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Various Artists - F**k Me I'm Famous! International Vol 2, mixed by David Guetta
Created On August 20th, 2008 by LeanneT
There can be no doubting that David Guetta is the current crown prince of the commercial house scene. His remixes are everywhere, his artist album Pop Life sold bucketloads, and with a weekly night at Pacha in Ibiza it seems there isn’t much he can’t do. Although Guetta’s work has always been unabashedly on the mainstream side, this hasn’t stopped him from producing some of the most memorable house gems of the last few years. Who hasn’t raised their hands in the air to Love is Gone or Delirious at some festival or club night? The timing of the release of this album is no coincidence, coming as it does during the northern festival bonanza and Ibiza’s summer season. It’s a very good taste of what you’re likely to hear in Guetta’s sets this year, and a damn fine way to generate interest in his F*** Me I’m Famous! parties.
Disc one shows a little more electro in Guetta’s step, opening with the party starting Tocadisco mix of forthcoming single Tomorrow Can Wait featuring Chris Willis on vocals. This leads into the buzzing beep of the Fred Pellichero remix of Dim Chris’s Sucker. I can’t help feeling, though, that if he was out to convince us of his genre hopping abilities, a stronger track would have been better. However, a great inclusion from Robbie Rivera provides some redemption in the first half. The disc moves into a more funk influenced electro-house mood for a while, before the summer drenched strains of Guetta’s own Delirious comes into the mix, the Laidback Luke remix giving it a funkier feel. The track to follow provides a moment of utter strangeness, with Sharam sampling Daniel Bedingfield’s The One interspersed with thumping bass and synth. This is an odd choice.
The mix then moves back into funky house, with tracks from Fedde Le Grand & Funkerman, that old favourite What The Fuck from Funkagenda, and some Led Zeppelin sampling from Sandy Vee. Felix Da Housecat’s Radio provides a great intro to the high BPM frenzy of Guetta’s Jack Is Back, while Benni Benassi rounds out the disc with the powerful sounds of Rock ‘n’ Rave. Frankly speaking, there are some weak tracks on this disc, giving the impression that Guetta is not 100% comfortable unless he’s doing what he does best… playing big – often cheesy, but always satisfying – house tunes.
The second CD is a much more cohesive mix, showcasing the latest and greatest in house, with a little trance influence thrown in for good measure. The disc opens with the sublime Pjanoo from Eric Prydz, for mine the best straight up house track to be released for a while. This is going to be all over the clubs in the months to come. The Albin Myers remix of Tom Novy’s Runaway comes next, delivering more delicious breakdowns and soaring vocals from Abigail Bailey. This is a track with an infectious beat and it’ll mess with your ears (in a good way!) immediately. It’s followed up nicely with the Inpetto 2008 mix of perennial favourite Toca’s Miracle by Fragma.
The central section of the CD takes us to a darker, moodier place, with strong tracks from Arias and Dahlback & Cost. The Meck update of classic OT Quartet track So Strong is a standout; how could anyone resist those gorgeous synths? Then, the distinctly menacing sounds of You from Steve Mac & Paul Harris provide a great counterpoint to some of the more lush sounding tracks. The mix heads towards the finish line at cracking pace, with a driving cut from Tom de Neef and Laidback Luke, followed by the staccato hammer of Underworld’s Ring Road, again remixed by Laidback Luke – this guy is everywhere at the moment! The Joachim Garraud remix of KeeMo & Tim Royoko’s Beautiful Lie beguiles you before kicking you to the floor. And finally the floating sax of +Man With The Red Face_ rounds things out, another classic platter from Funkagenda & Mark Knight.
While the first disc is a hit and miss affair, the second CD is a much more coherent, moody and satisfying listen. This mix is not necessarily going to set the world on fire, but it’s a solid selection of tracks that will go down well on any dancefloor. Given the quality of the second mix, it really is a shame that Guetta didn’t use the same selection principles in the first set. He obviously has a good ear for captivating tunes, but you are left wondering what he was trying to achieve with CD one. However, given that there is some gold amongst the dross, it’s one I would recommend house fans getting their hands on.
