(Shock)

Sir Felix da Housecat has burst into stardom ever since the word ‘electroclash’ was thrown around, and his latest mix CD throws a few different genres around – but keeps that Felix quirkiness throughout.

Although there are two CDs, it is really the ‘Bugged Out’ mix that is on show here, as ‘Bugged In’ is simply 10 tracks of that back-to-mine (unmixed) style. Kicking things off is a beautiful minimal bleepy number from Metro Area, Caught Up, filled with electronic drum beeps that would give any sound system a work out. Funk creeps in with Julian Jabre – Yalopa, and there is such an uplifting vibe that you just wait for a super-cheesy diva to sing over the top. Fortunately it never happens.. well until the next track, with awful male vocals from Frankie Knuckles It’s A Cold World. Sorry to offend any Frankie fans out there, but this sounds so out of place on this mix CD!

Synth-soaked electro oozes out Legowelt – 2002, and the pace is picked up with a Droyds tweak of Ladytron – Seventeen, but all of a sudden things go into twisted off-beat minimal techno. Charles Manier – Uncompromised Awarenss is seriously fucked-up, and the German vocals of Justus Kohncke – Was 1st Musik help to make the middle of this CD more crazy. If Felix hadn’t already scared people off by this point already, the crass voice in Anne Clark – Our Darkness certainly would.

The Felix we know of old is brought back with Convenant – Bullet, and the percussion of Andrea Doria – Bucci Bag sounds almost identical to that all so famous Silver Screen, Shower Screen. Sampling the ‘rock’ out of the vocal throughout the next mix is a nice touch, and the mixing throughout is very nicely arranged. One of the highlights from Felix’s own Kitten & Thee Glitz album, Control Freaq, is brought to life in this mix – yet he uses the cross-fader and effects a little too much throughout the build up.

Mixing in the next track, Whirlpool Productions – Disco to Disco, is a simple mix that goes for all of about one second. Filtered funk squelches out of the speakers, and then a flat bassbeat kicks in with Carl Taylor – Space Disco; an full-on 80’s extravaganza with dark brooooooding synths. It goes into high-pitched territory towards to the end, but finishes the CD with a bang. It is up to personal opinion whether this is a good or bad bang, but the complete mix is very much an aural assault.

Worth a listen, especially if your into all things crazy, electro, clashing, and kitsch; but beware there are some insane parts and annoying vocals that can cause serious ear damage.