Ultra Dance 08 [Slipcase]

Performer: Various Artists
Engineer: Michael Gray
Producer: Adrian Bahi; Nick Bridges; Jon Pearn; Yann "Yanou" Peifer; Paul Emanuel; Mark Knight; Cutee B; David Guetta; E. Kalberg; Eric Prydz; S. Molijn; Sarita Borge; Paul Hutsch; Giuseppe D; Hedi Banon; Bernd Johnen; Francois Sanders; Jacques Lu Cont; Alan Moulder; Michael Gray; Sander Kleinenberg; Seamus Haji; Tom Novy; Joachim Garraud; Bob Sinclar; Flor Theeuwes; DJ Manian
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: Personnel: Sophie Barker, Naomi Goulbourne, Diva Avari, Ned Scott, Luciana Caporaso, Craig Smart, Jonathan Fugler, Edm�e Daenen (vocals); Paul Emanuel, Michael Gray, Seamus Haji (keyboards, drums); Ben Cook (programming); Flor Theeuwes (background vocals). DJs: Riddler; Trevor Simpson. Audio Mixers: Adrian Bahil; Eric Prydz; Michael Gray; Tom Novy. Audio Remixers: Yann Peifer; Paul Emanuel; Mark Knight ; Giuseppe D.; Jacques Lu Cont; Seamus Haji; DJ Manian. Recording information: Beverley Street Studios; Bluett Studio, Sicily, Italy; Noho Porn Labs, Los Angeles, CA; Sultra Studios, England. Arranger: Flor Theeuwes. Mixing up traditional disco beats like Michael Gray's "Borderline" with dancehall-influenced cuts like Bob Sinclair's "Rock This Party" (in which the time-honored "Everybody dance now!" sample makes its comet-like reappearance) and the herky-jerky rhythm of Natasha Bedingfield's "Single," this entry in the popular ULTRA DANCE series is an mesmerizing tour through popular dance music trends since the 1980s. Hellogoodbye's "Here in Your Arms"'s synth line recalls the Human League, Panic! At The Disco's "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" sounds simultaneously contemporary and futuristic, and Christina Aguilera's classic "Ain't No Other Man" shows that the singer is a disco diva for the ages. This volume in Ultra's high-energy (not high-NRG) series, mixed by the Riddler and Trevor Simpson (each gets a disc), continues the Ultra Dance formula of a first disc largely composed of club mixes of pop hits, while the second goes a bit more underground, or at least less poppy. In practice this amounts to the Riddler getting tracks by Christina Aguilera, the Killers, Rihanna, and Panic at the Disco to play with, while Simpson puts the likes of Sunloverz, Tom Novy, Eric Prydz, and Sander Kleinenberg on his turntables (or, more likely, his laptop). In this case, it also amounts to the Riddler having the better disc, thanks less to his mixing abilities (which are fine, but nothing extraordinary) than to the mostly sterling selection of cuts he gets to play (with). "Opsina Sullivan's Club Mix" of Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man," which opens the proceedings, is a near-perfect mix of chunky big-room house and pop sensibilities, while Chris Cox offers up a sterling take on Rihanna's overplayed "SOS," wisely leaving room for a full-on "Tainted Love" breakdown mid-song (the former is based around a loop from the latter). Simpson's disc has its tasty moments as well, foremost among them Seamus Haji's "Big Love Club Mix" of Booty Luv "Boogie 2Nite" (a fun, funky remake of a Tweet song, and rightfully a huge hit in the U.K.), but he gets a bit strung up by a brace of tech-trance numbers as his disc goes on -- they're mostly fine, but get a bit samey. On the whole, though, this is a solid selection of big-room tunes for reliving those lost Saturday nights -- or inventing them. ~ Thomas Inskeep

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