When I ordered this CD from my masters at PopMasters, I thought I would be getting an exercise CD, something that I could bring with me to the gym, where I workout at least twice a week. But no. Full Body Workout Vol. Nine is simply the name of an ongoing compilation of the best and brightest underground club hits from the Berlin-based Get Physical label. Nothing more or less. Volume Nine actually marks the first time that a sampler of this sort has made it to CD, as the previous volumes were digital-only releases. And then the cover art shows two figurines making out. Oh. So that’s the full body workout implied by the name of this collection. Silly me.
In any event, this mix disc was edited by UK house and techno DJ Simon Baker, and, as is par for the course for most club mix albums, the whole of these 10 minimalist house tracks seamlessly blend into each other. This shows that Baker is a deft mixer, keeping tracks from artists as diverse as ONNO, Blond:ish, Audiojack and Baker himself together in one continuous flow of music. Much of this simply features a clocklike beat that hovers around the 120 BPM mark with occasional vocals and keyboard stabs entering the fray every now and then. As a document of Baker’s prowess, this is an enjoyable disc to listen to, though it does start to get a bit monotonous and tiring somewhere around the eighth track, suggesting that this compilation is perhaps a little longer than it needs to be. But as a potential workout mix, it probably wouldn’t be bad, and as a soundtrack to sex, it’d be a little aggressive. Still, this is a not too shabby mix CD that showcases not only the individual artists featured within but Baker’s deft touch as a DJ and producer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some weights to lift and some push-ups to do. See you later.