RayStorm Neu Tanz Mix

This disc is a collection of all the music heard in RayStorm's "Extra" game mode, which boasts, besides enhanced graphics, the "Neu-Tanz" techno/rave remixes of the original songs. The original songs themselves were primarily pop-ish remixes of songs from RayForce (RayStorm's prequel). With the Neu-Tanz mixes though, those songs get a full techno makeover, turning that pop sound into highly kinetic energy, while still maintaining the melodic quality of the originals.

The flow of the disc's songs is as it should be, both in mood and faithfulness to the game. RayStorm's "attract mode" music remix, "Cycloid" opens the disc well, as it begins with a quiet melody that introduces a strong, fast beat and melody, giving a good feeling what kind of mood the following songs will have.

This pattern of a short, soft intro going into a powerful rhythm repeats itself on several of the more fast-paced tracks, like track 4, "Geometric City" (Stage One remix). It starts with a group of guitars playing in the background, joined by a flute whistling strongly against them. But they both give way to the pounding beat that comes in after them, while a piano carries the melody for the rest of the song. It ends the same way it began, though, as the drums fade while the guitars and flute return to end it with a smooth mood.

This smooth mood is picked up by track 5, "Aquarium" (Stage Two remix), as it opens with sounds of rolling waves, aquatic animals, and seaside fowl. Guitars start the song, and a steady, mellow beat follows them, with the flute providing the melody. The song is very easygoing and calm without "feeling" slow, and ends in much the same way it began, with the animal calls and soft waves flowing.

The calm that "Aquarium" created is shattered by track 6, "Muddling Through" (Stage 5 remix). It starts with a low, pulsing sound that turns into the main baseline for the song. A fast-paced, throbbing beat comes in, piece by piece, after it, and after a woman says, "Freak out!", the song explodes into the melody, played by a saxophone. This is easily the best hard-core song on the disc, as, once it gets started, it never lets up.

The last two songs of special note are track 15, "Heart Land", and 16, "Intolerance". The first one, "Heart Land", is not so much a song as an intro to "Intolerance" (Last Boss Theme remix), and was not even played in the game. It works on the disc well, though, as it is a very spooky song, opening with all sorts of sounds, until it gets to a version of the Intolerance's melody, played by strings. The funny thing about it is, it was simulated to sound like it was played off of an old record. When "Intolerance" itself begins, it has all the power a last boss song should have. Not power like a speeding beat, but the type of power that is not stated implicitly... it is implied, sort of. The best way to describe the mood created by the song is, "Prepare to die."

Finally, after the rest of the songs, the disc ends very calmly, in a reggae-styled J-Pop song titled "Ceramic Heart". A woman sings in French with somewhat standard instrumentation behind her. Even though it has a slower tempo than the other songs on the disc, it is a fitting end to all the frantic songs before it.

Overall, techno-lovers will quickly find RayStorm Neu-Tanz Mix by Zuntata to be one of, if not the favorite disc in their collection, This is one disc you'll thank yourself for getting. Definitely go buy it!