The first volume of two, this record is the vinyl pendant to Sickboy's “Time to Play” CD, recently released on Ad Noiseam. (Get this on 12" / as mp3) More madness from the source of it all. Sickboy, one of the most seminal breakcore / mash-up / whatever artist of the current European scene takes everybody to the utmost rave of 2008. It's all pretty colourful, you might meet Alf or some girl from Mars but don't be mistaken, there might still be blood on the dancefloor at one point. Having released his previous four albums on Peace Off, Mirex and Cargo's Very Friendly, Jurgen Desmet (aka Sickboy) presents on Ad Noiseam a full length album which might be at the same time his most accessible and his “sickest”. Having dropped the noise from his sound, the boy is now all about crazy raving, flashy beats and tongue-in-cheek samples (all right, this last element has always been there with Sickboy). Armed with a beats bassy enough to wreck subwoofers, anthemic samples and a tempo reaching for the sky, Sickboy doesn't let the dancefloor catch its breath for a second, and offer here 45 minutes of non-stop sonic ketamine. Maybe a sign of the time, and somewhat comparable to the recent evolution in sound of such co-conspirators as Bong-Ra, Jason Forrest or Shitmat, Sickboy steps away here from the darkest corners of breakcore and integrates in his sound some old school rave, new school house, and no school delirium. Where mash-up was previously often limited to a few samples and hooks in the middle of a noisy breakcore track, it has now gained the entire tracks, new coherent ensembles embracing many genres at the same time, and coming out as something new and exhilarating. A fiercely enthusiastic, fun and catchy album, “Time To Play” is the perfect expression of what Sickboy is about. And, be honest, haven't you always dreamed of raving it up with Alf?