Amazon.com essential recording

If techno ever does become the sound of young America, don't expect Richard James to be its poster boy, deserving though he may be. A native of Cornwall, England, James is obsessed with the mechanics of music making: As a kid, he took apart and reassembled the living room piano. Under the names Aphex Twin, Polygon Window, AFX, and other aliases too numerous to mention, he showed that he could make entire tracks with the sounds produced by tapping on a Coke can. Like the indie rockers of yore, he revels in his marginality because of the creative freedom it gives him. His full-length U.S. debut, Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994), includes some of the most serene sounds this side of the Orb, but his favorite hobby is the not-at-all-blissful pastime of driving a Daimler Ferret Mark 3 tank through his parents' backyard.

None of his recordings have captured the competing impulses to lull you to sleep and blast out your eardrums as well as Richard D. James, his third and best album. As the title indicates, James has turned inward for inspiration, painting aural pictures of real and imagined scenes from his west country childhood. "Goongumpas" is a fanciful, playful tune that wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. As his adventures with the family upright indicate, James was a bit of a devil even as a child. "Beetles" is the sound of a boy frying bugs on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass, and "To Cure a Weakling Child" shows flashes of the sort of sadism found only on preschool playgrounds. If you still doubt that young Richard developed early on, the romantic Nino Rota-style strings on "Girl/Boy Song" are just made for passionate seductions, and the tune appears in three mixes, each one hot and hornier than the one before.

The raucous undercurrents of even his calmest tunes and the sources of many of his most common sounds are what link James to the rock tradition. With Richard D. James, the artist solidifies his position as an electronic music mastermind who has earned a spot beside such well-respected innovators--whether or not he's destined for stardom. --Jim Derogatis ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Just a note:
Richard D. James Album is the first ten tracks of this album:

1. 4
2. Cornish Acid
3. Peek 824545301
4. Fingerbib
5. Corn Mouth
6. To Cure a Weakling Child
7. Goon Gumpas
8. Yellow Calx
9. Girl/Boy Song
10. Logon Rock Witch

When bringing the album to America, the record companies decided that 32 minutes was too short for an album and added on the (entertaining, but IMO inferior) 5 tracks from the Girl/Boy EP.

11. Milkman
12. Inkeys
13. Girl/Boy Song [£18 Snare Rush Mix]
14. Beetles
15. Girl/Boy Song [Redruth Mix]

Those five tracks are BONUS TRACKS - they are NOT part of Richard D. James Album. Please consider this when reviewing the album.

As for my opinion, RDJ Album is a masterpiece of Drill n Bass, which is the term for the lightning quick, spastic drumming that is so prominent in this work. Note that this rather up-tempo drumming isn't always intense...it can actually be quite soothing (For the best example of this, see Flim from the Come to Daddy EP). For this, I couldn't do anything but give it 5 Stars. Once again, Aphex Twin has released something completely alien to my ears and I love it.

Absolutely Amazing.
I recently purchased "I Care Because You Do" and this album and already I'm addicted to the work of Richard D. James. Although this album is somewhat short, it still packs an immense impact on your ears.

Songs like "4" sound like he took music from the nintendo game "Zelda: The Adventure of Link" and completely rearranged it and added some fast, happy beats. "Peek ..." is my favorite song by far, however. I can't explain it except that it is chaotic and beautiful at the same time - which I can only imagine is hard for any elektronik artist to acheive. "Corn Mouth" is insane - enough said - but I do like it. "Cornish Acid" and "Fingerbib" are great as well - and "Milkman" is HILARIOUS. "Logon Rock Witch" is a compilation of noises and bings, bongs and rings. It's cool. "Girl/Boy song" is cool - but actually, it's one of my least favorites. Sorry.

Also, the import version of this album ends after "Logon Rock Witch." The American version of this album has added the "Girl/Boy EP" after track ten which includes tracks 11-15. I hope that that clears up some questions. Also, to find out why RDJ is a genius - play this music on a disc player and put in headphones. When the albums over with you'll know why he's a genius... but - only if you have an open mind.

way too overrated
the sound of this cd is incredible. Aphex Twin made it off of his analog studio but where did he get this sound. If you read the back of squarepusher's "Feed Me Weird Things" Richard D. James gives him all the credit. I love this cd but i don't like the fact that all of his songs are under 4 minutes. He couldn't hack it. Here he is doing drum loops on an 808 through a filter bank while squarepusher has cruddy equiptment making the most out of it and doing 6 minute long drum solo's. Thats talent.

Richard D. James: A Genius Of Electronica
I bought this excellent CD a long while ago, and I still love this album. Even though it falls short compared to his earlier works (ex. Selected Ambient Works 85-92), this frenzied fusion of ambient, drum n' bass, drill n' bass, and some hardcore techno elements make this album a must buy. But this album should be heard only by people who are accustomed to the Twin's sound, otherwise newbies might like it, but think, "Good Lord, this is crazy!" It's such a shame that A great country like America is bogged down by (in my opinion) foolish, pop-rap. Techno should get a much bigger recognition. It's about time people listened to more competent music.

My feet, my arms and my ears....ARE MELTED OFF!
I was introduced to the Aphex Twin after I saw the videos on the Chris Cunningham DVD...and was blown away. I couldn't breath after I heard and saw the "Come to Daddy" video. I knew after that, I had to find all of his music. This was the first album I bought because according to most, it is his best. Some people call him a musical genius, perhaps even the next Mozart. I believe it. Richard D. James and his self-titled album are spellbinding. He is a true visionary. James' songs not only have amazing drum and bass beats but have heart and soul. Each track connects the listeners with a different aspect of his psyche and even his soul. I cannot express how much his music has touched me. The Aphex Twin is one of the most influential musical talent that exists on the earth today. Each track is terrific but these are the ones that stand out to me:

4
Fingerbib
To Cure a Weakling Child
Girl/Boy Song
Logon Rock Witch (Most original musical composition I have ever heard)
Milkman

It is a must buy for those who wish to experience the masterful voice of the Aphex Twin. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Euro at it's best
Scooter offers what only a few have been able to synthicate. There is no that a person can compare Scooter with anything else. With such tracks as Nessaja, Posse..., I shot the dj, and many more, this cd delivers Scooter at its best. All of the songs on this cd are backed up with many requests on radio stations and hundreds of requests to Scooter. Possibly the best music ever.

Golden
First of all I would like to thank Scooter for their great pure hard core sound. It's something that I have been looking for a long time. It's filled with unmeaningful lyrics that just seem to make the songs all better. I love it!! Ramp, nessaja, i shot the dj, how much is the fish, and the others are a must have in your music collection!! I highly reccomend it to everyone that enjoys to be the one with the cool beats comin' out of their speakers.

They started in 1994 and they're still on the case!
When you think dance, you should think Scooter. No exceptions. From 1994 till the present, they've been a constant powerhouse in the techno scene. And this CD does a great job of showing off their greatest hits.

