Dirty Diamonds is a compilation put together by the folks at www.d-i-r-t-y.com and Diamondtraxx, home for the likes of Benjamin Diamond, Octet, Hush Puppies and The Dirty Sound System (a Paris-based collective of producers and DJs).

Culling sides from the likes of LB (aka Uwe Schmidt), Dabrye, John Carpenter, Akufen, Suicide, Grace Jones, Human League, Claudine Longet, Mocky, Felix Kubin, Simian, Colin Blunstone, and Michel Polnareff, it's a compilation that shouldn't work but that does. This is a collection of tunes that you want to hear again and again. It's that mix of electronics and lounge music that gives it a fresh ear. I was only a little surprised that the collection was not a mixed dj styled set since you can find so many mixes at the www.d-i-r-t-y.com website.

Dirty Diamonds 2 has already been released at the end of last year in Europe and Japan (with a 2005 release date for US/UK) with another unique collection to look out for (with the likes of Air, John Foxx, I Monster, Arthur Russell, The Pastels, Frankie Knuckles, Yello, Chicken Lips, Out Hud, Harry Nilsson, and Nino Rota).

Here's what's up on the first Dirty Diamonds compilation.

LB - Angie - LB (aka Atom Heart, aka Uwe Schmidt) offers up his all electronic rendition of The Rolling Stones’ Angie which has been a hit in these parts.

Octet - Hey Bonus - a French duo on Diamondtraxx including Francois Goujon (ex-drummer from The Lighthouse) and Benjamin Morando (member of Dirty Sound System) who sound like a 1960s soundtrack (though they have a modern disc called Cash And Carry Songs with variously inspired sounds). It's a sampling of the electronics and lounge found in bands like Air and Mello.

Dabrye - The Lish - Tadd Mullinix gives us a laidback glitched Detroit sound with saxophone and sub-bass rhythms.

John Carpenter - The Bank Robbery - John Carpenter created some incredible soundtrack music, and this one from 1981 is no different. Building guitars and drums with handclaps and synths that sounds like a Rhys Chatham mimimalist piece.

Akufen - Even White Horizons - Canadian Marc Leclair offers up a breezy take on his glitched out sound from his My Way cd by combining strummed guitars and strings with a slapping rhythm of perfection.

Suicide - Dream Baby Dream - Sounding remarkably like how The Magnetic Fields sounded in the late 80s and 90s, this mesmerizing tune was originally released on Blast First in 1980.

Transformer Di Roboter - Stranger in Moscow - Alexander Kloster & Johannes Malfatti offer up this Michael Jackson song made with Macintosh system sounds in a way that makes it a nice add to the LB track.

Artist Unknown - Control (Martini Brös Remix) - The Martini Brös remix this track that might be from Russian Anton Kubikov (aka SCSI 9) into a classical piece with cello and female vocals that give it that Rasputina sound.

Claudine Longet - Love is Blue - The best version of this oft covered 60s tune as composed by André Pop originally released on A&M in 1968. Most versions don't do it the justice of Claudine Longet.

Mocky - Show Me That You're Mine - A Gomma release from 2003 that sounds like the little people from the Wizard of Oz singing - perfect for a friend of Peaches.

Grace Jones - Pull up to the Bumper (Larry Levan Garage mix) - Larry Levan mixes are invariably the highlight of any compilation and this bomb of a track is no different as it spans out on the dancefloor for 7 plus minutes of booty bumping goodness that will inspire you to get your car worked on.

Human League - Things That Dreams Are Made Of - For those few minutes in the late 70s and early 80s Human League were perfect - and this track from 1981 is that mix of electro pop and industrial edge. Amazing that this electro pop tune was from the album Dare which also brought us Don't You Want Me.

Felix Kubin - Phonebashing - The liner notes call this song an "anti-cellular-phone anthem" and that's fitting since the melody sounds like it is from phone sounds and could drive you mad.

France Copland - Rutgerhauer Song - Another cover - this time of the Vangelis song from the Blade Runner soundtrack. This goes well with updating the that John Carpenter soundtrack sound from the early 80s.

Simian - Never Be Alone (Simian Mobile Disco remix) - Simian have come along way since I heard their first album with this electronic blipfest that was released in 2002.

Colin Blunstone - Smokey Day - The Zombies' lead singer gives us an orchestral and double tracked vocal take with this sweet 1971 nugget.

Michel Polnareff - Voyages - Another one from 1971 Michel Polnareff finishes out this compilation with this soundtrack sounding French lounge piece which combines heavenly voices, swirling organ and brash horns for a compilation send-off.