Re-issue of a great classic. "The Acid Life" is one of the most grooving acid records I know. It starts with a hi-hat and rhythmic waves of the 303 - Technotronic later ripped of these waves as synthesizer-waves in "Pump Up the Jam", but here's the original. A deep, mellow beat and some claps and other percussion - and lots of breaks exposing the fine modulated 303 - round the track.

This new version (Master Mix) is an exact rebuilding of the original tune - just produced with more modern equipment. But as mentioned by someone else here before: The 303 sound of this 2003 version is much worse than the original. The original is sharp, acidic, has some reverb, space and great deepness; this one instead is rather flat. The same with the percussion etc.: The original just sounds better.

Anyway, if you don't know or can't afford the original (or your crowd in the club doesn't know it), you'll be very happy to play this record instead that - without comparing it to the original - is still a very great record that earns full 5-star rating. The mastering of the new record also is very fine, and even the B-side remix is cool and playable. Try it out, if you can't afford the original! But gee - how would I like to have that original....

This pre-release of Fankfurt Trax Vol. 5 contains two of the best PCP-tracks ever made.

"Shoot Dis MF", in the tradition of "World's famous MF" (also by Program 1, their 1993 superhit), is a dark and hard, but somehow even relaxed short piece of music with echo-effects and some strange kind of hypnotic power: I'm unable to describe this very unique track, but it really kicks ass.

"Six Million Ways To Die" starts with a Frank Sinatra rip-off, then comes with a very straight, hard and noisy beat that's not too fast ("Midtempo Core", Acardipane called this style when it was new back then). Very fine track, too: Sounds like the end of world.

The other tracks are also not bad: "Symphonies of Steel" is too hard and noisy for me (one of the hardest and noisiest tracks I ever heard), but "101 Scout" is a very enjoyable dark techno track; "Interzone" is some kind of dark mentasm hardcore, very cool but nothing so special; Stick Head plays the usual hard gabber style - if you like it, you'll enjoy it.

All in all a must-have record because of Program 1 and Turbulence.

Fraqnkfurt Trax 4 was one of my very first records, and "vs. Evil" was one of my favourites on it from the very beginning on. A dark but funky atmosphere with great breakbeats and percussion including a number of sounds taken from a computer game. Quite right it became such a classic. But even if I'm destroying the reputation of a myth: This track is a rip-off. Listen to Dynamix II's "II Evolve" (featured on the album "Machine Language" from 1992 and also available on the "From 1985 To Present" Compilation): exactly the same beat, percussion and atmosphere! "Vs. Evil" just sounds a bit lighter in the higher frequencies and has different vocals, that's all. And to be honest: The original is quite as cool as the rip-off, if not better. Of course I still like "Vs. Evil" - but you really should check out the original once.

This is one the most perfect electro-bass tracks I know. Filled with lots of cool samples like Kraftwerk's "Nummern", James Brown's "Night Train", a very kickin' (and interesting) percussion, fine scratches, a bassline-sample of Dynamix II's "Just Give The DJ A Break", some cool raps and all in all an unbelievable forward-drivin dynamic and power - combined with many variations and changes so you never get bored. This track simply kicks ass. One of my all-time favourites!

"Pitch-Hiker" is very obviously a remake of 1993's "Bass Drum & Hi-Hats" by "Wax" (on their "Motive"-EP, Belgium, USA Import Music). But the PCP-version is much better, of course. The bass is stronger, and it doesn't need any hi-hats at all to create its dark, hypnotic atmosphere - the track consists only of a simple, straight, but modulated and sometimes distorted bassdrum with some slight hall-effects. To be honest, the track has its lengths - and I think, there would have been much more potential of bassdrum-variation and listening-pleasure in this track -, but it is quite a smasher anyway and in the end you really think it's over too soon.
"Awake In Neo Tokyo" is a solid and dark PCP-tune, really a very good one, but nothing totally special. It features a very cool cyber-atmosphere, some asian-like and very catchy melody and a driving, deep beat - nothing more, but nothing less also.

'Last Breath of the Homelands' and Sven Vaeths 'Sounds of the Omen' are both quite boring tracks. They're acceptable, but nothing special. 'Sweet Electronique' instead really belongs to the best techno/electro-tracks I've ever heard. It is the only cooperation of DJ Ata, Heiko M/S/O and Marc Acardipane, and really turned out as a killer combination. The tune starts kraftwerklike with a vocoder voice and some mellow, funky electro breaks which get more and more groovy as they develop. This part alone (which makes the first half of the 7-minute track) would be one of my favourite electro tracks. Then there's a break in the middle, and a very straight beat with a very straight hi-hat changes the whole atmosphere: minimalistic, dark, cold, but still very funky. Elements of the first part successively switch in, but rhythmically shifted and just very very cool. One of my all-time favourites.