Going Out Of My Head - Adventures On The Indie Dancefloor 1995-1999 (Clamshell Box)

After the Madchester scene of the late 80s merged neo-psychedelic indie pop with acid house, the crossover between club culture and alternative rock reached new heights during the second half of the 90s, when journalists touted "electronica" as the next big thing. Going Out of My Head: Adventures on the Indie Dancefloor 1995-1999 attempts to anthologize the peak era of big beat, trip-hop, and alternative dance, giving space to DJ/producer acts and dance-influenced rock bands as well as rare remixes previously tucked away on CD singles. Compared to most Cherry Red compilations, this one amusingly seems to contain a higher percentage of songs that were actually hits, including U.K. chart-toppers such as the Prodigys "Breathe" and Norman Cooks remix of Cornershops "Brimful of Asha," and material that was omnipresent on compilations and soundtracks of the era, such as the Urbal Beats series, The Saint, and Astralwerks label samplers. Regardless, the set is still a fun trip back to a time when it truly felt like something new and innovative was happening in music. The Chemical Brothers are only present as remixers (their mix of Bomb the Bass "Bug Powder Dust" sounds like a prototype for the massive "Block Rockin Beats"), while Fatboy Slim is represented by remixes as well as the classic rock subversion "Going Out of My Head." Excellent selections from Bentley Rhythm Ace and Indian Ropeman are big beat tomfoolery at its finest, while cuts by Howie B and Jimi Tenor are a bit more on the vibey, boutique-friendly side. While plenty of remixes of hugely popular bands like Blur, Radiohead, Supergrass, and Skunk Anansie are present, the compilers also included a few original tracks by groups who seemed to be slightly influenced by dance music but didnt fully embrace it, from eclectic weirdos Super Furry Animals to more traditionalist rock bands like Ocean Colour Scene and Shed Seven. The only drumnbass inclusions are relative obscurities by Under the Honeytunnel (an indie rock band who briefly dabbled in the genre) and Future Loop Foundation (aka Mark Barrott, who became better known for making downtempo and Balearic disco after the 90s). The third disc ends with the Motiv8 remix of Dubstars sublime hit "Stars," then the fourth disc seems to focus more on reflective, after-hours selections than the party-friendly first three (though the mix of Trickys Public Enemy cover "Black Steel" included here is actually more aggressive and guitar-heavy than the version on Maxinquaye). Serving as a comedown soundtrack, theres trippy downtempo from FSOL, a dubbed-out Paul Weller remix, Hooverphonics "2Wicky" (still one of the best non-British trip-hop songs ever made), and Lambs "Gorecki," a breathtakingly beautiful song that wouldve been wildly out of place if it was sequenced earlier in the set. Finally, the compilation ends with the Aloofs symphonic procession "The Last Stand," which received frequent BBC Radio 1 airplay on the day of Princess Dianas death -- a fascinating, somewhat unexpected bit of historical context for a sobering post-rave track. ~ Paul Simpson