(Central Station/MRA)

The UK take on the hard dance sound is a genre that seems to change and evolve more than any other. One day the sound could be full of hoovers, horns and big drum rolling build ups, the next it might be morphing into hard banging techno. At present a few DJs are going back to that old hoover sound (even underground German hard trance is looking to this type of sound) but there are a few DJs and producers out there right now who are determined to put a bit of innovation and creation into hard dance. “Filthy House for Dirty Stop Outs” is a 2 disc mix CD which as the name suggests features tracks where there isn’t a single hoover to be found.

The CD is mixed by two of UK hard dance’s biggest names; BK and Ed Real. Both of these DJs/producers have been in the sound since its roots yet somehow they have always been ahead of the game without ever going stale. It’s not just the hard dance sound that’s evolving either; in an ever changing industry which is at the mercy of the digital age, where music is available at the click of a button, Ed Real formed Riot! Recordings. Riot has led the way in making music available via the internet whilst doing its best to keep it profitable so that new artists can break through. It is also the label which published “Filthy House for Dirty Stop Outs” (picked up locally by Central Station).

Disc 1 is mixed by BK. The very first impression a listener might get is that a snapshot of the future of hard dance is being presented. The self titled opener by The Black Russian is nothing short of brilliant with its heavy electro influence. BK and Ed Real could not have thought of a better title for this release as it sums up perfectly the party hard attitude and the sound. Anyone who has seen BK play out live will vouch for the fact that he likes to party hard and his mix will definitely bring back memories of those nights with the great man behind the decks. Still no sign of any hoovers or horns though!

The mix, as is to be expected, gets harder, rougher and filthier as it goes along, but for the clubber who just had it large and wants to hear something that continues on from the mood of the night, this mix is perfect as it doesn’t go overboard with its intensity. After all it’s dirty, filthy stuff for the stop outs! As well as all that there is plenty of “Innovation” courtesy of Nick Sentience & Nick Rowland. There is plenty of material from the man of the moment himself as well, including the house/hard dance crossover gem “Play With Knives”. The hoover in the corner must be petrified though, as it still hasn’t made an appearance!

Ed Real, the head honcho of Riot Recordings steps up to deliver the second “Filthy House for Dirty Stop Outs” mix, and like the first CD the set kicks off in stunning fashion with “Seizure” by BK & Judge Jules. Surely the sound of hard dance is far from dead with corkers like this. Ed Real’s track selection is excellent as it presents a wide soundscape of different hard dance influences, hitting the peak time sounds with “Information Overload” by Ed Real and James Lawson. 15 tracks of pure hard dance filth conclude with “Trace” by BK & Dave Randall.

“Filthy House for Dirty Stop Outs” could easily be one of the best hard dance mixes to come out in a while. Even if a few of the tunes are well established numbers that have featured on other discs, it doesn’t matter as they all piece the mix together extremely well. Innovative and down right dirty, BK and Ed Real have really done the business well here, although it’s unlikely they’ll be handing their resumes to any Godfrey’s stores anytime soon!