Customer Reviews

Urbal Beats: Definitive Guide To Electronic Music

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First let me say this - The artists and tracks that Urb magazine has pulled together on this compilation are definitely good music. But I would not call this a definitive guide to electronic music. There are definitely other bands that put out good electronic music at the time. But I guess you can only fit so much good music on an 80 minute CD (76:43 to be exact). That being said, let me give a short run down of the awesome tracks on this CD:
1. The Prodigy - Poison: gets better with age - Prodigy is definitely an essential - powerful lead in track for this CD
2. DJ Icey - Big Ditch: Icey is nice and dicey on this track
3. The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin Beats: might have been played one too many times but it rocks every time you here it
4. Future Sound of London - We Have Explosive: the original is a good track and this remix is even better
5. Rabbit in the Moon - O.B.E.: This is how down tempo is done
6. Wink - Higher State of Consciousness: I would call it the anthem of acid funk - my favorite track
7. Keoki - Caterpillar: the driving beat and guitar sounds make it worth listening to twice
8. Underworld - Born Slippery: a sticky tune with a beat that makes you move to the music
9. CJ Bolland - Sugar is Sweeter: a very surprising track with some nice lyrics
10. Orbital - The Saint: shows the best side of Orbital with airy flute sounds and a nice bass line
11. The Orb - Toxygene: the comeback of the orb - a good ambient dub
12. Goldie - Inner City Life: good ambience - nice vocals
13. Reprazent - Share The Fall: the airy flute at the beginning leads to a good beat
14. Portishead - Sour Times: another good ambient dub
15. Everything But The Girl - Before Today: the best vocals on the CD with a hint of drum and bass
16. Crystal Method - Busy Child: one of the most played by the crystal method, but makes for a good driving last track

Hope this helps in making your choice to add this CD to your electronic collection. Now that I own Urbal Beats Vol. 1, 2, & 3, I can say that Vol. 1 is probably the best.

Obviously these 16 songs aren't all you need to know about electronica. I could think of another 16 right off the top of my head. BUT, this all good, and one of the better collections to come out of 1997. You got your big names like "Chemical Brothers", "Prodigy", and "Crystal Method", along side some more unknowns which is nice. Three of my favorites are the tracks by "DJ Keoki", "Underworld", and "CJ Bolland". All are excellent. I could have dropped a few of these myself, but I'll let you decide which ones. Though no compilation is gonna be perfect, I would say this is almost there. By not having it, you might find yourself in "Sour Times".

finally a decent commercialized comp of techno. not near the quality of into the mix or digital empire, or any oakenfolds for that matter but decent, there are too many overrated artists on here though, like keoki for example or wink, im sorry people but i find josh wink annoying as hell, but the rabbit in the moon song totally blows me away

This CD was awesome! I dance in a ballet company and we did a concert of contemporary ballets to three songs on the Urbal Beats CD and it was incredible. If you don't own this CD yet, please buy it now. You won't regret it!

There are some really classic techno songs here, but my favorite (which is now one of my favorite songs of all time) is this version of Rabbit In The Moon's 'O.B.E'. It samples Precious Things by Tori Amos and creates this awesome, dark orchestration. My words can't describe it. It's just an awesome song. I'd almost recommend this CD just for this song.

This is one of my personal fave CDs. Although I can't say that all the tracks are great hits in my book, they mostly are. With there own individual styles for every track it feels as if each one has a uniqueness that many people will find there favorites. Its worth having in any collection.

These tracks bring me back to high school. I remember when Prodigy, the Orb, and Underworld were all over the TV - now I don't even have cable. I saw Keoki on Broadway once and nearly wet my pants. Of course, I was 18. I love this album, but I'm completely irrational about it. Is it truly good? I dunno, but it was formative for me.

It was hard where I lived in 1997 to find certain artists and this albulm gave me a quick fix until I could locate certain artists whole albums in my area. What a trip down memory lane!

This CD, in the late 90's, was a critical implement to the American understanding of the movement taking place in Europe >outside< of the Ministry of Sound. For those of you that spent your collegiate summers studying various forms in Oxford, you'll have vague recollections of weekends spent in London's back-alley clubs that only the "natives" could navigate.

This CD is a definite must have for all fans of techno-- covering all the bases from early to modern trance and break beat, showcasing artists who had not yet broken into the mainstream (like Josh Wink and Roni Size) and uncovering lesser known sides to artists like Prodigy. It is an excellent expose of all the staple artists techno fans of all kinds should take a look at.... don't pass this one up!