Besides the terrific new sounds and British club culture expected in any new release from Distinct'I've Breaks, this time I was immediately surprised that this Y4K CD was not mixed. Silly me, I just assumed that most dance mixes are mixed by a traditional DJ. Then it occurred to me that this disc was related to a particular phenomenon in the UK, Annie Nightingale. Maybe SHE decided it wasn't necessary to mix these fine tracks.
Ironically, Y4K is the longest running, best known and most widely acclaimed breaks compilation in the world and Annie Nightingale is one of the most well loved national radio figures in the UK. Generally recognized as the "Queen of Breakbeat," she is in fact the longest serving and oldest DJ on the recognized BBC Radio 1, and renowned for bringing breakbeat to the UK and pushing underground dance music to a wider audience. Y4K typically features some of the scene's best artists, many of them break beat DJs, so it was even more ironic that this disc went from song to song with the stops included in the middle.
Regardless of the setup, this disc has some unique and memorable numbers. My favorite tracks included Shena's Electrosexual, J. Mekka's Come on And...! [Santos Remix], Codex Machine's Love Requiem, Plump DJs' Electric Disco [D. Ramirez Remix], Yoof's Ratcatcher, Deibeat's Time to Rock, Crowd Theory's Reality (Don't Care 'Bout Nuthin'), Drummatic Twins' Hyperspeed, and my all time favourite comical remake - The Orb/Alan Parker's Grey Clouds! This last cut demands repeated listens, as each occasion to hear the annoyed Brit saying "they were dull, the clouds were gray…" becomes as hysterical as a snippet from the finest Monty Python sketches.
All in all, I kept listening to this comp, hearing nuances previously undiscovered, but never quite able to get into this group of tracks as one deep mix. Oh well, Annie, at least I am honored to have the exposure!
