As Lützenkirchen recently told inthemix, “I think that Great Stuff does so well because the crew noticed quite soon that they have to get away a little bit from the obvious ‘hit tracks’ and get back to the ‘roots’ of real quality club tunes.” Since its beginnings in 2003, that’s exactly what the label has offered, and exactly what its five-year anniversary compilation delivers – a four-to-the-floor electro/techno extravaganza.

While the artists featuring on the compilation sound like a who’s who of a more European underground style as far as this kind of genre’s concerned, a lot of the Great Stuff Recordings tracks released over the years have been successful in making their mark on dance music charts across the globe too, and the tracklisting represents both sides well. The first disc, presented and produced by both Tomcraft and Lützenkirchen, comprises 35 tunes either mixed and mashed together, or given three minutes of stand-alone glory, but with the chosen first track being an upbeat combination of Klovn’s I Want You and Mason-vs-Princess Superstar’s Perfect Exceeder, the party’s officially on from the get go. With this in mind, the tempo never really slows into a more chilled-out level, which would have been nice to have but understandably, this is a celebration of how well Great Stuff and its standout tracks have done in such little time.

Before long comes a definite favourite, the awesome M.A.N.D.Y. remix of Rockers Hi-Fi’s Push Push, with a disgustingly seamless lead into Stephan Hinz’s Diescinerum. At first glance, it’s also kind of a shame not to see the wicked likes of Tomcraft’s own Loneliness and Lützenkirchen’s 3 Tage Wach and, of course, Martin Eyerer and Chopsticks’s 2007 anthem Make My Day receive their few minutes of recognition here either but, for the most part, disc one delivers a well thought out and produced back catalogue of the best Great Stuff has had to offer dance culture to date, and the holy trinity mentioned above are well represented throughout both discs, alongside a healthy smattering of Eyerer’s ‘jamming’ buddies, including Oliver Koletzki, Stephan Hinz, Namito, Oliver Klein and of course, Chopstick too.

Disc two is less of a “B-side” unless, of course, that “B” has anything to do with the word “Birthday”. What a major gift: 11 brand new remixes from the current Great Stuff artists, remixing their respective favourite choices from the entire Great Stuff library, and one exclusive track from Tomcraft and Lützenkirchen themselves – cleverly titled Birthday Present. So, while disc one may act as a platform to celebrate the younger guns, the second disc is where the heavyweights get to play. Featuring Rainer Weichhold, Gregor Tresher and Butch on a number of tracks, with Belgian boy wonder Ramon Tapia also garnering a heavy presence, it delivers a smoother, more experienced, driving tempo that really gets under your skin. Maybe here, the idea of saving the best ’til last won out – this one, for me, is the definite win.

Even the concept of the second disc provides proof that Great Stuff Recordings continues to have the foresight to constantly move and evolve. For that reason, it’s exciting to wonder what goods they’ll produce with the release of Great Oktoberfest Stuff later on in the year. It’s probably safe to say that that one, too, will be one to watch out for.

Check out the tracklisting…
Best of Great Stuff – Mixed, Mashed and Edited by Tomcraft & Lützenkirchen

01. Klovn – I Want You (District One Remix)/Mason vs Princess Superstar – Perfect Exceeder (Acapella) 02:14
02. Butch – Amelie 02:59
03. Eyerer & Namito – Seefeuer 01:14
04. Namito – City of Gods/Eyerer & Chopstick – Electric 01:35
05. Rockers Hi-Fi – Push Push (M.A.N.D.Y. Remix) 01:45
06. Stephan Hinz – Diescinerum 02:29
07. Gregor Tresher – Battery 02:30
08. Rainer Weichhold – Bamboo (Format B Remix) 02:59
09. Margot Meets The Melody Maker – Torch (Original) 02:37
10. Mason – The Ridge (Oliver Klein & Peter Jurgens Remix) 02:29
11. Lützenkirchen – Paperboy (D-Nox & Beckers Remix) 02:44
12. Coburn Pres Dumb Blonde – We Have The Technology/Trick & Kubic – Easy (Acappella) 02:29
13. Steve Angello Pres Who’s Who – Sweden 02:14
14. Mike Monday – Zumzum (Audiojack Remix/Coburn vs Dumb Blonde – Sugar Lips (Acappella) 03:01
15. Tomcraft – When I Was Sixteen/Hard & Cheap – Too Late (Acappella) 04:59
16. Alex Cappelli – Bloody Notes 00:59
17. Butch – On The Line (Oxia Remix) 01:30
18. Fergie – Ireland/Nicolette – No Government (Acappella) 04:15
19. Ramon Tapia – Mini Jack/Mike Monday – Zumzum (Acapella) 02:07
20. Lützenkirchen – All About Jazz (Popof Remix 01) 04:00
21. Tomcraft – Boogie Nights 02:44
22. Eyerer & Namito – Quipa (Etienne de Crécy Remix)/The Egg – Wall (Acapella) 03:37
23. Jean Claude Ades & Vincent Thomas – Shingaling/Coburn – We Interrupt This Program 03:37
24. Coburn – Give Me Love (Lützenkirchen Remix) 02:29
25. The Egg – Walking Away (Tocadisco Remix) 02:11
26. Lützenkirchen – Daily Disco 02:29
27. Micky Monzza & Joseph Disco – Bounce Baby (Lützenkirchen Mixdown) 2:15
28. Gregor Tresher – A Thousand Nights (Dubfire Quiet Storm Remix) 03:11

The New Birthday Remixes
01. Rockers Hi-Fi – Push Push (Rainer Weichhold Remix) 05:56
02. Ramon Tapia – Can You Dig It (Butch Remix) 06:22
03. Mason – The Ridge (Oliver Koletzki Remix) 06:32
04. Gregor Tresher – Black Rain (Mihalis Safras Remix) 06:29
05. Rockah & Lewinger – Down Seq (Martin Eyerer Remix) 06:47
06. Butch & Amir – Set It Off (Ramon Tapia Remix) 06:34
07. Gregor Tresher – Running Systems (Oliver Klein Remix) 07:10
08. Rainer Weichhold – Bamboo (Namito Remix) 06:30
09. Karotte – Tronic (Gregor Tresher Remix) 06:28
10. GusGus – Lust (Tonka Remix) 05:52
11. Namito – City of Gods (Fergie Remix) 06:54
12. Tomcraft & Lützenkirchen – Birthday Present (Exclusive Track) 06:10