DJ Kicks

This Cd is the first of Nightmares on Wax I have listened to. I am a big fan of the K7 DJ Kicks albums and have used many of them to check out an artist for the first time. This may be silly but it is a style that has moved me to love many of the artists on the Kicks. I feel that this album portrays a level of even mix for the artist. It throughs a bit of every part of him into it. Justly it is noted that some of his work is more appreciated, but as well it is noted that this album containes two tracks of his never released, and as well a track by Kenny Dope that has never been released. That right there is a sell for me due to the fact that unreleased means it didn't fit somewhere else and it does here therefore making this a style of album that is fresh and new for this artist. Call it crazy, but I found this album to be riddled with talent and raw mixing that took me to a level of appreciation that is worthy of giving it a shout out.

Not only is this the best Nightmares On Wax mix I've ever heard, it is also the best installment in the Dj Kicks collection. A must own for any fan of the genre and in my top 10 of any mixed cd.

Da's***

probaby my favorite of the series

Fast shipping, item arrived in excellent condition, however the musical content is not QUITE what I had expected. This is NOT a N.O.W. CD. I love N.O.W., and DJ ESE is the man, however I already have 75% of these songs as they are mostly old school east coast hip hop. The standout is the N.O.W. original "Play On". Still worth the $ - ESE can do no wrong!

The British DJ / Producer George Evelyn, aka DJ Ease, aka NIGHTMARES ON WAX, despite his relative lack of years, has for more than a decade already numbered among the most visionary musicians on the island. He has never left his hometown of Leeds since he was born, but his sound is nonetheless universal and his recordings for the English label Warp have frequently set new trends. Even his first single, "Dextrous", found its way into the English Top 75 and his subsequent releases are still today regarded as prototypes for the downbeat genre. The following album, "Word of Science", with its combination of soulful bleeps and clonks, underscored his creative potential, but even so it was a full 6 years before he released his classic, "Smoker's Delight" (1995), one of the milestone records of the nineties.Opening with his trademark song, "Nights Interlude", this record has played itself into innumerable hearts, record collections and annual charts, has been a dope beat classic ever since its release and has yet to lose any of its allure. His album, "Carboot Soul" (1999), as well as his collaborations with De La Soul, O.C. and Corinna Joseph, seamlessly picked up where the success of their predecessor left off and charted all over Europe. The album "Mind Elevation" 2002 release is the fourth album, is another welcome hit of chilled beats, entrancing melodies and soothing soul-drenched vocals. While persevering with the use of live instrumentation, Evelyn--a one-time judge of Amsterdam's High Times Cannabis Cup--has fortunately not sacrificed any of the dreamy ambience and looped samples that made 1995's Smokers Delight such essential post-club listening. He has though finally abandoned "Nights Interlude", an interpretation of Quincy Jones' "Summer In The City", that traditionally opened all prior Nightmares on Wax (NOW) albums. In its place lies "Mind Eye", a languorous spiralling instrumental groove that sets the pace way down low and stirs an entrancing breezy summer vibe that drifts throughout the album. Alongside the cool mix of mellow hip-hop, soulful r'n'b, and ambling ambient effects, comes the lilting if occasionally overstretched vocal talents of Chyne B. "Got To Know My Name", the most upbeat NOW track to date, sees her joyously waxing lyrical over an impossibly funky, retro-soul melody. Sadly her other contributions such as the r'n'b-lite "Date with Destiny" prove disappointing. But with the majority of the album bringing the feel of a joyous sun-drenched afternoon to your speakers, you can sit back and rest assured that Mind Elevation really does do what it says on the tin.Excellent live shows translated into an exultant progression across Europe and NIGHTMARES ON WAX can today enjoy a substantial worldwide fan base.His record collection might soon be almost equally broad, the foundation stone for which was laid with the acquisition of two dub 7-inches when he was eight years old (!) and which to this day serve as a source of inspiration (and samples). The idea of making a mix CD with NIGHTMARES ON WAX came about (and was carried out) as early as 1995, but the project was also subject to George Evelyn's "leisurely" working practices - all good things take time. Now he sends us, just a little later than expected, shooting into his beat orbit. He has put together an excellent selection of hip hop and downbeat tunes for his "DJ-Kicks" set and has found the perfect blend of the old and the new, UK and USA as well as vocal and instrumental tracks. Tunes from A Tribe Called Quest, Kenny Dope, Aim, Blackalicious, Freddy Fresh, Jerry Beeks and DJ Trax amongst others, as well as some of his own tracks of course, come together in a phat set with plenty of funk!

