ESG is one of those awkward moments in time where things just don't seem to fit in neatly. A girl band from the almighty Bri-donx, their sound mixed hip-hop, punk, new wave, and house simultaneously. Their original records on the Factory label and the legendary New York label 99 (also home of Liquid Liquid) are truly rare and demand top dollar. This top-notch compilation is the definitive collection of this rare material brought to you by master compilers at Universal Sound. The sound isn't really girly like you'd think, but are hard drum driven tracks. "Moody(1)" blew up as a huge dance classic during it's release and it still rocks the dancefloor. Also included on this compilation is the alternate "Space-Out Version." Then there is track that brought them hip-hop fame is "UFO(2)." Pumped by Bambaataa and the other Union Square DJs, "UFO" found its way onto Ultimate Breaks and Beats, but slowed down to 33rpm. This brought about mass sampling which can be heard on tracks by Beasties, Wu-Tang, PE, and a slew of old-school acts. The rest of their music falls somewhere between these tracks and their punk/new wave roots. It is definitely a unique sound and one that the discerning listener will find pleasurable. Checkout the badass instrumental track "Parking Lot Blues(3)" with heavy bassline and crispy drums (the rolls!). Or the equally heavy "Chistelle(4)" where you hear the influence the drums had on Slick Rick's "Mona Lisa." What about, "Get Funky(5)" with the funk bassline and breaks, but for some reason isn't quite funk? Some may even fall for the catchy, girl vocal, new wave-type tracks like "Come Away" and "Dance." Once you get over the kitsch factor, it becomes infectious. It just doesn't sound like anything else out there. Checkout the pic of Deborah, Renee, Marie, Tito, and Valerie on the back cover and you'll be asking how they do that? Excellent quality compilation with pull-out linear notes.
