Dj mixed compilations, what can i say. Mediocer dj's will release them in order to raise booking fees, labels fill the market with these discs to make a quick buck. Before long, an entire section of your favorite record store is filled with these. Most have one or two interesting songs, and a whole lotta filler. Usually every song will belong to a very specific genre of dance music. The actual mixing may be nonexistant, just bland songs blindly faded together. The end result is a disc that is worth less than the sum of its parts. Cheer up, this is not your average dj mixed compilation.

Solis Steel is a radio show run by Coldcut, Dj Food, and DK, broadcast in London. It is known for its eclectic taste. This mix is based on the show, with DJ Food and DK mixing up a diverse selection of old, and new. The diversity of dance music is hown with the wide variety of the selection. The disc includes songs you have heard before, like the conscious rap of "Come Clean" by Jeru the Demaja, and other obscure joints such as the brazillain flavor of Dominique Dalcan's "Ritmo 2". The mix is good also, combinig the songs together, no botched beats or missed levels. Some songs are mixed togeher so well that giving them different track numbers is impossible. This is seen as the second wave ska of "Mirror in the Bathroom" is placed on top of the Roni Size produced drum-n-bass of Mask's "Square Off". The variet keeps this disc from getting boring. "Alphabetic Aerobics" by Blackalicious changes tempo from 80 to 135 b.p.m. in less that two minutes. The sixties soundtrack music from Dave McCallum may sound familiar, along with "Assembly Line" by the Commodores, it has been sampled by many artists. Here the disc gives you a musical history lesson. I could say more, but i will just tell you that evary track is good, and the interludes are great.Buy this disc if you want something truly eclectic and you cannot tune in to Solid Steel.

This CD was pretty much my introduction into the world of Solid Steel/Ninja Tune, and it is just good. I don't really know what to say. It keeps a moderately fast pace until the end where it slows down a bit. I have been getting all the songs that this CD is made up of, and it is kind of bizarre for me to hear how little acctual composition was done by DJ FOOD and DK, but the mix is phenomenal. These guys really prove that mixing songs is an art. If you want a great hip hop CD with excellent music and beats, just buy it. This is the sort of album that can completely change your perceptions of what music is and what it should be.

I am a huge fan of a large variety of electronic music from Aphex Twin to trance DJs like Sasha. That being said, despite all of the wonderful DJs that I enjoy, none of them compare to the studio mixing ability demonstrated here by DJ Food & DK. Not only is the track selection superb (from a wide range of styles), but also the tracks are melded together perfectly often with two tracks on top of each other and then mixed into another (a great example of this is Mr. Scruff-Ug/DJ Vadim feat. Motion Man-The Terrorist mixed into Peshay-Miles From Home). The hip-hop elements of this disc are far better than anything else I've heard barring perhaps Prefuse73. At the same time, the album continues to evolve into a glittering, ambient sound through jazz legend Herbie Hancock to Art of Noise's Moments in Love. I could go on and on, but the point is if you are open to hearing new sounds and the possibility of a truly dynamic mix, this CD is a MUST HAVE.

a masterpiece . . . . any Hip-Hop, turntablist or general music fan must own.

This complilation is based on/inspired by the legendary BBC radio "Solid Steel" know for showcasing a super-eclectic range of DJs. This disc segues from hip hop flavored tracks, to some very hot dance numbers ("Flying Fish" is a standout) with a nice organic, rare grooves sort of feel, to some ambient tracks. I really enjoyed the disc, both on headphones and at a party; the ambient tracks bored me-- too much herbie hancock noodling. Perhaps this is my personal prejudice-- i'm not a fan of fusion-type jazz.