by James Hardy

The sixth volume in the Plastic series breaks little new ground, but breaking new ground is not the point. This collection of twelve tracks straddles the line between accessible dance singles and overdone, mainstream crowd pleasers. The majority of the selections belong in the former category, making Plastic 6 a success, if not an unqualified one.

For the trance or electronica devotee, Plastic 6 will not evoke the euphoria of undiscovered beats or fresh, new producers. Nonetheless, a couple of the tracks here represent the best that mainstream dance music has to offer; an electronic State of the Union, if you will. Foremost among these is PPK's "Resurrection," the one true masterpiece on the disc. The first two minutes of "Resurrection" are eminently danceable, if not remarkable. Without warning, the beat disappears, replaced by the eerie sounds of old Russian cosmonaut films. The adroit juxtaposition leaves the listener struggling to breathe, much like the tin can 60's era astronauts of the films, while yearning for the moment to continue.

Felix da Housecat's entry here, while not as fascinating, is nearly as much fun. No one will mistake "What Does it Feel Like?" for a Marxist treatise on the communal aspects of dance after hearing its chorus of "What does it feel like? To feel like a socialite?" backed by a diamond-jangling, loungey groove. The cheesy 80's party synth beats that open the song, before it wanders into what can best be described as "aristocrat trance," show us that Felix's question is at least half in jest.

Other standouts here include a new mix of "Mindcircus" by Way Out West and "6th Space" by ILS. Fatboy Slim and Timo Maas check in with standard offerings that don't disappoint but fail to improve upon past efforts. The Chemical Brothers's "Star Guitar" is at best pleasant background noise, and the seventh track, "The Real Life" by Raven Maize, should be avoided at all costs unless you enjoy the endless repetition of an irritating Queen sample that should have been left well enough alone in the unconscionably overrated "Bohemian Rhapsody."

On the whole, Plastic 6 is a solid selection of danceable singles. It won't impress anyone as part of your collection, but you could do worse if trying to stoke the fire at your next house party.

Plastic vol. 6
compiled by Nettwerk
Track Listing:

1. Mindcircus (Gabriel & Dresden mix) - Way Out West
2. To Get Down (main mix) - Timo Mass
3. 6th Space (next level) - Ils
4. Drop The Hate (Santos Napalm Reprise) - Fatboy Slim
5. Resurrection (original mix) - PPK
6. Amazing - Andy Hunter
7. The Real Life (12" mix) - Raven Maize
8. Nothing At All (King Uniques...) - Luke Slater
9. Walking On Fire (Bedrock vocal mix) - Evolution feat. Jayn Hanna
10. In My Memory (Gabriel & Dresden vocal...) - DJ Tiesto feat. Nicola Hitchcock
11. What Does It Feel Like? (Royksopp...) - Felix da Housecat
12. Star Guitar (Pete Heller mix) - Chemical Brothers