The appropriately named sequel to last year's Cool As Ice, Twice As Nicecontinues the job of compiling lost dance singles from Factory andCrepscule. This time, the compilers stretch out a bit, including notonly productions credited to New Order's Be Music, but also a fewrelated producers. Among the other producers represented on thecompilation are NYC luminaries Arthur Baker and Mark Kamins, as well asthree 52nd Street tracks produced by DoJo without the help of BernardSumner. Consequently, the songs on Twice As Nice aren't asthematically linked as those on the first volume. There is a also anoticeable drop in the quality of many of these singles, a few of whichwould have been better left to history's dustbin. I'm thinkingspecifically of Arthur Baker's shiny happy remix of Anna Domino's"Summer," which clocks in at a laborious seven minutes, and never risesabove the level of "Walking on Sunshine" 80s pop trash. Mark Kamins wasa popular NYC producer and DJ at the legendary Danceteria, but he willprobably forever be known as one of the "little people" that MadonnaCiccone climbed over on her way to world domination. His production onCheyne's "Call Me Mr. Telephone" highlights some of the problemsinherent in white producers co-opting early HipHop, but demonstrating afundamental lack of understanding as to what made HipHop good. The 52ndStreet tracks fare much better, especially "Express" and "Look Into MyEyes," soulful R&B grooves expanded by DoJo into synth-heavy,polyrhythmic disco-funk classics. Quando Quango appear on a pair ofLatin-influenced new wave dance sides with remarkably outre'production, incorporating varispeed vocals and dub trickery. MarcelKing's "Keep On Dancing" doesn't repeat the unparalleled greatness of"Reach For Love," but he gives it the old college try anyway, withanother high-energy, anthemic gay classic. Shark Vegas were an obscureGerman electro-disco group, and their "You Hurt Me (Version)" playslike a step-by-step primer in early-80s, by-the-book Euro-techno. Arare edit of New Order's "Video 5-8-6" will be a major attraction tomany, an early experiment in creating a track entirely with electronicsequencers. This track, along with Section 25's "Sakura," both displayBernard Sumner's nascent experimentation with his new gadgets, andevidence a remarkable sort of "beginner's luck" that manifests in apair of stunning low-fi electronic tracks that belong in the samecompany as early Human League. The vocoderized technopop of "Motherland(Remix)," by cult Factory oddballs The Royal Family and the Poor, ispretty atypical of their sound, but pleasant nonetheless. Twice As Niceis nothing if not inconsistent, and does not hold the easy appeal ofits predecessor, but contains enough worthwhile nuggets to warrant afew spins. - 52nd Street - Express
- Quando Quango - Genius (Pt 2)
- New Order - Video 5-8-6 (Edit)
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