COLLECTION

How good it is depends on how good your stereo speakers are and what your tolerance is for repetitiveness.

This is great dance music but for casual listening you might think twice.

Dan Aquilante (courtesy of the New York Post website)

Having been privy to half of the songs on this compilation for nearly a year before their [wide] release, I'm finding it difficult to review now since the aforementioned age of the tunes places a heavier weight on the other four tracks that I had not heard to date. It doesn't seem fair, but in dealing with the amount of music that comes across my tiny cluttered desk, I pick the ones I like and spin the frick out of them. The remixes from KK, Punditz, Bill Laswell and Bedouin Ascent are great, but old fare. So that leaves "Orion," "Alam," "Anselma Dub" and the opener Carl Craig's "Anselma (Dub Mix)." It sounds as if it's going to be an interesting, back-to-source tribal jam, then gets annoyingly repetitive and very nerve-racking to endure.

Bad start.

Luckily, 4Hero's mix of "Orion" is a quick redemption, starting off dubby, then hitting full dnb throttle midway. The way it should be done.

Bedouin Ascent's "Asian Resistance" Mix from the TBS Remix Vinyl follows, then the first of the only two standout tracks hit: "Alam: Dr. Israel (Dub mix)." An extremely flavourful and well executed dub-casserole with tabla chops placed perfectly in all the right nooks and crannies...

The ride gets better as the second gem on this comp shines: KK's Super Lehra Mix [appearing here as full-named Taaruf (X-Hail The Lehra mix)]. I've been exhaling this spliff on the station for a month or two now, if you've heard it and wanted it, now's the time to get it.

Carl Craig returns with another mix down of "Anselma Dub," just as useless as the first one. Punditz "Palmistry" is a very old track, but proves why they are so sought after now as producers. This early effort shows their natural talent to find the essence of a track and use that vibe to create a whole new theme altogether.

Laswell's "Shiva Myth," another veteran of the rare remix vinyl, caps this short comp that is primarily held together by KK's "Super Lehra" and Dr. Israel's "Alam."

d:mm (courtesy of Ethnotechno.com)

Mixers and producers take liberties with mixers and producers who take liberties on "Axiom: Reconstructions & Vexations," a reworking of songs by Tabla Beat Science and the Bill Laswell/Jah Wobble release "Radioaxiom."

The world-music-meets-electronic-music free for all is resolutely hard to categorize, though those who give in to its enticing pull probably won't care about labels.

Detroit producer Carl Craig takes two shots at "Alsema Dub," delivering a driving combo of rubbery rhythm and tribal percussion that works up a forced-meditative effect as well as an exhaustive "Astral Africa Mix" that frankly overplays its hypnotic intent by lingering too long (nearly 11 minutes).

Evocative highlights of "Reconstructions": Tabla Beat Science drummer Karsh Kale concocts a rich and spicy atmosphere for the down-tempo "X-Hail the Lehra Mix" of "Taarut," while the British act 4 Hero creates a pitch-black, jazz-tinged dub of "Orion" before gearing that same track into drum-n-bass mania.

Harder to swallow is the unnerving tabla abuse on an out of kilter "Asian Resistance Mix" of "Secret Channel" by the U.K. techno act Bedouin Ascent, and a sluggish reggae groove on a revamp of "Alam Dub" by the Brooklyn-based Dr. Israel. But that's why we have "next track" buttons.

"Reconstructions" ends with "Shiva Myth," a new track by Axiom founder (and producer) Laswell. His arrangement replicates a breathing organism with snaky bass and manic percussion; though by then listeners will already be beguiled.

3.5 out of 5

Chuck Campbell (courtesy of the Knoxville News Sentinel website)