"Pushing the Beat" is the US Edit for the CD "Push The Beat For This Jam" which was released in Europe. The CD features hits from the "second chapter". The second chapter is the time-period where Scooter was with their second keyboardist, Axel Coon, along with all-time members H.P. Baxxter and Rick J. Jordan. However, this chapter ended with the song "Nessaja" which is actually not made with Axel but with Scooter's 3rd keyboardist Jay Frog.

Fom "Nessaja" to "How Much is the Fish?", Scooter's most popular beats keep coming harder than ever. Classics like "Posse! I Need You on the Floor!" make this CD an absolute masterpiece. After "How Much is the Floor" comes some brand news tracks from the Scooter crew. "Greatest Beats" and "New Years Day" come from the tracks "We Are The Greatest" and "F*ck the Millenium".

One of the tracks entitled "Sunrise (Ratty's Inferno)" has a story behind it. In Europe, many DJs see Scooter as a joke unforunately. Scooter saw this and made up another artist called Ratty. Under this artist name, they released the track "Sunrise (Here I Am)", one of the greatest songs ever. Seriously. The song became instantly popular and people wondered who this group was. When the music video was shown for the song, three rats were shown. Three Rats = Three Members of Scooter. There is no doubt this is Scooter, but few still refuse to believe it. Many still own the song with no idea it's Scooter. This song is the Instrumental Edit for the song and is still as great as the original.

The hits continue with great songs like "Habanera" and "Loud and Clear". The hidden track turns out to be one of the best songs Scooter ever made. The track is "Ramp! The Logical Song", a cover of Supertramp's classic. Listen. You'll love it. Guaranteed.

This CD is a masterpiece. And since this is the only Scooter album you can find here in the States, go and experience the greatness that is Scooter.

SCOOTER!!!
this is an American version of 'Push The beat for this Jam (2nd chapter)' it's an amazing cd, includes all the great single tracks and the club mixes ALSO INCLUDES BONUS TRACK :)

Missing some of the best
I really would like to give this CD five stars but unfortunately it is missing some of the older songs that were good songs such as Hyper Hyper. All around a good CD though. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

STOKED!
I grew up in Hawaii in the '70s, and first saw "Five Summer Stories" in the old Haleiwa surf theatre on the North Shore of Oahu. I bought this CD a few years ago, and I was astonished and delighted to re-discover how good Honk actually was. Too bad Honk will remain unheard by most people. They were an excellent band, exquisitely capturing the essence of laid-back, California-Hawaii surf culture of the '70s. It's one of those mysterires how such an excellent, original band could remain so obscure to this day. Their arrangements and harmonies, as well as musicianship, on cuts like "Blue of Your Backdrop" and "Don't Let Your Goodbye Stand" are timeless. The instrumentals "Lopez" and "Pipeline Sequence" are masterful-- as good as anything else produced in that era. "Pipeline Sequence" received a lot of airplay in Hawaii in those days, and is still THE surf instrumental for us Hawaii surfers who came of age back then. Honk's music is light-years better than the frenetic, punked-out surf video music of today. So get this CD, relax, and remember (or imagine) what it was like to paddle out to Sunset Beach on a huge west swell, with no leash and a single fin, and Barry Kanaiaupuni, Jeff Hakman, and Gerry Lopez calling the shots out there!

Good but you'll love this one
Honk is a fairly good album and would certainly appeal to those with inclinations towards the surf sounds/vibes from the early 70s. I won't add anymore to what has been said already but I will say if you like this sort of stuff, genre, vibe etc you MUST check out the Morning Of The Earth soundtrack - an Australian surf movie from the early 70s. It is the essential album (and if you can get the video even better - a FANTASTIC movie with incredible tubular footage and psychedelic camera work) combining a love of surfing, hippy sentiments, mind expansion and feelings of freedom. It literally chnaged my life causing me to hit the road up the east Australian coast. Enough said - Honk is good but nice and tame, this is beautiful...

HONK ON CD!!!!!!!!
For those of you who haven't had the privelage of toting around this Honk record album (you know, vinyl?) for the past 25 years, you are very lucky to have the opportunity to purchase it in CD. I grew up on Maui and was a "surfer gal", playing my Honk album after long days at the beach, re-visualizing the beauty of the waves, sun and sand while listening to the articulate instrumentals and vocals on this album. In this day of the regeneration of historical american folk tunes, I truly believe Honk-Five Summer Stories deserves a place in our musical history for the melodic songs, and calming instumentals which represent a brief, yet heartfelt era. Anyone who enjoys music as a "getaway", this one will take you where you want to go....

A treat for the ears
I first heard this album as a 13 year old in 1972. It was playing over the speakers in a record store and I pretended to look at record covers on the racks so I could hear the whole thing. It was captivating music. Before the last track finished I had bought the album and then played it over and over at home. When I visited my cousins on the north coast they told me about the movie (which to this day I have never seen). This album still sounds as fresh and vibrant today as it did back in the 1970s. It may be a movie soundtrack but it stands alone as a master work with or without the movie. Picking out the best track is difficult but High In the Middle probably wins by a nose. Some of the best steel guitar playing ever committed to record can be heard on Bears Country, a stunning instrumental track which evokes lazy summer days at the beach. The Blue Of Your Backdrop, Don't Let Your Goodbye Stand, Pipeline Sequence the list goes on. It is truly an aural treat and a fine example of the west coast sound in its earliest and purest form. Do yourself a favor and buy this album. It is one of rock music's last undiscovered gems.

A reminder of all the great things about Southern California
This CD is a great reminder of all that was great about Southern California in the 1970s. Casual, laid-back living, the surf scene, people helping people and genuinely caring about them--the kinds of things that still exist in Southern California but mostly outside of its major cities. Listen to this CD while driving along the coast. Listen to it on a Sunday afternoon. Listen to it any time you just want to relax and put a smile on your face. I do. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Mtv doesn't have the right!
Mtv doesn't have the right to even pretend they know whattechno music is. Come on, DJ Skribble is so bad it's not even funny, and the only thing they know how to play is Barfy Spears and the Skankstreet Boys. This collection does have some good artists on it, that's why it gets 3 stars. The Chemical Bros., Fluke, Underworld, Aphex Twin, Orbital, And Prodigy are all great musicians, but the thing is MTV just slapped all this together in one big sticky mess. How bad is the world when Underworld is anywhere near Atari Teenage Riot (or as I call them, Atari Barfage Riot.) The good songs on here are okay, but nothing special. Any fan of these artists can find these songs on their CD's. They could have at least had remixes or something special on them. The way this CD is set up, there is virtually no reason someone would have to rush out and buy this CD.

An artifact of '97 Electronica
It's funny, in looking back at this CD, I feel some peculiar nostalgia in listening to what folks in 1997 believed was the future of music.

