From: pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com (Pete Ashdown)
Subject: XDZebra Review #11
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:00:54 GMT


XDZebra Review #11

If you're an electronic musician with a fair amount of material, send a tape
to my label, or just write to get on the mailing list:
	Addiction
	PO Box 510192
	Salt Lake City, UT  84151-0192

When in Utah call the Taste of Flesh hotline 801-461-3375.

Back issues are available.  Mail me if interested.

This is all my opinion.  Flames against a review are pretty pointless, so
don't bother.  Let me know if you have any other comments though.

The number next to the index is the "dance factor". 5 = high, 1 = low

XDZebra Reviews may be reproduced without permission under one condition,
they remain intact and unchanged.  If you publish this in print, mail me a
copy via "Addiction".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review #11 Contents:
Zoo Rave 1
Techno Grooves - The Compilation Mach 4 * 5 * 6
Church of Extacy
Danger Zone - Volume: One
XL Fourplay Vol. 1
The Orb: U.F.Orb


Zoo Rave 1
BMG/Zoo: 72445-11030-2
1   5   05:07 Smashing Atoms: Cannibal 44
2   4   02:38 Bleu: Burn It
3   3   05:48 Xenon: Hellfire
4   4   05:48 AAR: Ragamuffin Techno
5   3   06:43 Voyager: Rhythm Dream
6   3   05:32 AAR: Rasta Rave
7   3   05:53 Pood, Bhud, 'n' Pflug: Duelling Techno
8   4   04:49 Assembly Line: Prototype
9   3   04:40 Bleu: Wicked
10  4   05:33 Beat Pulse Mecca: Murder

Comments: Starts good, ends well, but everything in between is terrible.
Incredibly bad cliched techno like AAR's simply named garbage characterizes
this disc.  "Duelling Techno" harkens back to the days of rip-off disco where
just about every theme from Beethoven to Donkey Kong was rehashed into pure
trash.  It is disheartening to see this happen to techno, but I guess it was
to be expected.  Yet the Smashing Atoms and Beat Pulse Mecca tracks are really
good.  This compilation is practically all new names, but lacks the innovation
that labels like Suck Me Plasma! are so good at finding.

Summary: 5/10.  Domestic price, but brought to you by corporate America.


Techno Grooves - The Compilation Mach 4 * 5 * 6
Stealth: STR 4192
1   3   03:50 Rhaaaaa!
2   2   04:02 100% of DX--ing You
3   3   03:58 I Like P*Z
4   4   04:02 Techno Slam
5   4   03:49 The Aaaaaaah
6   3   05:23 Feeling Free
7   2   04:05 Dreamscape
8   3   04:47 Video Jazz
9   3   04:27 You Got Me Running
10  4   03:58 Moments in Techno
11  3   07:10 Good Inside
12  5   06:25 Afro Compressor
13  4   04:51 My Body's Burning
14  2   05:13 S-Cape
15  2   05:00 Let It Go
16  4   03:38 Siesta, Wake Up

Comments: Surprisingly good techno and house from the label that brought us
L.A. Style.  This is more on the house side than anything else and has some
wonderful deep tracks.  Nothing really unusual though.  No groups are credited
on the compilation, so I'm guessing that it is a mix disc.  There are a lot of
vaguely familiar riffs, but nothing I can pin down.  Many tracks are
simplistic and good for mixing as well.

Summary: 8/10.  Stealth is now being distributed by IRS, so this should be
easily obtainable and at a domestic price to boot.


Church of Extacy
Sonic Records: SNC-2004-2
1   4   06:08 Oowee I Am Ready
2   4   06:54 Pray For Acid Mix
3   5   06:37 Crucify The Acid Mix
4   3   06:46 Confess To Acid Mix

Comments:  The way Sonic hypes this single, you'd expect Church of Extacy to
be God on a keyboard.  Unfortunately, this yet-another-GTO variant is really
disappointing.  The music doesn't even compare to their GTO work and tends to
be boring at times.  The mixes are rather bland as well.  The "Crucify" mix
almost saves things in the fact that it is harder than hard, but overall this
isn't anything special.

