Various Artists

So this is Spectral's silver-stamped 25th release, a double-disc collection celebrating the label's fifth year of operation. Who knew? Sure, there are those who can't resist the imprint's fuck-a-scene singles, but come on -- most recognize Spectral solely as the stable of Matthew Dear. Well, those who prefer dancing to dance music over scratching one's scalp to intelligent dance music need to cop this one like an out-of-print Carl Craig pressing. Ryan Elliott's disc-long "Spectral 25" megamix offers a microcosmic overview of the entire Spectral catalogue. Other tracks, from the Midwestern minimal techno of Audion's "Raw Dog" to the grimy analog of James T. Cotton's "T-Y-O-C Painkillers," prove just how consistently progressive this stuff is.

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More About

• Ryan Elliott
• Matthew Dear
• Carl Craig
• Electronic Music
• Dance