:: Various Artists - Raw Vol. 2 (mixed by Chris Fraser)

Various Artists

Raw Volume 2 is a confusing release. Priced at $30.00, and offering buyers nothing that they could not easily track down online, it’s bizarre that, by all reports, it’s selling so well. All music releases face the same problem to varying degrees, but as a compilation Raw is at a disadvantage. Part of its success might be attributed to Chris Fraser, who was ranked Australia’s 25th most popular DJ in a 2006 poll. His involvement gives the release identity, counteracting to some degree the obscurity that most compilations fade into. The tracks serve their purpose well (we could, however, have done without two consecutive versions of Gameboy/Gamegirl’s Sweaty Wet/Dirty Damp); there can’t be any claim made that the quality of the release is lacking. But, given the interchangeability and disposability of dance remixes, it’s absurd that anyone would pay so much for a product they could effectively have for free. More power to Chris Fraser and Raw FM though, that a sizeable portion of Australian consumers continue to behave so bafflingly.