Various Artists - Ultimate Tidy Downunder: Mixed by the Tidy Boys & Guyver

There are so many names that have shaped the sound of hard dance over the years and at the same time hard dance is a genre which changes its direction like the wind. It’s a genre where artists come but rarely seem to go. Leading the way is UK label Tidy Trax and they, with hard house ambassadors the Tidy Boys along with Guyver, have joined forces with Ultimate to deliver a three disc mixed/unmixed compilation called “Ultimate Tidy Downunder.” Mayhem and madness are a dead cert on this title as all three discs, all choc full of past, present and future classics that highlight all that is hard house’s diverse nature, Ultimate Tidy Downunder is sure to have the UK hard dance fans out there gagging for more!

Disc 1 is mixed by the Tidy Boys (a.k.a. Andy Pickles and Amadeus Mozart) who are without a doubt two of the biggest characters in hard house. Many have tried but fallen by the wayside in attempting to mimic their enthusiastic stage presence and fun loving approach to controlling a crowd. It’s always great to hear a CD mixed by a DJ or act which replicates perfectly what they play live so it was a question of would they be able to convey their well renowned enthusiasm onto a mix CD without the aid of their visual presence? The test was indeed passed with flying colours.

Disc 1 explodes into action going from naught to three-hundred miles an hour in less than a second with DJ Kutski’s techno-fused “Nightmare Man.” This track isn’t quite what the Tidy Boys are recognised for playing in their live sets but anything goes with these two larakin lads! Hard house over the years has blended itself well into the sounds of banging techno to create a darker, meaner and dirtier sound. The Tidy Boys early on however have chosen to focus on a more simple yet effective percussion base suited to an underground party whilst leaving the filthier tech sounds for later.

Lee Pasch’s “Emotion” takes the Tidy Boys’ mix from the dark basement club feel to one of a summer weekend dance party somewhere in the lush green hills of England. Things then get very trancey and uplifting with “Wizards of the Sonic” by the Flashheadz. It’s not hard to imagine the Tidy Boys and their audience going absolutely nuts at either Creamfields or one of Tidy’s infamous Weekender festivals. Then the vocal hits… “you can’t play God and wash your hands…” This is exactly what hard house; Tidy Boys style is all about!

As the momentum keeps building even more the sounds of the past, present and future are all there to be heard. “Higher” by Trauma (track 7) breathes a sinister air into the mix during its breakdown before the old vs. new beat kicks back in with style. If The Tidy Boys went out and played this exact set in front of a crowd it would have left everyone breathless. Every track is different and is a gem in its own right whilst the mix flows like red hot lava down the side of a mountain.

Some of The Tidy Boys’ favourites from the past close out this tremendous party on a CD. Ingo’s floor filling industrial strength hoover anthem “Ready 4 Dis” will surely induce memories in the minds of those people lucky enough to experience hard dance at its peak in the UK. The Tidy Boys then call upon the talents of a fellow hard house legend; Lisa Lashes to pose the question “What Can You Do 4 Me?” The rotten to the core techno/hard house sound returns again with a synth so venomous it would have a King Brown rushing for cover with “Take Off” before the mix concludes in banging hoover style with “9 Bar” by OD404.

Guyver is more renowned in hard dance circles for his productions rather than his prowess behind the wheels of steel so it was a bit surprising to see his name featured on “Ultimate Tidy Downunder.” It matters not though as he like the Tidy Boys, Guyver has stepped up to the plate and delivered a smacker that went straight outta the ballpark! This mix is rich with classics from yesterday, today and tomorrow and what better way to kick it all off than with the Organ Donors’ dance floor detonator; “Turntablism.” This tune will unquestionably go down a treat with fans of the techier end of hard house as it is devoid of that predictable sinister synth drop that has become synonymous with today’s hard house sound.