As for the content, there are some essentials. Underworld's "Pearl's Girl" still melts my cortex with its synth line that ebbs like amniotic fluid. The tracks by Photek and Apex Twin are still great abstract electronica(see the Mille Plateaux label for further excursions.) There are also some overproduced misfires like the Chemical Brothers remix of "Voodoo People and the Chrystal Method's work that sounds like Musak for future "extreme sports" commericals(whoops! it did.)

Overall, Amp marks a time when MTV had this brief period of innovation before the advent of the Boy Bands and Total Request Live.

One of the BEST electronic compilations
First that all, I'm an electronic music fan from Colombia. I remember that my first SERIOUS contact with electronic music was the AMP TV show, via cable television, way back to 1996. In south america, just like in the U.S. the fresh new sound of the AMP TV show captivated a lot of people like me. And just like in the U.S., here in Colombia, finding good quality electronic music was a lot harder than now...

So when this CD came out, I ordered it in a music store that worked with imports, and WOW... even now after six years, few discs on my collection have the ammount of quality that this one has. It has the biggest artists in electronic music, as well as some of their most famous tracks. Of course, this cd may not be of the likeness of the "bang-bang-bang-boom-boom-boom" techno-fans, because every track on this album is pure flowing style. Real quality. Buy it NOW.

the original gangsta
This CD's a great starting point and nothing more. it was best back in 97 in my friend's car when we first heard aphex twin and atari teenage riot and laughed it off, only to end up putting it back on later. before circuit city came along and labeled it "electronica" and god knows what else, this was the best starting point for american listeners to get into british techno. only a few stinkers out of an otherwise very diverse (drum 'n bass, chaos, cyberPUNKROCK, straight up big beat) and catchy bunch, sure to sell any disbeliever after time.

Experimental MTV?YES!
Can you believe I have owned this CD since 1997? I stumbled across AMP one Sunday night after watching 120 Minutes. On AMP, I was exposed to for the first time Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers, Future Sound of London and many other cutting edge artists. From that moment on, I knew I had to have the CD! I agree with the other reviewers here, it is a taste of what MTV in the US can be if they chose to get back their experimental and groundbreaking roots. With songs from the likes of Goldie, the Chemical Brothers, Underworld and the now infamous Prodigy...this CD gives you an overview of the first AMP shows. I can tell you, all of these groups are still very much popular here in Europe and are not "One Hit Wonders" by any means. If you want a taste of experiemental MTV before the Nu-Metal and Boy Band take over of 1998, respectively, then pick up this CD, you wont regret it. ... Read more

Album Description

2002 release on React Records, the first disc takes a morehouse route through the modern productions of some oftoday's best labels. The second disc on the other handtakes a twisted take on electro and spans several decadesfrom the Belgian Nu-Beat powerhouse of late 80s ElectronicBody Music with Nitzer Ebb and Front 242 to the more recent electro techno hybrid monster of Terence Fixmer and GreenVelvet. Digipak. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Dark sultry elegance
I bought this after hearing the incredible opening track by Underground Resistance playing in a record store. I then ended up listening to it just about everyday for four months. The overall effect is like being on a highway late at night in the middle of nowhere, going to someplace where sin awaits. Brilliant.

Expected more
Great concept, fair execution. I expected much more from these discs. Most of the tunes on disc 1 are a bit too sparse for my tastes...I was expecting more "electro" or "electroclash" styles. The Juan Maclean track is more of an agressive style that I like...too bad the rest isn't in this same vein.

I mainly bought this for disc 2. Many classics I have on vinyl and I wanted to see how this guy handled the mix...doesn't really come through. The Bigod 20 track is actually "Body to Body" and not "The Bog". The second Front 242 track is pitched up significantly...I would have worked it into the mix elsewhere. These cds were mixed on Native Instrument's Tracktor software, with which I'm unfamiliar...maybe that has something to do with the odd style of mixing.

Overall this is a nice addition to anyone's DJ mixed CD collection...good, not great.

INTERNATIONAL GIGOLO IN THE MIX
The main reason I got this CD is cause, I know DJ HELL has put out many International Gigolo Compilations of artists and tracks that were or are part of his label and that was reason good enough for me to try him out as a DJ. Not knowing his skills or format as a DJ, I must confess that the CD is great.

The tracks that he has chosen on CD1 are a perfect example of the new level that Electro has reached and DJ HELL gives it to us in a very stylish, deep, dark, soulful and powerful mix.

Some of the BIG pointers on this side CD1 are the beautiful re-make of Depeche Mode's 'Behind the Wheel' by Playgroup, the trippy and interestingly fresh Derrick L.Carter's 'Where u at', the catchy beat of John Thomas's 'Working Night' and the get down to it track of Smith n Hack ' Disco Play Only' that sounds like nothing I have heard before.

CD2 is a combination of Industrial, Punk, Detroit Tech and Electro and DJ HELL does a remark-able job at making some really old tracks sound new and fresh. From Nitzer Ebb to Green Velvet to Front 242 the CD can not get any better. This side is for the die hard fans of this style of music.

And did I mentioned that the cd comes in the most elegant and ravishing package I have ever seen for a DJ mix CD and with a booklet that details the oh so gigolo life of DJ HELL?

I must say that my money was well vested!!! ... Read more

Album Details

Touted as the Female Beastie Boys, this 13 Track Debut Includes a Killer Mix of Punk/Pop and New Wave. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

... from the horrible bane of real music
I saw chicks on speed live in hyde park in london during the red hot chilli peppers tour in 2004.
Because they'd been booed off the stage the night before in Manchester, John frusciante and Anthony keidis came on before hand and told us to be nice to them.
They said that the first band were cool and had cool clothes, make-up, style etc. At that point i realized they hadn't said anything about there music.
a techno beat started up and they started flailing their arms. the crowd scratched their heads.
The first line was ''can i lick your ice-cream'' and every-one corpsed with laughter.
Their music displays to talent whatsoever and dispite the 'popular' opinion, it is by no means artistic. This is a band with nothing to say and all the hype they need not to say it.
They even hit paint strippers together.
The violinist swore at the audience and they were booed off in just under half an hour.
I will give them this-
They are true punk.

Get on speed!
Sto aspettando al varco le Chicks on Speed da circa due anni, precisamente dal memorabile concerto alla Royal Festival Hall di Londra (una serata di elettronica, con Pan Sonic e Sonic Youth). Stupirono tutti con sonorità elettroniche travolgenti a supporto di melodie pop molto anni '80. Amore, nostalgia, parodia? Musica ma anche performance: le cinture suonate a mo' di chitarre, gli abiti assurdamente autoprodotti, una serie di gadget dal gusto dada (tutto acquistabile su www.chicksonspeed.com). Incontrai Alex (l'australiana del trio) sulle scale. Donna aggressiva. Parlammo per mezz'ora, bevemmo un Martini. Chiesi un'intervista. Accettò. Quando scoprì che si trattava di Vogue Italia cominciò a negarsi. Scoprii che avevano appena maltrattato Shame Kodwo di Vogue UK per delle domande a loro sgradite. Dunque proposi un'intervista all'incontrario (a loro le domande, a me le risposte). Prima dissero si, poi forse. Sto ancora aspettando. Bello l'ultimo disco, ma passa un po' troppo spesso su MTV. Che le sovversive stiano cambiando atteggiamento? La musica, per ora, è splendida. Tuttavia, temo che un giorno avrò la mia intervista. Quel giorno le Chicks on Speed non saranno più quelle di una volta.

