Electro Boogie 2: Throw Down [Audio CD] Clarke, Dave

On this installation of Studio K7's X-Mix series, England's top techno DJ Dave Clarke reveals his naughty little secret: he's a massive fan of Electro, the early-'80s hybrid of hip-hop and European electronic music that predated (and strongly influenced) Detroit techno. On Electro Boogie he offers a short course in this music's history, mixing up the old, the new, and everything in between. Definitive classics like Model 500's "Future" and Channel One's "Technicolor" bump up against modern interpretations of the genre like Underground Resistance's "Electronic Warfare" and I-F's "I Do Because I Couldn't Care Less." In true hip-hop fashion, the mix is fast and furious, with enough jump-cuts and scratching to keep the sounds fresh throughout. In addition to being an excellent introduction to the past, present, and future of electro, Electro Boogie is also the only place to find material from uncompromising underground artists such as Dopplereffekt and AUX 88 in CD form. This is essential listening for anyone looking to bridge the gap between hip- hop's urban sensibilities and techno's synthetic futurism. --Matthew Corwine