- One of the newer nu-skool labels to emerge from the UK (where else), is Plastic Raygun. Well respected by the breakbeat elite, Plastic Raygun have put out some classy tunes in 2002 and the Raygun Administration showcases their more uptempo hits.
Phantom Beats have gained respect for their releases and they have earned it with releases like their Remixes 12" gaining respect from big names in the breaks scene such as Sydney's own Kid Kenobi. PB have been asked to mix this latest compilation and have done a pretty decent job of it as well.
2 versions of their Mercury track appear here - both the Club mix and the Stabilizer mix - with the latter being used to open up the mix (and the preferable one of the two as well). Upbeat techy breaks complete with female vocals and plenty of build ups - similar to Plump DJ's without having to resort to that Plump sound.
DJ Scissorkicks' Livin' For Kicks has been a classic in Sydney clubs ever since it's release and how could it not be? Tweaky bassline, computerised vocals and a beat that sits on the edge of 2-step and breaks. Personally, the Future Funk Squad on the other side of the 12" is my favourite, but Scissorkicks did a really good job here - nu-skool breaks with lots of funk involved.
Baobinga is the latest artist to emerge on Plastic Raygun and both sides of the latest 12" from them appear in this compilation, with Nukka being a slightly minimal yet percussive breaks tune using a very long and dark bassline, and Koi, which is my personal favourite, being a bass heavy, funkin groove into housebreaks territory - think Soul Of Man and Plump DJ's - top tune!
Vandal, another newish breaks producer represents with 2 tunes as well. Mam Tor - electro styled 2-step beats with a really dope synth melody on the top. Killer tune! Vandal also knows how to make some minimal breaks offering up The Seeker toward the end of the compilation. Heavy on the bass and going in a slight tech house direction.
Phantom Beats' own The Drop gets remixed by one of my current faves, Future Funk Squad - Ragga 2-step beats with ragga vocal chants being cut through the mix and a familiar reggae-ish bassline to accompany the beats. Layered with techy stabs throughout, this is stamped with FFS' magic touch all over.
Arguably the best track on the compilation is the General Midi remix of Stabilizer's Nitzer, which has seen action courtesy of the breaks DJs who have a good clue about the scene. Miami bass style bass drops make a wicked bass line here and the vocal samples clearly shout out "So what the heck? Rock the discotech!". The breakbeat changes in the middle and goes back to the wicked miami breaks style that DJ Icey made so popular. Let's not forget about the breakdown where the beat cleverly slows down, with the vocal samples still being cut in, then the whole track speeds up again - nice! 2002's Nine Ways!
Deep Impact give up Future In Paradise - a more percussive, tribal breaks tune, but mainly for a chilled section of the set - towards the end. Lots of vocal samples and plenty of bass and build ups here, but nice and low-key so you can sit down and listen deeply.
Finally, Stabilizer offers up a remix (yet another decent one!) of Jean Jacques Smoothie's Love & Evil. Funky electro, dancefloor breaks that build up the mood from the last 2 tracks which were getting slightly chilled. Probably could have done without the vocals at the end though.
What's more, included in the mix are sound snippets taken by Phantom Beats of crowds going wild in San Diego, an MC introducing them at a club and the PB boys trying to get arrested. Not just a mix of the tunes that have made Plastic Raygun a player in the breaks scene in '02, but a audio memoir of the adventures of Phantom Beats taken from their tour in the US.
All this for around AUS $12? How could you not give it a try?