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Starkillers is the stage name for Las Vegas’ dj/producer Nick Terranova, who recently had two monster dance hits, the classic "Discoteka" and the followup, somewhat derivative, "Scream." Dirty Sounds Vol. One contains the original mixes of both of those hits, along with a number of remixes by Terranova in his Starkillers persona and paired up with others.

It has been said by Wall Street Journal music critic Jim Fusilli that writing about music is like dancing to architecture. Nowhere is this more true than trying to describe dance music and all of its genres, subgenres, and permutations. But let’s try, if only for a few sentences. Terranova favors a fat, funky dance sound that jumps --- the mixes here seem to be a bit more up tempo than what I am used to hearing --- even when engaging in a bit of playfulness such as on Promises. It is pointless to complain or, I suppose, even comment on the fact that, even to the initiated, this music tends to meld into one eternal track, one which may end or resume at the listener’s whim, by entering or exiting a club where such is played or by turning a music listening device on or off. And maybe that is the point. This is mood music for the apocalypse, space music for those firmly anchored on the dance floor. The difference is the ability to sustain, or suck up, the energy of the listener. In the case of Terranova, sustenance and its sister energy is definitely the order of the day, particularly on the title track, which in another genre might be described as a medley tour of but a few of the sub-genres with which electronica is formed. The only track that seems to not quite work is Flow, near the end, but the disc finishes with Starkillers’ remix of the megahit "Rapture" from ii0, making Dirty Sound a definite contender for dance CD of the year.

Dirty Sound is a thick slice of dance that is exhausting, yet exhilarating. Best swallowed whole. And recommended.