Dan 'The Automater' Nakamura is a multi faceted DJ/producer. An undoubtedly talented beatmaker never short of experience or imagination, he has been especially fecund during the last couple of years, involving himself with high profile projects such as Dr Octagon, Deltron 3030, Gorrilaz and Handsome Boy Modelling School.
Here he puts his DJ skills to use. It's been around a decade since he last mixed a compilation, so there is bound to be a buzz around this tasty little collection.
After introducing the LP with a suitably headz-ish electronica intro, Dan takes us headfirst into the action, with one of Brand Nubian's strongest tracks for a long time, the funkin' 'Rockin' It'.
The vibe stays upfront b-boy with Black Rob's slick (not to mention mood switching) old skool funk party 'Smoothness', and it was never gonna be long before Dan The Eclectic lets loose his own sideways action - here it comes now in the shape of Deltron 3030's 'Positive Contact 4', a feisty but funky freakout.
Treating fans to some of his forays into more pop based material, Dan coolly slides next into a downtempo zone, segueing tracks by Air (his own remix of 'Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi'), Zero 7 ('Destiny') and Tortoise ('Seneca') before going a little Latino with Bobby Digital's 'The Rhumba' and Gorrillaz' 'Latin Simone'.
It's back to da bounce then with De La, who represent with 'Bionix', a tasty warm up for Masta Ace and Greg Nice's 'Don't Understand', The Jigmasta's and Sadat X's 'Don't Get It Twisted' and the X-Ecutioners on 'Theme Tune'. Winding the whole thing up is Dilated People's 'Clockwork'.
As mixes go, it's not the most frantic or even the most technically dope, but it's Automator solid and will appeal to all those hip hop heads who like to reach beyond the pale.