The epic sound of UK hard trance that Guyver is known for doesn’t take long to take its course as Signum’s “What Ya Got For Me?” is dropped. The thought of embarrassment will be forgotten by anyone who plays this on their mp3 player and starts dancing on the platform whilst waiting for the 8:15 train to work! Watch out as that memorable driving synth takes control. “Coming on Strong” follows on with its uniquely driving percussion and techno rhythm which is sure to have those heads banging. One of the highlights on this mix occurs shortly afterwards with Carl Michelson’s timeless classic; “Blueprint.” The happy go lucky, passionate and powerful melody would most certainly go down a treat with dance floors both at festival or basements as it is the ultimate party tune!

Guyver was of course made famous by his incredible production “Serious Sound,” thus he would be mad not to include this gem in a mix full of classic hard house gold. The spaced out sound effects, the definitive yet clever hard trance beat and a tense melodic build up do nothing to prepare the listener for that massive climax. To see thousands of people at a Tidy Weekener on the dance floor with wind swept faces would be a priceless sight and that’s just the effect the melody of this track has. As if that’s not enough, Guyver is yet to unleash the awesome power of “Music is the Drug” by Lee Haslam and Tony de Vit’s “The Dawn.” These two timeless classics need no introduction and are like a good red wine… they simply refuse to age gracelessly!

So maybe those tracks can be found on several other compilations… but this is a take anywhere collection of classics after all and there are a number of newer future classics too. How does “In it for the Kicks” grab you? This is a techy hard house stormer that has grabbed dance floors both big and small by the scruff of the neck, due in part to that big drum roll during the buld up and a climax so evil it would make Santa Claus take candy from a baby! Tony de Vit makes another well deserved appearance following on from “In it for the Kicks” with his amazing “Are You all Ready?” There are few tracks out there that match the musicianship de Vit is known for and let’s not forget that incredible climax which is well ahead of its time! If that’s not enough TdV for you, prepare yourself for “I Don’t Care,” a tune which has made dance floors its own all over the world for years.

Guyver’s mix goes out in fiery fashion with his own “Differences,” a track whose lyrics beg the question; “why are we fighting?” The trancey melody coupled with a beat more banging than English pork sausages would have no doubt ignited the dance floors at big London nights like Wildchild and Hard House Academy during its time. Guyver’s mixing isn’t exactly razor sharp but it matters not when the tracklisting is as powerful as this. Guyver finishes off disc 2 in funky and evil style with Lab 4’s “Candyman.” This is a top notch classics mix which provides a lot more quality than most out there on the shelves.

But wait… there’s more! For those hard dance DJ’s out there who have made the switch to CD’s from vinyl and are gagging for more hard dance to come out on unmixed CD’s, this is a compilation not to be missed! Having said that the opener is a huge surprise. Disposable Disco Dub vol Five’s “Show Me” is a somewhat laid back affair compared to what has been showcased on the mixed CD’s from “Ultimate Tidy Downunder.” Don’t let that fool you though, the tempo doesn’t stay this way for too long. One of hard house’s classics “Funky Groove” is given an even groovier Radio re-edit. This is quickly followed by one of the Tidy Boys’ personal favourites; “Dance 2 the House” by Lisa Lashes. Gotta love the funky intro, turntablist samples/effects and that infamous vocal begging us; “don’t go!”

The UK hard trance sound takes over with full effect through The Riot Brothers’ “Ripped Out.” This is a track which is not too dissimilar from “Music is the Drug.” The next highlight which hard dance DJ’s who use CD everywhere will want to get their not so grubby mits on is Jez & Charlie’s “It’s About Music.” This updated version is one of many remixes out there, this version sees the funky beat replaced by a downward spiraling synth hook that would surely see the dance floor go completely crazy. Champion Burns make a much deserved entry onto the collection however it’s not with one of their better tracks; enter “Scratchism” which again might send a few clubbers crazy, but I for one would be sent crazy in the more literal sense of the phrase.

he unmixed collection is wrapped up with a few bouncers in the shape of “Rock With Me” by Lisa Pin-Up and The Stimulant DJs’ “Are You Serious?” Yes, we are dead serious that this is one down right decent compilation from the Tidy camp. A good hard house compilation can be a hard thing to come by for the discerning fan so if you are after a compilation which gives a good representation of a live set by the DJs who put their names on it, don’t whatever you do overlook this one!

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