Now this is how a mix CD should be. Sure, whatever genre you personally enjoy and choose to listen to is subjective in nature, but the actual purpose of a mix CD is not. FBi pres. It’s The Beat is a 2CD set, with the first disc compiled by FBi radio themselves, 94.5 on the FM dial in Sydney, while the second disc is comprised largely the same tracks, mixed by The Bagraiders.

The clever thing here is that the first disc is great for DJs looking for tunes to play out, whereas the second is one that you can pop in the car or on at a house-party, and let it take you on a musical journey. Pardon the musical cliche. Contrasted with other recent mix CDs, It’s the Beat isn’t merely 80 minutes of subtlety-free mind fucking, blasting you with the same sound at the same volume with mindless mixing that demonstrates no skill or technical ability, keeping the energy level at a constant 100%. Yep, It’s the Beat sets itself apart from some of the other recent releases we’ve been seeing.

The mixing shows creativity, and we have examples of drop mixing, long slow subtle changes, spinbacks and powerdowns, all done to great effect. The CD itself starts of at a hip hop style tempo, and quickly rises, mimicking the flow of energy one might encounter in a nightclub. The music itself is purely Australian, or with Australian remixes, and the majority of the artist are from Sydney – fitting, because it reflects the fact that the majority of the music that FBi radio plays is local.

Sure, the music can be described as ‘trendy’, featuring the indie-electro-pop-dance sound that is so popular right now, especially in Melbourne and Sydney. I quite like this style, as its rough-and-ready dirty sound is very different to the clean, polished electro house I am accustomed to hearing, and it sounds somewhat reminiscent of Justice. And my favourite song? Pumps and Rumps by Gameboy/Gamegirl. It’s such an absurd, random song that its hard not to love.

Get it now.