Customer Reviews

Tronic Treatment

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

 

 

In a time when so many dj mixes are made on computers, rather than showcasing the dj's talent on actual turntables, it was really nice to hear a true dj mix. This was mixed live on 3 turntables, and the occasional beat juggling and scratching proves this man has talent. It's a pumping, high energy tech-house mix where the dj lets the tunes ride. The reason that there are so many tracks is not because he only plays one minute of each song (Bad Boy Bill, Richard Humpty Vission), but because he lets the tunes ride. There's almost always two songs going at once. If you're looking for techno or tech house, this is the mix for you.

Two chaps named Carl Cox and Richie Hawtin vouch for Christian Smith's DJ prowess on the album sleeves. Not unwarranted, seeing as most are likely to associate Smith with his thirty-plus records popping up in the widest array of mixes ("Move!" with John Selway foremost to mind and included here).

Twenty eight tracks of house-flared techno in seventy- three minutes reads like a recipe for disaster, all hacked up hooks with little continuity; there's plenty floating around from lesser hands to prove the point. Not the case on Tronic Treatment, as each record, stripped of flab, forms one seamless, relentless ride. At this pace the cuts become DJ tools for Smith to balance over three decks, sequencing and skill proving as important as the cuts themselves. Though the bpm's rarely waiver, pieces like "Falling" with flat bass, and "Agent Wood" with an actual breakdown, serve as breathers, while slick overlapping ("United Groove" with ""Road to Rio") and straight-up muscle ("EP2", "The Dubs") punches the needle even higher.

Whip in tricks and tweaks, varied percussion ("Compound") with just enough vocals, and a sense for infectious energy, and you get a complete set commanding attention. Certainly up for you if you're up for it.

Take a look at "SOMEGUY'S" other reviews, and you'll probably laugh at his taste in 'music' - THIS REVIEWER IS A TOTAL TOOL!

Anyway, this is C. Smiths first DJ Mix Offering, and it rocks pretty well (from a roots Detroit / N.Y. Techno point of view).

Plenty of banging tracks by top name producers like Gaetano Parisio (as well as C. Smith and his mate J. Selway).

NOTE:

THIS IS A VERY RHYTHMIC AND BEAT DRIVEN MIX COMPLEMENTED BY SUBTLE BUT HYPNOTIC SYNTHS & ATMOSPHERICS.

IF YOU ARE EXPECTING THE EXTRODINARILY SYMPHONIC (i.e. Rob Dougan, Juno Reactor) OR THE BLISSFULLY MELODIC (i.e. Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk) DO NOT PURCHASE THIS MIX.

HOWEVER ... For those who do dig the styles of Carl Cox, Sven Vath, Plasticman, or even Kraftwerk - YOU SHOULD AT LEAST GIVE THIS CD AN HONEST LISTEN BEFORE BUYING.

Perfectly put, this mix is perfect for those who have been into the electronic genre since the illegal rave scenes of the 1990's.

Would have killed to hear a mix like this back then!

In my opinion this cd is terrible. Too much repetition drives anyone crazy. I was looking for some good techno/trance/dance and just by listening to the short samples this sounded good. Unfortunately its nothing like I thought it would be. Might be good for an alarm clock since it would get so annoying one would have to get up to turn it off

Christian Smith has some interesting moments going on in this CD. He features tribal house in this mix that's like a bellcurve: it slowly builds to a very funky intense vibe and then lets you down. After his skillful crescendo, Smith lets you down too much too soon and he stumbles noticeably on some of the mixes in the later part of the CD. Nonetheless, the CD is worth a listen if not for Smith's selection of Track 15 "Remanipulator" by Ben Sims. Buy it for your next house party.

Dance music such as this is tonic for the grooviliciously inclined! Christian Smith, hailed by such luminaries as Richie Hawtin and Carl Cox as the next big techno DJ- lays out an ensemble of dancefloor shakers that gets to your body in no time. Smith's mix is complex and layered, with interesting variations from juicy pads, pumping tech-house, electro flavored techno, and even some tribal-techy-housey grooves. The real gem of the mix is Michel De Hey vs Grooveyard's Compound, a dancefloor filler that is so infectiously groovy, that its going to make me shake that [booty]for years to come.
High recommends!

something needs to be said of christian smith's talent. his original works (mostly collaborations with john selway) have been popular with the best djs for years now (think of how many compilations 'move' was on). carl cox, sasha, dave ralph, and anthony pappa all include smith's tracks on their cds. on this disc, smith proves his talent behind the turntables, ripping through 28 tracks. this is nothing like one of those humpty vision/dj irene hard house mixes that bang though 30+ songs. smith layers his tracks, holding mixes for extended periods of time. tronic treatment flows smoothly through some of the best techno and tribal house. some may find his music to be repetative, but those who know good techno can feel the hypnotic rhythms within the beats. this is yet another great release from moonshine. hopefully we'll see a 'mixed live' installment (the moonshine cd series) from christian smith in the future, 'cause his club sets are intense. if you want to hear some of the best mixing out there, pick this cd up, or see the man live.

Dag man. This guys wild. He kicks it hard on the funky techno tip... For those of you who don't know, this man is the most underated scoundrel in dance music today. He starts things off more on the housey side, a style kind of like the new Darren Emerson Singapore mix, but midway through he starts blowing the doors off with outrageous Swedish techno. He's from Sweden....but I AIN'T. I usually hate Swedish musicians but this guy ain't half bad. He brings the rukus on the dance scene with a fork.....AND a spoon. Y'all know what I mean. Punch me in the chest! Ahhhhhhhhh, MOONSHINE IS THE BOMB!!!!!!! This label keeps puttin out sucka-free comps from all the candy deejays on the scene. Lean green spinning machines they are...What? Did you say something about my Moms? Nah, I know that's just the TRONIC TREATMENT pummeling my ears. Whoooooooop! Whooopp! BUY IT, it's the bizzie on the stizzie.

If the reviewer below me would pick up their CD case and read the inside of the jewel cover they would know that the set was recorded live in Melbourne Australia on three decks. This set is an honest look at Christian's style of fusing uptempo tribal and techno. It gets pretty fast towards the end, whipping out familiar staple tracks such as 'Move'. Just a warning, you may get a speeding ticket if this is in your automobile player. Enjoy...

Alright, I want to start off by giving a little bit of an "Electronica" lesson. It has become all to common to hear people refer to "Electronica" as "Techno". STOP!!This CD, by Christian Smith, is true "Techno"! Everything else has it's own title (Trance, House, Booty House, Hard House, Hard Trance, Happy Hardcore, Tech-Trance, Chill-out, Gabber, and so on and so forth). Anyway, this is a very good look at what "Techno" has become. . .hard, heavy, uplifting, fast, and beautiful! Although this CD may be too much for some people to handle, it is still definitly underground material! Even though I'm not too fly on using three decks (that extra deck just opens most DJ up to many, many flaws and train-wrecks), Christian manipulated them perfectly! What it all comes down to is, if 'ya wanna' dance. . .now's the time!!