Innovator [Box set]

Derrick May | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Number of Discs: 5
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Transmat
• ASIN: B001OCQLKG
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,062,598 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

A1 Strings Of The Strings Of Life A2 Another Kaos Beyond Kaos B1 Freestyle B2 A Rest / Beyond Kaos B3 The Dance C1 Spaced Out C2 Daymares, It Is What It Is C3 Some More Spaced Out D1 Beyond The Dance (The Cult Mix) D2 Feel Surreal Ends The Feel Surreal D3 R-Theme Written By - Darryl Wynn E1 Emanon Begins Written By - Scott Rutgher E2 Sinister E3 The End F1 To Be Or Not To Be F2 Icon (Montage Mix) F3 Phantom G1 Kaotic Harmony Written By - Carl Craig G2 Phantom Lurks G3 Salsa Life H1 Nude Photo Written By - Thomas Barnett H2 The Beginning I1 A Relic Long Ago I2 Drama I3 Emanon Ends Written By - Scott Rutgher I4 Winter On The Blvd Written By - Michael James J1 Strings Of Life Written By - Michael James J2 Dreams Of Dreamers J3 Wiggin (Juan's Mix)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly Essential!, October 20, 2000

By 

Neil Simpson (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Innovator (Audio CD)

This is the techno equivalent of the gettysburg address ... it contains a number of tracks that came out in the late 80s that could be regarded as 'definitive classics' and were massive influences in the dance music genre.

Tracks like 'Strings of Life' and 'Nude Photo' came out in the late 80s and went on to have a massive impact on the early UK rave scene and on dance prodcuers from around the world. Acid House, Hardcore and Techno (and thus Drum&Bass, Trance and Big Beat offshoots) for example got a lot of early influences from May, who is regarded as one of the original pioneers of 'Techno' as it is known today.

Most of these tracks still contain more energy, passion and innovation than the mountains of drivel coming out of the dance scene today. Back when these were made it was not enough to put in a cheezy vocal + snare roll to get in the charts, you had to think a bit. There are some intermittent 'filler' pieces but as a whole this is outweighed by the quality.

If you are at all interested in dance music then you owe it to yourself to at least hear this album. At least when you read an article in a US magazine that says artist x invented techno in 1998 you'll know better.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful compilation, August 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Innovator (Audio CD)

I really enjoyed this double disc. May delivers a powerful dark sound with all of detroit's signiture noise. It's definitely worth what amazon is asking for it. I only gave it a four because the transitioning could use some work. If you are meaning to really get in touch with the sound of detroit, this disc is for you. But if you are looking for something poppy and trancy and girly, look elsewhere.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fillervator?, February 2, 2000

By 

DAC Crowell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Innovator (Audio CD)

It's very true that Derrick May, along with "Belleville Three" cohorts Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, was one of the people who both invented and defined techno. And it's true that his works have been of critical, crucial importance throughout the 80s and early 90s. But this release, while it contains a lot of important material, also contains a lot of filler, and as a result has a real unfocussed feel to it. Plus there are some rather glaring errors. Track titles are transposed in a few cases on disc 2, plus the first track of this disc has its audio totally hammered by being mastered out of phase, causing a really unpleasant sound on one of the more important tracks of the set. And how many mixes of 'Strings' do we really need, honestly? C'mon Derrick...enough of this, and put out a _real_ new release already!