Review, reproduced here with permission of DJ Emotion

DJ Styles CD:
Rush Ins
Never a big fan of the original, but some nice changes made to this, a bit more of a darker feel. Not sure if it improves on the original or not cos some things are best left untouched. Maybe I'd prefer hearing it played out live. 6/10

Divine Inspiration - The Way
One of the tracks on here I anticipated listening to, I heard a version played out last Elation dindnt know if it was this or not, but gotta say I was a bit dissapointed with this mix, just sounds a bit weak and has a bit of a rushed feeling to it. So much more could have been done with it. Still a wickid tune that maks me rush.. 6.5/10 or Tune - 9/10, Remix 6/10

Scott Brown - Gods Child
Uses samples taken straight from Hardcore Is The Future. This definatly isnt one of my fave Scott Brown tunes, I absolutly love his work, I'm not that keen on the vocal samples and is a bit dark for me, would still make me rush on the dancefloor though. My score may seem harsh but Scott has set himself such high standards its untrue! 5/10

Breeze & Styles - Heartbeatz
This is a lovely tune! Has the notes and riffs that feel so familiar, it is quite hard, Breeze & Styles seem to have been influenced by the time stretched German Trance sound like Hold Me Tonight because harder kicks have been making it into their tunes and remixes. This would seriously make me rush my balls off in a rave! 8/10

Breeze & Styles - Black Magik
I cant see how u can really top the original, the start of this tune has changed into a darker stabier riff type afair (before the lyrics), this part is by far my fave bit of the original cos its so god damn groovy The rest of the tune is good, I love the harder breaks they are so rushy and it breaths new life into the tune, as always though remixes can seem over done like here, the best example I can think of is Turn Up The Music rmx, sometimes I like the originals cos they are made to sound more minimalistic by their remixes, and minimilism is often better. Theres no way you can top the original but it does come close. 7/10

Dougal, Gammer & Smiley feat Jenna - Ordinary People
Needed to listen to this a few times for me to make a proper judgement of it, it sounds like some cheesy 80's tune or something when Smiley (or whoever the bloke chatting is) is chatting on it, or taken from a footy song, I dont know? lol! But its absolutly wickid, I could get used to having this on repeat alot. The lyrics are amazing by Jenna as ever. I love Dougal & Gammers work, I hope it becomes a bit of an anthem, good stuff! 8/10

Stragazer - Ultimate High - Breeze & Styles rmx
Absolutely stomping! I just love the riff that goes through this, it always reminds of when im ravin. Dont know if it beats the original though cos thats a little masterpiece, probably not, but damn close. 7.5/10

Scott Brown - Fly With You
Takes a while to kick in, but worth it, was well suprised with this. I always wander where Scott Brown is gonna get new ideas from but he always manages it, I remember when I first heard Commence and was pretty took back! This is absolutly stompin! Has that proper happy feel to it and I love how it has the female and male vocals goin thru it, this could easilly turn out to be one of my fave tunes of the year, I just need to hear it played out at a rave and see the crowds reaction. I know this is ripped from something but I cant think where from. One of my fave tunes on the album, 9/10

Darren Styles - Back To The Old Skool
A really fun tune this, would be great to fill sets with. has a proper happy feel to it. As the tittle suggests it has a good old skool feel to it and some nice hard kicks, it also has a lovely piano breakdown about 2 mins into it, very rushy! It's really nice to see Styles do something a little different, I am a fan of his, I'd love to hear this played out it would probably make me like it even more! 7/10

Futureworld - Chemical Love (Breakbeat mix)
Definatly a favorite for lots of people, not heard this much before now. I like the vocals and lyrics, but I'll probably get ridiculed for saying I prefer the original trancey version, cos I am a sucker for hands in the air trance. This is still top drawer stuff and a bit different. 7.5/10

Dougal & Gammer - Addictions
I'm a real fan of Dougal & Gammer but this tune somehow suggests they are stuggling for new ideas? Dont get me wrong its still good, but it seems a bit obvious to think of a tune about drugs n stuff. Sounds like something youd hear at a Hard House or Gabba night, but these 2 do it so well. Yet again these Dougal & Gammer have set themselves top standards and this is a good little dark tune to put in your set. It has a nice riff that goes through it, a bit second rate against the top 6th Gate. But I still give this a rarther respectable 7/10

