Boomkat Charts 2003

Finally back in stock!!! Biggest 12" of the year, hands down, no messing, untouched, unparalleled, Killer styles!! We warned you about this record some weeks ago with the release of Ai's massive `Leisure' compilation, and we'll tell you again now - you truly, desperately need this record, one of those "classic today and in 10 years time" definitive moments that crop up so very rarely, we're buzzing! It's simply bewildering where exactly Mark Stewart has been these last few years, these four tracks are the work of someone who sounds like they've been writing tunes forever : simple, amazingly tough, deep production, not a key out of place and the required dose of devastation always present and correct with nuff room left over for a boogie and a break. The opening title track places itself somehwhere between electro, house and the deepest sound of Detroit, crisp Rhodes setting the scene while the crunchiest beat slivers its way in and takes you over. If Carl Craig jammed with Dexter the result would...... almost sound this good. Magic. `Tone' is darker, tougher and much more squashed, a massively crunchy electroid affair that brings to mind RDJ or Passarani, while the introduction of a sick acid bassline and oscillation halfway through takes you to the darkest corner of the factory dancefloor with limbs flailing wildly. Awesome. Onto the flip and the mighty `Contact' takes its place as the finest follow-up to LFO's simply huge eponymous classic, seminal acid house produced with so much clarity and depth that, well, you just can't argue with it and just wish for a BIG soundsystem to run the bass through your feet and all the way up your body. Last off, `Signifier' sounds like a lost Psyche/BFC classic, the love of Detroit mellowness and depth seeping through every turn of the stylus on the record, finishing off an EP that is quite simply remarkable. No hype, just awesome.....buy!

# 2
RHYTHM AND SOUND - With The Artists
Burial Mix

Look back at our archive of reviews for releases on the Burial Mix label and you'll probably realise that we've always had a reverential approach to what these people do. The credentials are all there : the godlike production talents of mark ernestus and moritz von oswald have already set the world ablaze once, twice, three, four times with the seminal work as Basic Channel and the splintering into microscopic, heavyweight offshoots by way of the M series (Maurizio on proud display), Main Street (Chicago rhythms floating into dub), Chain Reaction (reduced, spacious techno blueprints), Rhythm and Sound (largely instrumental dub coloured mountains of space) and, of course, Burial Mix (vocalists brought forth, reggae re-invented). It's hard to over-emphasise just how important this music has been to us personally over the last 10 years and, for that matter, just how substantial the impact of the Basic Channel model has been on everything that has taken place in electronic music since. Following the convention of vinyl precedence, each of these labels has offered a catalogue up on record (in this case 10" releases) before compiling the music onto one cd. This is, in fact, the second Burial Mix compilation, the first "showcase" concentrating on the label's collaborations with Paul St Hilaire, aka Tikiman, for its opening set of releases. This second installment divides itself into Vocal and Instrumental "Versions" (the "Versions" are collected seperately on a second cd), displaying the last seven releases in their entirety, plus the upcoming "Mash Down Babylon" (a new take on the awesome, rare as hell "March Down Babylon"), and features a quite simply breathtaking collection of tracks that in their time have all been singles of the week for us here. Just thinking of the majestic exuberance of "King in My Empire", or the breathtaking midnight spaciousness of "Making Histroy" brings goosebumps to this already seasoned listener, and that's just an opening gambit. The vocalists on offer here are : Cornel Campbell, Paul St. Hilaire, Shalom, The Chosen Brothers, Love Joy, Jennifer Lara and Jah Batta. The tracks included are : King in my Empire, Queen in my Empire, Jah Rule, We been Troddin, Mash Down Babylon, Music hit you, Best Friend and Making History, all on cd for the very first time. There's no room for mistake or argument - we have been waiting for these two releases for a long long time, it really doesn't get any better. Absolutely essential.

