This first edition in a two-part series is an excellent selection of nocturnal, evocative club music, carefully compiled and mixed by longtime radio/club DJ Tom Thump. Opening with "The Birds Sing," a glowing mid-tempo house groove from Galliano's Valerie Etienne, Thump cycles through some truly beautiful music from a range of artists who are on the obscure side, even for electronica. The liners boast of a record collection standing at 25,000-plus titles, and it's obvious he knows enough to pick some outstanding productions from left-field sources, like Detroit house producer Alton Miller, Bay Area techno entrepreneur John Tejada, the Nottingham band Fug, and most acid jazz fans' favorite jazz vocalist, Mark Murphy (with Snowboy). Among many highlights, Tejada and Divine Styler's "Matrix of Us" gets special kudos (with Tejada's mother, Carmen, reprising her day job as an opera singer), along with "Tears (From Sorrow to Joy)" by Outside. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide