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 SWEAT IT OUT – Vol 1
(Sweat It Out Music)
Sweat It Out’s debut double-CD comes with a free eye test on the back. It’s not for fun - thanks to Ajax pumping 34 tracks onto his disc, the small print becomes necessary. Putting all that stuff together would normally sound like a disaster, but Ajax has had a bit of practice with the scissors and glue. And even though it’s just garish funk-electro pitched at the feet, the mix is tight enough to make me momentarily forget that stores sell very expensive jeans to this stuff. Miami Horror’s unique retro slant negates the need to go back to the 1980s in a time machine; hell, four tracks in I was looking for my roller skates and Amiga 500. Yes, it’s a blatant bubblegum comp that probably won’t be remembered in a week - but it’s different, fun, and I just can’t hate it. I know. I’m disappointed too.
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 MINISTRY OF SOUND – Housexy Autumn 08
(Ministry Of Sound/Universal)
I’m no genius, but wouldn’t releasing an autumn comp in May kind of restrict its shelf life? Maybe the good people at Ministry Of Sound are hinting at something here. Inside the airbrushed pack is a pair of discs from Sydney-based DJs Alan Thompson and Graham Cordery. Thompson’s disc sounds about right; Latin influences with a bunch of sensual vocals, interjected with the obligatory pseudo-electro sections. Imagine one sleeveless shirt and headband for every nine cocktail dresses on the floor; you’ve nailed it. Cordery makes his house cut deeper, but without the edge that Thompson’s mix has; and unfortunately for us, it’s cursed with that worn Balearic vibe that seems to happen to a lot of the discs released during the European summer. Not bad, but I wouldn’t knock over a record store – or the internet – trying to get it.
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 ANDY C – Nightlife 4
(Ram Recordings)
UK drum & bass legend Andy C puts out the latest release of his independent Nightlife mix series. After all the limp-wristed drum & bass I’ve been hearing lately, it’s great to finally hear something that kicks. And boy does it ever; twisted Neuro sounds, full percussion and more chaotic energy than a Red Bull blown up with a mortar. But don’t think Nightlife 4 doesn’t take a break (no pun intended); there are a few carefully selected moments where Andy C runs some of the more ambient and liquid beats before slapping you again with the heavy, militant stuff. Sure, full time listeners of the genre won’t see any big risks being taken here, but if you asked a big soft drink company how to tinker with a tasty formula, they’ll probably respond with one word – don’t.
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PACHA – Global Chilling
(Central Station)
The Pacha brand is back, this time with a triple-disc chill set. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or shake my head when I heard Radiohead’s Weird Fishes/Appeggi on the first disc, but trust me - the paradox of a record label trying to sell a free song didn’t go unnoticed. I believe this is what Rick Rubin means when he refers to labels being “stuck in the dark ages”. In any case, if you already have one of the MOS Chillout Sessions, then Pacha’s offering isn’t compelling enough to spend the money. That is of course unless you’re dying to update your Sunday morning music - or you just can’t figure out how to make a playlist. Oh, and instead of forking over for it, please just download In Rainbows. Thom will still be able to brood on his yacht, so don’t worry.
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SCOTT HARMS
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