NO NEED FOR SPEED, JUST THE CHICKS!!!
I LOVE THIS CD. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT... YOU MUST GET IT, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT LIKE ELECTRO. A CLASSIC IN IT'S ON RIGHT!

Amazing
My first Chicks on Speed album was "The unreleases". "Save us All" is the released version of "the unreleases". And now there's also "The Re-releases of the Unreleases". Get it ? Ok.

"Will Save us All" is the "listener-friendly" version of the Chicks' first album, which was only available in a strictly limited edition as "The Unreleases". The best tracks were kept in tact, some interludes were left out. It makes "Will Save us All" more coherent, but "Unreleases" (now widely available as "re-releases of the unreleases") gives you a more complete experience of the Chicks' raving mix of electro goodies. Musicially, the Chicks go from a B-52's cover to Euro-trash house on "End of the Century" (also the final song of their steaming live set). Let the Chicks save you too !

these Dadaist Supremes reign supreme!!
Having had the fortune of seeing this band live, I can say that they certainly do live up to the promise of the title: Chicks on Speed are a high-spirited, avant-gaurde electronica Grrl group that deconstruct house, electronica pop, new wave, while generating a deadpan critique of glamour, beauty and fashion.

Purely having fun with the form, they recontextualize the pop sound with early synth beats, vocoders and beatboxes. Editting is jumpy and do-it-yrself, experimental sounds puncture songs, while vocals are refreshingly unenhanced. "Give me back my Man" becomes an industrio-beat box cold play, while their cover of "Warm Leatherette" is perhaps the most athletic and nihlistic its have ever been performed (just to the left of Grace Jone's cover in 82!). "Glamour Girl" is about the only radio/dance-floor friendly listen, but the undertone's are largely absurd and hilarious.

Do yourself a favor and check this disc out, and oh yeah, catch their live show if you ever have the chance! ... Read more

Album Description

The second chapter singles compilation for the German dance act. Includes remixes, B-sides & live tracks. 32 tracks.2002. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Strong contender for Coolest CD Ever Made
Seriously. This might be the coolest CD I've ever heard.

Scooter are the best techno band going, in my mind, and it's ridiculous how few Americans have heard them. This album collects the singles and b-sides from their "second chapter" (defined by the third member of the band; in this era Axel Coon joined core members H.P. Baxxter and Rick Jordan). If you've never heard Scooter, this is about the best introduction you could get, but some of their best songs hide later on in their full-length albums and were never released as singles, and hence didn't make it onto this disc.

"Ramp!" is a sweet song, but don't let it fool you: "Aiii Shot the DJ" is the real beginning of this CD. This one is in my top three techno songs, and if you have a friend who wants to know what Scooter is all about, this should be the first song you play them. In due course, you get the bombastic "I'm Your Pusher," techno ballad "She's the Sun," the great single mix of "F the Millennium," and "FASTERHARDERSCOOTER," which any Scooter fan will tell you is the coolest song ever. We're only a fourth of the way in at this point. There is not a bad or even average song on the entire album (though I'm not much of a fan of remixes and live recordings).

Yes, the price is steep on all Scooter albums, but this one is a two-disc set and thus presents an especially good value. This is a collection of absolutely transcendant techno, and if you like this kind of music even the slightest bit you should scrounge up the money. Also look at "Back to the Heavyweight Jam," in my opinion the best all-around Scooter album.

one of the greatest albums by scooter
since it has many songs from the past albums i think its really great. it includes Ramp! (the logical song) which is also available as a single. also look at Nessaja if u like Ramp.

danielles review
the album is so cool love every song love the logical song its wicked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEST SCOOTER ALBUM EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ITÂ'S THE BEST SCOOTER ALBUM IÂ'VE EVER HEARD;
IÂ'M FROM GERMANY; AND THERE SCOOTER IS VERY POPULAR;
THERE ARE THE BEST SONGS FROM THE LAST 4 JEARS, SO THE ALBUM ENTERED POSITION 5 IN GERMAN CHARTS.

NOW AXEL HAS LEFT SCOOTER AND JAY FROG IS THE NEW MEMBER, WITH HIM BEGINS THE THIRD CHAPTER, SO STAY TUNED AND BE POSSE ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nicely mixed trance!
This is one of those trance compilations I enjoy because the songs are almost entirely full length mixes (unlike the Ministry of Sound Series) that are above average trance songs. I don't have any particular favorite because they touch all bases from vocal trance to more hardhouse style trance. The cd is nicely mixed and is definately a must have for trance lovers!

Good "older" hard trance tunes !!
With the industry moving more towards the softer lackluster "progressive" sounds its nice to find a disk that can still pop your head like a can of pringles !!! This one is pure "no brakes" hard style trance that you've all danced to at 4am when the DJ really gets warmed up!! A good one to keep in the car cd player to get you through rush hour or that long ride home from the club !! Especially nice if you can snag it used like I did !! This disk is older but includes some classic pumping tunes that didn't get overplayed, making this one that is still worth having.

Not as good as the first, but definitely worth a listen.
"My Name is Trance" has to be without a doubt among my top five favorite albums of all time. So, I bought the second installment in anticipation that it would be as good as the first, if not better. The album is very good, Dr Psychosis does a nice job of mixing. The reason I didn't give it five stars was because of a few tracks that had vocals in them, which I'm not too crazy about. But besides that the album is great.

So, if you're a Trance fan and you're looking for a good album, pick this one up. And, if you haven't heard the first one, I'd highly recommend you give that one a listen too. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Holy $--- !!!!
This CD is freakin' awesome! This is the hardest and fastest techno I have seen anywhere! I can't believe that Omar Santana's mixing devices didn't catch on fire on such tracks as New York Terrorists - Hellbound Terror and Omar Santana - Hardcore Moedeneuker because of the speed! No need to preview this CD, just go get it, it will be one of your favorites. If not your favorite, then definitely your hardest! This is one of my favorite CD's and a definite must get for any hardcore techno fans collection.

yeehaw
some yummy crazy hardcore techno for your posterior region...buy it! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A little bit of everything unique
I sincerely hope that every electronic music fan owns the collection of DJ? Acucrack albums. They have a sound like no other group I am aware of. They have excellent variation on all of their albums with a very good flow. These are CD's you put into rotation in entirety-- although certain songs are great "singles", they work best as a complete body of work. Although I'd give their first album, Mutants of Sound, a full 5 stars, this album is very good. A change of pace from the first (more lyrics). Another note: if you've ever wanted to know what tripping on acid is like without committing the act, buy these albums and have a couple drinks. Shut the windows, put on your iTunes visualizer, and enjoy.

