Customer Reviews

System Upgrade

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, it seems Dieselboy can do no wrong. On this, his second mix CD on Moonshine, Dieselboy once again provides us with unrelenting, evil drum n bass madness. The mixing, as usual, is phenomenal - in fact, on the back of the CD, these is a disclaimer stating that the CD was NOT mixed with any computer software or any other aids, dispelling the mild controversy that "A Soldier's Story" was Pro-Tooled precision....anyway, "System Upgrade" is definitely an accurate representation of the current state of drum n bass, as all of the tracks are STILL current and fresh - a testimony to Dieselboy's penchant for selecting cutting edge tracks and obtaining lots of white labels and dubplates...Highlights include E-Sassin's "Symptom", which, as the title implies, is simply ILL. Squelching synth belches and queasy bass rumbles galore on this one. Pick it up if you want phenomenal, wonderfully mixed drum n bass, and definitely try to see Dieselboy spin live some time - he can get the crowd movin like no other!

deiselboy has been at the forefront of american drum and bass for a while now, and this cd is the proof. packed with dark, driving basslines and killer tech-step, i personally find this to be one of the top five drum and bass albums ever. Seamless mixing and fresh track selection show just why dieselboy is the U.S.'s authority on the ever-growing drum and bass scene. Being a sucker for minimalism and the dark side, i personally find the last 4 tracks to be the best, but the whole cd is the bomb. another brilliant testament to drum and bass...

As I said in my title, this album is IT. For me, this is one of my top five commercially-available d&b mixes of all time. What does it for me on this album is the progression, the energy, and the flow. In addition to picking out some very memorable tracks, just about every mix seems "logical," not that attitude of "Hey, listen to these two stormers I can mix." In other words, the mixes allow the tracks to complement each other, rather than just pile up drum parts and create white noise. The entire mix manages to maintain energy, and contains several "high points" that serve to really make the hair on the back of my neck stand up when I hear them, even for the millionth time or so. Finally, and possibly most importantly, the mix flows. By the end of the disc, the music is somewhere other than where it started. It progresses from front to back while still maintaining some common elements and loops throughout to give it unity. With all this said, however, just check it out. Seriously. Strap on a pair of good headphones, sit back, and it will all make sense...

This is his greatest work to date, that includes his latest release - "Project Human". Seriously, he even admits in the linear notes that this is the sound that he has been working to achieve all the way through his previous albums. And he hasn't been able to top this one since. All his albums are pure dope, but this album is a pure masterpiece!

And YET AGAIN, the last year of upfront drum n bass has been perfectly captured, programmed and mixed by Dieselboy. If you're looking for one of the best jungle mixes available today (next to his last release - Soldier's Story) then definitely pick this one up. Summer is coming, and this one won't be leaving my car :)

...matter of fact, if you only buy one tech-step cd in your entire life then make it this one. Dieselboy's "The 6ixth Session" comes behind this one as 2nd, it may be a double cd and may be darker, but System Upgrade is pound for pound Dieselboy's best/most solid mix album, I pop it in the cd player and let it flow all the way through start to finish, you can't go wrong with a set like that.

If only one cd could single-handedly represent and define the genre of Tech-Step D&B, then System Upgrade is the answer. Buy now!

Dieselboy really did a top notch job in track selecting for this cd. I thought his last one, A Soldier's Story was good; this cd is marvelous! Some highlights of it are Dom+Roland's Can't Punish Me, Tech Itch's Deadline, and Bad Company's Sentient....in short, BUY THIS CD!

Dieselboy has been a steady artist that we have always been able to rely on for pumping out some pounding and crazy jungle. This cd is much like all of his other ones and is very typical of him. It can definitely be considered to add to the collection but if you are looking for something new than this is not it.

After a brief introduction from airy chords and a Ghost in the Shell sample, Dieselboy lays it down hard. If Ed Rush and Optical's mix of Mindscan doesn't set the attitude for a blistering beatdown of drums, I don't know what does. The mix does not disappoint, with Dieselboy's signature sound refined even further.

For those who found that A Soldier's Story lacked a little bass, fear not, you can happily terrorize a neighborhood with this one.

Notable highlights would have to be the Side Effects remix, Jonny L's selecta, Facs & B-Key's Antics (which has a similar feel to Vertigo's Drained from Soldier's Story), and Decoder's Road Rage.

A solid stormer, with positively huge sound.

Jeez. This is something guaranteed to scare your folks/friends/neighbors. Ram Trilogy's Mindscan sets the mood for dark deep bass and scattered beats. Order in chaos. You don't even know what hits you as soon as that bass starts picking up seconds as the second track starts playing. The rest of the disk sends you all over the place, every bass drum hit knocking your brain further into submission. Check it out it's totally twisted. Look for Dom & Roland's Can't Punish me, Dieselboy's Descent (remixed by decoder), Jonny L's Selecta, and Decoder's Dumb.