Absolutely essential box set with lavish packaging and booklet. Also the pressing is very loud and clear which makes listening a real pleasure. Such a shame that Nuphonic folded before they got a chance to do a "Paradise Garage" or "Music Box" boxset. Loft 2 is also essential. As for the music itself - a mixture of genres - house, disco, dub, soul which goes to show that the best music transcends its genre (something that producers of "club" music should note). The famous quote "there are only two types of music - good and bad" applies here. This is all good!

Both Loft compilations (Vols 1 & 2) are essential pieces of Dance music history containing a wealth of amazing records spanning Disco, Soul, Funk, House, Dub, Disco Not Disco, Electronica, African Funk....They have exposed me to so many artists that I wouldn't have even contemplated or considered coming under the banner of Dance music. That's probably what was so amazing about clubs like The Loft and DJs such as David Mancuso, Larry Levan etc they played and broke great records regardless of their genre. They just had a philosophy of great music that you could dance to. They could drop music with guitars and get people dancing. There is too much pigeon-holing of music these days, going to a club just to check a DJ that plays one narrow style of music, no matter how great he/she is. There is so much fantastic music across the board that clubs should take a leaf out of the Loft's book and get back to basics playing great music regardless of the genre! RESPECT to David Mancuso, Larry Levan and all the DJs who followed in their footsteps.