The "DJ Kicks" compilation series has had some realy, really great CDs come out of it, most notably the mixes by Giles Peterson and Kemistry & Storm. They've been stylistically very unique and wide, with really good songs strung together regardless of the style. This one by N.O.W. isn't one of the best ones, but it's not bad. It's a great hip-hop disc minus the rapping, so if you're looking for hip-hop mood music sans vocals (for the MOST part), this is it. I thought it might be a little more moody - more in the vein of say, early DJ Cam - but it's beats are very traditional hip-hop.The soundtrack for bombing subway cars and school buildings with spray paint, but not as underground in parts as you may like if you're a hip-hop head.

I love this album. I'm not a big hip-hop fan but somehow these tracks hit me just right (maybe *because* I don't normally listen to this stuff). I certainly like NoW's other stuff, but for me this collection stands head and shoulders above the rest.There's no shortage of driving beats and just plain swagger throughout this disc; it's a perfect blend of rhythm and attitude, and the mixing is top notch -- every transition a thing of beauty. I can't recommend this disc enough.

This is a very good recording with sound quality to match. It however lacks the final extra something that would make it a “wow” recording.The drums and bass stand out for their detail and clarity. The recording flows along nicely but somehow just falls short. The horns sound excellent and add an extra layer of interest to the sound.The recording is OK but given NoW’s track record it could have been so much more. The disappointment may be down to the choice of tracks which is lacklustre.I have not set out to write reviews of the music content as “beauty is in the ears of the listener”. These reviews are about the quality (or not) of the recorded sound. To read about how the reviews are done please see my profile. • Clarity – Very good • Channel separation – Very good • Channel balance – Unusual but excellent • Sound Stage – Very broad and wide • Distortion – Non audible • Compression – Non audible • Atmosphere – Reasonable but varies from track to track • Bass – low frequencies – Good deep controlled • Treble – high frequencies – Clear detailed, crisp and sharp • Vocals – Well defined, intentionally significantly distorted on some tracksAs a general rule of thumb recordings from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s are nearly always better on the original vinyl. Remasters often fail to please as it’s just not possible to make a silk purse from a sows ear, i.e. the original recording lacks the necessary detail to be processed digitally and show an audible improvement. Indeed such processing can make the sound worse.Modern recordings which have been processed digitally from start to finish can be as good as vinyl. CD’s are often unfairly criticised for being poor quality. This is not the case, it is the original recording or the process which is to blame. Modern “remasters” can both enhance and degrade a recording. The statement GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) is the limiting factor. Ignore this at your cost.

Pretty good stuff. A nice mix of some alternative tunes (at least for me) He has not stuck to one type of sound he has in my view tried to mix it up abit. A good buy for the price. At the very least this is a reminder of why NOW are well liked.The hip hop and soul rnb is wonderfully mixed together. The tracks he has put together are genius. One of the best purchases i have brought this year.If u like alternative hip hop and a bit of soul u will like this if not love it.

Great laid back sounds

Really Enjoyed this mix, some great tunes across a few different genres that all gel together really nicely. One of the best and coolest in the series - a must buy for your DJ Collection.

Great service and product as described.thankyou

Nach 14!!! Jahren habe ich mir die Scheibe endlich selbst gekauft!Eine sehr gute Scheibe, derzeit wieder häufiger im Einsatz!Besonders die Tracks von Kenny Dope & A Tribe Called Quest haben es mir angetan, aber eigentlich lebt die Scheibe,wie jede DJ-Kicks, von ihrer Zusammenstellung!Die NoW ist unter meinen Top3 der DJ-Kicks Serie!

un cd da avere per gli estimatori della leggendaria serie K7

Bin ja schon seit Ewigkeiten ein Nightmares On Wax-Fan ud hab dann erst letztens entdeckt, dass es da auch mal eine Djs-Kicks gab. Wie immer ein Genuss mit viel Groove, Jazznoten und Abwechslung!