C9 Magazine Review - DJ? Acucrack "Sorted"
Progressing in diversity since their first material on the Lost In Bass / Slipdisc record label. DJ? Acucrack has expanded into more break-beat and tech step styles of drum n' bass. The dark, more ambient, trance type of songs is still present on Sorted however.

"Mal Fader" opens with some MC'ing and mid tempo beats with some dark bass. "Chicks Dig Acid" has a more straight up techno feel to it. Track 4, "Tech Support", is an adrenaline-injecting piece of pure energy. So fast, so raw, the vocals add so much. That is one major thing separating this material from the first time I heard DJ? Acucrack. There weren't really too many vocals to speak of in their earlier material.

"Tech Support" flows into the more laid back "So to Speak". This song reminds me of their cover of "Whisper to a Scream". Same samples I suppose. Toni Halliday contributes the lyrics and vocals to "So to Speak". I think the coolest part of this song is toward the middle when the rest of the music gets a bit quieter and you can hear a sample of what sounds like a banjo, or one of those metal things you stick in your mouth. You know, that thing Snoopy always used...

After "So to Speak" ends, the darker more atmospheric drum n' bass comes into being. This segment, with no vocals, flows through "The Test" and "Fulcrum Torque". Then some vocals reappear in "Asphalt Heart Dreams", which is the longest track on here clocking in at 7:15. It meshes into the next track "Chemo". This song has a more jump-up dance appeal to it.

Next comes "Unsorted". It is probably the most laid back track on here, with a certain somber feel to it. The next "Optimizer" is of the same style of "Tech Support", except without quite so much speed in it. "Selector vs. the Acucrack" ends this album off on an upbeat, straight club-dancing mood.

Point blank, if you like variety in your drum n' bass, with an overall darker feel to it, then DJ? Acucrack is an act worth looking into...

The sweetest beats known to man.
Dj? Acucrack are one of those rare unpigeonhole-able artists that come along once in a blue moon and blow away all of your preconcieved notions of what electronica is. "Sorted" spans the gamut from downtempo ("So To Speak") to downright evil d&b ("Malfader"), straight up breakbeat ("Chicks Dig Acid") to haunting dub that sends chills straight down your spine ("Unsorted") - there's really something on this record for every taste. Unlike so much of the machinistic, cold techno on the market today, Acucrack have managed to craft a genuinely organic, soulful collection of songs that belong in everyone's heart, and in their CD player. Get "Sorted", your ears will thank you. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

He's no Junior
CD's good but he's no Junior ..........

Buy this one!!!
This CD set is amazing! Jonathan Peters creates a dark, sexy vibe and keeps taking it higher and higher over the course of two CDs. Can't recommend this one enough. "The Hurting" from Mac Quayle featuring Donna DeLory is by far the best cut but they are all hot. The companion DVD showing the Sound Factory crowd experiencing this music is kinda fun too. Hurry up and grab this one and get ready to FEEL IT!!!

From Sound Factory to Your Living Room
If you are a fan of JP, or have ever been to the Sound Factory, you'll love this CD. This compilation is the best yet at bringing the dark, hard beats of SF into your living room. As usual, JP's mixing is absolutely flawless to the point of not knowing where certain tracks end and others pick up. I like CD 2 better, because it moves a little deeper into that Sound Factory feeling with dark, dirty tribal beats that will keep you moving. If you are looking for "Dance Party 2002", you've come to the wrong place. "Wanjeru the African" is a superb lead into "Dark Beat." "Space Ride," "From Dusk to Dawn" and "Thunder" will groove you and if you don't get up and move to Peter's mix of "No One's Gonna Change You," check your pulse. The Factory and JP - nothing like it anywhere. Play it loud. Play it late. Enjoy.

JP Does it Again!
No one can deny the thrill and excitement of Factory and JP brings the party home on this set. Eclipsing his two prior releases, "Revelation" is everything that Factory is about. Dark, melodic, hard, progressive, sexy. CD #2 kicks it into a darker mood, but the music moves you start to finish.
If it weren't for JP's CDs I don't know what I would do. His music captivates and invigorates, and spinning about my living room, this set takes me to the soul of Factory.
If you don't have the two other sets, pick those up too! My only regret is that JP doesn't release more music. He is a musical god and an influential sound in the progressive scene; we've barely seen the beginning of what this man is capable of.

Is he God, Myth or Legend?
Although seeing this man live cannot compare to tracks he puts out on CD's, this CD was great in its own way. Mostly, I enjoy hearing and watching the guy spin live cause its a totally new ballgame, he really RIPS up the house. On his CD's he does a softer touch of Peters, one in which I have grown tolerable of. Meaning I love the afterhour beats and buy his CD's just to give "THE MAN" the respect he deserves. If he were to rip it up on the CD's then I think there would be a long waiting list. Nothing is more thrilling and exciting than going to the "Factoria" @ 10 o'clock in the morning and staying there to hear Peters kill the speakers all freakin day till like 9 o'clock on Sunday night(well there has only been a few ossacians for me that late but I would love to do it again someday). Being in the LOUDEST nightclub in NYC (after they moved to West 46th before 27th) can take alot out of you especially in the morning hours when he turns up the volume and starts his crazy voyage through the passage of sound. Deep, Rough, Hard, Progressive, Percussion, Mind-blowing, Beutiful, Melodic and everything else you imagine a great CD to have. For all you factory headzz, you know the dilly, JP is by far the MAN and the greatest DJ in the world. Everyone always hypes about PVD, Sasha, and Oakenfold, well a little bit of advise: STOP PLAYIN' YOURSELF! JP is the man and there is no DJ that comes close to his caliber. Although, C. Lawrence and Digweed are great! There is nothing like hearing the MAN live at the FactorIA (the Temple of Doom). I encourage everyone to get every JP album they can, well theres only three---S&M Live---Live with Jonathan Peters--and SF Anniversary....5 stars aren't enough to express what this man is actually capable of doing.... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good stuff
Forces and Styles are HUGE names in the Rave Community among the happy hardcore lovers. They are responsible for some of the biggest anthems in the history of the genre. Heart of Gold is a great track.
The 2 CD's included in this set, are VERY similar, and the RMX's are not very different than the origionals included.
This is NOT a mixed CD so all the tracks are seperate, if you are used to listening to the H2bHC Series this will be a big difference between this album and the series.
I do suggest this album for some good time music.

IF you like happycore this CD is for you!
if you dont know about force and styles well they are great and the album reflects that. well it starts out with an anthem of "heart of gold" but not i liked it better then the mixed version of anabolic frolic..the only down side to the cds is the fact that it is not mixed but every song is different...some other notable songs that i liked was "field of dreams"and "paradise in dreams"...if you like the happycore like anabolic frolics happy 2b hardcore series and you are tired of anthems go with this...you wont be disappointed!

