(Ministry of Sound/EMI)

When the nation’s hard dance addicts are getting ready for a big night out you can almost guarantee that they’ll reach for a CD in the Ministry of Sound Hard NRG series to get them warmed up for some stomping or shuffling out there on the floor. The series has done very well to bridge the commercial and underground ends of the spectrum whilst showcasing the most recognisable Australian and international DJ stars. The Hard NRG name is always at the centre of hotly contested debate between discerning hard dance fans, yet after all said and done, the name matters little as long as the tunes are great.

Previous installments of the Hard NRG series have seen the style shift from clubby hardhouse to hardstyle and from German euphoric hard trance back to hardstyle once again. This would suggest that the title refers to a broader spectrum of music with each volume focusing on the fashionable style at the time rather than a single subgenre. Volume 8; mixed by Sydney hard dance icons Nik Fish and John Ferris would continue on in the hardstyle vein of form.

As with volume 2 in the series, CD1 is brought to us by Nik Fish and like vol. 2 the CD cover is predominantly orange. So what would the number 2 DJ according to the Technics InTheMix Top 50 DJ Poll have in store for his legion of fans? A Nik Fish CD just isn’t a Nik Fish CD without a cool intro and in this instance a small sample of the speaker destroyers to follow is the order of the day. Many of Nik Fish’s mix CD’s have been of excellent quality but this one takes a while to get out of second gear. Uberdruck Recordings’ DJ The Crow’s “Got Ya” picks up the pace nicely with a fuel injection full of pure acidic goodness.

Hardstyle fans who like the darker, gloomier sound that remains true to its gabba origins may not jump for joy with Nik Fish’s CD, but mad keen clubbers probably won’t take this one out of the car stereo for a while. If you want to hear a CD that will make you imagine stomping or shuffling away at 2am at a superclub night then this mix is definitely for you. Right now DJ Zany is setting fire to hard trance club land and one of his latest crackers “Pure” will have your head nodding whilst thinking of that big night ahead.

About the only solid drawback with Nik Fish’s Hard NRG vol. 8 mix is that there is perhaps just one too many samples from bygone clubbing anthems. It’s like hearing a jungle DJ rewind a track; once or twice it’s great but more than that and it loses its effect. A sample from one of UK hardhouse’s biggest ever classics can be found in T4T4NK4’s “GTP.” From there the p.H. is kept low with The Prophet’s “Emergency Cal” whilst it’s all hands in the air with “Narcotic Dreams” by Head Control. “Science & Religion” by that man again DJ Zany and “No One Can Stop Us” by the Donkey Rollers maintain the toxicity to cap off Nik Fish’s mix.

Fellow Sydney hard dance icon and Plastic resident John Ferris is in charge of proceedings on CD 2. This mix is a bit more varied as opposed to the one style ruling throughout. The mix gets underway in “it’s funny because it’s true” fashion with a resounding statement that getting down on the floor is all about the music and the bass rather than the mind altering substances or the girls. Then over the top of the bouncy hard trance anthem “Airport” by The Real Booty Babes is yet another classic UK hardhouse vocal (“Stewart Who?” by Wayne G.)

The Break Mechanic Mix of Marzz’ techno-fused hard trance banger “Orbiter” provides a gust of fresh air to the listener before the momentum shifts back into the direction of traditional hard dance with Scot Project’s “I Need You” and the chunky basslines of “Rockmania” by DJ Hose (which includes a cut from The Knack’s “My Sharona”). John Ferris is not only an accomplished DJ but he is also making waves in the world wide sea of music production. Ferris’ collaboration with Blutonium Boy on “Acid is My Sound” will have those heads banging and toes tapping with its thunderous bass drums and acidic jabs.

Another twist in the tail occurs with a techy remix of “You’re Shining” by Breeze & Styles. It’s fair to say thus far that Ferris has replicated a live set very well with his Hard NRG mix which is always great to see. “You’re Shining” is followed very nicely with a brilliant hard techno stormer; “Critical Condition” by DJ Mass in Orbit vs. The Diggerman before the mix ends with a freshened version of the UK hardhouse floor filler “Music is Moving” by Cortina (BK & DBM Amber remix). Anyone who has seen John Ferris play out live would love this mix!

There might be a lot of older material infused with the new throughout this offering but it all depends on what you’re really after that’ll determine whether you find this fun or nothing special. This is Hard NRG vol. 8 and it is all about having fun so before you and your mates jump in the car to head to that big hard dance night and you’re all for a big buffet full of the biggest cuts out there; make haste for your favourite CD shop! If the guy in the back seat says that it’s not dark or underground enough for them; crank up the volume some more because going out is as much about having fun as it is the music.