Renaissance Mix Collection Anniversary Edition [Limited Edition, Box set]

This mix was originally fetching up to £100 off Ebay, deservedly so after winning the 'Best Mix Of All Time' award, before getting remastered and repackaged for this 10th Anniversary edition. Its just the boys and their decks, warts and all. The mixing is vibrant and lively from the days before laptop delievered ultra slick mixes, swapping between the euphoric trance of the day, anthemetic house monsters and the odd rave gem here and there. Check the spinetingling intro of the Song Of Life medley, the now classic trance anthem Age Of Love, Digweeds first outing under the Bedrock moniker, the top Xpress2 mix of Love And Happiness ... so many tunes deserving of classic status yet an album that is head and shoulders above the recent spate of so called classic compilations. So many moments for many to relive and for some to experience for the first time.

10 years on and the mix is still fresh to listen to, 3 CDs of total quality and different moods to experience, with the boys leaving the mix pretty much intact from its original state aside from replacing a couple of tracks. Along with their Northern Exposure mix, this is the best that the boys have come up with and its ruff and ready back in the day attitude is a nice contrast to Sashas recent Involver mix and Digger's Fabric effort.

Completely knocks the spots off most of the recent efforts as far as mix CDs goes, this one will always take some beating. Get it now before it becomes uber rare again!

Simply because its not the original. CD1 doesn't finish on Digger's remix of M-People, Renaissance and CD3 Doesn't start with M-People How can I Love You More. Also They cleaned up the sound, made it a bit bright. The original was clearly hand crafted ona pair of 1210's, has this been remixed on computer?? If you've never heard the originals then get this you won't be dissapointed, if you have well still get it 'cos its still an incredible piece of mixing.

If it was a true re-release then yes - the best mix cd of all time together with Coldcut's 70 Minutes of Madness, also released but in its original form.

The good news however is that with this re-release the original has come down from around £90-£100 to £20-30 on ebay so do the right thing. Buy this remastered one for everyday use and a copy of the original for Sundays!!

I first listened to this album when I was a student back in 1994. A friend of mine leant me the cassette version and my eyes and ears were opened to a completely new music. It was like nothing I'd heard before and it blew me away, after that day I never looked back. I spent my grant money (remember that?!) on mix cd after mix cd always hoping the next fix would be as good as the first. To this day - 10 years later and down hundreds of pounds spent on mostly second rate, naff mixes I find myself back in line for the remastered version of this classic.

I'm buying this mix again because athough I still have my original student-aquired version in pristine condition (a rare ebay darling that prior to this re-release fetched upwards of £100) I want to see if listening to remastered messrs sasha and digweed can possibly sound any better. I regret I never made it to a renaissance night, although I did and very occassionally still do make it to club nights up and down the country, so this mix is still as close to 'Renaissance' as I've ever got.

The tripple CD mix pioneered a new sound many have tried to copy. The packaging was esquisite borrowing from Renaissance paintings which made you treat the cds with even more reverence. Disc two was and still is my favourite mix. It's a real journey, complete on it's own although CDs one and two are also near perfect. I love the funkier, deeper sounds of disc two which even now still sends shivers down my spine. Renaissance came close to hitting their own high mark with the mix collection vol.2 (which I hope they'll also re-release) but after that I'm sure even they would admit the series tailed off. Renaissance 3 was too us house for my liking, renaissance 4 was a damn good effort and the side projects like Renaissance Presents and Masters Series were interesting but never recaptured the zeitgeist of this original mix.

Put what you're doing down and buy this CD now, it's a classic and if you missed it the first time round your luck is in. Renaissance we love you, we always loved you and we didn't forget even after all these years. It's great to have you back, bringing us what you always did best - pure; unadalterated, deep, dirty, dark and funky dance music mixed by the best of the best. Does the remastered version sound better ... what do you think! Coom on.