From: kellyd@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (David Kelly)
Newsgroups: alt.rave
Subject: REVIEW: colours - a ucr compilation
Date: 19 Dec 92 08:35:42 GMT
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida

since everyone is doing a good job of reviewing comps lately, i'll add 
one that i think might be the best i have seen in quite a while..

colours - a compilation from union city recordings
0777 7 86593 2 7   CDUCR1

1  6.20  ufi - 'understand this groove'
2  5.44  metropolis - 'metropolis'
3  5.36  mombassa - 'cry freedom' (malawi mix)
4  6.37  mk featuring alana - 'burning' (mk remix extended)
5  6.48  m.a.n.i.c. - 'i'm comin hardcore' (original)
6  5.13  tc 1991 - 'berry'
7  7.28  urban jungle - 'bad man'
8  7.38  tc 1992 - 'funky guitar' (lion rock inna milanese stylee)
9  4.56  metropolis - 'hyporeel'
10 7.40  b.m.ex - 'appolonia' (quatmix)
11 6.25  mk featuring alana - 'always' (12" underground)
12 4.36  unity - 'unity' (piano city)

good mixture of all styles of techno..  ufi starts off with some 
groove-oriented house - this is one of the THREE 'understand this 
groove's available right now (the other two by sound factory and franke') 
and this probably isn't the best one, but good nonetheless..

metropolis is one of the many future sound aliases so the two metropolis 
tracks are original as always..  both are a bit in the progressive/dub 
house vein with some tribal influences..  the first uses some sort of 
flute sound effectively..  both have a very housy feel at times, but this 
is fsol's warped original sense of house that no one does better..

mombassa's is a chant driven tribal stomper with uplifting piano..  
'uplifting' surely describes this track but that is somewhat an 
understatement..

mk featuring alana does new york style house stuff..  not bad for the 
style but a little too diva-driven for me..  imho, the two mk tracks are 
the only ones that draw this comp down..

m.a.n.i.c. is next with 'i'm comin hardcore', a song that has made me 
realize breakbeats can be used effectively still, if done correctly..  
this is mainly piano-driven but the sampling is very effective - 'the 
rhythm is hot!'  and i thought melodic breakbeat was an oxymoron..

tc 1991's 'berry' of course is quite original, as is the tc 1992 track..  
the most effective part is when they slowly fade the drums out of the mix 
and leave only a single screechingly high keyboard patch left..  then
WHAM! everything hits you in the face again..

urban jungle's 'bad man' is pretty much in the ragga style, but done 
quite originally for a ragga-type track..  bird and cricket samples thru 
the back with a fairly driven beat..  'i'm talking to the bad man, bad 
man.'

tc 1992 is up next with 'funky guitar', probably the most original thing 
i have heard lately..  very addictive with some trumpet samples and, you 
guessed it, some funky guitar thrown in..  'ain't no words to this song, 
you just dance and hum along!'

b.m.ex's 'appolonia' has quite a trancy feel and the use of the 
'appolo-o-o-o-onia' sample is very effective, indeed..  once again, nice 
piano breaks that offset the very mysterious-feeling main verse..  i like 
this one very much even though it drags a little bit at times..

last is unity with 'unity', another breakbeat oriented track that uses 
breakbeat effectively..  this is probably the fastest it gets on here..  
this has a section that reminds me a lot of aphex twin, but the main part 
uses piano, so that is quite unlike him..


definately a comp to own, if even just for the tc tracks, mombassa, and 
metropolis tracks..  (although i quite like b.m.ex and m.a.n.i.c. too)


                            i am a zombie.
                      ___________________________
                      kellyd@cybernet.cse.fau.edu
Newsgroups: alt.rave