Ed Banger Records celebrated its tenth anniversary this year and as a thank you to their loyal fans the label has created an all-new compilation with every artist on the Ed Rec roster contributing at least one new track.
Opening the compilation is Oizo, the man everyone loves to hate – but to be fair to Quentin he’s actually done two very good track tracks; the first is an intro track that introduces the entire roster with some comedy pronunciations – think the ending credits of the Simpsons when they do their halloween specials.
The compilation hits its stride early with a new track from the criminally underrated Krazy Balhead, ‘My Soul Is Like A Tree’ falls somewhere between French synth pop and jarring trap electro – it’s a great track and a great way to get the compilation started. Funk phenomenon Breakbot is next up with his new track the ‘Beach’ which features Pacific on vocals – again – it’s more experimental than you’d expect from Break but, again, showcases that Ed Rec is so much more than just Justice bangers. Head honcho Busy P is next up and drops an esoteric techno track called ‘Still Busy’ – it’s the kind of track you’d expect Busy to make, and references everything from east coast rap to Gesaffelstein’s own brand of demonic techno. Flash continues the compilation’s weird techno aesthetic with his contribution ‘Reckless’, it’s more melancholic than ‘Still Busy’ with a sturdier kick to keep things sane, well just about. It’s certainly an early contender for track of the compilation.
Justice’s contribution is a re-working of ‘Brianvision’ from their last long play ‘Audio Video Disco’ and those of you who saw their last live show will be more than familiar with the track, it’s everything you’d associate with the bosses of the crosses: dark, moody and intense. Fellow French duo Cassius’ contibution ranks really highly – again – it’s another dark and demonic piece of house that takes in doughy keys, stabbing synths and just enough percussion to drive the track forward – a real highlight. Mr Oizo’s second track ‘Secam’ is next and while we’re not his biggest fans it’s actually really good – it’s a jangling French house track with an eye on the future, and not for the feint-hearted. As the compilation near its end you’re treated to below-par weirdness from So Me, noisey dis-jointed funk from DSL, post-dubstep from Mickey Moonlight and some form of newfangled panpipe speed-step from Feadz.
To finished the compilation the dark horse of the Ed Rec crew, SebastiAn finishes it off in suitable Ed Rec Style – it’s over-the-top dramatic electro and is just the sort of sound that caught our attention all those years ago. Ed Rec 10 is an awkward listen at times and never really ties together quite how you’d imagined it would. That famous Ed Banger sound we all know and love has dissipated into a million different genres and sub-genres over the years – it’s no longer a sound but more a way of life that offers complete artistic freedom to their roster of artists – and that’s something that should be celebrated.
HBF Rating 3.5/5
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