Classic & Rare #3

COLL: Classic & Rare
Label: F Communications

This is one of the best, most diverse, electronic music compilations I’ve ever heard. These 2 CDs represent rare & older material from the French electronica label founded by techno legend Laurent Garnier. The eclectic mix includes: downtempo, house, world-beat, pop, synth-pop/new-wave, electro, retro-tech, acid-jazz, even all-out techno.

CD 1: Downtempo, electro, house/disco, synth-wave, retro-tech. Mixed by Jori Hulkonnen. Try: 3,4,6,7,10,11.
1. Moody downtempo, space-y effects, breathy vocals.
2. Slow, dramatic male singing, abstract electronic space-y effects
3. Breathy fem. Vocals, swirly synths, retro-electro sounds, cool!
4. So good! Bumpin’ beat/bassline, nasty & catchy electro-funk buzz effects
5. R&B vocals & a funky disco-y bassline, drops into acid-y loops
6. Deep house, big bassline, soulful vocal breakdowns
7. Latin-y disco groove w/ a cool spaced-out synth effect
8. Space-y synths, mellow house beats, a bit trance-y
9. A retro-techno sound, robo-vocals & mechanized synth loops
10. Big synth intro, leads into twisted breakbeats (hard!)
11. A gentle ambient/downtempo track, pretty piano (think Carl Craig)

CD 2: House, synth-wave, trip-hop/pop, and all-out techno. Mixed by Laurent Garnier himself. I liked all of it, but especially 2,4,5. And I loved 8,9,10 but these are strictly for the hard-core.

1. A pretty, jazzy, mellow house-y track.
2. Tweaky ambient electronics mixed w/ furious African percussion. Intense.
3. Space-y new-wave-ish synths, fem. Vocals, house-y beat, cool percussion.
4. Retro-tech – cool electro effects & synth breakdowns
5. So new wave, and yet so cool! Big buildups & echo-y female vox.
6. Sugary trip-hop, breathy vocals, think Portishead lite.
7. House-y disco washed in synthesizers. Lite & airy.
8. Techno! Fast beats & tweaky effects, big synth breakdown.
9. SO HARD! Thick brutal beats, percussive layers, killer kick – Laurent Garnier is famous for this kind of sick beat.
10. Machine-gun percussion – battering away. Tech-y & intense.