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Various Wild Style Soundtrack (Beyongolia/Fusion III) Back in '83, when the film Wild Style was first released, the characters, lifestyles and music presented were an accurate depiction of a young hip hop culture in its early stages. The accompanying album (now reissued) is loaded with jams that are clearly historical predecessors of today's multi-million dollar hip hop industry. Grand Wizard Theodore, Double Trouble, Cold Crush Brothers and Grand Master Caz all drop classics in that vintage New York style. 9/10 (Scott C)
The Mel in question, one Mr. Waldorf, is splitting town for Frisco soon. He wouldn't do it, though, without leaving us a second Mel-Tones disc, to keep the excellent Surfin' at Black Point company. Not only is this one more rockin', it's got a better sense of melody, too. I love the way these guys make no bones about being a surf band... none of this "we're an instrumental retro rock 'n' roll combo" business (like those shifty Treblemakers). They play surf! They do songs called "The Perfect Wave" and "Polynesian Adventure!" They wear Hawaiian shirts! They drink Mai Tais! They put V8 engines in station wagons! And hell, yeah, they SURF! As real a real thing as you'll find these days. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) Various Rave Classics (Moonshine)
Moonshine has taken the Mastercuts model and done well with it. Not that it's too hard to pin down, find, or remember the mainly 1991-93 monster tracks on this compilation. DJ snobs who have moved onto "pure techno" or D&B might love to forget that they ever played SL2's boingy-boingy breakbeat number "On a Ragga Tip," or Acen's perfect double-time hardcore anthem "Trip to the Moon," but you don't have to be that cool. Revel in the stoooopid pianos! The hoover bass! The helium vocals! The simple energy! And why not call it "good music" instead of "guilty pleasure"? And if it's all just too cheesy quaver for you, then Derrick May's "Strings of Life" is included too. 8.5/10 (Mireille Silcott)
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Los Mel-Tones! Surf Before Sunrise (Halakahiki)