Collection, The (Tokyo Project Presents...) - Various Artists

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Good Collection of dance tracks
Disadvantages:	Too many Overlaps from the Hed Kandi label

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Tokyo Project presents The Collection CD comes from the new venture by Mark Doyle, who was previously boss at Hed Kandi before starting up his own label. This is their first release.

Disc One

It opens promisingly with a track called The Weekend by Michael Gray which is quite a famous club classic; I was disappointed to know I already had it on Hed Kandi: Disco Heaven from last spring. It mixes well with Jamiroquai's Seven Days in Sunny June, which is the next track, and a commercial hit, which most tracks used on such compilations aren't. This was followed by Sean from Aya, a track that was on Hed Kandi's Spring Sampler 2005 and their Winter Mix 2004. Martin Solveg's Everybody was one of the better tracks by him and I also enjoyed the Mylo Vs Miami Sound Machine's Doctor Pressure, a combo of Dr Beat from MSM and Mylo's Drop the Pressure. So Many Times by Gadjo (featuring Alexandra Price) is a great track, and also on Hed Kandi's Disco Heaven from last year (though a different mix I believe).Supafly Vs Fishbowl's Let's Get Down was only the second song on this compilation that was new to me, and has a nice summer beat to it. Another commercial track that made it onto the CD was Basement Jaxx's jazzy Do Your Thing which I love. For a Spanish influenced guitar led track we have Bon Garcon's Freek U which is a great track. Eric Kupper who is a Hed Kandi stalwart has a track called Love Me in association with Discrete featuring Belle Erskine, which is one of the lighter tracks on the disc with some good vocals. The intriguingly named Sex on Monday had a nice easy, dance track called Bring Back the Love (Hold Me Down). This was followed by Eric Kupper again, also with Discrete and this time featuring Bonnie Bailey on a track called Always Wanted which is a great dance track. FAC 15 featuring Cathi Ogden also brings a new track to the disc called Haven't You Heard which is also fab and catchy. The last song on Disc one is Live Element's Something About You with a sample if old rock classic Kiss You All Over. I am really impressed with Disc One, there is not a dud track on there, the only disadvantage is that quite a few of them are old HK ones (although good ones) and if this disc is to appeal to the same market, it needs to have some different tracks.

Disc Two

Disc Two kicks off with Give It by X-press 2 featuring Kurt Wagner which is a bit different to the tracks on Disc One , I found it a bit odd at first but there is a good hook and I ended up liking it. This is followed by Nasty Girl by Inaya Day, also a funkier track and catchy from the beginning (and quite commercial as I am sure I have heard it before). Lil' Love by Little Love which is a cover of a Lisa Stansfield track, which syncs into I like Love (I Love Love) by Solitaire. Next up was Can't Fake It by Steve Anders Vs Andrea T Mendoza, a track that was on Hed Kandi: Winter 2004 and Disco Heaven from last January. Fortunately where they have duplicated tracks they have been personal favourites from previous compilations and this is a good disco track as was Love on my Mind by Freemasons featuring Amanda Wilson which followed, it which sounded like it could have come out of any Seventies disco mix but with a contemporary treatment. Love's Just Found Me by The Montana's featuring Rita Campbell is also in the same vein. Faith Evans' track Mesmerised is up there and is a classic dance track although possibly one of the weakest on the compilation it is still better than a lot of tracks on the HK World Series Vol One compilation. Dannii Minogue & The Soul Seekerz also appear on the Tokyo Project with the track Perfection. I Just Can't Get Enough by Herd & Fitz featuring Abigail Bailey also sounds familiar, but as I don't have it on any other compilations, I think it is because it has crossed over commercially as it is a very upbeat track with a good dance beat to it with strong vocals. Soul Central's Strings of Life also makes an appearance (duplicated from HK Winter 2004, triplicated if you count the vocal version of Disco Heaven 01.05) with its fast, jazzy, piano led beat, with soaring string instruments over it. Most Precious Love by Blaze Presents Uda featuring Barbara Tucker had a big gospel choir on the chorus over a synthesized beat. Disc Two finishes with Praise Cats (featuring Andrea Love) and Shined on Me, one of the better tracks from The World Series compilation. Again another disc with no dud tracks on it….

Disc Three
I thought I recognised the vocalist on the first track of Disc Three, it was Bonnie Bailey (stalwart of many a Hed Kandi track) working with Eric Kupper and Xenon on a chill-out style track called Cocoon. The chill-out style is also present in the next track called Avalon by Juliet which I am still not sure about. I am familiar with the Scissor Sisters' Filthy/Gorgeous and this is a good mix of it, thus I am relieved that it is not all chill-out tracks on this disc. This is then followed by the Commercial hit I like the Way by Bodyrockers, which is a track that would never have appeared on a Hed Kandi compilation! It is cheesy but a good gym or exercise track. Also familiar is Rockin' Rebels' Dreamer Axe Guitar, a heavier, electric guitar mix of the well known track. Body Body by Isaac James is a classic electro track, and Jean Claude Ades' Someday is also good. The unusual Piano Track by Andry Nalin & Gregor Wagner presenting Bush II Bush was followed by the equally unusual 49 Percent by Royksopp. Then trance dance track Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso with Together which is OK is followed by another OK track Discopolis by Lifelike & Kris Menace. The final track is a mix of The Killers' Mr Brightside which is an unusual choice of track for a dance compilation but as added an extended dance beat to the vocals of this haunting rock track and I love it. Overall this is the most disappointing disc of the three with some odd choices on it.

I loved the vast majority of tracks on this compilation with a few exceptions on CD 3 which were just OK, I will definitely be looking for their next effort. If you have many Hed Kandi collections you will find many duplicates, but if this is one of your first ventures into the genre, then this is a very good place to start.