray - A Guy Called Gerald
4. Clear - Cybotron
5. Mother Earth - Dubtribe
6. Go - Moby
7. Charly - Prodigy
8. Something Good - Utah Saints
9. Energy Flash - Joey Beltram
10. Salsa Life - Rhythim Is Rhythim
11. Chime - Orbital
12. Cübik [Kings County Dub] - 808 State
13. Voodoo Ray - A Guy Called Gerald
14. Clear - Cybotron
15. Mother Earth - Dubtribe Sound System
16. Go - Moby
17. Charly - The Prodigy
18. Something Good - Utah Saints
19. Energy Flash - Joey Beltram
20. Salsa Life - Rhythim Is Rhythim

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112478 in Music
• Released on: 1998-05-12
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
This compilation, offered by LA's Urb Magazine, is only deceptively straightforward: it explores the current state of electronica, with dance-floor stalwarts DJ Icey, Uberzone, and Rabbit in the Moon butting heads with neo-pop stars like the Crystal Method, Goldie, and Portishead. One might suspect this to be yet another cash-in "electronica" compilation, a mere licensing scheme intended to separate you from the contents of your wallet. But this ain't no scam: not only is the track selection topnotch and accessible, with an equal dose of well-known hits and underappreciated gems, but the compilation also offers an entertaining education. On disc two, New York's Liquid Todd throws down a set of classics, tracks like Rhythim Is Rhythim's "Strings of Life," Orbital's "Chime," and Dubtribe's "Mother Earth," giving an insight as to what today's electronica stars were hearing whilst in their nappies. As an introduction to the overhyped and confusing world of "electronica," this compilation can't be beat. --Matthew Corwine

Customer Reviews

An average of the two discs together...
There are two discs here, and they're actually quite different from each other, so I'm going to review each disc on its individual merits.

Disc One: 3 stars. There's some good songs here (Natural Born Chillers, Fatboy Slim, Wildchild, Portishead, Uberzone) but there are many tracks that are just mediocre or disappointing (namely, the decidedly inferior mixes of the Crystal Method and Prodigy tracks) and, unfortunately, this is not a continuous mix. Finally, it could have used more tracks with less hip-hop influence... there's more than one type of techno out there.

Disc Two: 5 stars. A bunch of classics continually mixed together, the album never loses momentum and it keeps a constant groove to it. Of course, with classic songs like "Go," "Charly," "Chime," "Cubik," and "Strings Of Life," how could you go wrong?

Bottom line: the average of 3 stars and 5 stars = 4 stars.

A letdown
This CD was a big letdown.. it was recommended by the person at the record store, looked good, etc. Basically disc 1 was too jungle for me. There are some tunes that are pretty good, but there are some downright angry-feeling ones as well. Temper-temper gave me a headache and "release YO' Delf"--well, you can figure it.

Disc 2 was much better, but still not enough to compell me to repeat the purchase.

Summary: Disc1 1-2 stars, Disc2 3-4 stars

Disc 2 much better
There's another review that sums my sentiments exactly. Disc 1 gets 2-3 stars (kind of like a rap with faster beat) But disc 2 is really good; 5 stars)