The Sound Of Belgium CD

For a country its size, Belgium has a surprisingly strong electronic music pedigree. Over the last four decades, the country's musicians have been responsible for some of most weird, wonderful, quirky, eccentric and downright odd dance music around. This four CD collection sets out to tell the story in full, moving from tongue-in-cheek Italo to ragging trance and techno via a stylish new wave, new beat, proto-trance, R&S-era rave and intense acid house. While there are plenty of well known artists and tracks present ("Energy Flash", "Kinetic", Neon, Front 242, The Age of Love, Praga Khan etc), the compilation's real strength lies in its celebration of Belgium's lesser-known lights (Liaisons D and C Cat Trance, anyone?). For that reason alone it should be essential listening.

Ali Renault, J. Haller, Avalon Emerson