Great cuts, fun music
Heart of Gold, one of the most recognizable Happy Hardcore anthems and the title track of this cd set from Force & Styles brings back many memories. Sure, those that are into Happy Hardcore will say that it is played out, cheesy, etc, but it still stands as one of the great Hardcore anthems. Along with many other Force & Styles cuts, this album is pure joy to listen to. It takes you back a few years, giving a great retrospective on the careers of these excellent producers. The mix cd is done well, with great mixes and decent tempos. While personally i enjoy anthems, those of you that prefer the harder hitting Happy Hardcore may be a little dissappointed. Most of these cuts have been around for quite a while, and this cd seems to contrast the more vocal anthem style of Happy Hardcore witht he harder, ruffer styles popular today. In the end though, this is a solid CD, with choons familiar to those that love the Happy Hardcore sounds! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"Fresh, crispy new groove!"
"But gee, we already have all three IFS compilations; if we already have DOA on those CDs, why buy this disc as well?" If you have to ask this question, then you just don't get it. This disc is the one and only CD release from Disciples of Annihilation, the trio of Italian-American kids from New York City who pretty much INVENTED speedcore techno.

Of course, anyone with a TR-909 or similar drum machine can crank out techno with speeds exceeding 230 BPM; the trick is to make it halfway interesting. Here, DOA succeeds admirably. The disc starts of with the full version of TOTAL ANNIHILATION (shortened version available on IFS3) and then segues into a host of various gabber and speedcore tracks that make up the bulk of DOA's work. Aside from a couple of less-than-perfect excerpts, this stuff grabs hold of you and pushes your adrenaline to 11. You have been warned.

Some folks may be turned off by the profanity and sexual references on this disc, but NEW YORK CITY SPEEDCORE was never meant to be family listening. This is the most complete record of one of American hardcore techno's seminal bands, and needs to be evaluated at least partially from that viewpoint. After all, even if you now consider Euromasters old hat, just remember the shock you probably experienced the first time you heard them.

All in all, a great CD from Sal Mineo, Carl Carinci, and the dearly missed Nick Marchetti. If Heaven has a hardcore dance club, I hope to find Nicky Fingers working the decks there. Now go home and get your friggin' shinebox, newbie!

MY SO N
I am not the biggest fan of Rave/Techno music, however my son Nicky Fingers (Marchetti) help to make this happen, unfortunately as you all know he died in March of 1997.

It is overwhelming to know that he is still and alwayd will be around because of his MUSIC.

Thank you for keeping my son's spirit alive.

Denise Marchetti

One of the BEST hardcore/gabber albums around.
Disciples of Annihilation were one of, if not THE hardest group around. Unfortunately one of their members (Nicky Fingers) died. The music is insane, fast and has some very humourous samples. Great bass drums, guitar riffs and samples from some of the greatest movies. A definite MUST BUY for someone into this sort of music.

wow man .HARD
not bein into gabba or hard/speedcore,. i was gettin bored with my flatmate playin gabba,. ... until i heard NYC speedcore. buy this record.your life will be better..

This album will blow your mind!!
Extremly hard and fast hardcore techno. Violent lyrics and cool samples from great movies. Absolutely INSANE!! order NOW!! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Absolutely classic.
Stavesacre is one of the best rock bands on the planet, combining melody, power, and emotion, and excelling in musicianship and lyricism. This is probably one of the best debut albums I've ever heard, ranking just under Weezer's blue album. Taking notes from bands like Quicksand, Far, and Helmet, Stavesacre creates accessible post hardcore rock. However, they perfectly execute the sound that the afforementioned innovators were trying to reach, and it only took them one album to do it! Every song on here is excellent. There's the soaring melody and chill-inducing lyrics of "At The Moment". "Loader" is driving and aggressive, with a great hook to boot. "Stars and Clouds" is a ten minute opus that throws in a little of a prog rock feel to an already diverse album. A highly recommended album for musical innovation, lyrical inspiration, and spiritual reflection.

has to be the best band
okay, first of all stavesacre has to be the best band. i listen to other music like blindside, project 86, and other hardcore/punk but stavesacre is the one that i listen to when i'm feeling really emotional. they are one of the bands that you can never get sick of. this cd is , well i can't say the best of their 3 because they all rock, but is a very good one. threshold,at the moment, burning clean, and stars and clouds are really good. the rest are all awesome too. stavesacre never fails to amaze me with each album that comes out. i can't wait till the ones to come.

Wrath and Beauty mixed perfectly
As a huge fan of Stavesacre, it is tempting to elaborate on the bands incredible talent for song writing and incredibly emotional and moving lyrics. However, i only have 1000 words. Friction is Stavesacre's incredible debut album, and it in my opinion is possibly their best release (this or Speakeasy). Hearing the more calm, smooth songs first hooked me on Stavesacre, but once you aquire the taste, their intense, trash influenced side is equally enjoyable. This CD melds the two almost perfectly. You could use the cliche that this CD sounds like two different bands, but Stavesacre somehow manages to retain a intangible cohesive element through their diverse style. They combine excellent musicianship with sobering lyrics on softer songs such as At The Moment, Stars and Clouds, and Burning Clean. I honestly almost cried the first time I listened to Burning Clean, as it has very impacting lyrics. Then Stavesacre can switch gears and let out a blistering, brutal sonic attack in the form of songs such as Threshold, Tranewreck, and Loader. Stavesacre completes the album with the incredibly simple but beautiful "Minus", an instrumental that somehow has an emotional impact that connects very effectively with the listener through its simple melody. Overall, this is an incredible release, although it may take some time to get used to their more punk influenced songs. Make yourself listen to this CD until its full power hits you.

Best of the 90's
It's not often you hear a positive message presented with the breadth and power heard here; Stavesacre's music is thick and heavy and I think they are one of the most thought-provoking bands out there along with Sunny Day Real Estate and King's X. This disc is a jem from beginning to end. Essential for fans of hard rock/hard core.

One Of Tooth & Nail's Finest Releases
I still remember when Tooth & Nail Records way hyping up this release...it was their 50th album, and they were raving about how Stavesacre was "a new sound" and "unlike anything you've ever heard"...and so I took a chance and bought it. And wow, was I impressed! The sound is so raw on this album, and Jeff Bellew is a superior guitarist. I love Mark Saloman's voice; it has such a great sound. This album is well worth your money; songs such as "Threshold", "Burning Clean", "Anna Thema", and "Stars & Clouds" especially stand out. Couldn't be better. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

X Marks This cd For Sure
This cd is great!! I love it. X marks the spot on this cd in my cd rack. One of my fav's is "Vonnie" I love hearing it on the radio too. I highly recommend it.

Outstanding
The entire CD is very nice and easy to listen too.

Excellant smooth jazz oriented music.
This CD features excellant smooth jazz music. The recording is stellar and the compositions creative. I've never heard of this group, but they are original and have a versital sound that never lets up. Its a winnner! Hope you can find it.

Bass X 'Heir Wave' O so good
The X is the winner! This project is impressive and provides a nice variety of sounds. Rainy Day, Vonnie and PR Tool are excellent selections for any Smooth Jazz station to (Heir). You can put this CD on, sit back and relax because Bass X made it O so good.

Captivating!
"Vonnie" is the one of the tightest jazz cuts I've ever heard in my life! I can't stop listening to it! I give the album 5 stars just for that tune!!! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Energetic 80's Dance Party Club Mix Style Feel!! Great CD!
This is a pretty good 80's flashback party cd if you college students plan to have a house party. The best tracks in this cd are the "Safety Dance," "Sex," "Bizzare love triangle," "Everything she does is Magic," and "West End Girls" remix. Although it is the not original singers, the fast-paced beat and remix makes the song sound even better. Even though some tracks such "Blister in the Sun," and "I know there's something going on" sounded pretty bad, the tracks were professionally re-created so that the songs will feel as though they were created for club use only. I have heard many 80's club mixes and so far this cd is pretty good. It has a good variety of tracks which each have their own unique beat and rhythm so you can switch gears in case you get tired or simply want to dance faster. It is not a cd that would put you to sleep nor would make you slow your dancing. The high-energetic, dance, disco 80's, electro sound would make you keep on jumping and dancing hard for long. Overall, this cd is decent. I wish that the cd could of had all good songs remixed instead of having five or six but still I bought it because the incredible remixed tracks you won't find anywhere else.

Waste of Money.
Now, I'm not going to beat around the bush and give you some lame answer and to be honest this playlist (if it were the original songs) would make a nice 80's album. Some of the remakes of these songs are so horrible that they should have just put the original songs club version onto the CD. Now I'm usually for remakes of songs, but not when they make a song worse. This CD is really not worth spending money on and is more of just borrowing from your friends if you're bored and need some new music to talk [bad] about.

80's classics with a twist
This compelation features songs from the 80's updated with a techno beat for today's club goers. First off, the original artists do not sing on this CD. However this is a high quality CD done by professionals. There are a lot of good tracks on here which will get you up and dancing in no time. These include: "Hold me now" "Cars" "People are People" "Everybody wants you" and "West end Girls." Other tracks don't fair as well. "Sex...I am" murders the original. Its like the singers wont or can't get into the song. "Safety Dance" is primarily an instrumentall version which is really disappointing since the beat is quite good. "Jump" and "Axel F" are very short renditions which really don't belong here. The biggest disappointment for me however has got to be "Big in Japan" which I thought would be a very neat track but turned out to be a dud. You can't tell if the singer is male or female and he/she does such a shoddy job that the song is really not worth listening to. Finally "Every little Thing she does is magic" is changed to "Every little Thing *he* " yes a female is singing it but why not be a little risque and leave it the way it was? Overall however I am pleased with the CD and it does put you in a party mood. If you are not too picky and love dance music and the 80's by all means buy it.

Still Okay
What we have here are some 80's songs updated in techno form. I thought it'd be cooler than what I saw. After listening to a sample from "Jump" by CTGP (taken from Van Halen), I thought it was a cool remix. After buying and listening to the whole track, it was only 2 minutes long and all instrumental. Kind of a disappointment but it was okay. I liked DJ Irene's remix of "Cars" and Charles Feelgood's version of "Safety Dance". They have nice new beats. Overall, it was just so-so.

I love this CD, extreme listening pleasure
This Cd is great to have as it puts a cool spin on some semi-classics. I really liked the version of "Everylittle Thing She Does Is Magic" and "People are People". A highly recommended purchase. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before music journalists were throwing around terms like "drum & bass" or jungle, the Prodigy's Liam Howlett was creating high-energy dance music by marrying sampled, pitch-shifted beats to all manner of electronic timbres. This album has it all: complicated break beats, housey piano riffs, lush analog pads, frenetic and computeresque melodies, and subsonic bass. In fact, the mélange is so dense that the material demands full attention and repeated listenings to gain a complete understanding of the rhythmic interplay. --Michael A. Massa ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A sweet start to a long and prosperous journey
This being Liams first album, it reflects what he and the other memebers in the band were into at the time - pure, solid rave. It rocks, Out Of Space is excellent. Liam changes the mood of the track time and time again, with pretty raw edges to each change, but he gets away with it. Charly, trip into drum and bass version, has seen nearly all the original lyrics from the cat taken away, probably so people would stop giving the four hassle about being, "The Band That Killed Rave" - which we all know isn't true, no one said anything until the cash-in one hit wonders hit town. Liam Howlett did a great job mixing that one. As with all Liam's albums there is a great variety in his work, from the fairly chilled Weather Experience(in Prodigy terms anyway - indie kids take note, you'll still be blown away with it's speed and power), to the hard beats and raw lyrics in Death Of The Prodigy Dancers. This track is recorded from a live gig, and changed my idea of typical rave bands forever. That should be so though because The Prodigy was not a "Typical Rave Band". Each album has been a new step for the band, with their styles dramatically changing, but the hardness, and technical skill of the music never fluctuates. The album may have been around a few years, but for those of you who are slow to catch on, and still haven't got it, I think it's about time you did, it'll be money well worth spent! Get ready to have your mind blown!

Zany and Crazy
This is an album that you really have to listen to several times before you can really appreciate it. If all you know about Prodigy is Breathe and Firestarter, then you might be disappointed by this album because it is nothing like The Fat of the Land. However, in my mind, that is a good thing. This CD is close to 10 years old and it's still amazing the sound that Liam Howlett creates here. The first 3 tracks are the best especially Jericho and Wind It Up. By the end of the CD, the music gets darker and doesn't seem like anything from the beginning of the album. Highly recommended for fans of the techno/electronica genre. Don't be expecting a Fat of the Land, though.

Balancing Artistic merit, With 90's Rave anthems....
The first Prodigy album (Hardcore Enthusiasts considered it their best album), was an album that perfectly reflected the rave scene at that time (admittedly the album is hugely influenced by breakbeat techno), so the slightly happy-hardcore-esque "Your Love", the drum 'n' bass remix of the "Charly" anthem, the ragga-dancehall sampling of "Out of Space" , or the flat out breakbeat of "Wind It Up", showed and beautifully illustrated what many of the more underground clubs when playing at that period. The prodigy (or more importantly, "Liam Howlett", who produced & arranged all the Prodigy tracks), show not only exemplary production skills, but a keen eye of current musical trends & the ability to seamlessly integrate obscure samples into a prominently dance oriented template with (predictably) remarkable results.

