Stanton Warriors, the British breaks duo who’ve parlayed a night at Fabric into worldwide recognition, are no stranger to the mix CD. In addition to their line of Stanton Sessions, they contributed rather successfully to the Fabriclive series as well. Their latest mix, Stanton Sessions Volume 3, continues a run of serviceable but less than exciting electro/hip-hop sets.
A fine accompaniment to house parties circa 2008, Volume 3 packs dependable hits (“Handz Up!”, “Toe Jam”, “Zdarlight”) over Stanton Warriors’ slightly tweaked electro beats. There’s enough garage on the Bassbin Twins’ remix of the act’s own “Get Wild” to make it viscerally enjoyable, but on the whole the mix feels a tad laboured in its relentless electro-optimism. You can recognize craft here — beats are crisp and confluent, and the set’s macro structure is plotted carefully. But it somehow lacks spark. An acquaintance at a party recently, on pushing me for predictions about what 2009 might hold musically, asked, “So is electro finally going to die?” Mixes like this indicate it might be in its death throes — fun, but mindless.