# 3
XELA - For Frosty Mornings And Summer Nights
Neo Ouija

CD finally re-pressed due to great demand! Oh my, we've been so looking forward to sharing this absolute find of a record with you, and so dreading encapsulating our immense enthusiasm for it into words in a manner that would bring across just how damn good it is. John Xela is a name that may well be new to some of you, but this 21 year old Maverick has already stirred waves of excitement across the electronic community. With an appearance on Music Aus Strom's excellent `MAS Confusion' compilation, collaborations and remixing work with everyone from Machine Drum to Metamatics to the legendary Shadow Hunters, to a European tour with K7 / MAS that has seen him display his unique ability with composition and delivery and an album due later on this year for City Centre Offices under his collaborative `Yasume' guise (together with Logreybeam) , it's really only a matter of time before you'll all become much more intimately aware of the man's sheer talent. With a classically trained background and a love of everything from good old fashioned Indie music to classic Hip Hop productions and experimental explorations, Xela has come up with an IDM formula which taps into all those definitive archetypes that attracted us to the embryonic electronic scene in the first place many years ago. And herein lies the genius of `For Frosty Mornings.....' : a first listen only realy displays fantastically rich production and an intimate love of tunes that very evidently have taken influence from all the good electronic music that you could bring to mind in one go. Listen a bit closer, however, a second, third time, and what you discover is something altogether unbeleivable. `Under the Glow of Streetlights', for instance, builds on a familiar hip hop pace fused with electronic washes and warm, effervescent synthlines. But digging deeper, the track betrays of weave of instrumentation and construction that simply takes over your senses and infuses you with a sense of warmth and admiration that the scene just hasn't managed to evoke in far too long. To really finish you off, head for `Bobble Hats In Summer', a softly building flow of beatless ambience and straight-to-the heart suggestions of melody flows from one change to the next, at each turn adding an element that radiates with total unexpectancy, before the final, tear inducing licks of the final piano sequence send you off into another life. Fans of Shuttle 358, Arovane, Dabrye, Lexaunculpt, Brian Eno and beyond will do well to check this album out, live with it for a while........ and fall in love. Beautiful.

# 4
AUTOMAT - Introspection EP
SCSI

It's not often that an electro record stands out with a level of production and delivery as devastating as this. Sitting itself exactly halfway between the machine movement of Carl Finlow's Silicon Scally project and the aquatic slopes of the late Drexciya - this destroying 12" from the mysterious Automat is, quite simply, one of the debut records of the year. The opening "Hardware" offers a masterclass in simplicity - a throbbing, girating bassline offering counterpoint to the etheral cascade of drexcyan melodies while the crisp crunch of the percussion squeezes the adrenalin out of every pore - crushing stuff. "Nematod" is darker and less forgiving, an atonal squelch of synths and that signature bass movement, a disorientated glimpse at a metalic, unhinged future made up of strange machines and self-programming synths housed in unfeasible glass structures - beautifully dark. Onto the flip and the larger than life "Phase 1" - a track punctuated by such an unimaginably rude, dirty bassline that before the percussion even kicks into full effect you know exactly where you stand - limbs trembling, eyes down, ready to jack. A massive tune you'll no doubt hear countless times over the next few years - just savour the moment you hear it for the first. Tremendous. 4 tracks wide, a brilliant companion piece to that other great debut of the year - Claro Intelecto's massive EP for Ai. Essential purchase.

