Ultimate NRG 5

Album Review

Ultimate NRG Megamix is another in a long line of bounce-style NRG mixes by Australian-born DJ, producer, and remixer Alex K. Released in association with Universal Music TV in the United Kingdom, Ultimate NRG Megamix is a double-disc package that boasts a whopping 90 tracks overall, with 42 featured on the first disc and 48 on the second disc. Some of the biggest names in Eurodance are heard here, including Cascada, Scooter, and Ultrabeat, and there are also occasional pop artists such as Tinchy Stryder, Girls Aloud, and Cheryl Cole who show up in the form of remixes. Indeed, the majority of the 90 tracks on Ultimate NRG Megamix are remixes, 27 of them — nearly a third of the album — remixed by Alex K himself. In addition, Alex K also showcases some of his own production work, six tracks in total. As for the mixing job, it's fast-paced and rather dizzying with each track getting somewhere around a minute of play before Alex K brings in the next track. Such is the nature of bounce-style NRG mixes such as this, however, and fans of the style should already know more or less what to expect on Ultimate NRG Megamix. Other than a bunch of new material, there's little that differentiate these NRG mix albums from one another. Despite its billing as the "ultimate" such mix, Ultimate NRG Megamix is essentially just another mix album release by Alex K. Fortunately, he's one of the most reliable artists in the bounce business, and it's quite impressive to hear him do it all on this album, from his remixing and production work to the mix itself.