Dieselboy

Roni Size and Goldie may have the celebrity market cornered, but it is Dieselboy who has the hardcore following. On his eighth mix CD, The Dungeonmaster's Guide, the junglist pursues a fantasy theme narrated by Peter Cullen, the voice behind Venger from the animated series Dungeons & Dragons (as well as Optimus Prime from Transformers).

He commissions exclusive remixes of tracks from other styles of dance music as well as classic drum and bass tunes. Among those given the business are Sasha (whose tune "Immortal" gets a standout remix by Kaos and Karl K), Tiësto ("Flight 643"), BT ("Knowledge of Self"), and Josh Wink ("Evil Acid"). Dieselboy even takes a hand to two of the tracks himself (with the help of Kaos and Karl K): Dom and Kemal's "Moulin Rouge" and Decorum's "Contrax," which yields a notable reworking.

Although it's flawlessly assembled and mixed by Dieselboy, Dungeonmaster is hard work for the listener. Colored with shades of synth-heavy trance, it is composed using the harshest and darkest of sounds. But take the time to process this aggressive material with a discerning ear and you'll appreciate the painstaking capabilities of its producers. -- Lily Moayeri