# 5
CORKER / CONBOY - In Light Of That Learnt Later
Vertical Form

This amazing debut album from Adrian Corker and Paul Conboy has been guaranteed a place in our top 10 albums of the year since we first heard it some weeks ago. `In light of that learnt later' is a big milestone for one of our favourite labels and will, undoubtedly, end up being its most successful release to date. Having first made an appearance on the excellent `pro bono publico' project alongside kim hiorthoy, pan american and iso68 last summer, Corker / Conboy have developed a sound which dips into all manner of acoustic / electronic variations, bringing to life a deep understanding and yearning for sounds brought to a cinemascopic blend of grandeur and intimacy. Head straight for the breathtaking `Akka' for a concise decimation of why these two artists have created something so utterly special with this album : the intuitively complex, necessary layers of percusiion, a shimmering glow of guitars, evocative slivers of ambience that uplift in introspection to that warm, thoughtful place that music of this kind so rarely takes us to. `From The Hip' partners itself with the sublime trumpet playing of Ian Dixon, taking as its influence everything from the Tortoise-fuelled hybrids of the Chicago post rock scene, to a sprinkle of Brazillian exuberance, sweltering mariachi embellishments, and layer upon layer of timeless melody making and what seems like an endless supply of soul. `Under a Perfect Sky' is another highlight, a soothing cocophany of clashing finger cymbals, shimmering acoustic guitars, evocative double bassline, an oriental agenda treated with modern variation and an ear for melody that's both timeless and completely unique. Quite an amazing journey, one of the most heartwarming, special albums we've heard in a while. Essential.

# 6
RENE LOWE (VAINQUEUR) + PAUL ST. HILAIRE (TIKIMAN) - Faith
False Tuned

Back in stock! It's not every day that you get to witness artists of this calibre emerging with a collaboration at this level - in fact, this is a serious treat for all you Basic Channel / Chain Reaction/ Rhythm And Sound freaks out there. Rene Lowe's Vainqueur project is nothing short of legendary - his two 12"s for Chain Reaction rank amongst its finest with that insanely deep stretch of effervescent dub echoes and spacious landscapes that stretch as far as the ears will allow - the true heir to Mark and Moritz's throne. Paul St Hilaire, aka Tikiman, is the original Basic Channel dubwise vocalist, a man who needs very little introduction in these pages. This new 12" on his False Tuned label, then, promises to deliver and does so in the most crushingly moving fashion. "Faith" is as gloriously deep as Main Street's Round 5 or Rhythm and Sound's "Smile" - that reverberating dub step, the distant vocal echo (a "version" included on the flip for slipping into unconsciousness) - it never ceases to amaze how much talent has poured out of one compact hub of brilliance in the east end of Berlin. A record that will leave you breathless.

# 7
CYNE - Time Being
Botanica Del Jibaro

It's hard to sum up precisely why Cyne are so compelling - why they are, for us, quite easily the most advanced, soulful, progressive, open-minded and deadly Hip Hop producers in the world today."Time Being" is their long awaited debut album and explores this enigma perfectly, shying away from a gimmicky, electronic take on the genre while, at the same time, introducing a level of development, of pioneering that should convince countless newcomers to Hip Hop that the genre contains and provides so much depth and innovation to explore. It is an album that will be loved and championed by long-time beat jugglers and b-boys, and a record that will inspire fans of everyone from Manitoba, to Xela to Christian Kleine, Prefuse and beyond to peek into its genius. '400 years revisited', is a good starting point, a highly charged socio-political diagnosis delivered with a loose, verbose tongue that charges the rhymes with an agression and integrity that counterpoints the shifted acoustic guitar and stabbed beats into a perfectly judged juxtaposition. A sort of blue melancholy wrapped within a tough, relentless message. The vitriol of Chuck D comes to mind, as does the dusty, scientific assembly process typified by DJ Shadow and the multi-instrumental arrangements favoured by the Folktronic crew, Four Tet immediately coming to mind. Cyne's angle of militancy concentrates on perspective, responsibility, personal growth and awareness. 'Samura's optic' confirms Cyne's ability to find the most acute, enticing acoustic elements, tempering the tuffest riddim. The original cut of 'Due Progress' still wades in and shocks, even after the Evolver remix on the twelve part-prepared us for its sheer flow and groove. Future music - no doubt, a highly evolved hip-hop, acoustic, electronic, organic stew of ideas and brilliance. A core part of the extended Counterflow/Botanica Del Jibaro/Metatronix task force of Miami based sound speakers - Speck, Enoch, Akin, Cise Star and guest Blak Lungz, have conceived a stand-up-and-be-counted classic of an album. La Mano Fria vs Mayx interchangable double artwork slipcase. 100% dope and essential....an insistant, heartfelt recommendation.

