Kerri Chandler's "Track 1" has long been considered a masterpiece of old school instrumental tracks. Originally released on 1993's Atmosphere EP (Shelter Records), Kerri's dusted off this modern classic with a new release on Max Trax records, "Track 1 Revisited".

The five mixes in this package stretch the music to the very limits of versatility - often within the same mix. Take, for instance, the Jazz Mix, which starts off with a jacking percussion roll before spinning awry with a smooth Jazz solo by Nadir Simon.

What struck me most when listening to this package though was how the approach to DJ sets has narrowed in the 16 years since "Track 1" was released. There was a time when obscure, underground disco records popped into the same set as hard tracks by Derrick May or acid tracks by Armando Gallop or proto-deep house by Fingers, Inc. or commercial Top 40 by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Things are far more pigeonholed today - a DJ is likely to be criticized for getting out of the pocket or lacking an ear for mixing genres together. Kerri's mixes here transcend genres - I suspect that any of these mixes could pop up in a Deep House, Techno or even Electro set without the crowd skipping a beat.

We'll have the review in the April 2008 issue of 5 Mag - in the meantime, check out Kerri's page at simplycoolmusic.com and keep an eye on the new arrivals to the download sites, as this one will be dropping in days. And here's a cut of the original "Track 1" from 1993. Let me assure you - though I love this track - "Track 1 Revisited" is even better: