Phonosynthesis (Includes Continuous Mix By DJ Irene)

Album Review

Never subtle, DJ Irene gets down to business immediately on Phonosynthesis, her 2002 mix for Surge Recordings. Since her business is hard and wild dance music, you nearly feel whiplash when the hardcore-like percussion begins hammering on "Acid Eaterz," the second of 29 tracks featured in the mix. Irene flies through one track after the other, all of them hard and wild, and most of them quite provocative and sexual. For the most part, Irene keeps the tempo breakneck and the intensity numbing throughout her set, throwing down one record after another. Above all, she seems to favor hard house, though she also isn't afraid to throw down trance as well, especially toward the end of her set. Because she releases so many mix albums, many of them awfully similar, for better or worse, its futile to single out Phonosynthesis. It's no exception to her output. If you've enjoyed her releases from the same era, she won't let you down with this one.