# 8
PENDLE COVEN - Trouble At Mill EP
Modern Love

The mysterious Pendle Coven crew dropped in on us cloaked and masked, their credentials indisputable, their material absolutely devastating, their obscured faces oddly familiar to us from someplace. "Trouble At Mill" is the first batch of tracks to be released under this moniker (check out this week's NMB 12" and you just might hear another) - although an intermittent series of transmissions is planned. The music doesn't really start or end with an adherence to one school of thought or another, just a display of love for the music that has shaped their lives : music from Detroit, Berlin, Manchester, West London, Chicago, Sheffield...all being the operative cities in question. The opening "Jaunty Angle" gives expression to this perfectly, a malfunctioning radio picking up electroid squelches and smoothest Detroit signals : tough, neon, mellow vibes. Timbaland gets a seeing to with the spastic cuttup ferocity of the blinding "Bracken", bunker reduced ghetto dub gets re-invented with a blipped-up, ripped-up tweak on "Rollout (M.V.P. Mix)", while piano washes hammer-up like a sick hiccup IDM sham fed through the sort of machine that turns the works of Satie into B-boy rough-ass jams. Seriously : you need this twelve, get it now before the frenzy kicks up, off and up again. Awesome.

# 9
MONOLAKE - Linear Atomium Reminiscence
Imbalance

Back in stock! Robert Henke reconstructs the Monolake sound once again, returning to us with this mighty new 3-tracker for his own Imbalance imprint. The opening cut "Linear" is simply devastating, if you try and imagine for one moment what would happen if Autechre toyed around with more overtly techno signatures you get an idea of the science fiction at play here. The track responds to a broken stutter of a beat complete with twisted metalic stretches of sound and a squashed flange of midnight chords. It is, quite simply, a filthy, dirty beast of a tune that you really do need to play loud and deep. Mighty. "Atomium", meanwhile, streams into more serene terrain, a 4/4 float through open spaces and evocative dubwise stabs that sound like vintage monolake stripped of the metalic edge that has characterised the sound for so long. "Reminiscence" on the flip is an epic, sublime trek through spacious, deep Berlin 4/4 traditions, typically perfected production that evokes the spirit of Basic Channel and everything that this fine city has brought to life since. Straight and deep on the fours and absolutely gorgeously done, this is a blindingly good record that stands up high in the midst of an already formidable cannon of work. Limited clear vinyl copies, essental purchase!

# 10
STATIC - Flavour Has No Name
City Centre Offices

How else could we follow-up Ulrich Schnaus's "Strangely Isolated Place" album?? Hanno Leichtman returns with this brilliant, deep, textured and highly evocative second album "Flavour Has No Name". Leichtman's berlin studio is a friendly place. you imagine it in half-light, scattered cushions, open bottles of wine and an opulence of form welcoming his family of collaborators and friends to dip into his world of shimmering pop. "flavour has no name" sets out the agenda in a multi-coloured display of variation and a love of a melody that will not remove itself from your mind. this is, simply put, a perfect pop record. The opening glow of "inside your heaven" slowly blossoms into the most sultry, seductive piece of music you''ll hear this summer. Hanno's longtime collaborator Justine Electra drawing you into a world of permanent twilight and reflection with her sublime, honey-soaked vocal while shimmering Rhodes keys lilt away at the hint of other possibilities. The possibilities of love. Snapped into another reality with a mesh of telephone exchanges and ringing tones humming into existence, you wake up to the strangely pacifying voice of Tarwater / To Rococo Rot member Ronald Lippok on the first of two collaborations included here. "Ghost Boy" states it's intent perfectly, amid the cacophony of technology and mass communication Ronald drawls as Hanno's squashed electroid beat seeps itself in elements of dub and lullaby. Next up is the extraordinary Christoff Kurzmann, head honcho at austria's charizma imprint and all round musical maverick here contributing his immediately off-kilter vocal to the simply amazing "disquiet". Hanno lays the foundations with a plock of percussion and a squashed electronic undercurrent, the vocal left raw and untarnished with all of its vulnerabilities and imperfections left intact, a beautiful shiver of christoff's clarinet and shuffling percussion turning this moment into an anthem of misplaced identity and anxious existance. Lali puna's vocalist valerie trebeljahr collaborates with hanno on 12" track "turn on switch off" which is included here in all its glorious form. a 5 minute stretch of pop bliss complete with simmering drum loops and shimmering keys, interjected with valerie's flowing, almost whispered lullaby narrative and a spine-tingling cascade of harps that flips your stomach inside out. just lovely. The result across these amazing tracks, to take us back to the beginning, is an album of pure future-vision pop genius. Essential.

