SHARIF GALAL faced one small problem when be began gathering material for Groove Train , a compilation album which captures the essence of his long-running TRIPLE J radio program.
He said there was too much musical talent to choose from.
``It was tough choosing what went on the album because there's a lot of good music out there,'' Galal said, ``particularly since I made it all- Australian.
``There are a lot of local artists I would have liked to have on it.'' Galal originally set out to make a two-disc album but took it back to one to ensure it featured only ``the cream of the crop.'' The result is a diverse collection of grooves from the likes of KATALYST, NUBREED, RESIN DOGS and ENDORPHIN. It features 17 tracks and nine of those were exclusively donated to the album.
``The album is based more around the artists, sort of representing the show with everything from slow grooves to up-tempo breaks as well,'' Galal said.
``I'm really happy with it and the artists have been great. I basically wanted the first one to be a `thank you' and a tribute to Australian music in the dance and groove scene.'' Raised in Australia to Egyptian-born parents, Galal began his radio career as a 14-year-old when he was sent to Cairo to study.
During his time overseas, he travelled to the UK where he said he picked up his ``musical education.'' With his growing involvement in the dance music industry and a DJ set on Triple J's MIX UP, Galal joined the station in 1995 and took over as the Groove Train host.
Galal has taken the Groove Train album on the road with a host of special guests.
When he plays a DJ set at THE BREWERY on Wednesday, November 10, Galal will share the stage with special guest Rephrase.
``It has been a good run of shows so far. Basically we just showcase the live aspect of the music that's on the CD and put it on stage,'' Galal said.
``We're hoping to turn it into an annual thing, showcase the best music of the year of stuff that is coming out, and just establish a niche for it.''
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