1. LOS CRUDOS/SPITBOY

viviando asperamente roughly living

2. COIL

presents black light district

3. TRENCHMOUTH

broadcasting system

4. DJ SHADOW

endtroducing...

5. SCORN

logghi barogghi

6. LASCELLES

rock oil

7. TORTOISE

millions now living will never die

8. JESSAMINE

long arm of coincidence

9. STEREOLAB

emperor tomato ketchup

10. SIX FINGER SATELLITE

paranormalized

Modern Dance (Headz/Trip Hop/Hip Hop/Jungle/Illbient/Techno) .Underground Rock/Indie Rock

.Experimental/Abstract/Ambient

.Dub (Modern/Roots)/Reggae

not to be forgotten: .Punk/Hardcore, Krautrock (CAN, NEU), 60s/70s Rock/Funk, EasyLounge, a sprinkling of Jazz

If you have an open mind when it comes to your music - I am your man. I often stay afterhours at the store to keep up on the new and used titles that pour in. Even without membership, e.mail me anytime with your inquiries into Dance music.

P.S. You will gain instant favor with me if you are a buyer of VINYL!!!

Randy: It might be argued in some quarters that he may be the only one about with any taste. Though like everyone else he has his bad moments. (And rest assured I am the only one here with 100% good taste, but if I were to pick music for you, you damned well better believe I would randomly pick out some bad CD while blind drunk). He rules our dance section and listens to every damn piece that comes through. But he sees the fickleness of the copycatiness of the scene. For every brilliant DJ Shadow or Spooky, or the Orb, you'll be wading through buckets of shit on your own. Ray doesn't limit himself to what is in the dance bins, no-siree, Six Finger Satellite, Flying Luttenbachers, Los Crudos. Give him the smooth sounds or guitars that will peel your eyes off. He happens to be a great roadie as well. I faked a broken ankle so as to force him to carry my equipment about. Well, I've seen hardly a sight funnier than Raymondo, my DEAR Hispanic friend (and as cynical as YOU may be, I mean that without irony) ducking in and out of doors carrying a 95 lb power amp. The Chicago Police Dept had an all-points bulletin out for a young Hispanic male acting suspiciously with a large piece of stolen equipment. Well, you charlatans, I will state with impunity that Ray walks the path of the righteous with me, carrying my amps, with a collection of boss rekids that may very well someday rival my own.

What do other freakssay about Ray behind his back?

Charlie: Progressive dance and trip-hop guru. Also dives headfirst into noisy punk, floats in ambient darkness.

Jason: Resident dance music guy, can tell you what Tricky had for lunch. Eclectic other tastes including punk, indie, lounge, noise...

Julie A: Although our dance buyer - having an extensive knowledge of the genre - he loves Chicago emo-rock and has a foot in the door of ambient-industrial-experimental bands.

Mark: A sponge soaking up anything musically wet . Whereas we mere humans tend to demarcate small, safe, known teriitories to call our own - therby sacrificing exploration at the expense of mobility/growth, Ray sends expeditions in all directions, with his true magnetic musical North lying somewhere in the direction of Dance, Ambient, and Dub/Ska/Reggae lands. Given our store policy of initialling then competing for those promos we crave, one might first suspect him of hoarding a stash with which to open his own store (whereas the truth, in fact, is that he is hungry and appreciative for it all, without being weighted down with the detritis of poor judgment!) An exquisitely fine-tuned ear for his tender age, he has a remarkable future before him. What a guy!

Julie R: He's our dance music man, but is not limited to just that. He has well-rounded tastes in the rock and ambient genres.