Xen Cuts

Disc 1
1	The Xen to One Ratio / Steinski 1:03
2	Showtime / Mass Influence 4:45
3	2 Tha Left / Mass Influence 3:21
4	QMS / T-Love 5:00
5	8 Point Agenda / The Herbaliser 5:00
6	Ug / Mr. Scruff 4:33
7	Memories / Resonance 3:12
8	Rhythm and Blues Angus Steakhouse / Cabbageboy 4:25
9	Saboteur / Amon Tobin Roots Manuva Remix 4:22
10	Your Revolution / Sara Jones Version 4:53
11	Nepalese Bliss / Irresistible Force Jimpster Remix 5:17
12	Emperor's Main Course / Kid Koala 4:04
13	Give It Up / Coldcut 5:08
14	Hip Hop Barrio / Up, Bustle and Out 4:35
15	Blue Flames / Quannum 5:05
16	Night Night Theme / Infesticons 4:06
17	I Hear The Drummer / Luke Vibert 4:07
18	Ninjah (We Are Ninja) / Frank Chickens 5:15
Disc 2
1	The Joy of X (Spotters Delight) / Flexus 1:44
2	The 10th Victim / Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination 4:18
3	Soul Pride / Neptune 6:36
4	Los Locos Cubanos / Up, Bustle and Out Snowboy's Batarumbaconga Mix 4:23
5	Down and To the Left / Amon Tobin 5:21
6	My Life's in These Bottles / Loka 5:28
7	Original Sins / Chris Bowden 7:36
8	Restless / Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination 5:32
9	Build A Church With Your Fear / Animals on Wheels 6:39
10	The Ageing Young Rebel (Gentle Cruelty) / Ken Nordine 8:28
11	Quicksilver Loom / Flanger 8:20
12	Big Sea / Funki Porcini Edit 4:34
13	Arcane / Arc 4:21
14	Big Amoeba Sound / Max and Harvey 4:00
Disc 3
1	Twice The First Time / Saul Williams 4:32
2	More Beats & Pieces / Coldcut John McEntire Tortoise Mix 6:03
3	Dubble (Organ Swell) / Funki Porcini 6:55
4	No Mind / Happy Campers 5:02
5	Peace, Pt. 1 / DJ Food 4:52
6	Happy Band / Mr. Scruff 5:06
7	Drunk Trumpet / Kid Koala Live at the Metro, Chicago 3:55
8	Nonlateral Hypothesis / DJ Vadim 5:26
9	Ninja Tune (Enter the Augmenter) / Hexstatic 4:08
10	Movements / Roots Manuva Live at Inside Tracks 4:25
11	Tried by 12 / East Flatbush Project Squarepusher Remix 2:56
12	Feel'n You and Me / DJ Food 6:20
13	Channel 1 Suite / The Cinematic Orchestra Four Tet Remix 7:36
14	Bad Sex / Chris Morris 5:45
15	Bruce Lee Mc / Quincy Edit 4:38

Barnes & Noble

Started by Jonathan More and Matt Black of cut-'n'-paste gurus Coldcut, the Ninja Tune label has always followed a quirky inner logic that bypasses mainstream dance music sounds (house, trance, and big beat) for eclectic explorations of electronic beat science. The Ninjas continue to defy expectations with Xen Cuts, a three-disc compilation celebrating the label's tenth anniversary. Instead of stuffing the collection with high points from their stellar back catalogue, the London-based label coaxed two CDs of new material from their diverse roster of wax scratchers, knob twiddlers, and rhyme spitters. And the third disc is subtitled "Missed, Flipped & Skipped" and gathers unreleased gems, forgotten B-sides, and rare promo-only tracks. The breadth and depth of this survey is incredible and far too extensive to list here. But know this: The set includes selections of cutting-edge American rap (Saul Williams, Mike Ladd, Blackalicious), world hip-hop (Russia's DJ Vadim, the U.K.'s Roots Manuva), acid jazz (Up, Bustle and Out, DJ Food), jazzy down-tempo (Cinematic Orchestra, Amon Tobin), turntable pastiche (Coldcut, Kid Koala), experimental techno (Squarepusher, Neotropic, Luke Vibert), and much more -- absolutely essential listening for headz of all stripes. Michael Endelman

All Music Guide

Commemorating its tenth anniversary in similar fashion to the festivities at Warp during 1999, Ninja Tune Records celebrated with a three-disc compilation that spotlights not necessarily the greatest, but definitely the most overlooked, moments in the label's history. Founded in 1990 by Coldcut's Jonathan More and Matt Black in response to increasing frustration with major labels, Ninja Tune only earned notice after a few years of mediocre sampladelic records. When the enterprise really exploded in 1995, however, it soon spawned an excellent roster of artists from all sorts of beat-oriented camps: trip-hop (Funki Porcini, Up Bustle & Out), drum'n'bass (Amon Tobin, Animals on Wheels), and hip-hop (DJ Vadim, the Herbaliser, Kid Koala), as well as more ambient techno (Irresistible Force, Neotropic) via the Ntone sub-label. Xen Cuts presents almost 50 tracks spread over three hours, and the focus on previously unreleased (or unavailable on compact disc) material makes for a compilation of many pleasant surprises. Remixers provide many of the highlights, including Jimpster (Irresistible Force's "Nepalese Bliss"), Squarepusher (East Flatbush Project's "Tried by 12"), Roots Manuva (Amon Tobin's "Saboteur"), Fourtet (Cinematic Orchestra's "Channel 1 Suite"), and John McEntire (the label classic "More Beats & Pieces" by Coldcut). Anyone seeking an overview that hits every high will be disappointed -- there's barely an original single to be found on this entire collection, despite the preponderance of B-sides -- but Ninja Tune exercised such remarkable quality control during the mid to late '90s that it barely shows. John Bush