Customer Reviews

Stark Raving Mad

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This cd has some tasty numbers from previous Digweed compilations, new stuff and some original music from Digweed and Muir. All of the tracks are oustanding especially Evolution's "walking on fire" and "beautiful strange" by Digweed and Muir. Tracks such as Pako and Fredrick's "purple zone" and Luke Fair's "white island" are a couple of great progressive peak time floor stompers along with many others. The drum & bass piece "a better place" by Dj Tasmin & Monk is a pleasant surprise on this disc, amazing.

The vibe of the cd is a little trippy (partly due to rave related samples from the movie) with tons of energy. However, the cd doesn't "flow" well at times. Which is half of the reason I give it 4 stars the other half is because a couple of the tracks were already big hits on other compilations. I do realize this is the score to "Stark Raving Mad" and not one of Digweed's typical mixed cd's but the vibe has some unexpected shifts in it. For instance, the transition from Voyager's "time travel" to "apollo vibe" by Pole folder & Cp (both tracks are from previous releases) just doesn't feel quite right. It's like falling off a cliff rather than sliding down the peak of a hill.

All in all its a listenable/danceable cd and a solid movie score debut for Digweed. Fans will not be disappointed. In my opinion it's better than Oakenfold's Swordfish soundtrack.

*note* The track "strapped" by White room which kicks off the second song on cd 2(from Digweed's LA set) is on the cd but there is no idication of it.

It's doubtful passionate but exceedingly polite British DJ John Digweed would ever be seen stark raving mad, so it helps to understand this is the soundtrack for the aforementioned film, about a group of young crooks throwing a rave as distraction to the heist they're pulling on the bank next door. As such, this blends incidental music composed by Digweed and production partner Nick Muir (the two form production team Bedrock) with a heaping-size portion of Bedrock-label tunes from the past three years, working effectively as both movie score and DJ set. Film dialogue segues several songs.

The six original pieces stay short and to the formula of gussied up drum numbers; capable efforts from a team who've listened to thousands of records in their lifetimes. These effectively convey a tense, nervous energy suited to the film, with "Slingshot's" rapid-fire breaks and uneasy synth notes, and the raspy metallic beats of darker "Mandrian" the best of the lot.

Elsewhere, SRM plays like a Bedrock's Familiar Hits package, filled with tunes proven in dance clubs worldwide: Moonface "Children of the Sun" restores a euphoric anthem to prominence, a captivating blend of Indian instrumentation and propulsive tech-beats. Tone Depth's "Rumble Fish" is by all accounts an end of the night classic, a sparse yet powerful kick drum tune with mesmerizing melody and wordless vocals. Lesser know tracks ably perform, from needle rubbing synth wig-out Nuddles "Locked On" to Lemon8's slick programmed "Lose Control" filled with secretive whispers.

Though far from the rave music the film hints this to be - there's a sense of repressed energy throughout these two discs which never fully releases - Stark Raving Mad manages to juggle the needs of movie fan listeners and dedicated dancehall crowd.

John Digweed is a well known English DJ who has released the indispensible Renaissance recordings as well as the Northern Exposure series. Now master Diggers has released a mix of classic dance tunes with a couple of new releases. In general, this is a strong offering including the must have Apollo Vibes and a truly remarkable drum and bass tune at the end of disc 2. However, as this is a soundtrack to a movie, these discs lack the flow of the usual Digweed comp. Another problem is the chatter in between tracks is somewhat annoying. This is overcome by the fact that the track selection for the most part is excellent. As a Digweed fan I thoroughly enjoy this mix and would recommend this with the above caveats. Happy listening!!

Overall this was a good cd. Some good old stuff and new stuff put together. However, I want to point out the complaints that it was not mixed well. This cd was not intended to be mixed because it is the soundtrack of the movie Stark Raving Mad starting Seann William Scott. That's why there is not any mixing or even programming for that matter. Please review it for what it is - a soundtrack. Don't even compare it to his other mixed cds.

