From: Andrew Bennett <AJBENNETT@MIAVX1.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject: AJB reviews, #2
Followup-To: alt.rave
Originator: recmusic@galaxy
Reply-To: AJBENNETT@MIAVX1.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU
Organization: Spandex Admirers Intl.
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 15:28:21 GMT

Ok folks.  back to review time.  (Anybody remember my last batch?  Probably
not)

In this segment:

Zero Zero - (untitled maxi cd single)
The Creator - "The Creator"
Blue Pearl - "Mother Dawn"
various: Best of Techno Volume 2
various: Rave 'til Dawn
various: Ravealert
various: Technosonic Volume 2

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Zero Zero - Maxi cd single (US Instinct EX-238-cd5)

1. Zeroxed (Kickin' like a fried mutha f***in chicken mix) 3:55
2. Zeroxed (Original mix) 4:09
3. Sanity Clause (stoopid mix) 4:25
4. Sanity Clause (insane mix) 4:34
5. Courting Madness 5:35

The credits list Simon Robinson and Mark Grant as writing the song.  All
in all, not bad techno/ravey stuff here.  Someone's going to get in trouble
for using that Hendrix sample in the ...chicken mix.  "Courting Madness"
is in the LFO type of vein, unlike the other two tracks.

Overall rating: 7/10.

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The Creator - The Creator (Ger ZYX 6732-b)

1. The Creator (The 7" Creation) 3:43
2. The Creator (The 12" Creation) 5:57
3. The Creator (The Dub Creation) 1:59
4. The Creator (The Intro Creation) 1:09

Written by Oliver Momm (name sounds familiar to me).  Not a bad track.
My store had this cheap as an import.  Comes in a longer cardboard sleeve.
Track #1 contains gobs of Star Trek samples.  #3 would be good to use to
start up a set, then beat match into something else.  #4 is worthless, IMHO.
Both #1 and #2 use a sample of "I am the Creator!" that I've heard somewhere
else.  Recoil maybe?

Overall rating: 6/10.  Not bad...

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Blue Pearl - Mother Dawn (UK Big Life: BLRD73 - 863 071-2)

1. Mother Dawn (7 Inch Mix)
2. Mother Dawn (Overlords Remix)
3. Mother Dawn (Full Moon Mix)
4. Can you Feel the Passion (Turntable Hype Mix)

#1-#3 produced and mixed by Youth.  #4 produced by Youth.

I originally bought this because I thought that The Orb had remixed one
of these tracks.  Obviously not.  Is there another version of this in
existence?

Overall, pretty decent.  Probably won't sit well with most folks, because
of the diva-type of vocals.  Youth's mixes are awesome. 

Overall Rating:  7/10 (Disappointed about no Orb remixes)

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Various Artists: Best of Techno Volume 2 (US Profile PCD-1426)

1. Circle of Souls - Future Dreams
2. 2 Bad Mice - Bomb Scare
3. Psychic Media - Biofeedback
4. B.T.B. - Bad Base
5. Zero Zero - Zeroxed
6. LFO - Syndrome
7. Tronik House - Up Tempo
8. Automation - Wild E
9. Techno-Flight 1 - Fuck You
10. Return of the living Acid - Get Funky!
11. Pius - Bring Jesus Back
12. Altern 8 - Give it to Baby

Over the summer I did a review of Volume 1, and gave it the old
thumbs down.  I saw this in a used bin, which didn't sit too well
with me, but I needed to get the LFO track.

Glad I did pick it up.  This is 10x better than Volume 1.  "Bad Base"
is truly a bad tune, with a high pitch squeal throughout most of the
song.  Your neighbors dogs will love you!  "Bomb Scare" will make your
sub-woofers vibrate - awesome track.  LFO is LFO - what else can you
say about these guys; they are awesome!  Tronik House is Kevin Saunderson's
new project, and it sounds fantastic.  "Bring Jesus Back" is also pretty
good.  Altern 8 - another track?  I think I have the whole album now spread
over 15 or so compilations.  Geesh.  Not too bad.  I think it's going to 
be the last track on the album, and probably a good place for it (read:
it could be better for the Peat/Archer duo).

Overall rating: 9/10 (bought used, LFO, Pius, Tronik House)

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Various Artists: Rave 'Till Dawn (US SBK 0777-7-80070-2 9)

1. Apotheosis - O Fortuna (Apocalypse Chorus Mix) 4:52
2. Ottorongo - Fuck you (Singalongmotherfucker mix) 3:04
3. The Movement - Jump (Mutha mix) 3:57
4. 2 Unlimited - Get Ready for This (Orchestral Mix) 5:31
5. Blue Pearl - Can You Feel the Passion (Palladium mix) 5:37
6. Code Red - Dreamer Dream 4:35
7. Two Little Boys - Stylophonia 4:09
8. Praga kahn & Jade 4 U - Injected with a Poison (MNO Power mix) 5:02
9. Shut up & Dance - Green Man 6:14
10. Lords of Acid - Take Control 4:30
11. Channel x - A million colors 5:37

I probably wouldn't have bought this if it was an import, seeing that I
already had a couple of the tracks, and some of the stuff was really
really really old (#1, #4, #11).  But I had some spare bucks, and it
wasn't too expensive.