# 11
AUTECHRE - Draft 7.30
Warp

The seventh full length from Autechre, and another micro-shift in sound and scope. It's always hard reviewing Ae albums as they just take so long to digest and mature, or rather, your ears and mind take so long to adjust and focus to the new sonic vocabulary that presents itself on first listen and on the several listens that immediately follow. Location and scenario are also key factors, Ae produce music that is designed to command full attention, played loud and deep for the required effect, avoiding "Background Music" airings at all costs. That said, this is almost immediately a deeply engrossing and highly involving listen, re-equating much of the unformulaic and harsh deployment of Confield's cocophanous sound, threading in some clear, almost nostalgic melody exchanges and a totally anihilating genius with the beats. It was never a question of compromise, for Draft 7.30 is in no way a regression of sound, but what Sean and Rob have achieved across these 10 tracks is physically overwhelming, lifting shards of ambience and accessability, obscurity, mathematics and a world of experience condensed into their most coherent album since LP5. For those of you looking for a bit of clarity or, for want of a better word, "easier" listening, there's plenty here to dive into. "Surpipere" unfolds in bliss, an underwater plick plock of a beat, darkly futuristic tones, echoes of malfunctioning machinery and the eventual splicing of the beat determined to represent a hitherto unknown form of electro jackin. "VL AL" is simply astonishing, quite how the percussion manages to sound so mesmerising, deep, evolved, and all within a split second of opening, you'll never really understand, nor is knowledge necessary here. A terrifyingly definitive Ae moment once again. "V-Proc", meanwhile, has garnered most attention in the lead up to the release of this album, an amazingly straight emission from the Ae boombox, all delayed anticipation and...here it comes, phatest hip hop destruction analogue stylee, room-splitting low end, just killer. "Reinform Puls", finally, is a tantalising ending, deeply moving in the way that EP7 so uniquely managed to be, that hint of melody and reminiscence floating itself ever so lightly to the top, glazing this reviewers eyes up with a slowly slowly removing from focus view of the world. Immense.

# 12
B.FLEISCHMANN - Welcome Tourist
Morr Music / Charizma

Back to home base for Morr Music, for this week sees the long awaited release of the new album from the man who started it all. It's been 5 years since Mr Fleischmann dropped the perfect "Poploops For Breakfast" LP and launched Morr Music into the stratosphere with what must still count as one of its most memorable releases. "Welcome Tourist", Bernard's long, almost overly-awaited follow-up, is finally here and exposes us to a catalogue of beautiful micro pitter-patter pop sounds and hand woven twilight songs. While most of the material here started life on Fleischmann's trusted Groovebox, his musical talents have been given a delicious airing with the help of piano, drums, vibraphone and the engaging support of others, once solo now a frontman. The addition of vocals on a couple of the tracks (courtesy of the wonderful Christof Kurzmann) strongly emphasises a key, yet until now implicit, aspect of Bernhard's work, namely its song oriented approach. Bursts of distortion have also become important alongside the melodies, resulting in a dense, forest-like take on electronic folk that resides a million miles away from the "Folktronic" tinkering that has become so popular recently. This is a gloriously home-baked affair, a raw, exposed collection of unusual, memorable, subtle soundtracks to life in a world were generic boundries no longer stand for anything. Comes with a bonus cd, a 46 minute-long piece, aptly titled "Take Your Time". Lovely.

