Derek Dahlarge – FSUK (The Future Sound Of The United Kingdom)

So this is where the FSUK series started. The track selection is very clever since it proposes different atmospheres, from the menacing "Work It Work It" to the the chill-out vibes of "Too Easy". What is also very interesting is several tunes featured there have never been released on a lot of other releases, especially in the first mix.

Concerning the first CD, I find it a bit less enjoyable than the second one. There are versions of tracks such as "Skool's Out", "Freestyle Noize" and "Clubbed To Death" than I do not enjoy as much as their respective original format. Also, the last song "Come Home" does not fit very well with the rest of the set in my opinion. This type of voice is not my favorite and it's a bit too long, especially compared to the average length of the other choons.
On a more positive note regarding this first half of "FSUK", "Alarm Clock" is an absolute killer with its continuous ringing bells, I love the vocoders in the middle of "Psycho Base" and "Beyond Reason" would fit very well as the soundtrack of a starship battle. It reminds me of the "Beats By Dope Demand 4" compilation.

As for the second CD, almost all tracks are big beat classics which were very broadcasted. Apart maybe from "Radio Athletico", "The Experiment" and "Rok Yer Blok", you won't discover something new if you already owned albums such as "Leftism", "In Sides", "Shoot The Boss" or "Decksandrumsandrockandroll". I have to say that I enjoyed this second half more than the first one on the whole.

If you just discovered the big beat scene thanks to its pionners that are The Prodigy or The Chemical Brothers, this double DJ mix is an excellent way to start expanding your horizons about this banging but short-lived style.
At last, the three other releases of this FSUK saga from Freestylers, Bentley Rhythm Ace and Cut La Roc are also worth the money.

With a DJ like Derek Dahlarge, I would have expected this compilation to be much more cheese-orientated. Luckily, full-on big beat tunes like "Naked And Ashamed" or "Freestyle Noize" are balanced with rather experimental and atmospheric tracks by the likes of Orbital and Meat Beat Manifesto, which give this release a more timeless feel. The mixing could be better on some points - for instance, "Dark And Long" is only played for about a minute and a half, and it seems that they only inserted it to have Underworld as another big name on the tracklist. Also, the blend from "Angels Go Bald" to "The Box" sounds like Dahlarge forgot to pull the crossfader over early enough. But overall, this is a nice selection of big beat and breakbeat, with some of the definite classics of the genre.