A-Trak

Montreal's A-Trak is a DJ and turntablist, but for this mix CD you can lop off that second part. There's little evidence on Infinity + 1 as to how the man won multiple DMC championships, since any turntable work or scratching comes off as forgettable. There's some decent editing and a killer creation of his own called "Say Whoa," but most of the magic comes from his song selection and pacing, both of which are generally top-notch. A-Trak likes it softer and more Moroder-esque than his competition, and here he presents a whole fat set of likeminded tracks that straddle future and past, neo-electro and neo-disco. As far as the newcomers, Kid Sister beats them all with her totally '80s but maybe a little Diplo "Life on TV," a giddy throwback with an enormously infectious hook. There's not much old school to speak of save Alexander Robotnick's massively important Italo-electro cut "Problèmes d'Amour," which sounds brilliant coming out of Dâm Funk's appropriately titled "Galactic Fun" and then into James Yuill's pleasant folktronica closer, "This Sweet Love." The one speed bump has to be the Golden Filter's new disco nugget "Solid Gold," which aims to be dreamy and sexy but instead comes off as woozy and forced. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide