May 2008

Starkillers & Austin Leeds - Nervous Nightlife: Vegas - Nervous Records

When thinking about Las Vegas, most conjure up images of glamour and sex where a Midwestern house wife can have all her fantasies fulfilled by a pool boy and it’s ok because what happens there stays there. When I think of DJ’s out there who could capture that over the top attitude of Sin City, there really isn’t anyone better than Nick Terranova and Austin Leeds. The duo always go that extra mile and in this case end up adding their special musical touch to half the tracks for the CD including their remixes of Tikaro , J Louis & Ferran feat Clarence – “Shine On Me“ and Hardrox – “Feel The Hardrock (Up To No Good)“. They then sandwich them in between hugely popular club anthems such as Ercola & Heikki L – “Deep At Night“ and Leonid Rudenko – “Summerfish” making for very energetic vocal and electro mix that is just as dirty and sexy as our before mentioned house wife from Kansas.

Above and Beyond - “Anjunabeats100 + From Goa to Rio” - Ultra Records

In an era where most record labels are gone within the blink of an eye, it’s nice to see one such as Anjunabeats that has really maintained a dedication to excellence over the years and is now celebrating it’s 100th release. Listening to this CD reminded me of several quality releases over the years that have helped shaped the face of trance music today. Cuts like Oceanlab – “Satellite“ and Above and Beyond – “No One On Earth“ instantly take me back to the dance floors I was on when I first heard them and put a smile on my face. It is a great mix that really captures the essence of the label throughout their existence. There is also a DVD that follows Jono, Tony and Paavo from India to Brazil and gives a great insight into their highly successful Anjunabeach parties with lots of behind the scenes footage and interviews. I highly recommend this entire package.

Mark Farina - “Fabric 40” - Fabric Records

Mark Farina has become one of those DJ’s that really needs no introduction. His sets are so consistently strong that his fans are never let down. This CD keeps with that trend and further fuses that Chicago and San Francisco sound like only he can. With tracks like Chuck Love – “Yellow Truth“ and James Curd – “Pick Up What I’m Putting Down“ plus some of his own music such as “Das Shibuya”, it’s easy to see why I like this compilation so much. The chunky grooves will keep your head bobbing from start to finish.