Dance Attack - Power Dance Mix

Genre: Italo/Hard Dance
Label: Bonnier Amigo Records
Type of media: CD
Bought at: CDON.com
Reviewed by: Christopher von Würden
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

[text]The Dance Attack series are back in another volume, this time with DJ Janik along for the second time and Jack Dizzle for the first. Janik Frithioff also known as DJ Janik is a Danish deejay and promoter of the italo genre while Jack Dizzle also known as Casper Østergaard and former co-producer of the Danish dance act Aycan, is a producer and deejay focused mainly on the Hard Dance genre and has mixed for Italian Rockaz among others.

In contrast to the last volume DJ Janik produced in the Dance Attack series “Italo Power Mix” where he mixed the whole cd, he only mixed half as much this time whereas Jack Dizzle mixed the other half.

Track list:
Part 1 Mixed By Dj Janik

01. Jajo & Gith - Kick Down (Original Isaia Remix)
02. 4fantasy Feat. Mariucch - Clap Your Hands (Radio Edit)
03. Gabry Ponte - Movin’ On (2007 Re-work)
04. Dj Power - My Destiny (Italo Maranza Mix)
05. Ma.Bra - The Riddle (Ma.Bra. Extended Mix)
06. Disc Jockeyz - Little Queen (Domasi Remix)
07. Overland Feat. Kimmy - This Music Is Magic (Overland mix)
08. The Dreamers - Rise Up (Medley With Mad World) (Extended Mix)
09. Italan Rockaz Vs. Glozzi - Bella Italia (Overland Extended)
10. Italobrothers - Where Are You Now? (Original Mix)
11. Fabrizio E Marco - Fly Away (Sander Extended)
12. Luca Zeta Vs. Sander - Ways Of Love (New Hands Up Extended Mix)
13. Apollo - Dance 2007 (Cascada Remix)

Part 2 Mixed By Jack Dizzle

14. The Hitmen - Side By Side (Vocal Club mix)
15. DeeCee - Walking In The Sky (Original Mix)
16. Topmodelz - Living On A Prayer (Original Mix)
17. 89ers - 89ers Boy (Club Mix)
18. Cascada - What Do You Want From Me? (Club Mix)
19. Straight FLush - Let’s All Chant (Rob Mayth Remix)
20. DJ Gollum Feat. Felixx - Fairytale Gone Bad (Empyre One Vs. Petersen Remix)
21. Rocco & Bass-t - Tell Me When (Club Mix)
22. Pimp! Code - You Know (Original Mix)
23. Brooklyn Bounce - The Theme (Of Progressive Attack) Recall (Raindropz! Remix)
24. The Real Booty Babes - Derb! (Radio Edit)
25. Bang Bros - I Engineer (Without Bangboy Mix)

Just like “Italo Power mix” the CD starts out with Jakob Lund (Danish radio host and deejay) introducing us to the first of two mixes.
Janik begins with “Kick Down” by Jajo & Gith which can be considered as a Hard Dance track made italo, quite a simple recipe. Better starters could have been chosen but it gets the job done. Just afterwards the music beautifully moves over to “Clap Your Hands” which is a bit harder in the sound than Kick Down. The hard sound is quickly replaced by Gabry Ponte’s newest venture “Movin’ On” originally produced by Da Blitz which is a great italo track with the classic sound of Gabry. Suddenly Movin’ On slows down with odd sounds to follow but just as one could begin to doubt DJ Janik’s abilities as deejay he manages to turn it into “My Destiny” by DJ Power in the best transition of the compilation. Please note that when seeing the title “Italo Maranza Mix” you can always expect something great.

Next up is Ma.Bra. with his remix of Nick Kershaw’s “The Riddle” from 1984. Though Ma.Bra. mostly produces hard dance at the moment he actually made something quite close to italo this time. It is still quite far from his great period a few years ago though. The opposite applies to the next track “Little Queen” by Disc Jockeyz in a Domasi remix. I have had a hard time in the past when I was criticize Domasi’s remixes and I am not really planning to do anything about it for some time to come simply because Domasi and Disc Jockeyz delivers the best track on the CD. That said it was not expected but it was anticipated.

