NAJM Dance Music Reviews - Boy George



			5 out of 5 (by HM)
		Boy George - Essential Mix
		CD Non-Stop Mix Album
		Everyone remembers Boy George and his Culture Club that helped shape the 80's punk look, but what you may not know is that Boy George has not disappeared into retirement. Boy George has been spinning his way across the U.K. as a world class DJ spinning to packed houses. "Boy George - Essential Mix" is his new release on London/Sire Records and marks the beginning of a new era for DJ Boy George. The continuous mix cd is a fine collection of tracks that range from funky Bossa Nova all the way to pure hard hitting club tracks, all seamlessly mixed by DJ Boy George.



	The album starts off with a calypso-like party version of the classic 60's hit "Girl From Ipanema", and you ask yourself where is he going with this? But he manages to pull the mix from left of center back to Clubland with tracks like "I Warned You Baby" by Aldo Vanucci, the house funk inspired "See Through" by Cultural Diversion, "Here Come The Lick Again" by Suburban Lick, and "Call It Fate" by Richie Dan. We are then treated to the new version of "Let Me Be Your Fantasy" by Baby D. vs. Trick or Treat with its quick licks and snappy beats. Track #7 "Born Funky" by Kinky Roland starts the house beat pumping with the more familiar filter sweeps and vocals. Track #8 "Watcha Gonna Do" by Shawna Solomon carries the house groove forward with soulful vocals reminiscent of Funky Green Dogs. With a little breakbeat action on track #12 "Some Say She's Retro", Boy George shows us he able to take the mix into a multitude of styles without derailing the groove. Other noteworthy tracks that round out the 18 song set are Amanda Ghost's "Filthy Mind", "Drop & Hope" by The Armadillos, and "Spreading The Light" by The Colein. Overall the disk reads like a personal glimpse into Boy George's record collection. From the sound of it, Boy George prefers vinyl, for you can hear a few pops here and there. Music is the order of the day where he avoids the mindless obscure tracks that some DJ's rely on. That is not to say that the collection is overly commercial, just very respectful of music and the groove in general. Most of the tracks were new to me, and the newness of the music combined with the mixing skills of Boy George, we are treated to a world-class listening experience.

	Check out London-Sire Online