I bought the album the night it came out and was befuddled to discover it was the soundtrack for a film that Diggers had scored. Not only are the tracks his chunkiest and best from the past few years, but there were some FANTASTIC new mixes such as Apollo Vibe as well as some great mood pieces like Gregory and Statue.

Needless to say, I was anxious to see the film, but I watched and watched and watched. I searched the internet for this mystery film and finally I just bought a copy of the movie off EBAY, and let me just say this... Digweed's music is made even better by this thumpin' heist film. It makes Swordfish look like the piece of studio garbage it is. Digweed's soundtrack to Stark has a realistic club environment sound and the tracks are all mixed on the DVD in Dolby 5.1 so you can put the sound through the roof while listening to the film. I know the movie was released to great acceptance to European audiences who loved it, but it still has not come to theaters in the United States. At any rate, let me just say that this movie is the visual equivalent of a club night with Digweed. Digweed chose some kickin' directors to make his debut and kudos to our shy prince of beats for helping make Stark Raving Mad the best indie film since E Tu Mama Tambien and Groove. Also kudos to directors Drew Daywalt and David Schneider for finally exploiting this great music in a film the way that no one has done yet.

All in all, five stars out of five on the soundtrack and five out of five on an awesome film.

Do you ever get this feeling, wondering if time is slowly suffocating you in a frenzy of pulsating fury , surely this cd will trigger just that...with a superb track selection, catchy unreleased movie quotes, and the sort of unique uplifting sensation digweed provides us. You will find yourself quoting movie clips never released, the anticipation is almost unbearable. Splendid release leaving you gasping for air.

This Album is very good but there is something about it that makes it special or different then other of John's albums. It has some very good tracks some from is bedrock albums. I think what makes this kind of different is because it has to deal with the movie. Both discs are about the same but I think that most people will be listening to the second disc more than the first because it has better groves. I personally like the second disc because of the last few tracks and especially the last drum'n'bass track called "A Better Place". I have other works of Digweed and Muir and this one so far is one of there best. But I think that they should have got rid of the vocals in some tracks. I think the reason why this album was not rated high by other costumers is because they expected a lot from Digweed, because I did before I bought this album. After hearing Hong Kong and Bedrock I would think this album would be amazing and it is, is just takes some time.

the perfect background accompaniment to any movie you care to imagine....there is a deep,dream-like etherial quaility here...sorta the essence of trance encapsulated...gentle and lyrical at times,dark, relentless, disturbingly intense at others..this collection was a sleeper...i had heard almost nothing about it except here on amazon...i heartily agree with the other positive reviews this is stellar Digweed/Muir in top form...truth or dare? maybe both?....just close your eyes,crank it up and make up your own film if you can't find the original.i think i liked it better than Los Angeles...well,as much anyway.'nuff said. buy it.

CD1: 5 stars
CD2: 4 stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Stark Raving Mad is one of those CDs that will sit in your collection and one day you put it back into the changer and bam! It hits you! The first CD is so well done and put together. It has a smooth feel to it and the random quotes add flavor to the mix. The tracks are seamless in transitions and the entire album may pass you by with out you even realizing it. This CD is one of those rare gems most people look over. CD1 is my favorite in overall composition, but CD2 has the most memorable track selections. For some reason Time Travel reminds me of "When Mars Attacks." It has a cheesy and catchy beat that will get stuck in your head. A Better Place has an awesome Drum and Bass bit that makes it stand out in both CDs.

Wow, I didn't even read the reviews for this CD before I bought it, so I had no idea that it was going to be a "soundtrack" for a movie. So of course I was expecting sound changes, a various set of sounds to fit the mood of previous Northern Exposures CDs.
But no, it was nothing of the such, But in either case it's a great CD. It should be perfect for playing Counter Strike with.
There are some unbalenced changes in the tracks but I felt that shouldn't go against my rating.
The CD is good and all I can say is, where's the movie?
I'm not quite sure how to explain the feeling from each CD, but like most people have said, Disc2 is the better pick. Only because it's more of a faster dance beat for clubbing. Disc1 just gets you started.