Its 10th Birthday....
and it still sounds great!! It really is hard to believe that this cd is 10 years old, can you imagine what all the ... 'dance' music that gets in to (at least the English) charts will sound like in ten years. This sounds fantastic listenin to it (as i am right now) even today. It's a great example of electronica you can actually dance to which also qualifies as great music on its own in your bedroom. I own a lot of electronica from the likes of underworld, orbital, the orb etc.. and although i really love that sort of music theres no way, if i were a dj, i'd be confident enough to play it at a party/disco. But I'd have no problem playin this. Its just 110mph all the way through (apart form weather experience, which slows it down a bit) it makes you wonder what Liam Howlett was trippin on at the time he was makin this album, also makes me jealous that i missed all the wild raves that inspired this cd in the late 80's, thats a pretty good word to describe this album actually...wild! Its about as far removed from 'The Fat Of The Land' as the same band could make any album so if thats the only experience you have of the prodigy your not absolutaly garenteed to like this, but i can't see why any one wouldn't. In my opinion, it's also Prodigy's best album with hardly a moment, never mind a whole track, worth skippin.

Very good rave collection
This sounds nothing like Prodigy's most well-known album, The Fat of the Land. For one thing, there is almost no rapping or singing. It consists of all samples and drum n bass effects. However, that is not a bad thing. This is excellent music to dance or work out to, but you can also sit back and take it in as well. Savvy and stylish. ... Read more

Album Details

Scooter fuse hard rock with electronica for a sound that is a unique European hybrid. Most of the group's singles from the years 1994-98 can be found on this release: 'Fire' (3 versions: 'Extended Emergency', Album & Live), 'I'm Raving', a remake of Billy Idol's 'Rebel Yell' ('Radio' & Live Versions) plus eleven more. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

An awesome look at the evolution of Scooter
I first heard of scooter while traveling through Europe in 1996.I was staying with a family in a small town in Germany.Their son and I were talking about the different kinds of music we like.He starts listing off a bunch of German groups I had never heard of with names I didn't understand except for "Scootah".The next thing you know, I'm getting my first taste of hardcore European techno.Back in the states, after hearing them in countless mixes, this was the first Scooter album I purchased.Incredible.You really get a feel for how they evolved over the years in their music and hear some really great hardcore dance tracks.They covered a slew of Billy Idol tracks in this time span, doing them some serious hardcore justice!If you are a Scooter fan already or are just getting into them, this is a great set to start with.

If you like Scooter, Blumchen (Jasmine) might be worth listening to.Definitely not as good, poppy at times, but she's got some similar flavor.

Greatest

And the final word:

Scooter is the best!

Scooter is the best techno Americans have never heard.
I think it is a shame that Scooter has never gotten airplay on American radio stations. This German techno group is awesome!

"Rough and Tough and Dangerous" is basically Scooter's greatest hits CD. It has all of Scooter's best songs -- except one. "Faster, Harder Scooter" isn't on it. In my opinion, "Faster, Harder Scooter" ties with "Fire" as Scooter's best song. With that omission aside, "Rough and Tough and Dangerous" is an album I STRONGLY recommend.

SUper Raver Mix
When your ROLLING down the super raver highway scooter makes you sweat.SUPER RAVE FOREVER!

SCOOTER RAVES!
If you are any sort of a raver you would give a lot of... stuff to get this cd.They keep the beat pumping and the vocals are nothing to be compared to.I love this stuff and you will too! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Music with which to flatten dancefloors
If your ears aren't ringing by the end of this album, you didn't have the volume high enough. Turn it up and try again. This is music that you have to physically FEEL to fully appreciate.

This is some of the best hard minimal techno that I've heard in a while. There's not a trace of melody - just layers of stiff, atonal sequences that fade in and out, in lockstep to the relentless stomp of the kick drum. It's a little cleaner and a little more calculated than most hard techno, but every bit as tough and uncompromising.

The album is a continuous mix, which works quite well with the style of music; the joins are so seamless that I was unable to tell when one track had ended and the next had begun without checking the CD display. The mix starts out relatively subdued and gets harder and faster as the disc progresses.

Highly recommended to any fan of the genre. (I'd give it five stars, but the first half of the disc is weak compared to the harder second half.)

WICKED
Listen. If you are some candy raver dork, then this is not for you. Ain't no happy sunshine and lolly pop musik. HARD, intense techno. First 7 tracks move well, but a little more laid back. Things pick up on track 8, by the middle of track 9 the plaster is coming off the ceiling. IT CRANKS. Pump your fist in air.
This ain't trance.
This ain't house.
This ain't bubble gum pop.
THIS IS SICK TECHNO.

Four and Half Stars....
Speedy J's 'Loud Boxer' is dope. Similar to Hawtin's 'Decks, EFX, & 909' but a bit more creative(which is good and bad). Speedy does things with sound/noise that are just brilliant. I'm talking about the textures he has surrounding the thumping...sometimes pounding bass and ultra fast multi-layered rhythms. The only thing keeping this from 5 stars for me are the live tracks. They are interesting at first, but don't exactly merit repeat listening. Overall..a great album for anyone's collection. Perfect headphone material.

Interesting, yet ultimately unsatisfying
Speedy J deserves a lot of credit, and way more recognition, for his body of work. He has been experimenting and trying different things for years, never making the same record twice, never resting on his laurels. After the abrasive noise of "Public Energy No. 1" and "A Shocking Hobby" (both incredible and brilliant records, by the way!), I guess he decided it was time for another left turn. This cd is a definite departure, but it also doesn't really return to his earlier, more Detroit influenced ambient techno. It's hard techno, straight up 4/4 stompers, non-stop pummeling. My problem with it is that their simply isn't enough variety in the beats, and i get bored with it about 3/4 of the way through. So, if you like hard techno, this is a great example of it. A disappointing record, in my opinion, for Speedy J, but still worth listening to as an example of what a great musician and artist is up to. An American "live" tour, not a DJ set, would be appreciated, if anyone from the record label happens to read this!!

This CD is sick!
I've been a pretty big fan of Speedy J for a good number of years now and have always enjoyed his work. My favorite CD of his (up until now) was Public Energy #1. Needless to say, I believe this CD blows everything he's done in the past away. Far far away.

This is some excellent hard driving techno that has a lot of interesting things going on within the music. It starts you off with a nice deep feel to it, and then oh boy! BANG! About 20 minutes in it really takes off. For the next 30 minutes, you'll get to experience some great sound coming your way.

The closing part of the CD ends in a more typical Speedy J fashion..a little more experiemental and the closing track couldn't have been a better pick.

Instant classic if you ask me. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

so good i almost wet my pants
wow! listening it for the first time almost blew me away... it's proof that scratching to non-syncopated beats can be dope! also incorporates hard trance and gabber too... good stuff.

wow
that is all i got to say about this album, not cheesy at all, and what definitely got me going was that both dj's were scratching, i never thought that happy hardcore was a music genre that was compatible with scratching, after listening to this set, i am now convinced that they are perfectly compatible, what a way to prove that they are.

Ravers Get Ready!
All I have to say is wow...

DA BOMB
The Ultimate Rave mix U can get out there. A Definite Best Buy!! ... Read more