Summary: 3/10.  Domestic, but there are better things available for the price.


Danger Zone - Volume: One
Quality Television/Music Factory: QTVCD 009
1   5   03:59 Altern8: Evapor8 (Ultim8 Mix)
2   3   05:35 KWS: Please Don't Go (Upfront Mix)
3   4   03:43 Digital Boy: 1-2-3 Acid (Mental Acid Mix)
4   5   04:08 Left Locator: Germanate (Global Cut Mix)
5   5   04:05 Anticapella: Everyday (T1000 Mix)
6   5   04:21 Praga Khan: Injected With A Poison (Adams Power Mix)
7   4   04:52 Atomiser 2: Liberty & Freedom (Vicks Vapo Rub Mix)
8   5   04:58 Two Little Boys: Headstrong (Psychodust Mix)
9   4   03:40 Art of Noise: Instruments of Darkness (Prodigy Mix)
10  5   03:43 After Dark: Cardiac (Heartburn Mix)
11  5   04:54 Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era: Let Your Mind Be Free
12  4   04:14 M-D-Emm: Get Down (Hysteria Mix)
13  4   03:47 Technocolour: Close Your Eyes (Release Your Soul Mix)
14  5   03:09 Digital Boy: Rotation (92 Remix)
15  4   04:13 D.J. Professor: Rock Me Steady (Hardcore Crisis Mix)
16  4   03:56 Antico: We Need Freedom (Freestyle Mix)

Comments:  One of the best techno comps I've purchased in a long time.  This
CD combines new tracks from the better groups with exclusive remixing for a
powerful combo and a good value.  The Digital Boy tracks are standard DB,
nothing special.  The tracks from Left Locator, Anticapella, and After Dark
absolutely kick the walls with energy.  Things do start to drag near the end
with sameness and repetitiveness, but overall this is a great disc.

Summary: 9/10.  Very expensive import, but of far better value than other
import comps I've bought recently.


XL Fourplay Vol. 1
XL: XLFP 1CD
1   4   04:43 DJ's Unite: DJ's Unite
2   4   05:22 Glide: Alright (All Night Mix)
3   5   05:31 The Noise Factory: Be Free
4   3   04:34 EQ: True Devotion

Comments: XL covers all the bases with this short sampler.  "DJ's Unite" is
bleep, "Alright" is breakbeat, "Be Free" is ragga, and EQ is techno house.
"Be Free" is the only problem in the fact that it is too long.  The rest are
of OK length, but nothing really stands out.

Summary: 7/10.  I think what XL is trying to do is give out teasers rather
than samplers.


The Orb: U.F.Orb
Big Life/Wau! Mr. Modo: BLRCD 18 513749-2
1   1   12:52 O.O.B.E.
2   4   06:09 U.F.Orb
3   2   17:34 Blue Room
4   3   15:01 Towers of Dub
5   3   10:27 Close Encounters
6   4   11:07 Majestic
7       00:50 Sticky End

Comments: The anxiously awaited second album from Orb arrives via UFO.  I
never thought I would be disappointed by an artist putting out 74 minutes of
music, but this album left me hungry for more.  I guess it is due to the
reappearance of Blue Room and Towers of Dub taking up almost half the album's
length.  The new tracks are all unique and show Alex's and Thrash's (Mr.
Weston to you) mastery of their equipment.  Lovely sampling, new effects, and
a wonderful flow that makes the whole album one piece.  I would have expected
more of an Indian flavor from the Orb due to their recent trip there, but it
wasn't apparent.

Summary: 8/10.  Let's hope that they have a lot of yummy singles on the way.

-- 
	   "What state is Salt Lake City in?" - Ticketmaster Agent

DISCLAIMER: My writings have NOTHING to do with my employer.  Keep it that way.
Pete Ashdown    pashdown@slack.sim.es.com    ...uunet!slack.sim.es.com!pashdown