In just a few short years, Armand Van Helden has already established himself as one of electronica's most respected superstars, especially in Britain where his remix of Tori Amos' "Professional Widow" went to #1 on the singles chart. Other remixes that have helped catapult him to fame in Britain include mixes of Puff Daddy's unavoidable "It's All About The Benjamins," the Sneaker Pimps' "Spin Spin Sugar," Daft Punk's "Around The World" and the Rolling Stones' "Anybody Seen My Baby."

However, his reign is less notorious in the states, which is probably due to the general public's lack of interest in electronic music (unless it gets airtime on MTV). Whatever the case, avid clubbers have a new reason to get out on the floor-- it's called Sampleslaya.

Sampleslaya is a shakin'-ass booty romp through some of hip-hop's most memorable moments. Van Helden cranks up the bass, kicks out the phat beats, and wastes no time letting loose on the record's opening track, "Pushem' Up"; when the album's vocoder-altered introduction gives way to the relentlessly smooth beats, dischordant piano tones and rapper Big Kap callin' out "Push 'em up/ Everybody push 'em up," it's evident that this man knows how to rock the house.

The record spins through some pretty intense party- people moments that sample everybody from A Tribe Called Quest ("Hot Butter") and NAS ("Daaboodaa Monks") to Lords of the Underground ("Ultrafunkula") and the Fat Boys ("Word Up Doc"). It's definitely music intended for dancing, and likewise, it's not a particularly interesting listen for the home stereo-- that is, unless your apartment doubles as a nightclub. (It does?!) Instead, Sampleslaya's an album that you wanna get into on a hot summer New York night when you plan to get it on down like Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

-Ryan Schreiber