(Central Station/MRA)

To celebrate ITM’s 6th birthday they’ve just
embarked on their most extensive celebratory campaign to date and it’s coming to a
venue and CD store near you. Hopefully this isn’t your first trip to the site. If so, all you
need know is that in six years ITM has grown from a bedroom endeavour to Australia’s
#1 music site and dance music resource. This is the third in the ITM CD series; following
two successful releases in 2005, and is by far the ballsiest. INTHEMIX IS SIX explores
the breaks genre and is mixed courtesy of two of the biggest names on the scene,
internationally and locally; Hyper and Bass Kleph.

Coincidently it was around
the genesis of ITM that Guy Hatfield aka DJ Hyper was beginning to make his mark on
the scene with his two “Y3K” compilations for Distinctive. The first of these still arguably
regarded a seminal classic in breaks and one of the highest selling breaks compilations
to date. Compilations with Ministry of Sound and Bedrock have followed but Hyper’s focus
of late has been on his production work, which has in turn spawned a live band and a
soon to be released artist album. The influence of Hyper’s band work is evident as this
first disc certainly has an underlying rock feel to it.

Heavy hitting beats courtesy
of Warren Suicide’s I Know You lay a solid foundation before Hyper introduces the first of
his own tracks (remixes for this compilation) from his upcoming album “We Control”.
Twisted Emotion has vocals from former Prodigy dancer Leeroy Thornhill, We Control
features heavy distorted guitars and Prodigy contributor MC Xander, whilst Captivate is
the most all out rock sounding with it’s live drum beats and and more song based
structure. Between these tracks the mix progresses from the rolling breaks of Way Out
West and Plump DJs through to the crossover of Basement Jaxx and all out mayhem of
Pendulum’s Voodoo People remix.

Fresh from picking up his ‘Best Remix’
Breakspoll Award (the Grammy’s of breakbeat!) with co-producer Nick Thayer for their
touch up of the Drumattic Twins Feelin’ Kind of Strange, 2006 looks set to be another
huge year for Sydneysider Stuart Tyson aka Bass Kleph. Through his own label Breaking
Point, Bass Kleph has been garnering a reputation as a producer of note on the
worldwide scene. However anyone’s who’s seen his live lap top and efx show that he
toured extensively in 2005 will know he puts on a hell of a live performance as well, full
of his own tracks, cheeky remixes and bootlegs. All up making him one of the leaders in
taking the Australian scene forward.

Bass Kleph doesn’t pack as heavy a punch as
Hyper in terms of immediate impact but by the end leaves you feeling just as beaten. He
opts for a little more variety on his journey, not going for the jugular straight off. Tracks
such as Milke’s (featuring Friendly) She Says and Meat Katie’s Round and Round offer a
two-step feel early in the mix whilst Modeselektor’s Silkkon has a more floating funky
electro ragga vibe going on. He moves towards a heavier groove towards the end with
the Street Punx vs Kleph & Thayer highlight Get Up Move. With 20 tracks all up Bass
Kleph’s is a more rapid-fire mix and for this reviewer the highlight of the two.

The best thing about both of these mixes is that each is stamped with the personality
of it’s respective DJ. Both Hyper and Bass Kleph offer their own production and remix
efforts, steering away from over doing the seemingly obvious big name tracks one after
the other. Up front and pushing things forward whilst still having a good time. Then again
that’s what ITM is all about isn’t it!

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