Boris Midney - Boris Midney Anthology [1999] (CD)

All Music Guide

This compilation collects all the high points in the career of legendary Eurodisco producer Boris Midney. Although his name never became as well-known as Jean-Marc Cerrone or Giorgio Moroder, Midney remains a favorite with disco fanatics around the world thanks to the carefully crafted disco epics contained here. Although these tracks were credited to groups like Beautiful Bend, USA-European Connection, and Festival, they are all Midney's studio creations: in addition to writing, arranging, and producing the tracks, he often played all the instruments on the songs and also built the studio they were performed in. Disco fans will no doubt be delighted by this set because all of the tracks are included in either their album-length versions or the 12" mixes that were played in clubs. This is a necessity since most of the tracks included on Anthology tend toward the symphonic: epic-length songs like "There's a Way Into My Heart" and "Come Into My Heart/Good Loving" artfully glide through expansive but tightly woven arrangements that deftly combine whooshing waves of synthesizer effects, shifting rhythms, and hypnotic string riffs. Lyrical content is minimal, but reflects the romanticism of the music's string-sweetened feel and gentle rhythms. There are also shorter, punchier tracks like "Boogie Motion," which sets an insistent chant from a female chorus over a music track where electric piano riffs duel with stabbing strings and rumbling percussion. Other tracks find Midney rearranging music from Evita and The Empire Strikes Back for the dancefloor: a big highlight in this arena is his dancefloor remake of the ballad "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," which incorporates a throbbing bass line into the song's orchestrated backdrop with surprising artfulness. All in all, the double-disc generosity of this collection will probably overwhelm the casual listener, but Anthology is a treasure trove of classic dance music for anyone who enjoys Eurodisco at its most symphonic.

- Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide