Room 208

ROOM 208
Various artists

Sitting somewhere between a car crash and the best party of anyone’s life, Room 208 is really compelling viewing. For those who are unaware, it’s a dance-off on Channel V hosted by our very own Claire de Lune. De Lune lords (as it were) over a crowd of going-off teenagers who are dancing like their lives depend on it. Actually, they’re in it for the money -“ a complex viewer voting procedure selects the winner of the Room. It’s very funny, very cheap and totally addictive. Anyway, Channel V has released the show’s soundtrack and it’s a ripper. Mixing the old (like 1978’s The Jacksons’ Blame It On The Boogie) with the new (like Armand Van Helden’s Hear My Name). In fact, those two songs cover the scope of this two-disc compilation -“ cheesy, cheery, all dancin’ and all the time. Destiny’s Child’s Bootylicious backs up to Sean Paul’s Get Busy backs up to Britney’s I’m A Slave 4 U. Phew. It makes a listener feel for the kids dancing -“ not everyone can make the seamless dancefloor transition from something like Blondie’s Call Me to something like Who Da Funk’s Shiny Disco Balls. Anyway, it’s worth buying this to warm up at home before a big night on the podium.