Misstress Barbara

The second volume in Mistress Barbara's Relentless Beats series for Moonshine features the Montreal DJ throwing down records by some of Northern Europe's finest hard techno producers: Adam Beyer, Joel Mull, Marco Carola, Ben Sims, and more. It's a more intense set than her previous volume, pounding from the first track to the last. And since she makes it through a total of 23 tracks on the album, the set never really hits a lull since she's always either in the mix or approaching a mix. More so than on the first volume, this one showcases Barbara's excellent mixing skills. She chooses a wide array of tracks that are always banging but still manage to juxtapose each other enough to make the mixes often impressive, if not dazzling. One of the best DJs on the sometimes pandering Moonshine roster, Barbara shows here why such a commercial and mainstream label would bother with someone like her who spins such abrasive music. And it's not so much because she's a female DJ with a cool name but more so because she's a great mixer who also happens to produce her own tracks that stand alongside some of hard techno's best producers without paling in comparison. Since this volume is a bit more hard and harsh than her first volume, as she explains in her liner notes, many may wish to start there first. However, all things considered, this volume is the better of the two, being more typical of her style and less pandering to mainstream taste. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide