2350.org - Compilation - Compilation 4

"Compilation 4" is the first Fax compilation (as far as I am aware) to be on two CDs. The skeptics amongst you will no doubt moan about Namlook finding ways to make even more money from re-releases but because of the two CDs, this compilation has enough variety to last longer than a standard Fax compilation. Although the onus is on dance music, all types of Fax dance are included as well as some ambient and jazz.

First up are some hard dance numbers; they work well but there is nothing really new here. The Sequential track is similar to other Sequential tracks (e.g. "Prophet", "A Trip To Paradise") with lush chords building into a medium-paced trance beauty; nothing too hard, it eases you into it's steady groove and is classic Namlook trance. As is "Breathe Out", a rhythmic acidic track with a bass-drum where the open hi-hat should be. Unusual and effective.

"Girls On Top" and "Come Into My Laboratory" are some more effective hard dancefloor techno numbers. "Dirty Job" is a _loud_ hardcore track with what sounds like a sample from Jo Brand; makes mincemeat of your speaker cones, this one. The first disc closes with some various tracks featuring a medium-paced club number "Beyond Boredom (Day)" (good to nod along to), the Fax jazz interpretation which has a great feel to it; acoustic guitar riffs over a funky little break, and finally "Arc", an ambient- techno track with lush chords but a distant, airy feel to it. Great stuff. CD two opens with "Fairlight 1", a pretty lacklustre trance track; Pete, you're slipping mate. The next two tracks are above average trance numbers; "Circuits" is the harder track, "DNS Recombination" is a trickier, less dancefloor orientated track.

Every feminist's favourite DJ, DJ Pussy Lover has his Oversize Pussy track "The Rush" on here full of abrasive sounds and a storming break. If you bought new speakers after "Dirty Job" be prepared to shop for some more after you've played SYN's "Painamplifier". A distorted robotic voice plays for a few seconds and then there's a few blessed moments of silence and then . . . WHAM, in comes a 180bpm+ monster that sees Pete attempting to wrestle with his analogue filter controls and losing. A totally mad track. The sudden contrast of the end of "Painamplifier" to the lush phased chords of Olympic's "Fly While You Dive" is shocking; your head is still spinning from some analogue madness and in floats this ethereal little trance number, like the break after the storm. Pure ambience is then yours through "Life/Death", a thirty minute far-off symphonic masterpiece from Namlook and Dr. Atmo.

This collection really is something else. Whilst it lacks some of the excellent trance tracks of, say, "1 Year - Dance", the variety more than makes up for it. There are a few duff tracks; show me a compilation that _doesn't_ have one but in general the quality is high. This is a great introduction to the variety of Fax music. While ambient may be misrepresented in the number of tracks, the thirty minutes of "Life/ Death" are about as good as it gets.

Overall: *****

(review by Simon Walley)