Smash Hits and Licks
Dim Mak CD Sampler
Dim Mak
Dim Mak has been one of the few truly defining hardcore labels since its inception six years back, and if you’re at all curious about what’s been going on since Black Flag ruled the world, then this – Dim Mak’s first label comp – is definitely worth looking in to. With label boss Steve Aoki’s strict quality control, there really isn’t a single bad track here, although it’s a slight letdown that there’s only a couple of previously unreleased tracks on it. However, as an introduction to Dim Mak’s rich and varied catalogue, this works great.
Dim Mak has always been about supporting hardcore with a purpose – exploring and conscious music that refuses to limit itself to the often strictly defined parameters of the genre. And this comp set out to show both the scope and the consistency of Dim Mak.
Kicking off with a creepy piece from Jim Schwartz, things really get into gear with a track from the splendid Pretty Girls Make Graves and the immediately following Nine Days Wonder captured at their most brilliant. Elsewhere, we get JR Ewing – who was behind one of 2002’s top hardcore albums – with a track from the split they did with This Machine Kills (who, for whatever reason, aren’t on here). Envy, however, is here, Kill Sadie get two tracks, and of course, there is Planes Mistaken For Stars, Dim Mak’s first love. And that’s just the beginning of it.
Get this if you want to catch up on the state of contemporary hardcore – this is a splendid introduction to the uncompromising world of Dim Mak Records.
Dim Mak Records: http://www.dimmak.com
