In a smoke-filled room at Spundae a microphone clicks on and MC Christopher Wight announces, to the screams and claps of the audience, that yes indeed Miss DJ Irene is on the decks. Irene wastes no time and quickly drops her "Rock with your cock out" to the anticipating crowd. As the hard bassline erupts onto the dance floor, you know that this is going to be a killer CD. The crowd responds as DJ Irene hops on the microphone to show some love. After all, Los Angeles is her hometown and it is also where she got her first start some nineteen years ago.
As "Rock with your cock out" pulsates along, DJ Irene transitions into the next song smoothly, showing her strong presence behind the wheels of steel. Some of the track highlights of disc one are Neon Lights' "Fine Day" (which samples Kirsty Hawkshaw's vocals from Opus III's 1992 hit "It's a Fine Day") and Armin Van Buuren's "Shivers." CD two brings along John "00" Fleming & Christopher Lawrence's "Attention," Jose Amnesia vs. Serp's "Second Day," and last but not least, "Day N The Life 2005" a remix by DJ Irene (complete with a sample from Todd Terry's 1988 " A Day in the Life"). With twenty-two tracks in the two-disc set, there is a lot to offer the trance lovers out there.
With a slew of gear, DJ Irene "Live" is recorded with some of the best DJ and recording gear around. From the Allen & Heath's Xone 464 mixer to the Nova microphones providing the crowd's reactions, the goal is set at high quality sound. Utilizing Steinberg's Cubase SX 3.0 to full effect, the clarity of sound is unreal. This recording is vastly different from other live recordings as the use of a four track recorder was used to capture the main music, along with a pair of microphones to record the crowd, and one for DJ Irene and the MC. This clearly shows that DJ Irene has taken care to make sure you get the experience of one of her live DJ Sets.
This two CD set brings you along for the musical ride that DJ Irene is known for. It's like riding shotgun inside an eighteen wheeler with DJ Irene driving and a full-on club system in the trailer. I find the overall music and style of DJ Irene "Live" to be energetic and fulfilling. With the bass on full blast, you will understand why her fans love her and why they always come back for another sonic showcase with Irene as the conductor. There is something else distinct that she shares with you during her set. It's the world of DJ Irene, one that shows her persona, via her record selection and remixes. This CD would be in its place either at home on your iPod or in your car.
