I wouldn't say I'm a fan of favela funk, but this EP is just plain awesome. Marina's screeching vocals on "Melô do Tabaco" are harsh and abrasive, and belted out with such conviction that I can't help but pretend that I understand what she's saying. The rest of the EP features all three members on rapping/sing-screaming duties. "Dança da Ventoinha" sounds more like a Brazilian hip-hop crossover cover of "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" than just a song that samples it. This particular track kinda makes me wanna think of them as a boy-girl-boy version of Beastie Boys, because it sounds like they always finish each other's sentences/verses and even banter on certain tracks. It's sad that the debut album wasn't anywhere near as good as this release and I know it's because they couldn't get the licensing for the dozens of songs I'm sure they would've sampled.

XXXplosive was produced by Cosmo Baker of The Rub and featured Pase Rock and Spank Rock as guest MC's on various tracks. Most notably, this is the only place where you can hear "Get It on the Floor". It was one of Disco D's final productions before his untimely death. I'm guessing this is how Spank Rock met Benny Blanco, who I believe was interning at Disco D's studio at the time. This chance meeting would be what led to the Bangers and Cash project in '07 (which was respectfully dedicated to Disco D). Another track worth mentioning is "Throw the D", a 2 Live Crew cover of sorts, which was never released anywhere else. It's blended nicely at the end with Yelle's soon-to-be hit, "Short Dick Cuizi" (better known as "Je Veux Te Voir"). It's a pretty decent mixtape, but nowhere near as impressive as Spank Rock's first, Voilà! (produced by Chris Rockswell and XXXchange). Good luck trying to find it!

With the exception of "Spank My Booty", co-written by Carl, this album was completely an MNO production/masterpiece. Our Little Secret is just that, a collection of songs about various sexual taboos. I can still remember being 14 and hearing Nikkie proclaim she'll "cum all over you" if you misbehave and thinking to myself, "did she just say that?!" "Rubber Doll" is a guitar-driven ditty about a girl whose boyfriend is cheating on her with a rubber doll named "Sexbomb Annie". The explosive drum loops make it impossible not to dance. Even more "abso-fuckin'-lutely mind-blowing" than "Fingerlickin' Good" is the version that's on the French release with Praga's additional vocals crooning "I wanna suck you, I wannna fuck you, I wanna lick you 'til you cum and cum again". If you can't find it, look for the "Rubber Doll" single which also features this mix. "Pussy" is a standard at any titty bar for obvious reasons. "Deep Sexy Space" is kinda goofy, but listen to the instrumental version on the Stript edition of Our Little Secret and behold the genius. Why it's not the theme song to a children's TV show about outer space, I'll never know. Although, I have a hunch it's because it's about tiny-dicked aliens. But my favorite track has to be "Me and Myself", a song about a deranged woman talking to her other half, presumably after being left by a man. I feel like it should be on the soundtrack to a Basic Instinct-flavored thriller. It's the perfect precursor to "You Belong to Me", an epic cantata that glamorizes obsessive lovers. I remember once commiserating with a friend about my love life, telling her I think I may be a tad too obsessive when it comes to matters of the heart. She said I'm not obsessive, just "passionate" and that's what Our Little Secret sounds like to me. Very "passionate".

Oh, and also fucking crazy.

Confessions of a Knife is the quintessential Wax Trax! record. The production quality alone stands in contrast to their debut. Glorifying sex, drugs and blasphemy and accompanied by horror movie samples about murdering your spouse, Confessions of a Knife is definitely my favorite TKK album. "A Daisy Chain 4 Satan" had already been released as a B-side on "A Girl Doesn’t Get Killed by a Make-Believe Lover", but while the "Acid and Flowers" mix is much shorter, I still prefer this mix best, because Frankie's screaming sounds a lot more menacing. "Kooler Than Jesus" had also been released on an EP the year prior and I suggest you track that down first, because the "Electric Messiah" mix really isn't as good as the original mix. "Waiting for Mommie" is a nice little gem about a female dom that I only truly appreciated after hearing the Bryan Zentz remix, being that it was pretty much the same track, only faster and with most of the vocals cut out. But for me, the highlight of the entire album (and TKK's career, for that matter) has to be "The Days of Swine and Roses". A brilliant track that exemplifies what everyone loved about Wax Trax! at the time. Six minutes of lyrics that kinda make sense, but don't, that are kinda goth and kinda satanic, but are relatively harmless to anyone that has a (dark) sense of humor. The last two minutes of orchestral insanity and relentless chanting are really what made me a fan. Some have to dance and some have to kill, but why not do both? It's a shame that they now only perform the KMFDM remix when touring, considering how much inferior it is to the original version.

A true departure from her new beat/techno roots, Jade 4U became "Darling Nikkie" in her first real foray into straight-up pop. Nikkie's vocals are as impeccable as her "Injected with a Poison" days, but even more remarkable is her talent as a producer. The album sounds clean, tight and professional, fusing jazz and rock elements to create a loungey atmosphere, all the while including some poignant love ballads. Standout tracks include "Cloud 9", "Flowers" and "One More Time".

It should be noted that the "ghost track" is the Jade 4U remix of "Sugarcane". This version also appears on the single. The "it's push, push, push/all the way, all the time" sample is from an old Twilight Zone episode called "A Stop at Willoughby".

More than just a remix album, Expand Your Head is kinda like the sequel to Heaven Is an Orgasm in the sense that the Lords decided to release some "new" tracks many American fans never heard before. "As I Am" and "Who Do You Think You Are?" were originally recorded in Dutch for Zsa Zsa Deluxe (Maurice, Nikkie and Carl) and a few other songs from that project were later re-recorded in English, too. Lords of Acid's "Spank My Booty" and "Lucy's Fucking Sky" and Praga Khan's "Dont Wanna Lose You" all first appeared on Zsa Zsa Deluxe's EigenWijs album back in '98. That being said, Zsa Zsa Deluxe and Lords of Acid's Expand Your Head should both be considered MN(C?)'s attempt at a hip-hop album. Expand Your Head also features a few great remixes that are as fresh now as they were back then, including Richie Hawtin's mix of "I Must Increase My Bust" (first recorded in '93), KMFDM's remix of "Lover" and the insanely better-than-the-original remix of "Rough Sex".