Essential Selection 1

Various Artists - Dance & DJ - Electronica, Paul Oakenfold, Fatboy Slim | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sire / London/Rhino
• ASIN: B00004S7LD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,505 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #16 in Music > Dance & DJ > Big Beat
  • #52 in Music > Dance & DJ > Trance
  • #82 in Music > Dance & DJ > Trip-Hop

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Walter Wanderley - Summer Samba

2. Armand Van Helden - Necessary Evil

3. Alan Braxe - Vertigo (Virgo Edit)

4. Hardy Hard - Funky Music

5. Major Force - Return of the Original Art Form

6. Ceasefire V. Deadly Avenger - Evil Knievel

7. Art of Noise - Metaforce

8. Size 9 - I'm Ready

9. Fatboy Slim - Everybody Loves a Carnival

10. Fatboy Slim - Jack it Up (DJ Delite)

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Jaya - Precession (Subterranean EP)

2. Luzon - The Baguio Track

3. The Unknown - The Spirit

4. Mono Culture - Free (Extended Vocal Mix)

5. Perfect State - Perfect State (Original Mix)

6. Brainchild - Symmetry C (Lange Breakbeat Remix)

7. Skip Raider Featuring Jada - Another Day

8. Jan Johnston - Flesh (Tilt Mix)

9. Solar Stone - Seven Cities

10. Z2 - I Want You

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fatboy Slim and Paul Oakenfold, two of the most famous DJs in the world and kings of big beat and house, respectively, are supremely showcased in this double-CD collection. The Essential Selection, Vol. 1 glorifies each mixmaster's equal, yet mutually exclusive talents in roof raising. The back-to-back discs are an enlightening example of the yin and yang of club music; Fatboy Slim's grounded, drier, giddier expressions of overlapping funk and disco juxtapose Oakenfold's spatial, entrancing continuum supplemented with buzzing, flatulent bass lines, and celestial synths. Both DJs are experts in flow, building beats seamlessly into climactic moments of frenzied, adrenaline-fueled euphoria, then swinging the vibe down again with the subtlety and patience of a free-falling feather. No doubt Fatboy Slim is known for his deliberate lack of subtlety stylistically, but when placed in this context, immediately compared to Oakenfold's ethereal grooves, it's evident that Stormin' Norman possesses copious finesse. Because of their stylistic polarity, like platinum and gold, these DJs shine with matched but multihued brilliance, and like soil and sun, are indispensable components of a diverse dance music ecology. --Beth Massa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two genres, two discs, two different moods, September 28, 2002

By 

Mark Emanuel (St. Louis) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Selection 1 (Audio CD)

First of all, if you've never been exposed to electronic music, buy this double CD set. It is a rarity among dance mix compilations since it includes two popular but very different styles of dance mixed by two of the biggest DJs in the world. Almost all other dance mix sets contain one style exclusively, so this album is truly a 2-for-1 deal.
If you happen to be an electronica guru, this compilation may not whet your thirst for innovation. The first CD, Fatboy Slim's big beat mix, sounds dated, despite being fairly high energy. True, there are it's fine points, such as the few tracks in the middle of the mix that create an enjoyable climax, but as a whole the mix sounds old and worn. Unless you're a truly big Fatboy Slim fan, his mix probably will have you hitting the "skip" button on your CD player over and over again to escape the repetition of annoying beats.
As for the Oakenfold mix, it's the reason I gave the album 4 stars. Stand-alone, this CD is one of the best trance mixes to come out just before the trance genre began to flood with exhausted, overplayed, producer driven stagnation. Some critics have panned the Oakenfold mix claiming the song selection was second rate. I could not disagree more. Most of the songs are wonderful selections on their own right, utilizing pure emotion. The CD begins with a surrealistic soundbyte of a New York Thanksgiving day television weathercast, which quickly builds into an energetic hill with the likes of "The Spirit" and "Free". The 3 song climax is among the best I've ever heard, and one that can't be missed. Of note is Solarstone's "Seven Cities", which literally makes the listener feel as if he/she is truly on an emotional ride. The closing two songs on the mix are a wonderful cool-down, of note is "Viola" which is one of the best late night driving songs ever.
Overall I think it's a ...investment well worth the cost.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great mixing, but not the best, May 19, 2000

By 

albert andrade (LA, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Selection 1 (Audio CD)

For listeners who can appreciate a dj as an artist, this cd highlights the mixing skills of Oakenfold and Fatboy Slim. The two cd set offers up a choice in style and content. Trance is Oakenfolds' signature sound and he showcases his skills well in this mix. Although if you want to hear him at his best I suggest Global Underground:New York. Any cd you pick up from Oakenfold will definitley quench an electronica fans thirst. He's the master, I think, of build ups in tempo and what I like to call "ocean splash" sounds. Fat Boy has a much different style than Paul. Fat Boy is more in to the Big Beat sound and uses more recognizable tunes to please the listener. Chemical Bros.-Underworld-Groove Armada just to name a few. I saw him dj at the Hollywood Palladium and he had the heads going nuts. If you like this cd I would also suggest picking up FBS's first album:Better Living Through Chemistry.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a decent attempt, May 17, 2000

By 

Neil Wright (Richmond, Va) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Selection 1 (Audio CD)

The thing that inspired me to listen to this cd is the mere artists involved. Paul and Fatboy themselves rank among the best dj's in the business. However, after listening to the two cd's (one designated for Fatboy Slim; the second for Paul Oakenfold), one can clearly distinguish the two tastes. Don't get me wrong, the Fatboy mixes were not too bad, but Oakey does a marvelous job on his cd. I would much rather have the chance to purchase Disc 2 separately because simply put, Paul Oakenfold is a genious at what he does. Check this cd out if you're into Fatboy Slim, even though the tracks don't last long enough to build a tight beat of any sort. Definately check this cd out if you are an Oakenfold fan of any kind. This is worth having just because his talent graces the trance filled tracks of disc 2. 3 stars for me, but Oakenfold may just take it up to 4 or even 5 ...you be the judge.