#2 and #3 are sort of rap-py.  But not too bad.  I can tolerate them.
The Blue Pearl track (see above) is pretty good.  Code Red is ok.  The 
Two Little Boys track sort of disappointed me.  I have a UK megamix done
by them, featuring some of their work (imagine that!) and the version they
used was different than the one here.  Shows potential.  (BTW, they are
older than 14 years.)

Overall rating: 8.5/10

--------------------------------------------------------------
Various Artists: Ravealert (UK Telstar TCD 2594)

1. Smart-e's - Sesame's Treat
2. Praga Kahn - Rave Alert (full alert mix)
3. Urban Hype - A Trip To Trumpton
4. Snap - Rhythm is a Dancer (Purple Hazed mix)
5. The Shamen - L.S.I. (Freaked Out V1.02) 
6. SL2 - On A Ragga Tip
7. Altern-8 - Hypnotic St-8 (St-8 of Art Edit)
8. KWS - Please don't Go
9. Adamski - Back to Front (The Rub it Radio Edit)
10. Messiah - Temple of Dreams
11. Naughty by Nature - O.P.P.
12. Rachel Wallace - Tell Me Why (M&M Mix)
13. Johnny L - Hurt You So
14. Acen - Trip II The Moon (The Darkside)
15. 2 Unlimited - Workaholic
16. Finitribe - Forevergreen (Forevermost Excellent Edit)

this is the last Telstar compilation I purchase.  Almost pure rubbish.
Smart-e's sucks.  Snap sucks.  SL2 sucks.  Naughty by Nature is Rave?
Oh please!  Any rave I attend that plays any Naughty by Nature will
be promptly left.  Gees!

The only reason I'm holding onto this is for the tracks by: The Shamen -
this is an almost completely different version I've heard before.  More
techno-y, like the Progen '92 or Make It Mine mixes.  Not half bad;
Messiah's "Temple of Dreams" - not a bad track.  It's not "There is No
Law", but still sounds good; and the Altern-8 track (see above comment
about having the entire album before it comes out). And the Finitribe
song - not really forever excellent, but pretty decent.

Lots of diva wailing on the Rachel Wallace and maybe the Johnny L tracks.
I usually skip them.

Overall rating: 2/10.  Avoid like the plague...

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Various Artists: TechnoSonic Volume 1 (US Sonic - SNC-2009-2)

1. Digital Orgasm - Running Out of Time (rave mix)
2. J'N'J - The Ballet
3. Transformer 2 - Pacific Symphony Too (Benelux Swing remix)
4. Channel X - Sillicon & Sapphire
5. Praga Kahn - Free Your Body (Injected with a poison)
6. Trance Trax - Auw
7. 2 Fabiola - The Milkyway (mindblowremix)
8. Cold Sensation - Liquid Empire
9. Rave Crusader - Future World Destiny
10. Eccentric - It's Brutal
11. Code Red - Dreamer, Dream
12. Ravebusters - White Zone

Allright!  Almost no names from Europe, at non-import prices!  yahoo!
The insert says that all tracks on TechnoSonic Volume 2 are under
exclusive license from Anter Subway.  If it weren't for the Praga Kahn
track, which seems to be popping up on a lot of compilations (see above
comments about Altern-8), and the Code Red (which is on Rave 'till Dawn),
this disc would be 100% unknown.  Several tracks written by O. Adams.
That's the only name I recognize.  Good stuff from Sonic!  I've listened
to it several times, and have trouble giving reactions to songs, because
so many of the projects are unkown.  "The Ballet" is pretty good, but
would need a fade in to get past some extraneous chatter at the beginning
of the track.  "It's Brutal" is also pretty good.

Overall rating: 9/10 (sorry I can't give more of a review on this one, but
                      it comes with high marks from me...)

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End of Reviews; Maybe some more next week.

I'd appreciate comments.  It at least lets me know that someone is
reading them, and/or want more, or less (???)



Andrew

-- 
        Andrew Bennett         (ajbennett@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu) 
        Oxford, Ohio           (abennett@apsvax.aps.muohio.edu) 
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     Hot tune: "Fait Accompli", by Curve.  From the cd _Doppelganger_

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