Perfecto Presents: The Club
The latest disc from dance music's most well-known DJ goes for the mass-appeal jugular, offering a collection of main-room beats and remixes. Melding tracks from artists likeU2,The Doors, andJustin Timberlakewith his own work (credited here as "Perfecto Allstarz"), Oakenfold tries to replicate the sound of a specific type ofClub, the kind that caters to beginners, where every third track is something everyone knows. It's a safe tactic for a man who has long since given up the mantle of a truly progressive artist in favor of a more ambassador/recruiter-type role. He's not lagging that far behind, though; there are touches of electro around the edges here, especially in "LA Woman" (though electro isn't exactly cutting-edge anymore to be sure). And while it would have been nice to hear a more radical reworking of "Rock Your Body," Oakenfold's choice to keep Timberlake's heavily airbrushed vocal intact gives the song an almost surreal smoothness. The unabashed populism of this mix prevents it from having any staying power, but it's immediate impact, while brief, should only further expand Oakenfold's empire. –Matthew Cooke