It’s been five years since The Bang Gang DJs began dominating clubs in Sydney, becoming one of the most successful DJ collaborations to come out of this sunburnt land. A joint effort between Dangerous Dan, Ajax, DJ Damage, Gus Da Hoodrat, Double Nolan and Jaime Doom, they’ve gotten so popular, they’ve even had a gyrating dance named after them.

Following on with the two-disc eclectic-mix format of their last release Light Sound Dance, Bang Gang have again thrown together a double whammy party soundtrack with just as much of a drug reference carrying through the title: D is for Disco E is for Dancing. Clever, once you figure out the meaning. A similar statement might be made for the experience of listening to the album.

This latest monster manages to cover every possible genre within its 67 strong track listing. How did they do that? By editing up short, less than three-minute versions of tracks, wasting no time in transitioning from one to the next. A dream for music lovers with ADHD. That’ll keep ‘em focused.

After I’d studied the sleeve closely (and I mean that literally; the tracklist is damn hard to read) it was time to exercise the ‘don’t just a book by its cover’ rule. My first mistake was putting the first disc into my CD player in the car, where I had no room to throw missile-like objects in frustration. My second mistake was making other people associated with the dance music industry listen to it for a second opinion. I lost some friends. Covering all the bases of current commercial dance crazes in genre classification, from Baltimore and hip hop breaks to electro house, funk, tech and even a bit of minimal, the idea is obvious; something for everyone.

The problems apparent on disc one are, unfortunately, also obvious. It’s normally quite easy to allow Bang Gang grab you by the ears and throw you deep into a party mindset, with their music being the perfect soundtrack to get you pumped while getting ready for a night out, or as ‘what the cool kids are listening to’ background beats to your 18-year old brother’s birthday party. But this time, I found myself fighting every second seen ticking away on the stereo LCD. Bang Gang have been blasting speakers and blowing minds in clubs around the country, but their latest ideas on what’s hot just don’t transfer to the home system well enough to justify any nice words for about the next two paragraphs.

With poor choices from each genre on too many accounts, I had to take a deep breath and wait patiently for something to bring back my love for the gang that usually bangs. The tracks are lesser known than those used on Light Sound Dance. This could be an evolved change from the cheese. so no, the tracks chosen are not of a mix of ol’ skool chart hits with modern and trendy as on the previous release. Instead, the tunes on D is for Disco classify more as ‘so five minutes ago’, lacking the irony needed to qualify a cheesy track as cool. I love Spruce Lee’s baltimore remix of Heart it Races by Architecture in Helsinki... but I was listening to it intensely about a year and a half ago. Then, I was finally tipped over the edge when Midnight Mike’s version of INXS hit, I Need You Tonight, floated offensively through my personal space. I’d like to know who thought this was a good idea. Then I’d like to know where they live.

Building on my flat-out fury the first disc has now created, the tracks have also been thrown together almost carelessly, turning my facial expression into a car-wreck cringe on a few occasions where the transitions are faulted and unnecessary effects are mixed into a half-decent track. To save face with some sort of explanation, we can look at it from a production point of view: it must be difficult to please an entire audience of young dance music lovers with the average attention span of a five year old jacked up on red cordial, let alone then having to mix each contrasting genre into an other without a glitch.

As I clutched the CD case, prepared to wind the car window down, and searched on the sidewalk for a suitable target, I put the second disc in. My hopes were still fading through the first six tracks before, hallelujah, the disc less ordinary began to impress. Bad Runner by Brodinski (*Crookers’* Gone Electro remix) saved its life. Bless those second chances! E is for Dancing is again riddled with one to two year old tunes, but with better selections of more interesting tracks in a less confusing order. With a few upbeat house and Baltimore tracks weaved through a whole lot of deeper, dirtier electro and occasional techy tracks, the second disc is like a rich, cold, creamy desert after forcing down a cactus casserole for dinner.

With better choices in the selection and execution on E is for Dancing, it’s much less a challenge to listen to the odd and underground tracks mixed beside the well-known and popular. It’s easier through this disc to enjoy the Bang Gang Deejays the way you’re meant to – with a smile in front of an open mind. African Chant by Scottie B & King Tutt sealed the truce to no longer bag the Bang Gang and the rest of the tracks on the disc from such favourites as Underworld, Bonde De Role, The Presets, Kid Cudi and A-Trak drift pleasingly into one another.

Bang Gang’s D is for Disco, E is for Dancing had me worried. If the album were a sports movie (bear with me here), Bang Gang were down and out in the first half, trying too hard to impress fans with unnecessary tricks and throwing down every play in their repertoire, resulting in a disorganized mess. Then, they somehow managed to pull themselves together in the second half for a dramatic, heartwarming Mighty Ducks comeback.

This mixed-style two disc format is such a fantastic idea and screams ‘party soundtrack potential’, but it’s only the second disc that saves Bang Gang’s reputation as an amazing Australian collaboration with a knack for party tunes and a keen ear for what their audience wants. At least with 37 tracks on the second disc outnumbering the first disc’s 31, I guess we can say this release scores predominantly well, although I recommend listening to them in a backwards order to charge up a good mood before attempting the dangerous disc one encounter.