This is one compilation in an overcrowded field which is near impossible to fault, except that it’s not a six-CD set. There’s not a duff track among these eleven highlights from the In Order To Dance compilation series which chronicled the amazing selection of techno classics gathered from around the world by the seminal Belgium label in the early 90s, now presented as part of their reactivation. It’s impossible to convey the groundbreaking impact of nuggets like Aphex Twin’s ‘Analogue Bubblebath’, the seismic snares of Capricorn’s ’20 Hz’ [In the hands of Weatherall – forget trousers!] or killer organ vamp of Jaydee’s ‘Plastic Dreams’ on both UK dancefloors and producers in an era when acid house whoopee gave way to serious electronic innovation with mass dancefloor destruction in mind. Every tracks’s a dazzling roofraiser: Second Phase’s ‘Mentasm’ introduced the hoover noise picked up on Human Resource’s ‘Dominator’, giving hardcore its signature sound. The bass-propelled menace of Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ still sends shivers down the spine and triggers serotonin levels to red in the melon while Orbital’s rework of the Golden Girls’ ‘Kinetic’ remains one of their finest moments. When the keyboard riff of outlander’s ‘The Vamp’ kicks off you’ll be catapulted back into any number of brilliant nights whether you knew what it was before or not. Add model 500 in cool house mode on ‘I Wanna Be There’, CJ Bolland’s rave fave ‘Carmague’ and Radical Rob’s ‘Monkey Wah’ and you’re looking at one of the compilations of the year. A second CD features seven stellar remixes by producers of the moment including Paul Woolford, Radio Slave, Optimo and Tom Middleton, staying true to the tracks’ original spirit while thrusting one of the greatest electronic labels of all time into the future.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs