Ok, I’ll admit me picking up this CD had very little to do with how I feel about the MoS label, and everything to do with the buxom, scanty, leather clad babes on the front. But even still, this is another example of why you should never judge a CD by its cover. I initially thought Maximum Bass would be some generic MoS compilation which would make me laugh and deride everyone who likes their usually pedestrian compilations. Imagine my surprise to find that not only was there some decent Breaks on the CD, but the RNB / Hiphop CD was actually quite first-rate as well!

The first CD is Hiphop / RnB, but before rolling your eyes it should be noted that the first tune is the Gorillaz Feel Good Inc, one of the last tunes I’d expect on an RnB compilation. Although it’s all mixed quite well and flows healthily from one track to the next, there’s nothing too exciting here apart from them however, as it features the usual suspects of Chingy, Eminem, DMX, Missy Elliot, and Scribe amongst others. But, on a scale of 1 to 10 of RnB music, this is not as vomit inducing as most RnB mixes.

The second CD is labelled Breaks & House, but thankfully I didn’t notice any House. It’s all Breaks, and it’s all bangin’. It’s similarly well mixed, and although most of the tunes are a few years old, there are some damn good tunes here. Classics like Forme’s Kick a Hole and Ils Next Level are mixed with more modern gems such as the Freesylers Punks and the Deekline / Cut & Run Otta Space, essentially a re-working of the Prodigy’s classic Outer Space, which uses even more vocals from Max Romeo’s I Chased the Devil. Interestingly enough, it finishes off with bass tones, so you can mix or compose your own music.

This CD is obviously aimed at the 20-somethings market with shiny cars and bigger stereos – just look at the cover – but despite this the CD is full of quality tunes that, whilst border on being commercial, aren’t too cheesy. For someone really into Hip hop, R&B or Nu School Breaks, there isn’t really anything special here, but it’s a great introduction to Breaks for those who pick up the CD for the RnB part, being full of bass and heavy beats, but without venturing too far from people’s comfort zone. Conversely, it’s great for those not really into RnB as it represents some of the better music in the genre.