If you drink this expecting the taste of fruit punch as the name seems to imply, you may be disappointed. The flavor is nothing like it. Tropical Punch is apparently it’s own thing; more akin to piña colada, champagne even, with a hint of stale nuts. Included is a “natural energy blend” with 200 milligrams of caffeine.
my rating : 3 of 5
It’s hard to go wrong with Brown Sugar Baked Beans, but BeanVivo sort of does. Never mind the fact that they smell like prunes. The taste, specifically the spices in the sauce, leaves a lot to be desired. Their one saving grace is the sweetness of the Sugar itself. The organic ingredients list is also otherwise impressively healthy.
my rating : 3 of 5
It’s not really the Black Beans that are the problem here. Neither is it the “medium heat” brought on by the addition of “real aged cayenne peppers”. It’s the tangy taste of the sauce, which, given an impressively short ingredients list; “No high fructose corn syrup” and the like; the culprit of must be the vinegar.
my rating : 2 of 5
This is Buttermilk ice cream with “pieces of honey cornbread”. They should’ve stopped there or perhaps added strawberries. Raspberries are one of my least favorite fruits, but their presence only prevents this from being the delicacy it could’ve been. It’s still damn good as is, especially when you let it melt a little.
my rating : 4 of 5
A sip of this Energy drink will at first be off-putting if you’re expecting the taste of a Creamsicle bar. It is supposed to be based on those, but it just tastes like a cold Orange. The concept can be enhanced, however, by putting it in the Freezer until little ice crystals form. On a hot summer day, it’s certainly better that way.
my rating : 3 of 5
![audio review : a DM Records compilation : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 4 ]](https://marcellee.com/posts/132518.jpg)
I like Machine Language. It’s one of Techno Bass Crew’s best songs. The chorus on Old School Overload is vibing. If I can include a DJ Trippy bonus track, Burning Out is also hot. This fourth Volume of Bass Sound Off is, in fact, the best in the set. That’s not to say it isn’t a stormy affair. It, like the others, should be an EP. Less isn’t more, but it’s often better. That fact seems to be lost on DM Records.
my rating : 3 of 5
1997
![audio review : a DM Records compilation : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 2 ]](https://marcellee.com/posts/132509.jpg)
The cover car looks better. I’d take a dark convertible over a neon green Beetle any day of the week. This second Volume of Bass Sound Off; I wonder if they’ll drop the “USA” like they did with the Bass Explosion series; is otherwise about as bad as the first. Bass 305 at least brought a couple of good songs. Bass Alliance; the “DJ” this time around; can’t manage a single one.
my rating : 2 of 5
1997
audio review : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 3 ]
audio review : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 4 ]
![audio review : a DM Records compilation : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 1 ]](https://marcellee.com/posts/132493.jpg)
This would’ve been better as an EP of new Bass 305 songs. There are clunkers; namely the two with Noise in the title; but Get Close and Searching For Love are good. The problem is that they’re presented in a “continuous mix” with numerous speaker Tests which serve as nothing more than filler. You can exclude the DJ Trippy stuff at the end, but then you’re missing out on Self Transcendence.
my rating : 2 of 5
1997
audio review : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 2 ]
audio review : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 3 ]
audio review : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 4 ]
This drink doesn’t put me in Melon Mania. It’s more of a berry taste to my buds; pleasant enough despite the carbonation but nothing to go crazy about. It’s promoted as Total Body Fuel packed with 300 milligrams of “natural caffeine” for “increased concentration” and “reduced fatigue”.
my rating : 3 of 5
The concept is fun and the girl is hot, but the cover is tacky. The same can be said for the album itself. Some of the rap songs are among the worst I ever heard. Even the Bass 305 tracks are booty. The most amusing bit is when Trent Partidge, Cruising In Miami, encounters “one of those suckers”. He also provides the best song; Round And Round; but the best bit of music can be found on the Bass Invaders chorus.
my rating : 2 of 5
1997
![audio review : a DM Records compilation : Trip Hop Experience [ Chapter One ]](https://marcellee.com/posts/132428.jpg)
The best cut here is DJ OSP’s Relax, which sounds about as tranquil as its title suggests. Most of the others are subpar, perhaps partly due to the aesthetic limitations of the Trip Hop subgenre itself. The two songs you might’ve heard before are Brazil, from Bass 305’s Departure album, and Techno Bass Crew’s Disorder.
my rating : 3 of 5
1996
![audio review : a DM Records compilation : Digital Audio Dimensions [ Cyberbass ]](https://marcellee.com/posts/132410.jpg)
This DM Records compilation includes altered snippets of songs from the label, along with spacey sound effects, in a “continuous mix” to demonstrate “The CyberBass 3D process”. It’s an audio effect that “gives extra dimension to stereo,” the cover reads, “with sound appearing to surround the listener.”
It’s like the effect you get when you don’t plug your headphones in all the way and just as fatiguing on the ears. Why anyone would want to experience it for an hour is beyond me. There are some booming beats here, but it’s not nearly enough to excuse the gimmick or justify the album’s existence.
my rating : 2 of 5
1996