New York: A Mix Odyssey Part 2

'Armand Van Helden's 2004 New York: A Mix Odyssey was an overtly pleasing, one-size-fits-all, dumber-than-dumb party album. It was one of the rare mixes that could allow for "Black Betty" to rub shoulders with "Fascinated" without any contradiction whatsoever. It also let the New York-based DJ display his best mainstream moments in years with catchy electro hits like "My My My" and "Say My Name." For Part 2, however, Helden has seemingly decided to leave eclecticism in the hands of the likes of The Bang Gang DJs and Girl Talk and opted instead for a strictly old-skool aesthetic, namely vintage acid and hip-house. Being the exact same age as AVH myself, I can still clearly recall those days in college in 1990 when Erik B & Rakim and Fast Eddie pumped the proverbial jam alongside C&C Music Factory and Leila K (sadly absent here): In terms of aiming at the nostalgia jugular, this is a killer album. Firstly, let's just appreciate the fact that it is always terrifyingly fun to hear Roxanne Shanté sassily rapping her way through pre-Missy Elliot beats all over again, just like it is really terrifyingly fun to be reminded Queen Latifah used to be a playful and curvy ghetto princess inviting you to a house party. "I'll House Ya" and "This is Acid" might be overplayed underground successes, yet here they're fitting Zeitgeist-defining inclusions helping Van Helden to recreate the era's stylistic cross-fertilization. Even Van Helden's own tracks from last year's Ghettoblaster LP ("This Ain't Hollywood," "Playmate," the still mighty "Touch Your Toes"), although all weirdly crammed together at the beginning of the mix's final third, sound totally at home, reminding listeners of the type of contemporary rap-tinged electro-house P. Diddy once threatened to release.' - Stéphane Girard / Residentadvisor.net