Various Artists
Wildstyle & Tattoo Music

Said to be a world unique idea, the tattoo fair called Wildstyle. With 1.5 million visitors until now it is the most successful tattoo project in Europe. But Jochen Auer’s project is not only tattoos and piercings, it is stunts, artists, a real event made to increase tolerance for tattoos and tattooed people. Something he feels is needed still as tattoos still polarise despite it being a very common trend nowadays. According to the booklet one in three Germans and one in five Austrians are tattooed, I would guess the numbers are similar here where I sit though in the younger age groups like mine and younger it is probably more than half who are tattooed at least judging from what I see. Maybe I will be unique as I am not tattooed at all and will never be. Still, I have no opinions on tattooed people otherwise as long as it is not very ugly tattoos but I suppose those things are also in the eye of the beholder.

This is a new idea for this man though, making a musical score to the tattoo, or a tattoo soundtrack if you like. But Auer had this unique idea that all tracks should be named Wildstyle which according to the booklet is very different. I don’t know how different it is but to me it doesn’t seem too much of an eye catching thing. Fortunately for me (and probably for all) is that all these songs with the same name are not the same song, there are two CDs both with eleven tracks that contains different Wildstyle songs by bands ranging from thrash metal to something resembling tribe music with synth/techno stuff in between and some good old heavy metal like the opening Doro song. It is a wide range of music, all songs well produced but you could see that the whole thing tend to get a bit too incoherent at times.

Added to these two discs of Wildstyle songs you get a third disc of eleven tracks that are other songs related to the Wildstyle things and it ends with some Wildstyle remixes. Motörhead, Quie Riot and Firehouse are a few of the bands represented here that does not have a Wildstyle song on the first two discs. You get quite a lot of music for your money. But is it worth it? That is something that can be debated of course but if you like mixed playlists and those kinds of things then I think you’ll probably enjoy this album a lot. As compilations go I think this is a rather decent one, I think I really only disliked something like one or two tracks while there were some really good ones like the opening Doro track, the Grave Digger track, many on the third disc as well. But also Rokko Ramirez’ track that opens disc two and the Wildstyle All Stars does a fairly good impression. So there are some gems here.

Is it tattoo music? Well, I can sort of imagine this album working well at the tattoo parlour and maybe also at the Wildstyle events themselves so maybe it is. Does tattooed people need a soundtrack? Well, I don’t know, they are not really a unified group of people as not too many has tattoos as their leading interest they just have a tattoo or two to express something. But what do I know about that? I don’t really care for that whole thing anyway as to me tattoos are neither interesting nor attractive. Anyway, it is a very decent collection of music and it is noticeable that a lot of work has gone into it so hat’s of to Auer for creating this and for his work, it is always admirable with people working hard to do what they believe in.

I myself do not really prefer too much of this album, but it comes with a nice booklet, it comes with some very good music and there isn’t much to toss straight into the garbage on it either. But as compilations always go it is a bit incoherent for my taste so I will probably have difficulty to find a time and place to play it. Then again, I doubt I am the targeted audience and for all of you who like to mix what you listen to into playlists and such, I believe this album will be a very good choice for you. Especially if you run a tattoo parlour and wants some background music to work to. Simply a good collection of songs that should appeal to a wide audience. Not a bad album choice.

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