Search - DJ Db :: 10

Best d-n-b/jungle collection in at least three years

Scott Woods | Columbus, Ohio United States | 04/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've been DJing for about 20 yeras you're going to pick up a few things, too. Forget the recent Goldie and Majik one-tone compilations: this one has the varying (but not too much) mood of a swelling party, and is by turns both dark and uplifting. If drum-n-bass was ever in danger of falling off the planet into space, it was due to the falling off of primo acts like Goldie and Roni Size after incredible first records. Here, however, DB shows us that if you scratch the surface just a little, your;'e going to find some great stuff still kicking around...enough to even maybe put the genre back on track. With tracks like J. Majik's "Love is not a Game", High Contrast's "Make It Tonight" and Influx Datum's fun "Can't Understand", you've already got your money's worth.DB's experience and crate-digging has goiven us the best d-n-b compialtion in years, and the kind that draws people to the genre, not simply designed for bassheads."

Not his best...not the best of the year either

meeks | Atlanta--Gateway to the south | 04/24/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is not his best mix. It's alright. There are some highlights, but DB did not display his typical ability to compile a mesmerizing set. The continuity from start to finish just was not there. You'll find some stellar tracks on this mix but it lacks deeper meaning and mood between the tracks. It's not a bad CD, it is actually good, but if you are familiar with DB then you know that he is usually brilliant. To see his other brilliant mixes check out "Shades of Technology", "Higher Education Drum and Bass Session", and "The Secret Art of Science". (the rest I added later to further explain my ratings and remarks)
The mix starts out as a rough jungle assault. The first few songs are really good, aggressive, dark, and just cool. Then the mix slips into some borderline house tracks, which would be better suited on a different mix, because the transition is painful. The mood and momentum that had been built up over the first few tracks is completely lost because the change happens so suddenly. In my opinion it is misleading to start the mix off on an adrenaline bass and dark tec-steppin' assault just to be quickly escorted into a cozy soft house-vibbin' chill out lounge party. The mix continues that way much longer than would be expected, and finally you realize that this album has run out of gas. Then for no good reason, at the last moment possible we are suddenly taken back into the same dark tec-step frenzied jungle dungeon that we came from at the beginning. The main problem, he waited too long and it sounds way too forced to just cram in a couple of raw jungle tunes at the last moment. In my opinoin this is a basic lounge jungle album with some misplaced raw and dark jungle tunes at the beginning and end. That makes for a bad mix."

Slick

Nicholas T. Mollison | Austin, Texas United States | 03/28/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not heavily into DnB/Jungle but DB's sets have lured me in. Again, his latest runs a gamut of styles and emotions. From dark and hard techno sounds, to lighter faster flowing breaks with vocals. I would have given it 5 stars but I think the set structure and transitions could have been refined a little more. There are a few really outstanding tracks on this CD that almost make it worth buying on their own, but there are also a couple tired ones I would have dropped. Still superb overall, and this is from a Techno/Tribal/Progressive fan.Don't purchase this CD expecting it to be a chilled out mix like The Secret Art of Science. That it is definitely not. The tempo is much faster and the sounds are a lot bigger, but DB will still have you bobbing your head no matter what you're doing."