Customer Reviews

The Dungeonmaster's Guide

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read some of the other reviews here, and I've noticed quite a few made the comment that they are either new to D&B or to electronic music in general. So this review comes from a Drum & Bass Head, lets establish that right from the start.

I've followed Dieselboy pretty much from the start, and have been incredibly impressed with the mixing skills he's developed. Previously I would have to say System Upgrade was my personal favourite album of his, but thats all changed now!

This venture is relatively darker than his other projects to date, but is incredibly seamless in incorporating the storyline with the music. It feels like he's been doing this more years than in reality.

What I find incredibly refreshing is his nod to the "old" (remixing some BT, Sasha, Usual Suspects and even a Tiesto track), as well as a very subtle doff of the cap to the "new" - serving up a brilliant Concord Dawn remix. I'm a huge fan of Concord Dawn (check them out as well), so its nice to see a relatively "big name" US DJ use a track by a couple of Kiwis.

This reviewer gives the CD 5 out of 5 - a not to be missed album for both the hardcore D&B fan and budding fan alike - although for the later be warned the album really cranks, so be ready to drop everything and pound out some moves in the office/lounge/car!

dieselboy fans will be proud to hear this double-cd set. "the dungeonmaster's guide" is the high point of dieselboy's creative prowress to date, his mixing skills and lyrical powers in peak form and shining.

the mix:

first of all, what a cool inspiration for dieselboy to harken back to something he loved as a kid - Dungeons & Dragons - and reenvision it through drum 'n' bass. dieselboy getting Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime of The Transformers cartoon, to narrate his fantasy script was a stroke of genius. the atmosphere of fantasy is captivating. (do we need an escape like this in these trying, harrowing times or what?)

also, dieselboy built on the "remix extravaganza" idea he had for his last mix CD, "projectHUMAN" (commissioning American producers to remix UK dnb classics, and UK and other producers to remix American tracks).

this time, he outdoes that by crossing genres - he gets some of the illest voices in dnb to remix some of the biggest voices outside of dnb - Sasha, Tiesto, Josh Wink and BT.

the mix begins with Peter Cullen authoritatively setting the stage for the dynamic imaginative adventure ahead, which kicks off with Cartridge's mini sci-fi epic "End of the World," goes deeper with Break's "Accelerate" and Kaos + Karl K + Jae Kennedy's "Soul on Fire."

Basic Operations' "White" signals that the trip has taken a scary turn, and when you're in the grip of Tech Itch's diabolical "The Hand," you realize it's too late, you're out of your depth, you're, happily, a goner.

Raiden's "Infection" (E-Sassin Remix) is an industrial stormer that reorients you to the different dimension you inhabit now, which segues into Sasha's "Immortal" (Kaos + Karl K Remix), a peak track, followed by another wicked peak track, Wink's "Evil Acid" (Gridlock Remix).

Teebee + Calyx's "Follow the Leader" draws you out of that danger, but then leads you into even darker, murkier terrain, BT's "Knowledge of Self" (Evol Intent Remix), which, if you make it out alive, hurls you into Dub Faction's "Flightpath."

Usual Suspects' "Doorway" (Gridlok & Echo Remix) grabs you by the neck and drops you into the violent whirlpool of Dom + Kemal's "Moulin Rouge" remixed by Dieselboy + Kaos + Karl K ... which propels you into the spell of the Sirens call of Tiesto's "Flight 643" remixed by Paul B + Subwave.

the mesmerization continues through Concord Dawn's "Take Me Away" (Ill Skillz Remix), then sucks you into the chunky metal vortex of Decorum's "Contrax" (Weapon Remix) - HEAVY! ROCK! ...

and then, completely spent, you find yourself, with a sense of relief, perhaps, gliding into the sweetness and light of Dumonde's "Human" (Ill Skillz Remix), and you can almost hear a young boy's voice call out "Look, mates, we've made it! See the castle ahead?"