Billy "Daniel" Bunter & Jon Doe - Round & Round (Breeze & Styles remix)
Nice dreamy style lyrics, gets quite fast paced and would be more than enough to make you rush. Probably be one of them tunes that would pass me by though without me paying much attention yet at the same time send me into a state of euphoria 6.5/10

G Spencer & Gammer - Steam
Very trancey afair, sounds very samey in that its more mindless trance. I can see both their influences on the tune I'm quite a fan of both these 2 and it's definatly got some nice bits in it. It's not special, nor does it suck, its what you might call a set filler or something. 6/10

Breeze & Styles - Electric
Nice and hard, thats how we like it ravers! Some nice piano breakdowns and a pretty messed up fuk with your head bit over 3 mins in. Does sound a bit German Trancey though 7/10

Angel One - Hold Me Tonight
Definatly one of my fave tunes ever! Makes me rush to the point of death or something. And them lyrics take me back to being high on pills. 10/10

Darkside - 6th Gate (Breeze & Styles remix)
No doubting I loved the original alot, this remix is sweet! Faster, harder and enough bits to keep me interested, this is gonna make me rush more on the dancefloor! I'm very tempted to say its better but the orignal was such a masterpiece I wont. 8/10

Overall 7/10

Maybe Hardcore is pushing into a different sound I dont prefer as much or it sounds a bit samey in that more harder kicks are being used that sound german trancey, too much just makes it sound a bit dirty all in all, but is amazing in moderation, but something needed to change from all the trance being made,, or maybe its because I'm not raving and taking pills like I was earlier this year and all last so therefore becomming a bit cynical or out of touch? I dont know.
We all have our favorite eras of hardcore and eras we dont like as much, when I look back at my time raving tunes that will jump at me will be Sunrise rmx, Paradise, Commence, Neckbreaker, Elysium, Your Shining etc, even though ive been out raving for a couple of years that was my fave era of Hardcore. The main reason I wrote this review is to get my head round all the new tunes cos I havnt been out raving much or been listening to many of the new tunes as ive been preocupied doing other things. I think there has been so much good tunage over last year and the start of this year Hardcore has got alot to live up to. But it all sounds pretty positive! Theres potentially some top anthems here.

DJ Sy CD
Contraption - Dreaming Of Another Way (Oli G Remix)
This is top, one of them tunes that grows on you though, after a few listens I got well into it. My bro really liked it aswell especially when we were cruising with the hood down on his car, couldnt think of a better tune on this cd to do this to! I love piano driven tunes, and dreamy ones like this and it has a nice breakdown about 4 mins in, not to mention a catchy riff. And no this aint biased as its on Mr RFU's label It is top. 7.75/10

Hyperbass Vs Scott Brown - I Became Hardcore
Not bad at all, doesnt strike me as one of Scott's better tunes though (I much prefer Hardcore Hustler ), I really dont know why cos this has everything. I like the guitar and sounds thats used in this, still very rushy indeed. 7.5/10

Insight - Only You Love
Proper bouncy happy tune that gets me going, I love Quosh stuff as they are only one of the few labels that make em like they should, happy and bouncy. Took me a couple of listens to get round how cheesy it was as I aint used to it as much these days, loses some score for the especially cheesey breakdown about 3 mins in, its shocking! 7.75/10

Gavin G & Dan Rolla - I'll Hold You Tight
Caught my attention the first time I heard it, I love what they have done with the vocals and the piano is a nice added touch. It makes a change to have male vocals instead of females, Seriously catchy stuff and one of them tunes that hits that nerve even if it makes me feel a bit nostalgic. 8/10

Sy & Unknown - Bring Me Round to Love (Scott Brown rmx)
This is stupidly hard!!! Especially that first kick, ohhhhhhh!!!!! Bring Me Round To Love has always been one of my fave tunes, the vocals just do it for me! And this deserves to have Scott Browns piano! Has a shit hot trance riff through it that makes me rush my t*ts off, one of the best tunes on the album. 8/10

