G-Man - Quo Vadis / El Jem

'Quo Vadis' and 'El Jem' are two of the most essential techno tracks of the mid 90s; so to catch them both on one double-pack with remixes from the crème de la crème of late 90s techno producers means anyone worth their salt will have already sold a kidney to acquire this. Usually, the worry with remix packs is that they are put together in a slapdash fashion containing lame 'filler' tracks in an attempt to sell records. However, these four remixes are not only as strong as the original cuts but are more than equal to them.

The Acid Jesus remix of 'Quo Vadis' bears little resemblance to the original, instead it has all the hallmarks of their work as Sensorama and could easily have been lifted directly from the 'Projektor' 2xLP. Minimal and repetitive bass intertwines with electronic prickles as sharp as cactus spines. The remix by Gadgets is sparse, dubby techno, typical of Bernd Maus' output with Thilo Stolle on early Klang Elektronik releases.

The Marco Carola interpretation of 'El Jem' is probably the weakest cut on this double-pack, but don't let that put you off as it is still up there with the best of his productions. However, the Gaetano Parisio remix is not only better than the original mix but is a strong contender for my favourite techno track of all time. The bass and beats are structured so harmoniously it's hypnotic. The chord washes in the background are so intricate they are almost implied rather than heard. This is music so deep and emotional it will have people shedding tears yet still losing themselves in the groove. Sheer perfection; end your set with this track to leave listeners gasping for more. An utterly essential 2x12" for any lover of techno music...