Frank De Wulf ‎– The First 3 Years

This is about as old school as the Farah Fawcett posters! Frank De Wulf, one of Belgium's pivotal figures in the early days of their conquering the electronic music map, brings a compilation with eighteen definitive moments of his early output.
As with a lot of other top of the line old school material, he isn't really preoccupied with staying true to a single style, he comfortably circularises all over the radar. From trancey melodies, to stomping four on the floor drum rolls, ravey synths and uplifting vocal samples, well executed piano keys, new beat and what not, this is a compilation which can satisfy fans of luminaries such as Joey Beltram, addicts of the early sound of CJ Bolland, Speedy J and Praga Khan - Frank De Wulf has it all - addictive groove, simple yet memorable track structures, which despite their occasionally naive and dated sound, bring back those memories of dark, nicotine filled venues, with dominant strobe lights and choking smoke machines; the crowd sweating their bandana rocking heads off, either blowing a whistle for as long as there is air in their lungs or sporting an antique gas mask jacked from their grandfather's closet!
Need I say more than that it contains the all time De Wulf calling card The Tape and the acidic new beat evergreen Acid Rock thumper? Paradoxically, at a time when the whole electronic music scene was torn between Chicago, Detroit and to a certain extent New York, came a producer whose sound didn't rely on bleeps but on heavy riffs, disfigured and distorted sound rather than clean cut sequences. At a time when belgian DJs spun Hi-NRG records designed for 45 rpm at 33, these creepy, viscous trance dance grooves made everyone believe how this sound was the new acid house born outside of Britain. Many of these tracks tore the hinges off the doors of the infamous Boccaccio club in Ghent a long, long time ago, and this fantastic overview of De Wulf's career proves that way before Second Phase dropped the seminal Mentasm, Belgium had already established itself as a musical nation to be reckoned with. There was an approximately eighteen month period during which this country absolutely dominated the world of techno. You want to know why? Then go grab this record, given you can find it.