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Album Details

• Artist: Various Artists
• Album: Zen CD: A Retrospective
• Label: Ninja Tune
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2004-04-12

When Ninja Tune announced that they were doing a retrospective series, this compilation as well as their remix one, I was shocked to find out that they had been in service for more than a decade. And I have been following them ever since the likes of the first Coldcut, Funki Porcini, and 9 Lazy 9 albums. It just makes me realize two things: I'm getting old, and Ninja Tunes is still on top of the electronica/DJ game. The class that their releases exude rarely reach over to another label. There have been a few others but none as consistent as Ninja Tunes. When you start throwing around names like Cinematic Orchestra, Up Bustle and Out, Mr. Scruff, Kid Koala, The Herbalist and DJ Vadim you are talking cream of the crop when it comes to this kind of music. Ninja's key was to keep an eye on the kind of music they wanted to promote and never take their eye off of the target. Indie labels start to falter when the start out with a specific genre and try others out to spread their fanbase. Even though some of this music may be a little dated, it still sounds so fresh after all these years. It's because this type of music has never been commercialized. Pick up this double disc and you will be happy, very happy.

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