DJ Mozz & Speedy B - Drift
Firstly strikes me as a Scott Brown tune from 2000/2001, alot of people like this but somehow felt I've heard it before, still pretty good though! I quite like the breakdown about 1.50 mins in, quite happy and bouncy and Sy's scratching really enhances it, and the piano that runs through it nearly 3 mins in saves this a great deal. I'll still buy it on vinyl no doubt as I like the bouncy stuff. 6.5/10

CLSM - Higher & Higher (DJ Seduction remix)
Still prefer the original and the vocals dont do it for me like they first did, still a nice remix, Seduction has made more of a tune of it I must say but it's just a remix of a tune im a bit bored of. 7/10

Sy & Unknown - Total XTC
Didnt think much of it the first time I heard it, just sounds like an old skool tune with Quosh style bouncyness, but thats the hole point I suppose, tunes with old skool influences comming out is not bad thing I guess! 6.5/10

Geos - Dig It
One of the better set fillers on here, lots of variation, fast pased and trancey with a mad d&b/jungle style breakdown 2:30 mins in, even though it's pretty tranced based it gets top marks for originality. 7/10

Dowster & Gammer - Here We Go 2003 (remix)
More mindless trance again but more than listenable, I dont mind this, some nice trancey riffs and breakdowns that are rushy enough, it would stand out so much more if Hardcore wasnt so trance influenced, but unfortunatly this sounds like 'another trance tune". Gammer uses that kick drum thats used in Fires In The Sky which grates on me a bit cos it doesnt flow that well (imo), it sounds very stabby. 6.5/10

DJ Seduction vs CLSM - Dancing The Night Away (Seduction mix)
Another one of the tunes that has grown on me, probably cos it's different to whats been about the last couple of years. I love the riff this has (the one that comes in gradually at the start and is used through the rest of the tune), if this is the kinda stuff that Seduciton is gonna be making then Im quite excited! One of the best tunes on the album, has a good happy feel to it which I prefer, seems to be more apparant with tunes being made now! Someone said to me at Elation it was shocking cos it was so cheesy, but I heard it played out and loved it even more Good stuff. 8/10

Sy & Unkown - Innovste & Stimulate
Another simple Quosh tune which is effective, as I've said before I like simplicity! I like happy tunes I can bop to, ohhh and this has a piano breakdown, always a good idea 7/10

Plus System - Do It Like We Do
Some people have been slating this but sorry it's class! Stupid and fun. Sounds different to Scott's other efforts as "Plus System", this sounds like a mixture of Quosh and Evo (trancey and bouncy) which is no bad thing. I like 70's and 80's rips which is why this got me going as soon as I heard it, and the main trancey breaks are always gonna make me rushhhhhhh! Happy and bouncy stuff owns all the serious trancey stuff . 7.75/10

DJ Kambel - No More Jokin' - (Sy & Unknown remix)
This is mint it made me cum (almost haha), it sounds like some egyptian tune or something, I love it! That breakdown 3mins 20 in is lovely! Anything that sounds original gets my vote, unfortunatly I havnt heard the orignal so cant comment on how good the remix is but I can see the Quosh influence on it and it's all good! 8/10

Dougal & Gammer - Jam The Nightclub (Remix)
Why put a tune thats already been on other albums on here, whyyy? It's a good tune yes but I've heard it and am bored of it, this space on the album coulda been used for antoher tune! I cant even be bothered to review it. Ok well, its a "trance tune", with the lyrics "jam the nightclub, rock the disco" and it occasionally makes you rush, thats it, thats my review as its all it desrves. 6.5/10

Uplift, Cris-e-Manic & Lukozade - Undefied (Stargazer rmx)
Lovely tune, the kind that reminds me of raving, good dreamy stuff, piano riffs, what more do you want!. Has a crazy almost d&b sounding breakdown over 2 mins in, pure filth! Minted! 7/10

Overall - 7.5/10

Probably better than the Styles CD overall though the Styles CD had a couple of much better tracks. Lots of piano's and bouncyness here which I prefer on the hole as it's what hardcore "should" be But still no tune here that really jumps out at me, some very good ones yes, so it's just a very good mix overall and nothing more. Mixing is crisp even if Sy brings in some the tunes a bit quiet, and the scratching is top as ever. - DJ Emotion.

Review by Paul (17th-Jul-2003)