Various – Trance Europe Express 4

I have a copy of the book, if anyone is interested drop me a DM

My 2 CD box set has a subscriber only special CD with 4 tracks from the 5th vinyl of this listed set: https://discogs.librosgratis.biz/release/1427319-Various-Trance-Europe-Express-4 I don't seeing it before tonight. Catalog number is TEXTRA CD1

Drifted into a local chazzer and scored a bunch of these Trance Europe Express/Volume comps. They were a pound each (but no books) so I wasn't exactly breaking the bank. I was taking something of a risk though - in of clogging up my area with yet more dodgy old electronic comps that will get played once. As I suspected, a lot of it sounds pretty dated but there's some good stuff amongst the clunky beat set. My girlfriend is giving me a 'raised eyebrow' look. I don't think she's a fan of 25 year old techno compilations.

This TEEX has something of an identity crisis. For the first 3/4 or so it's mostly hard techno, and about half of it is pretty uninspired, with a gem here and there. Then it very abruptly goes from a seriously hyper, neuron-scrubbing, but boring track to some absolutely groovin' trip hop, which caught me totally off guard in a pleasing way. Then when it goes back to techno it's very good shit all the way to the end. A strange release, containing far more duds than any previous TEEX, but still worth having imo because the good stuff is really good.

There's so many dope tracks exclusive to this release from Move D, A Guy Called Gerald, LFO, Underworld, DJ Crystl, etc... I wish the pressing were of better quality. Oh well. Still cool to have these tracks on vinyl. They sound fantastic on the cd of course. And the booklets that accompanied these releases are rad. I read them all in the 90s, sponge-absorbing the information, using this knowledge to springboard further digging /exploration. Most of the tracks spanning the TEEX series are timeless, and I still play them out. I completely recommend all Trance Europe Express volumes. They're all great.

Only time that Underworld’s Dark Hard ever appeared on vinyl.

This CD is terrible. The first three TEX CDs are great, each one being better than the previous. I was hoping this trend would continue for TEX 4 but it does not! This CD is so bad I am getting rid of it. It's just not my style :-(

The tracks are twitchy, awkward, jittery beeps with little to no musical quality. Compared to previous TEX releases which contained masterpieces like Resistance D - Unknown and Escape to Mars.

Worth it for the rare LFO track alone which I am not sure exists anywhere else

The Trans Europe Express concept was a great idea and contained great tracks. However, i was was always displeased with the pressing quality! Low sound quality made it hard to work these tracks into to mix...even after massive EQing...

Choice stuff.

Has some early chemical brothers. If i recall correctly the notes in the album highlight a set of tours and the various artists putting stuff between early 90's gigs

There is a minor genre drift from track to track but the quality makes up for it.

It is perfect coder music and after 15 satisfying years it has lost no luster.

If you are browsing the used techno bins this series and the related "TEX" volumes and imports are quit a unique trip.