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Music Video Distributors presentsX-Mix: The DVD Collection Part 2
(1997)
Director: Various
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (some nudity and mild animated violence)
Run Time: 02h:48m:00s
Release Date: 2002-05-07
Genre: music
| Style Grade |
Substance Grade | Image Transfer Grade | Audio Transfer Grade |
Extras Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B+ | B | B- | C+ | C- |
DVD Review
X-Mix DVD Collection Part II finalizes the series of X-Mix compilation videos from Stud!o K7. Mixing computer animation with continuous mixes of electronic music, the X-Mix series (preceded by the 3LUX series) delivers some interesting sights and sounds. Part II of the X-Mix collection contains volumes 4 and 5, as well as the 6th volume known as Electronic Storm. This collection seems to highlight slightly more well known DJs and artists than some of the older compilations, although to a certain extent the musical selections are very much dated right into the mid-1990s. X-Mix 4 is mixed by Dave Angel (whose music also appears on the disc), while Electronic Storm is mixed and produced by "Mr. C" (Colin Shamen of The Shamen).Like many modern compilations, X-Mix volumes 5 and 6 have moved away from abstract animation into short films that often tell small visual stories. Some of them are fairly creative and entertaining, but others are in-between. Regardless, anyone who's already seen videos like X-Mix: Fast Forward and Rewind, this will be familiar terrain. There's a wide variety of ideas here; some of the films are humorous, some are artistic with deep messages while others are just unusual and strange. Unfortunately, none of them are synched or matched with the music very well (which was one of the brilliant touches of Fast Forward and Rewind), but that's a minor issue.
If you're looking for "name-brand" artists, I suppose it depends on which of the many sub-genres of modern techno music you're familiar with. The only recognizable names for me were all found in volume 4, featuring artists like Kenny Larkin, Ian Pooley, Sun Electric, and of course, Dave Angel. The mixes are pretty good, but more repetitive than I would have liked. Obviously, this kind of music has a repetitious quality to it, but I've heard much more diverse and textured compilations. Luckily, most of the animation is pretty distracting. Unless you really hate this kind of music, this would also make a good companion to other discs focusing on computer animation (like the Mind's Eye series). It's strange to see how what was considered cutting edge only a few years ago seems somehow archaic compared to newer videos. Nonetheless, this is a satisfying disc for fans of the visuals and music.
Rating for Style: B+
Rating for Substance: B
Image Transfer
| One | Two | |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 1.33:1 - Full Frame | various - n/a |
| Original Aspect Ratio | yes | |
| Anamorphic | no |
Image Transfer Review: Image quality tends to vary with each animated piece, but there are no significant problems with any sections of the disc. Some of the shorts are of weaker source than others, sometimes with minor problems like analog tape distortions or scanlines. There's also a bit of grain here and there. In general, each segment is mixed in quite well and the quality balances off.
Image Transfer Grade: B-
Audio Transfer
| Language | Remote Access | |
|---|---|---|
| PCM | English | yes |
Audio Transfer Review: The audio track is stereo MPEG-2/PCM format, which means that on many DVD players, you will have to change the audio output to PCM format, downcoverted or otherwise. The track is, for the most part, a good, energetic representation of the music, but does suffer from some lack of frequency range. Lower bass tones tend to cause distortions and there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for the music to breathe. I think, in retrospect, a normal 2.0 audio track would have been better.
Audio Transfer Grade: C+
Disc Extras
Static menuScene Access with 36 cues and remote access
Packaging: Scanavo variant
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single
Extras Review: There are no additional features on the disc, but technically, things are fine. There are individual chapter stops for each song/video and a menu that allows access to them as well (one for each volume of X-Mix). The keepcase insert contains full credits of artists, songs, and record labels.
Extras Grade: C-
Final Comments
The X-Mix collection is a nice archive of a distinct musical and artistic movement that shaped itself in different ways over the years. It never comes off as pretentious and delivers a solid, if not flawed, product for what it promises. I must commend Music Video Distributors for taking the route of putting numerous volumes on each disc, rather than splitting the series up as it was on VHS.Dan Lopez 2002-05-06