Dfa Records Compilation #2 CD

One of the most consistently creative indie labels gathers up more than enough tracks to necessitate a second compilation. DFA Compilation #2 is three times the size of #1, using the first two discs to compile tracks new and old, while providing a DJ mix on the third. Since the initial batch of 12" releases, the label has expanded its sound and roster at a steady pace. Two of the most notable tracks come from the Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom single released in early 2004; "El Monte" is trippy ambient that falls somewhere between Cluster and Manuel Göttsching, while the DFA mix of "Rise" lays electronic percolations and light whipcracks over a four-four disco beat. The terrifically obnoxious "Crass Mix" of LCD Soundsystem's "Yeah" begins as moderately absorbing disco-punk until working itself into a chaotic, screeching acid lather. Some older B-sides are dusted off as well, for both better and worse; sounding like an electro/dub version of a long-lost post-punk A-side, LCD's "Beat Connection" warrants more spins than the borderline novelty hit "Losing My Edge" (as heard on DFA Compilation #1), while the Rapture's Captain Sensible-quoting "Alabama Sunshine" scrawls and stammers for three shrill minutes. A handful of exclusives and future singles round out discs one and two. Beyond a trio of Juan Maclean tracks -- none of which happen to be as dancefloor-friendly as his three A-sides to date -- the most-anticipated track is a vibrant re-imagined version of "Bellhead" from innovative (and recently resuscitated) percussion troupe Liquid Liquid. On disc three, the label's Tim Goldsworthy and Tim Sweeney shrewdly mix several of the tracks heard on the first two, and include a few that aren't present -- such as the sparkling silicone disco-funk of the Juan Maclean's "Give Me Every Little Thing" and the DFA edit of the Rapture's "Echoes." This is the greatest attraction of the whole package. While the package's bulkiness is liable to yield complaints of hubristic overindulgence, it's priced far less than a typical three-disc set. ~ Andy KellmanRolling Stone (p.159) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "[T]he DFA production team zigzags through techno, electro, funk, rock, punk and noise armed with a kitchen-sink aesthetic broad enough to challenge even the most open-minded listener."
Spin (p.117) - "Echoes of skronky, early-'80s NYC punk reverberate throughout, and the return of no-wave legends Liquid Liquid after a 21-year hiatus furthers the parallel....The DFA legend grows." - Grade: B+
Spin (p.66) - Ranked #14 in Spin's "40 Best Albums of the Year" - "[T]heir two-discs-plus-DJ-mix showcase never lets up, and you won't want it to."
Entertainment Weekly (p.117) - "The best industrial murk to be found on these 30 tracks comes courtesy of DFA all-stars like the Rapture and Black Dice..." - Grade: A-
Uncut (p.172) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[B]rave new work from their coterie of thrift-store druids and cosmic crusaders....[A]n out-there collection."
The Wire (p.64) - "These open ended mixes and remixes afford a glimpse, through a neo-disco rhythm grid..."
CMJ (p.19) - "Combining the ferocity of punk with the boogie of dance..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[M]usic ready equipped with lots of little launchpads into future possibilities."