what an adventure. it's like experiencing a Spielberg or Lucas fantasy flick. :)

the second cd is a showcase of tunes by HUMAN artists, presented with a brief cool sci-fi intro by dieselboy.

although this is an authentic underground masterpiece, i believe "The Dungeonmaster's Guide" is going to secure Dieselboy a place in the firmament of fine arts. conceptually, lyrically and technically brilliant, it's as good as it gets. he's done something really special here that will make the world aware of the addictive beauty and power of drum 'n' bass in a fresh new exhilarating way.

good for what ails you!

enjoy!

sincerely,
mary :)

First, about the limited edition:

I was a little disappointed, but this seems to differ from the normal edition only in the packaging. I haven't directly compared both editions, but the number of discs and tracks are the same. The box is nice, thick, textured cardboard, and includes a sticker (the CDs are in cardboard sleeves and what I assume is the standard booklet is also included). I'm not sure I'd have bought it, knowing it didn't include anything extra (even a CD3 w/ a couple videos would've made me feel better about getting it). But maybe you should get it if you go for that stuff, or especially if you want to support Dieselboy.


...and now onto the content:

Anyhow, I'm still going to give this 5 stars, because it's fast and hard, and it has some tracks (towards the end of disc 1) that I now consider among my dnb and jungle favorites.

Having recently become a fan of the Drum 'n Bass genre, I have been listening to Dieselboy non-stop. I preached my hate for this genre for so many years, but there is something so captivating and addicting about dsl's music. First, I purchased a few of Dieselboy's earlier albums, after listening to them on my friend's stereo. I would say that there is no way to compare them to each other. Each is equally amazing, and designed to have a distinctive theme. I think they are all great. If you are looking to get into Dieselboy, then you should definetely buy the Dungeonmaster's guide. If you want the whole album to revolve around D&D, then dont bother, it's not for you. The addition of Optimus Prime narrating the literal "Dungeonmaster's Guide" is key. You get your moneys worth with the double disk collection, and the amazingly designed CD cover. It's worth spending the money just to be able to stare at the amazing art!

hands down the best of drum and bass so far. i personally didnt flip over any of dieselboys other stuff, cuz lots of djs were comin out with stuff like it. thats the way the scene is. its like fashion sorta. but this new installment is totally mind ripping. im a fan of complete packages. right from square one, you look at the cover and you see darkness, this is gonna be a journey through fantasy and nightmares. put the cd in the changer. cue up the prologue and listen as a voice (jack palance? lol!) describes the experience you are about to embark on, then brace yourself as the first track rolls in. from here dieselboy takes you up and down the ladders of your sanity. tracks range from pretty (dumonde) to infectious to badass (sasha track remixed is totally ill!) the track selection is great, it shows a much wider variety of song writing styles. thats another thing.... the songs have real composition, liek a classical compoistion, going from point a-z. not your typical pop song stutcture which much electronica has suffered from for so long. this is a breath of fresh air, though some of these tracks are clearly made to take paint off the walls and bend metal. it is a very enjoysable experience and if you sit and listen youcan practically imagine being in the world that this music creates, a dark fantastical world where everything is possible.

