Clubland X-Treme Hardcore Vol.3 (Compiled And Mixed By Darren Styles & Breeze/Hixxy) - Various Artists

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it rate alongside the competition	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	60 Tracks of likeable and happy hardcore !
Disadvantages:	A more restrained sound that doesn't sit too well with the rest of the series .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Clubland X-Treme Hardcore Volume 3. The Winter 05 release in the very popular UK Hardcore Dance compilation that has seen DJ Styles, Breeze and Hixxy producing and mixing their own compilations Bi-Annually since 2006.

===Basic Details===

Tracks: 50
Approx total runtime: 168 minutes
Featured DJs: Styles, Breeze, Hixxy
Label: Clubland, Universal, All Around the World, HTID.
Other Titles in the Series: Clubland Xtreme 1 & 2. Clubland Xtreme Hardcore 1, 2 & 4.
Sub-genre: Hardcore/Happy Hardcore
Warning: Parental Advisory, explicit lyrics.

===What is Hardcore?===

For those of you whom quite like dance music as a whole but don't quite know what makes hardcore different to other types of dance music, for instance the music featured in Clubland 14, I will give a brief introduction.
Hardcore has a faster and heavier sounding beat. The beat usually stays very steady throughout the entire track except for breakoffs- points where the beat dissapears completely and the listener is put into a relaxed state with a mixture of slow strings and harmony. Hardcore uses lyrics more as an instrument than a dominating omnipresent part of music. In this album, lyrics are heavily relied upon in some tracks and completely ignored in others. Hardcore DJ show no restraint in adding sound effects and long drum snare fills to drive the music up into a powerful crescendo. Words are however, only words. And to feel the full effect, I suggest visiting HMV or Virgin Music's new brand Zawi and swiping this CD under a 'try before you buy' headset to experience it for yourself.

===New-comers===

If you've yet to sample Clublands harder little brother, CXHD3 offers a lot in the way of fast hardcore music. You may recognise many of the tracks as remixed versions of popular clubland favourites such as 'Castles in the sky' as track 1 on Style's disk. Hixxy, Styles and Breeze are 3 of the most famous and reputable UK DJs on the scene with discographies reaching back over the last decade. By no means is all the content produced by them however, guest featuring on the disks are a range of tracks from across the country that have been simply selected by the DJs and mixed into the disk.

===Old Friends===

If you've listened to Volumes 1, 2, or 4, there isn't much risk in your purchase of this album at all as it is fairly similar. However I'll let it be known that this was my least favourite outing in the series. Do not let that put you off buying this, but if you have the choice I'd suggest buying any of the other 3 instead to fufill your desire. The reason I wasn't wowed by these disks was because of the general sound of the album. The beats were shorter and it created a 'neat' and 'abstract' feeling rather than epic and euphoric. Excessively abstract vocal sampling also detracted from the music slightly in some tracks.

===Key Tracks===
my personal favourites===CD1===

1. Track 1, CASTLES IN THE SKY (DJ Sammy, Styles remix)
2. Track 3, PIECE OF HEAVEN (Wave)
3. Track 11, ONLY YOU (Hyper Logic)

===CD2===

1. Track 2, MY DIRECTION (D-code feat. Emma)
2. Track 4, WHEN LOVE BECOMES A LIE (Breeze Remix)
3. Track 6, TRUELY MADLY DEEPLY (Cascada Breeze remix)
4. Track 17, GOOD TO ME (Re-con & Sqaud-E)

===CD3===

1. Track 2, TAKE ME WITH YOU (Hixxy)
2. Track 5, MORE & MORE (Hixxy)
3. Track 14, IM HARDCORE, THIS IS WHAT I DO (Hixxy & Storm meet Dougal & Gammer)

Final Thoughts

This CD delivers 60 tracks for £8. Thats 13p for track, and even though all tracks won't cater for all tastes, this represents great value for money.

If you've never purchased a CD with 'Hardcore' in the title then I recommend Clubland Xtreme Hardcore 2 or Clubland Xtreme first. These are in a few respects, slightly more likened to the majority of dance music lovers tastes. However for that HTID crowd, I see no reason why Clubland Xtreme Hardcore 4 shouldn't make a mark on your shelf.

Simon Oates

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