Machine Soul: An Odyssey Into Electronic Dance Music

• Artist: Various Artists
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 14, 2000
• Total Time: 144:43
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Electronica

Review

An effective compilation of electronic pop with a narrow scope and an overly safe track listing but with plenty of highlights, Machine Soul: An Odyssey Into Electronic Dance sets out to cover the goal stated in the title. As such, the two-disc set begins with the logical choice: Kraftwerk. From there, the album moves into disco (the Giorgio Moroder-produced "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer), synth-pop (Sparks, OMD, Gary Numan), industrial electronics (Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire), electro (Afrika Bambaataa, Newcleus), and Detroit techno (Juan Atkins' Cybotron, Derrick May's Rythim Is Rythim, Kevin Saunderson's Inner City). Moving seamlessly from electronic progenitors to the rave-era explosion, Machine Soul continues on the second disc with sampladelic and acid-house anthems from M/A/R/R/S, the KLF, the Orb, the Shamen, and Moby before hitting electronica with Prodigy, Underworld, and the Chemical Brothers, then ending with epic trance producers Paul Van Dyk and BT. The journey takes over two hours, but the Machine Soul odyssey presents an unfailingly straight line from the early '70s to the end of the century, with no speedbumps or problems with weak licensing (for the latter, thank Rhino's corporate cousin, Time/Warner). For listeners unfamiliar with the genre, caveats here are practically non-existent. A few electronic-dance fans, however, may quibble with the direction of the compilation; practically every track here is led by vocals, whereas the vast majority of electronic-dance tracks have none. And given a style that focuses so much on the underground, the compilers would have been wise to insert tracks from at least one or two recent independent producers. Besides focusing on the "soul" of the "machine" rather than the reverse, Machine Soul is an excellent definition of the genre. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Robots	Karl Bartos, Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider	Kraftwerk	(6:11)
Warm Leatherette	Daniel Miller	The Normal	(3:20)
I Feel Love (Lyrics)	Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte	Donna Summer	(5:55)
The Number One Song in Heaven	Giorgio Moroder, Ron Mael, Russell Mael	Sparks	(7:27)
Electricity	Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys	Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	(3:33)
Cars (Lyrics)	Gary Numan	Gary Numan	(3:56)
Adrenalin	Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, Genesis P-Orridge	Throbbing Gristle	(3:56)
Yashar	Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk	Cabaret Voltaire	(5:01)
Planet Rock (Lyrics)	Arthur Baker, Afrika Bambaataa, J. Miller, Alonzo Williams	Afrika Bambaataa, Soul Sonic Force	(6:23)
Jam on Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song)	Maurice Cenac	Newcleus	(7:52)
Clear	Juan Atkins	Cybotron	(4:54)
Blue Monday (Lyrics)	Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner, Gillian Gilbert	New Order	(7:27)
Strings of Life	Derrick May, Mike James	Rhythim Is Rhythim	(6:07)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Pump Up the Volume [Radio Edit]	Martyn Young, Steven Young	M/A/R/R/S	(4:06)
Big Fun	Paris Grey, Kevin Saunderson, James Pennington, Arthur Forrest	Inner City	(3:25)
Enjoy the Silence [Single Mix]	Martin L. Gore	Depeche Mode	(4:15)
What Time Is Love? [Live at Trancentral Mix]	Isaac Bello, Jimmy Cauty, Bill Drummond	The KLF	(3:50)
Little Fluffy Clouds [Dance Mix Mk I Edit]	Dr. Alex Paterson, Martin Glover	The Orb	(4:03)
Go (Lyrics)	Moby	Moby	(3:37)
Move Any Mountain [I.R.P. in the the Land of Oz Remix]	The Shamen, Mr. C, Colin Angus	The Shamen	(5:02)
James Brown Is Dead [7" Version]	Denzil Slemming	L.A. Style	(3:07)
Charly [Alley Cat Mix]	Liam Howlett	The Prodigy	(5:22)
Rez	Darren Emerson, Karl Hyde, Rick Smith	Underworld	(9:57)
Life Is Sweet (Lyrics)	Tim Burgess, Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons	The Chemical Brothers	(6:31)
Absurd [Mighty Dub Katz Vox Mix]		Fluke	(6:28)
2 Kool 4 Skool [Short]	Afrika Bambaataa, J. Miller, Timothy Wiles, Ellis Williams	Überzone	(3:34)
For an Angel [PVD Angel in Heaven Radio Mix]	Paul van Dyk	Paul van Dyk	(3:52)
Godspeed [BT Edit Mix]	Brian Transeau	BT	(5:32)

Credits

Arthur Baker (Producer), Cabaret Voltaire (Producer), Depeche Mode (Producer), The KLF (Producer), Kraftwerk (Producer), New Order (Producer), Gary Numan (Producer), The Orb (Producer), Sparks (Performer), Donna Summer (Performer), Throbbing Gristle (Producer), Richard Davis (Producer), Cybotron (Performer), Inner City (Performer), L.A. Style (Performer), Moby (Producer), Underworld (Performer), Newcleus (Performer), Youth (Producer), Giorgio Moroder (Producer), The Prodigy (Performer), The Shamen (Producer), Fluke (Performer), M/A/R/R/S (Performer), Afrika Bambaataa (Performer), Juan Atkins (Producer), Pete Bellotte (Producer), Hugh Brown (Art Direction), Hugh Brown (Photography), Norman Cook (Remixing), Flood (Producer), Dan Hersch (Remastering), Bill Inglot (Remastering), David McLees (Project Assistant), Daniel Miller (Producer), Ted Myers (Project Supervisor), Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (Producer), Kevin Saunderson (Producer), Thrash (Remixing), Brian Transeau (Producer), Liam Howlett (Producer), Martyn Young (Producer), The Chemical Brothers (Producer), BT (Performer), Danny Goldman (Editorial Research), The Normal (Performer), Derrick May (Producer), Rhythim Is Rhythim (Performer), Patrick Milligan (Project Assistant), Überzone (Producer), Chaz Stevens (Producer), Julie Vlasak (Art Direction), Julie Vlasak (Design), Steven Chean (Editorial Supervision), Jim Hughes (Project Assistant), Paul van Dyk (Performer), Steve Woolard (Research Assistant), Soul Sonic Force (Performer), Joe Webb (Producer), Craig DeGraff (Producer), Shawn Amos (Editorial Coordinator), Johan Kugelberg (Producer), Frank Fair (Producer)