LIST your ideal reference tracks

[Jay Pace]

You have to be more conscious of what the "standard" is for dance music. You could make a nice balanced track that would sound great in isolation, but dull and flat when sat next to two other tracks in the mix which have deeper bass or crisper highs.

And especially if your track is going to be played out over a rig that has 6k of bass dedicated to the 40-120 hz region if your track doesn't do much in that region and everyone elses track does your track will sound shit.

[massplanck]

And especially if your track is going to be played out over a rig that has 6k of bass dedicated to the 40-120 hz region if your track doesn't do much in that region and everyone elses track does your track will sound shit.

I'm pretty sure a prodigy CD would sound like 'the shit' over that kind of rig.

One thing I will say. You said you use minus release for referencing against. I think Rod Modell does the mastering for them. That guy knows his shit.