Praga Khan
Mixed Up
Antler-Subway
Ostensibly the man behind the über-techno group Lords Of Acid (as well as Digital Orgasm), this release by Maurice Engelen contains several tracks from his prior releases under the Praga Khan moniker. Fourteen tracks in all, this compilation includes tracks dating from 1993, and onward to 2001. While I was expecting a techno compilation spanning this time frame to sound somewhat dated, I was impressed with the amount of power and timeliness much of this music retained. From the opening track, “Luv U Still,” through such stellar pieces as a live version of Iggy Pop’s “Lust For Life,” remixed in a techno context, the music overwhelms the casual listener. This begs the question, who would be a casual listener to tracks like this? Out of nearly any type of music, these dance tracks compel you to get up and move. Either you sidle on up to dance floor and score or slide down on to the street corner and score with something else. The beats propel you forward and the lyrics are all skewed towards drugs, sex, and debauchery. All the things your mother warned you about. At times evocative of the aforementioned Lords Of Acid or even My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult in all their debauched glory, this is a worthy collection for even – gulp! – a casual techno listener.
Antler Subway Records, 7 W. 22nd Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10010; http://www.neverrecords.com, http://www.pragakhan.com