With almost unnoticeable manor the music changes to the typical sound of Overland in “The Music Is Magic” a great track with a lovely adventurous sound but without the greatest hit potential though. That can’t be said for “Rise Up” by The Dreamers which has been played a lot in the radio ItalianDanceNetwork lately. Though the lyrics are quite monotone The Dreamers manage to get the best out of it just as Overland do in his remix of “Bella Italia” by Italian Rockaz afterwards where he shows what he is really capable of – one of the best Overland mixes lately and with the lovely adventurous sound also used in The Music Is Magic.

Next up is Italobrothers with their latest single “Where Are You Now?” which is a typical Italobrothers track including elements of both German and Italian dance music. Though it sounds very commercial it is hard to deny its hit potential where it possibly will be a success at some extend, if not in the radio at least on their live tours.
A name becoming increasingly attractive is Fabrizio e Marco who are represented by their newest single “Fly Away” in a Sander remix. For those who know Sander’s style there is nothing new to come for. He delivers a solid mix of hard dance and italo.

Though the track list in track number 12 says Luca Zeta there’s not much Luca Zeta about it except for the vocals. It is hard dance with the usual hard pumping and tasteless bass even though the title includes Sander who usually gives us something much better. All that said it is listenable though.

The last track for DJ Janik to come up with is Apollo’s “Dance” from 2001 in an updated version and mixed by Cascada as we know it, nothing new here either. I wonder why DJ Janik chose hard dance to end with when he had the opportunity to deliver us music in better quality, however it makes sense when you see it in a mix-perspective. It is easy to be a bit skeptical still though.
Admittedly not the best track list ever chosen by DJ Janik for a mix but close though. He does a really great job mixing it all together whereas Domasi’s remix of “Little Queen” could be reason enough to buy the whole CD, 5 out of 6 for Janik to brag with.

From A to B and Janik to Dizzle..
In contrast to DJ Janik’s mix Jack Dizzle’s is pure Hard Dance starting out with The Hitmen a track with nice vocals but a less good chorus. The next track is actually produced by Jack Dizzle himself whereby one can get a feeling what he is capable of. Unfortunately it is quite a boring acquaintance. So we move quickly on to Topmodelz better known as Pulsedriver who made an easy eatable remix of Bon Jovi’s “Livin On A Prayer” from 1986 a great track but a poor remix, he could surely do better.

And old friend is 89ers who actually produced music close to italo in the old days, nowadays it is rock mixed with hard dance a nice cocktail but seen before. Another well known recipe used before are Cascada. Though there is still not much new under the sun it still works great just like the next track produced by the ever great Rob Mayth. Though he has produced much better “Let’s All Chant” is approved.
Hard Trance is not really my field so DJ Gollum Feat. Felixx are happily skipped, but now you know it is there.

Rocco & Bass-T delivers more of the good ol’ hard dance in “Tell Me Why” again with a bit of rock mixed in that can’t be said of “You Know” by Pimp! Code whom is produced by Rob Mayth and which is pure hard dance, again is his effort approved. The last three tracks offer more of the same kind whereas “I Engineer” by Bang Bros being the best.
Overall an ok mix that does not drag the whole CD down in the mud but keeps it just above. 3 out of 6 for Jack Dizzle’s part

With as much hard dance as this compilation has, it seemed ready to be shot down. Admitted that the idea of a compilation with 50% italo and 50% hard dance did not seem like the best, I must say that the end result came out pretty well. DJ Janik really shows what he is capable of in mixing and Jack Dizzle shows his potential. DJ Janik’s mix is of course far the best both technically and musically, but Jack Dizzle did a fine job too though his mixing sounds a little more basic. His choices for tracks are better than expected though and might very well be interesting to check out if you have a little more than 135BPM pumping in your blood. Overall the CD is not as good as its predecessor “Italo Power Mix” but it would surely be a great party starter nonetheless and definitely a must if you like both italo and hard dance.[/text]