Dave Clarke - 'World Service 2' (Resist) Released 23/05/2005

Techno legend Dave Clarke is a man who’s always happily mined the edges of the mainstream. Unconcerned with fickle trends that sporadically crop up within dance music – and steering clear of the whole Ibizan thing, in particular - DC’s heart is firmly rooted in the underground; moulding his own unique sound and seeking out exciting, cutting-edge electro and techno music from all corners of the globe. Together with his well-received artist album ‘Devil’s Advocate’, his hyper-eclectic 2001 mix album ‘World Service’ is now largely regarded as one of the best dance compilations ever. Incredibly, with this eagerly awaited follow-up he may just have topped it.

Divided into two CDs, with the first representing Clarke’s electro leanings and the second exhibiting his techno turntable wizardry, the man means business from the outset. As soon as the lustful “I want to **** you” groans and the deep, threatening bass line of Kim Peers’ ‘Tell Me More’ hammer out the speakers it’s the start of a seismic onslaught on the senses. ‘Alden Tyrell’s ‘Disco Lunar Module’, for one, with its delicious techy beats and genuinely freaky, otherworldly atmospherics is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat. Later, as the name suggests, Imatran Voima’s ‘Techno Slut’ is a dirty slag of a tune with warped acid beats and fiendish male vocals, and GDX’s cover of Sisters of Mercy’s ‘Corrosion’ offers a more retro vibe. By the time the opening mix bows out with Silicon Soul’s rhythmic and almost Kate Bush-on-acid-esque ‘Who Needs Sleep Tonight’, there’s very little in the way of respite, but frankly who cares.

If the first CD was frenetic, the techno mix, consisting of 26 tracks packed into 66 minutes, ups the ante even further. Taking in music a la Detroit, Europe and Japan, Clarke effortlessly mixes in tracks with his trademark splicing and scratching, and fully utilises his skills. The austere, relentless loops of fellow techno Godfather Joey Beltram’s ‘It Works’ and DJ Bone’s pumping ‘Dark Days’ perfectly juxtapose the yapping, insane antics of MU’s ‘Paris Hilton’. While DJ Rush’s ‘Sex Me All Night Long’ and DJ Urban’s ‘You Work It’ offer a funked-up, jacking take on proceedings. Unlike ‘World Service’ which ended on the almost un-listenable ‘Horrormone’ (Horrorist remix, of course), ‘WS II’ gradually grinds to a satisfying halt with A J McGhee’s cheeky ‘Octapie’.

Constantly challenging and engaging the listener throughout, the smorgasbord of sounds on offer throughout ‘World Service 2’ is truly breathtaking. For the context of what it is – a DJ mix album – this is a sure-fire classic.