Compost's Black Label Series compilations have always brought together some of the best minimally founded, 80s rooted, dance music you'll find on the label. It's no mistake. Their Black Label Series was designed with a specific audience in mind; DJs. It is when each of the 12-inches gets compiled and put down on CD that most of us get our first chance to enjoy these sounds. Though often soundly above mid-tempo, the uncrowded compositions leave even the most blatantly dance floor oriented tracks enjoyable.

1. Phreek Plus One "Bikini"
2. Alex Attias pres Mustang "Finding Who We Are (Quarion Dub)"
3. Muallem "Houseworx Pt. 1: I Came to Jack"
4. Manuel Tur & Dplay "Conchord"
5. Motor City Drum Ensemble "Stripped Down to the Bone"
6. Phreek Plus One "New York Dolls"
7. Motor City Drum Ensemble "Get Slapped Up"
8. Jay Shepheard "4NC"
9. Wagon Cookin "Start to Play (Christian Prommer remix pt. 2 (piano mix))"
10. TJ Kong & Nuno Dos Santos "Merging (feat. Robert Owens)(Wild Glitch Dub)"
11. Shahrokh "Break it Down (dub)"
12. Matt Flores "Solar Winds"
13. Minus 8 "Night Digger (Late Night edit)"
14. Jay Shepheard "Pipes N Sneakers"

Unlike Series past, this one, Volume 3, is a continuous mix by DJ Jay Shepheard. It starts off in full stride with Phreek Plus One's "Bikini" and keeps moving with Alex Attias Presents Mustang's "Finding Who We Are". It's the Quarion Dub and by about half way through I'm surprised to hear some vocals that move the song into, or should I say back to, the Industrial sound of Belgium circa 1994. If you're familiar with what I'm talking about, just mix the sound of a band like C-Tec (aka Cyber-Tec Project) with Underworld (of the same era) and you've got the sound.

Things stay on the high side of the tempo gauge for a little while longer, but as I said earlier, the compositions are sparsely filled and supported with some nice cyclic melodies, so it isn't likely to make you feel nervous or tense like so much dance music likes to do.

The relaxed attitude holds true until Motor City Drum Ensemble's "Stripped Down to the Bone", which is a Detroit styled house piece that in fact leaves me feeling some friction. After this, Jay Shepheard starts playing with more densely packed songs from, well, himself, also Wagon Cookin', and TJ Kong & Nuno Dos Santos which features vocals by Robert Owens. The Wagon Cookin' track starts breaking things back down to a more relaxed level, but things never really get back down far enough for my full-tilt love. I do have to note that if it were included in the style of songs that were on Vol. 2 in this series, Jay Shepheard's own "4NC" would have sounded so much better to me. Overall, unless you're out, or getting yourself ready for going out, the analog atmosphere on Compost's Black Label Series Vol. 3 will keep your ears on defense, but don't let that Jay Shepheard track slip by without checking it out.

As a collection of full-on dance songs, Jay Shepheard has delivered an incredible edition of the Black Label Series. If you're looking for some mid-tempo gems, you may find a few.

Add a Comment