Umek (Uros Umek) is probably Eastern Europe's most famous musical export. He is probably personally responsible for influencing a great horde of new dance artists from that part of the world, and rightfully so.

Umek began has trade in Disc Jockeying way back in 1993 and rode the wave of the burgeoning techno scene, gaining respect from pretty much every corner of the genre and all of the top producers, for his uncompromising production style and his gripping 3 deck sets. I have personally witnessed him in the flesh a number of times, and while never being overwhelming, Umek always knew how to entertain a crowd and keep the dancefloor moving in a very bouncy, trickery filled way.

He is one of the rare DJ’s that earns his money, constantly working the mixing desk, hardly ever looking at the crowd, and certainly never having a drink, chatting with bimbo followers, or even worse, dancing.

Umek in the has progressed from club DJ, to label boss and high end producer. “HellYeah” is a record label that he is deeply involved in and it seems that he has also opened up his eyes and brain to different genres and styles, aside from his customary throbbing, bouncy techno.

On “?HellYeah”, Umek has released a 70 minute mix CD that incorporates what garnered Umek his superstar status; throbbing, gristly and uncompromising techno, mixed at break neck speed, whilst retaining a supreme level of smoothness and crispness.

The 70 minute mix is Umek’s fourth mix CD release and doesn’t steer away from the usual techno fare. If anything, it is decidedly one-dimensional, which will probably enthuse some, while infuriating others. The only real change of direction comes at about the sixteen minute mark, where Umek plays his own remix of the wonderfully uplifting and athemic house tune “Yes We Can” by Oliver Koletski.

The remaining 60 minutes or so of “?HellYeah” is entirely what you would expect from Umek. Funky, driving and ever-restless techno that never lets the listener sit back and enjoy the the rhythms, as it moves, twists and turns, bending the listeners ears into cheap sun protection territory and back.

The driving grooves, minimal architecture and relentless peaks and troughs are entirely party music. Not one for early Saturday evening, but certainly one for peak time very early Sunday morning. The fact that Umek crams in 25 tracks into a 70 minute mix means that each track is played for a maximum of 3 minutes with most, being aired for a mere 2 minutes. The overall effect is that the mix is constantly changing, morphing and turning, ensuring that the listener is never bored or left feeling static.

As I have said, the “?Hell Yeah” mix is slightly one-dimensional, never veering from its intended path. I haven’t quite decided whether this is a good or bad thing. Personally, I would have liked to have heard a few electro moments thrown into the mix, or even some deep melodic techno to let the listener relax into a state of sublime musical beauty, but alas, none of these niceties exist.

Umek with the “?HellYeah” mix has thrown the kitchen sink at the listener to ensure a thorough head cleanse. “?Hell Yeah” will either be immensely boring for some, or darkly enlightening for others, depending on your tastes. A thorough techno work out it certainly is, a seminal dance moment it certainly isn’t.