Easily one of my favorite labels, Novamute serves as the dance-orientedwing of the ever-enduring Mute Records machine. More than a fair dealof its materials comes out exclusively on vinyl, leaving the widerconsumer market unexposed to some of the best electronic music around.An effort to both rectify this and to tap into the growing market of CDand "digital" DJs, 2CDs and MP3soffers 16 audio tracks and 28 somewhat overlapping MP3 files.Considering the strength of the Novamute roster (as well as that of theextended Mute family), the selections range from techno floorfillersand electro booty grooves to chin-scratching warm-ups andindustrial/EBM reworks. Though there are many enjoyabledancefloor-friendly cuts, the first noteworthy track comes from S.I.Futures. The FX mix of "Eurostar" takes the melodic vocoding of theelectro original and injects a rejuvenating funky vibe. Speedy J'sunedited cut of "Krekc," the lead single from his recent Loudboxeralbum, blisters the eardrums with seriously banging techno meant forwarehouses. EBM fanatics will either be disturbed or delighted to hearThomas P. Heckmann's update of the Nitzer Ebb anthem "Join In TheChant." Though the distinctive bassline remains admirably true to theoriginal, Douglas McCarthy's completely vocoded vocals seem almostblasphemous. As an industrial club DJ, I have tested the dancefloorseveral times with this, and while it does not go over as well as theoriginal, it still gets a great crowd response. Continuing theindustrial updates, Akufen's quirky remix of Cabaret Voltaire's "NagNag Nag" mangles the original beyond recognition yet manages to salvagethe wreck by throwing in a gritty 4/4 beat at about the halfway point.The laugh factor behind Debasser's "Fat Girls" thankfully does not takeaway from its appeal as a bass heavy booty mover, and sounds far betterthan most of the socalled "ghetto-tech" coming out today. HansWeekhout's "Rhythm Is On A Mission" treads a murky territory betweentechno and progressive house, with echoing synth stabs and tribalmachine beats. The MP3 content gives plenty of B-sides includingfurther goodies from the artists mentioned above as well as Tim Wright,Umek, Steve Stoll, and Luke Slater. All in all, this is not merely agreat compilation, but rather a pioneering release that will hopefullybegin a trend. - Debasser - Fat Girls
- Hans Weekhout - Rhythm is On A Mission
- Cabaret Voltaire - Nag Nag Nag (Akufen remix)
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