Innovator

This is pounding, joyful, melodic, electronic dance music created at a time when there was hardly anything else like it out there (Except for a few rare acid tracks and of course the work of Juan Atkins as Model 500, also on this series)...For me, what is just so f-ing cool about this music is the fact that it's just one dude in the 80s going crazy with battered old synths, sequencers and drum machines in his bedroom - not like today where you can almost hear what music programs are being used to create your average boring over-produced laptop house. It's just my opinion, but speaking as a producer/DJ, my laptop just doesn't feel as rock n' roll as the dusty old 808 equipment which these guys famously salvaged from pawn shops at affordable prices all those years ago - and I'm constantly trying to recreate the feel of this music using modern programming, which says A LOT.But I digress - referring to some of the negative reviews on here - If you love your modern post-daft punk/deadmaus/commercial house, electro or minimal stuff and you've never had a history lesson in original 80s house, acid and techno music, then yes, on first listen you might spit your coffee over your apple mac in juvenile protest at the sound of quirky little synth lines and comparatively thin bass sounds to what's happening today. But if you would approach this with an open mind and put it into context, this is just sublime music, and it HAS aged well, because it still pumps the speakers and there is nothing out there that sounds like this today (other than the likes of retro acid-heads LONE or KiNK of course...)Giving this awesome entry-level techno album a crappy review would be like an English student doing the same for Shakespeare. Sorry to sound like one of those old goats you find online (I'm not, this music is as new to me too, I'm in my twenties), but seriously guys, if you can't respect/get down with the founders, then simply G T F O - Because for you, dance music can only be a passing phase.For those of us who want to learn and hear how dance music has evolved from the primordial soup of disco and early electronica, grab this up now. Classics such as 'Strings of Life', 'Nude Photo' and 'Drama' makes this double album worth it for the price alone, and trust me, from personal experience they still set the dance-floor on fire even today.

This package contains all of May's major releases as well as unreleased mixes of old tracks. Worth mentioning are classics such as 'Strings of Life', 'Nude Photo' and 'R-Theme', which are all good examples of May's ability to blend machine-driven funk with melancholic chords and catchy pieces of melody. Blissful ambient is placed next to genuine four-to-the-flour techno tracks to form an essential album for both the homelistener and the DJ.

Classic techno from one of the Belville three. At the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s May produced electronic soul on such a level that he must have felt that it was impossible to top it. Too bad he never attempted to prove himself wrong as he stopped producing music after these classic tracks and worse still, he was completely right. 15 to 18 years on and still noone has produced a rival for Strings of Life, It is what it is or the Beginning. If you only one techno record this compilation should be it. The only fault is that his own remix of wiggan from the classic transmat relics compilation is missing, as that is another example of May's genius.

exellent melodic techno from early nineties. takes a while to get into from a 2011 point of view. if you went to a rave between 89-92 some of these classics will be very familiar, one track uses a vocal sample from alison moyet. If you like galaxy 2 galaxy or orlando voorne's really earlly stuff you will be in heaven.

Derrick May and his 2 friends developed a new form of electronic music, their influences were varied, German electronica and the new house sounds from Chicargo, this new music was Techno. I have never left a review on Amazon but the reviewer who says Derrick May doesn't know how to make techno really needs to look at the history of the music. You are clearly a fool! Derrick May is the man!!!

Seeing performing alive to this maestro one only can realize that in this world there is people with a stellar mission in music as he himself has declared it. This stellar sonic sphere:Innovator arrived to my hands in the precise moment of time and of course I have already broadcasted it completely throughout all my radio shows here in mystical Perú:2001_ONETHOUSANDYEARSAFTER!,SPECTRASONICS and B-SIDE/THE CHILLOUT ZONE.When listening with attention to everyone of its tracks your mind travels to sonic universes of hi-tech soul and beyond. He has the power for saving the world from bad and soulless music as he himself has affirmed it,too...and I believe it without any doubt!DERRICK MAY on the stage and decks shows himself as electric as the music he wants to transmit:IS -and for moments, you could say to yourself that he has arrived to this planet with an ultra special energy to share with people.You will never maintain yourself static when you are listening to any of his tracks because your body will move energetically in its total geography.His music transcends not only because of his name in music but for his ability to take you to his own world of make-believe!This sonic sphere is deserved for you,just buy it!HELENE RAMOS GALAGARZAperuvian journalist/cyber dj/radio producer & hosteditor/designer/promoter/photographer/translator

May have sounded great back in the early days of 90's techno. But today (2012) most tracks sound rather simplistic and quiet repetitive with a predictable direction too. A album that has not aged well due to it's music mainly based around looped simplistic drum pattern and synth repetition all with an old-school club style of techno. As for techno there's certainly much better out there from many artist that may not be as well known as Derrick May, yet surpass this -overrated-techno/house album in many ways... Doing a little research on techno artist will lead you to discover better and more inspiring techno, not okayish for it's time techno.