(Amsterdam, NL) - If Francois K was to be described, the label of musical visionary would suit him best. He is one of those few first generation DJ's, as he took on DJ'ing in the early seventies, gigging in legendary venues such as Paradise Garage, Studio 54, The Loft and Better Days. His passion and talent has furthermore lead him to jobs that many a DJ would dream of. He has been mixing an album for Kraftwerk and has conducted production work for acclaimed artists such as U2, Mick Jagger, Diana Ross, The Cure, The Smiths, The Pet Shop Boys, and many others. We could go on for hours on what this guy has meant for dance music, but more important is the fact that he is now about to release a new 3xCD mix album on Ministry, entitled Masterpiece.

Masterpiece embodies three CD's featuring a very wide array of musical styles and artists. The CD's each feature their own theme, but this can only be drawn up after listening. CD 1 opens with a sound-scape by Francois K himself. Crystal Wind is basically a long thick synthesizer wave supported by little claps and hats that guide the listener into a futuristic house-infected sound. Dubfire's Ribcage, one of the biggest club tracks of the last months, proves to be a solid opener with its jacking beats and hypnotizing synthesizers, and its played to its full extend. Ricardo Villalobos' remix of Shackleton's Blood On My Hands sees the Chilean minimal pioneer moving towards a very basic house sound with sinister vocals and an atmosphere alike. Francois K then moves back to a more uptempo and club-minded sound with tracks by Dim and the irresistible synth-driven house monster Noiser by Audion. Martin Buttrich and Cobblestone Jazz take care of some extraordinary techno/minimal-hybrids with two outstanding contributions, while Rino Cerrone kicks in with a full-speed techno beats entitled Frame. The percussion element on this hot track is amazing, and adds even more power to an already impressive mix. It is quite intriguing to hear how Francois K seems to switch from minimal to techno and back to house again. The mixing's inventive so far, and the choice of records is considered extremely well.