Earthdance

10. "Skin Up" by Medicine Drum. I'm not a Medicine Drum fan, but this is a pretty good beat.

9. "The Freaks (Gettin' Tribal Mix) by Uberzone. Another good break, and a commentary on the candy ravers who comprise this collection's target demographic.

8. "Mock Tudor" by Orbital. Reminiscent of a kinder, gentler, circa-"Lush" Orbital, this stands up to everything on The Middle of Nowhere, and is superior to pretty much anything on the disappointing Nothing Left CDs.

7. "V.I.P. (Dune Remix)" by Gus Gus. I'm really not a fan Gus Gus's minimalist, forgettable music, but this is a good, groovable remix. The fact that the vocalist's voice has been distorted nearly to incomprehensibility only adds to the fun.

6. "Next to Nothing" by Fatboy Slim. An underrated work by an overrated artist, this is nothing like the cheesy "Praise You" or the over-the-top "Rockafeller Skank," but rather a solid, involving progression of mystical loops and beats.

5. "Push Upstairs" by Underworld. This is such a brilliant--ha ha! Just kidding! This is just as vapid and crass and forgettable as everything else they've done since "Cherry Pie." Honestly, who listens to these guys anymore?

4. "Anon" by Meat Beat Manifesto. When did this guy get so good? Actually, I've never really heard any of his stuff before, and this track makes me rue that fact. Some might beg to differ, but IMHO this is the album's high point. It's like a love song for Cylons: spooky and spacy, metallic and melancholy, with an underlying urgency. Reminds me of waiting in line at Space Mountain.

3. "Doublecross" by Q-Burns Abstract Message. Even if, like me, you can't stand anything else these guys have done, you still need to check this track out. Trust me: you'll be a better person for it. It's good stuff. And this is, as far as I know, the only place it's available.

2. "Requiem" by Art of Trance. Gregorian chants are fascinating, and while they can be successfully married to current-day electronica, it has to be done right. Enigma was an example of how not to do it; but "Requiem" succeeds where they failed. This song conjures visions of a mystic pilgrimmage in the Southwest, over mesas and ravines and gullies with eagles riding the thermals above. Bliss.

1. It's for a good cause. Granted, Buddhism teaches avoidance of music, lest the ears become jaded and inattentive. But tell that to a raver. And his Holiness the Dalai Lama needs all the help he can get. Besides, just 'cause you buy the CD doesn't mean you have to listen to it. ;)