I’m about to commit a cardinal sin of music reviewing. I am about to admitted some musical ignorance. I have to admit that I have never even heard of Andy Smith’s ‘The Document’, let alone heard the actual recording. Although I do know who Andy Smith is, being a fan of both Portishead and Dynamo Productions, for some reason ‘The Document’ slipped under my radar.

From the music press beat ups I’ve read, it sounds like something I would have really got into. They compare it to Coldcuts’ ‘Journey By DJs’ mix, which is one of my all time favourite CDs, and still sounds fresh after so many years. However, I also believe that a sequel should be able to stand on it’s own merits, whether the sequel be for a book, film, or musical series.

Luckily, ‘The Document II’ can easily stand on it’s own two feet. Beginning with Kate Bush’s ethereal the Man with the Child in his Eye, this astounding mix takes us through hiphop and funk via excellent beat juggling and scratching. The beats of Craig G form a wonderful segue from the airiness of Bush to the funk of James Brown, with the acapella of Ackbar Hot Ya hot busting over the top. And all of this within the first few minutes! The album continues in the funk blended with hiphop style, and the name of the tunes become inconsequential as you just feel the flow.

This is how a mix should be – mashed up and fun, with tunes of different tempos and genres that keep you interested and engaged. There’s no computer tricks here… you can even hear the dust on the needle in some parts! There are 24 tracks crammed into the mix, and it’s wonderful to hear proper scratching and beat juggling used not to show off, but to enhance the mix. Not having heard the original Document, I can’t say Andy Smith has done it again, but I can say he’s done it well.