Realised recently that the Late Night Tales series of albums is over 20 years old, and has now put out 50 editions (plus the After Dark editions). Took the Air and Jon Hopkins versions off the shelf a few days ago, two of the better ones.
Have got several of these on vinyl, and found them to be very well put together and curated. Also led me to dig deeper into several of the artists featured on them.
What are other people’s favourite compilation series’. Another one that I own a few of is the now defunct Life:Styles series (the 4 Hero and Laurent Garnier editions get regular listens).
3 Likes
Life:Styles was a beaut of a series.
I also really loved:
Soul of Science
Abstract Funk Theory
Muro’s Diggin series
ESP DJ Classics - The Alex Barck one is brill.
Some DJ Kicks are brilliant (although can be a bit hit and miss). Loved the Kamaal Williams, Henrik Schwarz and MCDE ones. K&D obvs.
3 Likes
Bit obvious but JDJ ones were pretty good at the time, still listen to the Jay Chappel one occasionally.
4 Likes
5 faves that stick out for me
Henrik Schwarz - DJ Kicks - just outstanding, a schooling in how to put the unlikeliest music together. Fond memories hearing Walk a mile in my shoes in an ibizan hirecar banjaxed, and everyone singing along to Luther Davis
Bent - Later gradually moves up the gears culminating in danny wang and detroit experiment at the end - oof
Joe Claussell - Translate. Blurb and interludes very much on the spiritual mush side, but epic selections, the eternal drama of Rej, and alton miller eq-ed in true JC style but not overdone
Phil Mison - The Originals. All the Originals were good but nobody imo gets it like he does. African Dream and Jorge Ben are both acers on there
Jazzanova - Computer Incarnations for World Peace vol 1. The one that got me into Ponty, Talking Drums, Will Powers and a load of other gems
8 Likes
A great many of us must’ve used the Mastercuts comps in our early djing days
17 Likes
All the C56 originals comps were ace. But particular fondness for the Moonboots and Felix Dickinson ones.
6 Likes
How could I forget the C56 originals. I discovered so many new ‘old’ tunes through these comps.
The Mark 7 and Matthew & Jolyon ones are also 
.
8 Likes
The GP/Norman one was a massive gateway in to a lot of ‘new’ music for me.
See also Francois K’s essential mix, Jeff Mills Live at the Liquid Room and James Lavelle Cream. Not all strictly series, although some of those early Cream ones were pretty decent.
A big quite commercial series, but Fabric had a few crackers over the years, John Peel and James Murphy’s stick out…
4 Likes
Ross Allen and Jedi Knights on the Abstract Funk Theory!
4 Likes
Got the X-Press 2 one on vinyl, absolutely knackered now
1 Like
Same. And the Harvey. Such an incredible selection of music for relative peanuts when they were released.
2 Likes
The CHOICE series felt like it allowed people to go off a bit. The Derrick Carter one is a fave, the Francois K one is all classics and the Jeff Mills one is 
15 Likes
This was a good series
6 Likes
deffo on the Choice series. I really liked the Louie Vega one. Eddy Grant into Adonis sounds amazing
4 Likes
I’ve got the Frankie Knuckles one. The DC one has been one of my wants for a while though.
2 Likes
& the X-Press 2
X-Press 2 - Choice (A Collection Of Classics) | Releases | Discogs ending with Piss Factory is a bit of a ride too
5 Likes
Loved all these but as I recall the X-Press 2 one had this annoying voiceover/calling card.
Loved quite a few of the Fabric ones, esp:
Trevor Jackson DJ Kicks still holds up rather well
There were only three of them, but Heavenly’s Live at the Social were all different and fun
The various David Toop ones starting with Ocean of Sound
Seahawks ‘20 Hot Tub Greats’ series
8 Likes
really wish this would have been more of a series, but i was glad for what i got:
7 Likes
props to Dave Lee too
2 comps which captured very different sides of his multipersonas, killer tunes galore on both
3 Likes