Originally released in 2005, Spectral Sound Vol.1 features notable tech house/minimal techno tunes from Spectral Sound, Ghostly International's dancefloor-oriented sublabel. The compilation covers the whole of the label's existence (it started in 2000), and it consists of exclusives and classics (all appearing on CD for the first time) by artists like Matthew Dear, Osborne, Peter Grummich, and James T. Cotton. "Dog Days" from Dear's Leave Luck to Heaven combines elements of minimal, house, and disco, while "Juice" is a previously unreleased track that offers a different take on some of the sounds he toyed with in the aforementioned album. "T-Y-O-C Painkillers" by Cotton is a analog sound-drenched, driving number with a crazy buildup while Osborne's "Bout Ready To Jak" is a raw, intense track that's sure to deliver on the dancefloor.  Contains a 33-track mix done by Ryan Elliot.

• music label: Spectral Sound / 2005

reviewed by NI 09/2010