I know that it's 2021, and that I'm a tad late, but there's a reason why I am discussing now the 2019 instalment of the legendary Stamina Records 'Best Of' compilation. A sad reason behind it. Stamina Records' webshop is to seize activity in a month's time! Please read the previous sentence correctly: the webshop stops, not Stamina Records. They will remain active. So nothing that major. Nothing to cry about. We will still get our Freeform from one of the finest (if not the finest) label in Freeform land. It's only shutting shop. Literally. And they are having a sale on, a bloody good one: up to 70% off! And me being Dutch, I had to purchase a few albums. I just had to. And maybe I'll get some more. I like a sale, me.
So what did this cheapskate do? I bought each and every 'Best Of' digital CD. I just had to. A few years ago the label granted me a sneak preview to a few of those, and now I repay them by buying them all. Starting with the release from 2013 up to the 2020 edition. So I'm up to speed with all the music released from 2013 until 2020. And that's the main reason why I'm reviewing this instalment.
I am a Freeform fanatic. I have been to a few parties, bought much merchandise over the years, and also bought a shit ton of CDs. But that all stopped after buying a new car: this did not come with a CD player. My dreams were shattered, so I uploaded them all onto a hard drive, and threw most of them away (only kept memorable ones and ones with autograph on it). But my new car HAS got a CD player. So I jumped the gun a bit. Could have saved all the thousands of CDs. Ah well, at least nothing is lost.
But here we are, 2021. The world is fucked, and so am I. I was scrolling through my Facebook timeline, and saw the message posted by A.B .... the webshop is closing. I had to buy a few albums. And one of them is this one. An album filled with 15 tracks, made by the finest Freeform producers, and a special mix by A.B himself. A bit of scratching here and there, and technically superbly mixed together. What else could you wish for?
If you want to, make sure you head over to Stamina Records' website, and see what money can buy you (for now)..... hurry the f*** up!
A.B - Awaken (Intro Edit)
Kounta Kulture - Edge Of The Universe
Digital Commandos - Angels With Filthy Souls
GERCORE - Legacy
A.B & Kevin Energy - Samsara
Kounta Kulture - Valhalla
A.B & Substanced - Injustice
A.B - Kielo (Digital Commandos Remix)
Transcend - Domination (A.B & Synthwulf Remix)
Finnbarr - Hidden In The Light (A.B & Cyrax Remix)
Digital Commandos feat MC Cyx - Rockin' Up The Mic
A.B - Alright (Fracus & Darwin Remix)
A.B & Douglas - TIWWA
Tamerax - I Got The Beeps
Tamerax - PDS (WGS Instrumental)
Yes mate. Freeform Heaven. 15 records + a mix by A.B himself. What else could you wish for? You know it makes sense to go to their store right now and purchase everything. And I mean everything! You need to hurry up, store closes soon. I am not going to repeat myself: if you miss out on this bargain, it's your own fault.
The tracks are all fire. That's not something new: the tracks are made by legendary Freeform artists such as A.B himself, Kounta Kulture, Digital Commandos, Douglas, Tamerax, Kevin Energy, Substanced, and more. And some even got a remix treatment by producers such as Fracus & Darwin, Synthwulf, Cyrax, and Digital Commandos. Would you expect anything less than normal from Stamina Records? No, me neither. They always deliver high quality music, and have been a stable force in our community.
If you are looking for DJ friendly records, you are in for a treat. But, if you are like me, you like a mix more, A.B's got your back. This has got everything you need. When I heard the first 'Best Of' album back in 2013, I got hooked. And now my collection is complete. Some might call it Freeform Heaven. And I do underline that with a big ass marker. It's heavenly. And if you like a bit of scratching too, A.B does his magic during the mix.
Always impressed, that's what I am. I've never felt disappointed, and with this instalment Stamina Records have proven again that they are the very best label for Freeform music. Normally I would have a comment here and there about tracks I don't like, or don't like the quality of the mix. But it's all tight. Everything is perfect, literally perfect. And the track that highlights that to me is the track A.B made with Douglas. 'TIWWA'. Just love this duo. They always make it sound so amazing.
Get it now! If you are late, you are late. And you will hate yourself. Don't say that we haven't warned you!
Artist: Various Artists
Genre/Style: Freeform
CD Info: Best Of Stamina Records 2019
Length CD: +/- 2 hours
Tracks: 15 (fifteen) + 1 Mix
Label: Stamina Records
Product Number: STMLP015
More Information: Stamina Records - Official Website