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 ED BANGER – Ed Rec Vol 3
(Ed Banger Records)
For the dirty stuff, it’s hard to go past Ed Banger; home of Justice, Mr Oizo and just about everything else Parisian, filtered and distorted to within an inch of its life. This unmixed comp is the latest from the label – which is to say, very much the same stuff we hear all day, every day during festival season. Why does this occur though? Because let’s face it, a lot of it is good; but like Eddie Vedder said in Hype: “you hear a song and it’s a great song; play it a million times and you never want to hear it again.” And this stuff will get played a million times, mark my words. But for now it’s fresh, cutting-edge filthy electro. Just make sure you check the expiry date before you buy it.
***
VINYLPUSHER – It’s All About House Music! Vol.2
(Vinylpusher/Shock)
Alex Taylor and J Nitti return with their second two-disc attempt under the Vinylpusher guise. This brand is quickly adding to their stack of banality; guys, just between us and our entire readership – you know that title that Ministry Of Sound holds? It’s not something you actually want. As for the jocks on the discs – well Taylor is just punching the card with his try-hard Ibiza attitude, so it’s J Nitti who once again pulls the comp out by the pants. With Nitti’s own solid production work and fresh track selection this time around, at least half of this is listenable. Give him both discs next time and let Taylor brag about playing Space in some other space. Wow, I need a nap after that one.
**
 SUB CLUB 20 YEARS UNDERGROUND – Subculture & Optimo
(Inertia)
Glasgow techno institution puts out a double-disc set for its twenty-year celebration. Subculture make sure you don’t forget it, laying down old stuff from Mayday and Code 6 – we’re talking about tracks that were the hot underground tip back when Vanilla Ice was genuinely popular. It’s a bit of a treat for the listener who’s after a nostalgia trip. Optimo’s disc is just plain weird; there’s some acid, there’s some IDM – but for the most part, it just goes off into its own freak electronica odyssey. This is stuff you’d be sure nobody could possibly love, but I suppose people did have to come up with this twisted shit in the first place. Get it for the first disc’s trip down memory lane and the second disc’s trip down a wormhole, if you dare.
***
 BEATKILLA 2 – Kevin Yost & Peter Funk
(Inertia)
Trust the best thing I received this month to be only a single disc – Kevin Yost and Peter Funk must be onto the notion that good things come from small packages. Beatkilla 2 doesn’t mess around; it’s got lots of dark, staunch tribal – none of the playtime beach crap that nine out of ten DJs don’t know how to do properly. There’s a fairly bare approach to the mix, but unlike your average plod or minimal disc, it doesn’t get boring. Proggy undertones meet with the murky, spiritual feel that truly powers the disc, easily making it one of the most unique mixes I’ve heard this year. I never thought anyone could make tribal this good, but it just goes to show that even a seemingly unimpressible birthday boy can be surprised by a gift.
****
SCOTT HARMS
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