Old Skool Masters Round 3 Review

Part three of this popular series sees regulars Ratpack return to provide the old skool anthems on CD one and Simon 'Bassline' Smith providing the Drum & Bass of the second CD.  The first thing you'll notice is the track listing for the Ratpack set.  Obviously there are a few of their normal anthems thrown in for good measure but the big surprise is the inclusion of nu skool remixes of Papua New Guinea (Hybrid Mix), Stakker Humanoid (Plump DJ's 2001 Re-touch) and Psychotropic's - Hypnosis (Lee Coombs & Drumattic Twins Remix).

The whole thing actually works together quite well although in typical ratpack fashion, some of the tunes are just stopped and then the next one started rather than being mixed which spoils the flow sometimes but over all the mixing is rather good.  Evenson Allens MCing also sounds a little 'separated' at times obviously a side effect of it being studio recorded rather than a 'live' event set and is full of enough 'oi oi's and 'now here we go again's to keep the ratpack fans happy.

Stand out tracks on CD one for me have to be the Hybrid Remix of Papua New Guinea which is just fantastic and the Ratpack mix of The Weakest Link which I know I'm going to get slated for liking.

Moving on to CD two now and the drum and bass mix supplied by the north / midlands finest, Simon 'Bassline' Smith.  Now this is dark stuff, full of mashed up amens and rumbling subbase but also a few piano highlights in the form of the original version of Gonna Be Alright by Cloud Nine and Give A Little Love by Nookie.  Some of the tunes on this CD I'd just plain forgotten about, so it was a great treat to hear DJ Crystl's - Meditation again.

All in all a great double CD with more than the normal anthems doing the rounds on other compilations at the moment.  See Track Listing.