The Vitals:

Label: Defected Records
Genre: Mixed Genre (House, Hip-Hop, Funk, etc.)
Number of Tracks: 33 (3 CDs)
How to Obtain: www.defected.com

Factor Scores:

Production Quality: 8.0
Programming and Arrangement: 7.8
Entertainment Quality: 7.5
Total: 7.7 – Good

Du Nord's Take:

Ok. I really, really tried to like this mix, really. It shows quite a bit of musical dexterity as it jumps from disco house one moment to hip-hop and then to funk and electro-groove. There are some great moments on this disc, but I seemed to drift between mild bemusement and outright track surfing.

The funk and disco elements couldn't quite captivate me for long, but tracks like "Put Your Drink Down" by Mr. V featuring Candela are great dance material. Martin does some remixing with Bumcello's very South African "Dalila", which shows a glimpse of his great span of talent.

The mix is very interesting, but I personally feel it bogs down with the more "retro" tracks and loses its overall appeal. For the same reason I don't listen to classic rock anymore, I don't want to go back to the 70s in any genre (don't even mention the 80s). There are some real gems in this mix, but digging through the "rubble" is like mining for gold.

Overall, it's a great attempt at bridging the generation gaps but might not capture a specific audience. I hope it's a great success, but personally, I like to keep moving the boundaries and exploring the ever-ranging newness of the dance music soundscape.

Till next time….