Club Nation [Ministry of Sound]

Following the success of Ministry of Sound's first Club Nation mix -- featuring Australian DJs and targeting Australian consumers -- the U.K.-based superclub-turned-superbrand returned a year later in 2001 with a second volume. Like its predecessor, this volume features Mark Dynamix, one of Australia's most popular DJs, as well as Declan Lee, who makes his Ministry of Sound debut. Together, the duo throws down scores of dance tracks that were popular in Australia at the time of this album's release. Perhaps not coincidently, several of these songs were international hits, most notably Static Revenger's "Happy People," Kings of Tomorrow featuring Julie McKnight's "Finally" (featured here in its "Danny Krivit Re-Edit" form), [Love] Tattoo's "The Bass Has Got Me Movin'," and Jacatta's "American Dream" (here in its "Different Gear Mix" form). Dynamix spins the first disc and therefore gets to drop most of the album's big tracks, leaving Lee with the more obscure stuff. This collection will appeal mostly to Australians since some of these songs may be unknown to stateside and European listeners. It's a typical Ministry of Sound mix nonetheless, however, and should delight anyone who enjoys the label's output. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide