The Fresh Records Anthology CD

In some ways, New York's Fresh Records was always an odd label. A subsidiary of Arthur Russell's Sleeping Bag Records that was initially set up in 1985 to release hip-hop, A&R man Kurtis Mantronik quickly widened its' remit to include electro, freestyle and, later, house. This expansive three-disc anthology from crate-digger Bill Brewster tells the story of the imprint's eight-year history, beginning with a disc of bona fide dancefloor jams (focusing mostly on freestyle and house gear from Todd Terry and Hanson & Davis cuts). Discs two and three focus on the label's arguably better-known hip-hop history, showcasing the work of Fresh staples EPMD, Just Ice, T La Rock, Stezo and Nice & Smooth.