Hed Kandi World Series Vol 1

This CD is actually a few years ago but it had promising reviews as well as being credited in other reviews as an eponymous Hed Kandi CD.

Beach House Mix

DJ Gregory’s Elle opens the disc with an atmospheric Spanish guitar making it an ideal Ibiza chill out track that sounds as if it should be on the soundtrack for the Beach Life game. It synchs seamlessly into Late Night Alumni’s Empty Streets, followed by the full 12” version of Fade by Solu Music featuring Kimblee (I already have the Eric Kupper mix) there is an 80s style electro bit in the middle before Kimblee starts warbling again. Starting out with a bit more of an interesting tune Blue Six’s Music & Wine was the fourth track which then continued on to be much of a muchness. Love Will Find A Way by Solidarity featuring Hayley is the same sort of thing, starts off good, but doesn’t change and goes on forever with the same beat and same vocals. Battle by Time Deluxe sets itself apart by having a male vocalist but offers nothing different than that. Ritma de Rua’s Universal Love doesn’t offer anything different apart from a slight Latin twist (very slight) and being instrumental. Rasmus Faber’s Ever After starts off with a faster beat then its predecessors so I have high hopes for it , the vocals of Emily McEwan sound like a Seventies Latin easy listening track which makes it something a bit more special on a disc that for the most part had disappointed. DJ Bomba & J Paolo featuring Shovell’s track Esuma also starts off with a fast guitar in the Latin beach flavour but then continues with some percussion instruments, some whistles and nothing original. I had high hopes for Junior Jack’s E Samba as I had liked some of his others (notably Stupidisco from Hed Kandi: Summer 2004), but the excessive Samba beat and Spanish vocals did nothing on an album full of something similar, although I may have preferred this on its own or in a different mix. I wasn’t surprised that Manbana’s No Reason did not impress me as I found the whole disc mainly unimpressive. K&M featuring Joy’s Pink is the Colour was an unusual choice (also featuring on Disco Heaven 01.05). I quite like the track thought Joy’s voice sometimes annoys me. The last (thankfully) track on Beach House disc was Hardsoul together with Ron Carroll on a track called Back Together. This is more of a smooth disco track rather than a chill out or sambaesque track so I liked it more than most on this disc, but it was still not up to the calibre of a lot of Hed Kandi that I have bought. While I like the chill out tracks in small doses, most of these tracks are six to eight minutes long which is a bit too long for me.

Disco Heaven Mix

By nature of its title I expected this to be my favourite disc, though I was concerned after the Beach House Mix and opening track Real Love by Soul System although a good track was not as good as some that I have heard on this label. Mood II Swing’s Can’t Get Away From You is a better track. Space Cowboy’s Crazy Talk was better but was not blowing me away. Martin Solveig’s Rockin’ Music was another disappointment. Stonebridge’s Put ‘Em High is a brilliant track, but has been on many Kandi compilations (plus I have the Stonebridge album). Soulsearcher’s Feelin’ Love added nothing to the mix, but Love is the Music by FR featuring Jenny B was better, and I think has crossover potential to a more commercial market (presumably I am wrong as I don’t recall it, as the song is from a few years ago), and I can imagine dancing to this in the appropriate environment. Lee Cabrera’s 12” mix of Shake It has promise but is too long a mix of nothing special. However Praise Cats Shined on Me is much better and typical of what is expected on a Kandi compilation. Milk & Sugar’s (featuring Lizzy Pattinson) Let the Sunshine is probably better known as an advert tune, which is kind of off-putting, but it would be a grabable tune even if I had not heard it before. Stars by Morjac featuring Raz Conway was quite unusual in that it had an electric guitar riff in it, but was otherwise unremarkable. Neil Rumney’s Do It Youself is better though, and the disc ends with Groovejet by Spiller, a well known track, and no different from the hit, just a bit longer. Verdict on this disc is also disappointing, maybe it needs a few more plays, but there are definitely some tracks I will not bother transferring to the iPod.

Twisted Disco Mix

I have often found Twisted Disco mixes to be a bit hit and miss, and often a bit hardcore for my tastes, after the first two discs disappointed I didn’t know what to think, and just hoped for some good tunes. The opening track – Mr Mike’s Let’s Do It Again was quite promising, a good Twisted track (which is normally heavier house music than Disco Heaven) and was starting to relax, maybe this disc won’t be so bad…?! S.W.A.P’s Rock Tha House had some deep Barry White-esque vocals and whilst not completely my cup of tea offered something a bit different. Sandy Rivera’s Dreams was also a heavier track with male vocals, I preferred the beat behind it the vocals (as opposed to the reverse on Rock Tha House) although the chorus was catchier. Falling Star by Starchaser featuring Steve Edwards had a reggae beat, I quite liked it, but am still waiting fro the outstanding track of the disc….Erick Morillo, Harry Romero & Jose Nunez featuring Jessica Eve’s track Dancin’ was not what I was looking for, nor was DJ Flex’s Amazin’. The intriguingly named Pussy Dub Foundation could possibly have made their track Make the World Go Round better by adding a more interesting beat or not having that woman talk all over it. Sunset Freakz’ Back to the Island would go down well late at night in Ibiza and doesn’t have an annoying woman talking over it and a better beat. House Music Baby from Heavy Rotation was another good club tune, but I can only think that they have to grow on me to become something special. Stand Up by Pussy Dub Foundation was marginally better than Make the World Go Round, even though there was still that annoying woman on it, there was a catchy chorus. Saffron Hill featuring Ben Omono’s track My Love is Always was OK, but only OK. David Guetta (feturing Chris Willis)’s effort Just a Little More Love is more like what I was looking for, it broke through the blandness on the middle of this disc to grab my attention. The last track on this disc (hate to admit I am relieved) is Loose Cannons and Superstars. A track (and mix) I already have courtesy of Twisted Disco 02.04, fortunately a good one.

The tracks I have liked best on this CD have all been ones I have known from previous compilations so I hope some of these songs grow on me, apart from that honourable mention goes to Just A Little more Love by David Guetta featuring Chris Willis for being the best new (to me) track on the whole three disc compilation.