Party-Keller Vol.1 CD

Off the wall, for sure, Florian Keller's Party-Keller mix for Compost rounds up an eclectic set of idiosyncratic rarities. Trainspotters should have a field day with this one. The selections are all noteworthy and curious -- and quite danceable and groovy -- yet they're hard to come by and probably unknown to all but the most dedicated crate-diggers. Like stateside contemporaries Theo Parrish, Danny Krivit, and Joe Claussell, Keller challenges his listeners, spinning curious, even cultish records from the past that are still relevant to present-day clubbers. He favors records with rhythms to die for, especially of the funk, fusion, electro, hip-hop, and post-disco varieties. Every one of the 14 tracks on Party-Keller is worthy of mention, but there are a few that are especially noteworthy: the sole reggae track here, an upbeat, rootsy late-'70s opener that gets the festivities underway in grand fashion (Althea & Donna's "Uptown Top Rankin"); an old-school b-girl throwdown that picks up where "Uptown Top Rankin" leaves off (Paulett & Tanya Winley's "Rappin & Rhymin"); a solid remix of an early-'90s Native Tongues also-ran (Black Sheep's "Similak Child [Homogenized Mix]"); the famous sample source for DJ Shadow's "Organ Donor" (Giorgio Moroder's "Tears," from his 1972 Son of My Father album on Dunhill); another much sought-after cult record, this one more infamous than famous (Tyrants in Therapy's debut single, "Three People [Nude Below the Waist]," which is art-trashy electroclash 20 years before the fact); another electro cut, this one similarly driven by proto-turntablism à la "Rock It," courtesy of a very young Dr. Dre (Daniel Sofer's "Scratchin 100 Speakers"); and a gritty live cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up" as the closing selection (by Greyhound). While the selections themselves make Party-Keller so curious, especially to those who revel in such trainspotting, the way Keller mixes these tracks into a seamless whole (yes, this is a DJ mix -- not a comp) keeps the party jumping and the momentum steady. Think of Party-Keller as similar to an entry in Azuli's Choice series, except mixed DJ-style and compiled from a German perspective. Granted, there's an air of novelty here that might not warrant too many repeated listens. But the breakbeat-centric selections should delight Compost followers, and the mix itself should delight anyone who enjoys off-the-wall dance music. A good, nonserious party mix this is. Bring on more volumes, Compost, soon. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Althea & Donna/Chanson/Black Sheep/Michel Legrand/Daniel So

Recording information: C.M.C. Recording Studios, St. Louis, MO.

Arrangers: William McLean; Tom-Tom; Andre "Dres" Titus.

Personnel: DJ Shadow (sampler).

DJ: Florian Keller.