Essential Selection, Vol. 1

Fatboy Slim and Paul Oakenfold, two of the most famous DJs in the world and kings of big beat and house, respectively, are supremely showcased in this double-CD collection. The Essential Selection, Vol. 1 glorifies each mixmaster's equal, yet mutually exclusive talents in roof raising. The back-to-back discs are an enlightening example of the yin and yang of club music; Fatboy Slim's grounded, drier, giddier expressions of overlapping funk and disco juxtapose Oakenfold's spatial, entrancing continuum supplemented with buzzing, flatulent bass lines, and celestial synths. Both DJs are experts in flow, building beats seamlessly into climactic moments of frenzied, adrenaline-fueled euphoria, then swinging the vibe down again with the subtlety and patience of a free-falling feather. No doubt Fatboy Slim is known for his deliberate lack of subtlety stylistically, but when placed in this context, immediately compared to Oakenfold's ethereal grooves, it's evident that Stormin' Norman possesses copious finesse. Because of their stylistic polarity, like platinum and gold, these DJs shine with matched but multihued brilliance, and like soil and sun, are indispensable components of a diverse dance music ecology. --Beth Massa