Dieselboy's mixing, as well as producing skills(as evidenced on Project Human) are, quite simply, way ahead of his time. I purchased the Sixth Session years back and was completely astonished. It was, in my opinion, the best drum n' bass mix of all time. Damian's last work, Project Human, was incredible, but I feel the added disc of original tunes actually overshadowed the mixed CD. With The Dungeonmaster's Guide, Dieselboy has firmly established himself as THE best in the business. He is light years ahead of anyone else in the genre and totally untouchable on so many levels right now. The packaging and theme of the CD are completely original and really showcase a tremendous level of showmanship and a great sense of "setting the tone" for what you are about to hear. The mix begins with "End of the World", created by Cartridge. The complexity of the snares rival Aphex Twin, but when the bass drops, it adds a completely new element of rhythm that Twin lacks (on purpose, mind you). The mix starts off relatively gentle, and then begins to erupt before cleverly dying back down. The mixing is flawless, especially the tradeoff from Tech Itch to Raiden (tracks 6-7)....masterful. The attached unmixed CD featuring mainly tracks from Kaos, Karl K, and Kennedy is mindblowing. I cannot wait to hear more tunes from these cats. This album is the best d'n'b to come along in quite awhile, save for Bad Company (curiously absent from this CD). If you are a DJ(you can purchase the tracks on vinyl off the System website)this is essential music for your collection. Mixing these tracks up is about the most fun you can have with 2 turntables. If you are a fan of the genre, it is essential...and if you aren't, it is a mind-opening experience to an amazing, underrated brand of music. Dieselboy is at the top of his game.

well... i signed up at amazon here only to write a review for this incredible CD. I can safely say that this is one of the most enjoyable mix CDs that i own in my collection. I have many influences from House to Trance and all sorts of Drum n Bass. Out of these genres however Dieselboy is by far the best to pull it off.

In my DnB collection i have ak1200, dieselboy, dj dara and many others, but this one stands out SO much better than the others.

Its impeccable mixing and track selection are enough to take you on a higher journey. Its theme of Dragons and Dungeons just makes it even better just like i would be travelling to the medieval age and spin DnB.

This mix starts off setting the stage with a voice-over taking you back to the age of fantasy. It starts of deep within the first couple tracks with highlights like "soul on fire" and "the hand". It brings out some acid house remixed into Dnb from house favorites sasha and josh wink. the next couple tracks deepen even more up until moulon rouge which sets the stage for "flight 643" and "take me away". These two tracks right after one another are enough to take you to euphoria and back. The mix ends gently with "human" with your head in shambles with what you just experienced.

This mix is top notch compared to all my Dnb albums... my favorite BY FAR

BUY IT NOW!!!

-ryan

This album is great. I have all of Dieselboy's other albums and I have to say that this one ranks right beside The 6ixth Session and projectHUMAN for me. For those who have reviewed this with a bit of disappointment and disapproval; guys, you need to come to terms with the fact that Drum & Bass is changing. The music is evolving and there nothing to stop that. The next logical step is for us to accept this and adapt to it. Dieselboy isn't what he used to be because now he seems to be better at what he does best. Go Dieseboy!!

I definetly recommend this album.

Well, I've been getting into electronic music lately, and seeing as I've been making more and more of it on my computer I figured I should own a few albums from an electronic genre. So, I browsed through the local Borders and found this CD. The packaging totally caught my eye, and I quickly scanned it to listen to it before I bought it.

This being my first DNB cd, I'd have to say that, as a newbie, the sounds on this album kick total ass. The beats are great and the way the bass plays into it is just great.

Too bad I had to pay nearly 20 bucks for it there, instead of getting it for around 10 on Amazon... Oh well, it was worth it. Highly reccomended to anyone who is just getting into this kind of music.

I remember vividly the day I found out Dieselboy was blessing the world with a new mix. I'd managed to not die in Iraq that day and decided to treat myself with a little e-mailing time in my battalion's computer area. I received a message from my friend Mike. He'd been giving me some wonderful production tips for crafting my own dark d'n'b. In the message, he'd informed me that he and the rest of the Evol Intent crew were gracing the next DSL mix. Now, DSL'S fine cutthroat mixing and fluid motion on the decks has always kept me hankering for more, but the fact that my friends were able to contribute two brutal cuts to the album was phenomenal!. And that's the beauty of a Dieselboy album: DSL manages to give shoutouts to awesome producers by spinning their tracks while putting his signature style to the complete work! With "The Dugeonmaster's Guide", Dieselboy sits firmly in the limelight as a top-notch mixologist while turning a spotlight to many talented producers. This album's not leaving my cd player anytime soon!