The Dysfunctional Family is obviously a continuation of the Kill The DJ series, which started out back in 2004 with a mix from Ivan Smagghe and really hit a stride with last years 2 disc blowout How To Kill The DJ Part 2 by Optimo. In keeping with past mixes in the series, this newest effort is all over the map, dropping everything from claustrophobic minimalism to deep house to garage rock. Smagghe is back again on this mix, and he’s joined by producer and DJ Chlo é for this fourteen track, seventy-minute mix.
The mix opens with the bizarre “Death Dream” by Planningtorock, and the piece sounds like a 70s progressive rock on some sort of bad acid trip (despite coming out just two years ago). “Close Your Eyes” by Dapayk follows, and really gets the mix kicking with a club-friendly thump, filtered vocals, and huge synth bursts. From there, the mix locks into a solid flow, riding several juicy tracks before dropping off into the lighter, more retro-styled (think Kraftwerk mixed with Carl Craig) “One Way Ticket” by Musiccargo.
As if that weren’t a big enough change, “Codeine” by Jason Edwards follows, and it’s a dark singer-songwriter piece that drops all beats and electronics from the mix. In turn, that track is followed by the bowel-rumbling “Hummer Party” by Botox, a black-hole-inducing piece of slithering minimal electro-infused something-or-other that absolutely kills. From there out, the mix gets cranked back up again and features great tracks by Wighnomy Bros, Point B, and even Louderbach’s “Grace” (which was also recently featured on Boogy Bytes Vol. 2 - Mixed by Sascha Funke ).
While they pick out some great tracks, The Dysfunctional Family never quite locks into quite as powerful of a statement as either the aforementioned How To Kill The DJ Part 2 or even the Psyche Out mix from Optimo. They’re definitely eclectic (and end with a rocker by Billy Childish and Holly Golightly to prove it), but with so many other great mix discs dropping lately, it doesn't quite elevate itself to essential status. It’s still a lot of fun, though.