# 13
SHAKE / SOUNDHACK - Convalescence
Frictional

We first heard rumours of this release almost a year ago and even up until the start of summer we weren't at all convinced that a record featuring two of the worlds most original, brilliant dancefloor producers could ever come to light. Anthony "Shake" Shakir is without exception the most creative, consistant and eye-opening artist to have emerged out of the Detroit family ever, and counts as one of our all time favourite producers regardless of genre or style. Berlin's Soundhack, meanwhile, is world renowned for his cut-up skill and his re-invention of dancefloor sensibilities, a beat technician that has turned House music into a jackin' stutter of dirty funk that has earnt him a list of admirers to be reckoned with. His re-working of Shake's "...like a dream" on the A side here just rips things up, a disco re-edit featuring chopped samples and layered synth stabs that build a groove up with the funk quota in full effect. Time to shake that ass and jitter around the floor, cos its an infectious monster!! Flip for a complete mood change as Shake drops a downtempo groove to die for, a looped jazz sample gets backed by a lush break that brings back memories of his earlier excursions into hip hop, 'Tracks For My Mother' and his track on the Detroit Techno/Hip Hop compilation "Eleven Phases". A smooth but deep number that shows once again that Skakir is untouchable.....absolutely unmissable!!!

# 14
KAMAN LEUNG - Desolate
Lacerated

Kaman Leung returns after a rapturous reception for the first release on his own Lacerated imprint, fine-tuning his distinct, groundbreaking combination of a deeply crunchy, japanese hip hop aesthetic with a rugged, brutal infactuation with the dirtiest rave tones. `Desolate' is the second in a trilogy of twelves, following his awesome four track 'Nevertheless' bomb from a couple of months back, and if it were possible, this is even better. The title track sets us in motion, and the riddim just slays us - so bottom heavy it defies belief. Kaman as we've already identified, is a true innovator, producing cuts which have anticipated developments in electronics and hip hop by years - 'Desolate' is set to become an essential item in any self-respecting turntablist's armoury, think early Prefuse73, Push Button Objects, Dabrye, et al, only miles better. The true quality of this music is its space, a sparse female vocal provides a haunting refrain - 'there will be a time' while the mobile and enormous bassline roves unhinged. 'Let Go' harks back to the mighty `Set Up' piece from the first Lacerated ep - jabbering rave stabs ride a particularly mashed hip hop undertow, a noise midway between Rufige Kru's 'Terminator' and Beltram's 'Mentasm' lends this tune classic status, but Kaman's contribution remains undiminished - smoking, almost rhodesy keys match the raved up energy of the digital hoover sound with their essential restraint. 'Nothing To Bury' unites old skool sounds, with a rhythm production which sounds metallic and utterly futuristic. If you think you've heard bass, check this at the maximum volume possible, then rewrite the books. Growling but not angry, this tune is just absolute murder sound for p.a.'s, Kaman is savvy enough to drop out the drums allowing plenty of room to appreciate the beautifully cut elements. 'Uncomfort' again empties the inbox, starts afresh with deepest kick and bass, spy chords and the same penchant for digital manipulation and electronic disfunction. Here, we can see exactly why DJ Krush licensed Kaman's work for the Japanese market and why some of the brightest cats in hip hop and beyond have this producer's name firmly glued to their lips - enough hip-hop, plenty electronics and more than enough depth for all headz, whatever their affinity. Totally brilliant, and one of the freshest things you'll hear all year. A must.

# 15
THE NOTWIST - Lichter
Alien Transistor

My word this is good. The Notwist have always been a bit of an oddity, occupying centre-stage in a scene that has given the world so many great bands - Tied and Tickled Trio, Lali Puna, MS John Soda - all operating around the central focus of the Acher brothers - Micha and Markus. Their last album "Neon Golden" epitomised the influence and love of pop, or that special melancholy brand of pop that has become so popular over the last couple of years. Needless to say, the record was a massive success and elevated the band to a much more visible status, adorned with critical acclaim and a huge following. Remarkably, this latest move from the band sees them launch a brand new label, "Alien Transistor" , inaugerated with a debut release that contains some of the most stunning soundtrack music we've heard this year - a moving, subtle, deeply original instrumental EP that takes them on a journey to much less commercial terrain. Recorded as the soundtrack to Hans-Christian-Schmid's latest film, these exceptional pieces were executed based on pianoloops and minimal electronics, with the participation of sebastian hess (cello) and saam schlamminger (zarb) imbuing proceedings with a reflectavie, melancholy tone, complete with a remix courtesy of Martin Gretschmann's Console project. Lovers of instruemntal mood-pieces, electronic-accoustic hybrids and late night music of the most evocative kind will fall in love with these pieces, a simply amazing way to spend half an hour....over and over again. Essential Purchase.

# 16
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY - Master And Everyone
Domino

Gorgeous songwriting craft is the order of the day for Will Oldham's latest and possibly greatest album to date. Back with his Palace brother Paul and a small gathering of like minded soul searchers, Will's vocals are rustic, like dead bark hanging from tired trees. Guitar, strings, bass, battered percussion and the unique vocals that have gained him such a sizeable following over the last few years. Will's even more effecting in collaboration with the spellbinding angelic delivery of Marty Slayton. With this and the Loose Fur album, it's definitely the week to sling up the hammock and let your weary woes hang down. Shockingly good music, thanks Will.

# 17
LALI PUNA - Left Handed
Morr Music

I'm sorry kids, but I'm just totally obsessed with this new Lali Puna single. To be more precise, the title track and 12" opener "Left Handed" has somehow managed to entrench itself deep in my mind and has refused to let go, digging it's claws deep into that part of the brain that holds on to things like melody and flavour and forces you to think of little else for days on end. This is just the perfect guitar pop song, the band giving their instruments a bit more of a shake and a rattle, flexing the drums and guitars into a wieve of noise, melody and beauty that's utterly compulsive and totally unforgettable. Like the Breeders at their Pod-era peak or a lesson in how to turn the lamest New York punk-induced spunk cut into a rock-out masterclass in brilliance, the Puna have returned with an absolute killer!! Also, just for good measure, the band have included a cover version of the Giorgio Moroder / Human League classic "Together In Electric Dreams" which sounds exactly as you wouldn't expect it to, the Lali's employing a stretch of electronic constructions and whispering percussion over Valerie's vulnerable, almost broken and exposed delivery, a bit of a weeper in fact kids. In short.... aweseome stuff, purchase immediately.

# 18
OLA BERGMAN - Pseudocarp
New Speak

Ola Bergman is a long time favourite - first coming to our attention with his contribution to Skam's Smak series (Volume 5) and, some months later, his frighteningly good EP for Stockholm's New Speak imprint. Released at the bottom end of 2002, "The Great Family Hotel" was a maverick strike from a gifted talent that fused together crunchy uptempo electronics and blue moods, caned by our most respected DJ's and charted by the likes of Rob Hall for our end of year charts in fine style. We've waited patiently for this follow-up to drop - and it's an absolute blinder. Starting off with "Pseudocorp", the tone is set with a militant hip hop drive and detuned synths - imagine an on-form Boards of Canada living it up with Gescom and the Human League in a retro-futurist attempt at making technology open up to a world of emotions. Fabulous. "Snake Meadows" wrong foots you with a tricky opening that soon bulges out into an emotive electro monster - beautiful changes and progressions, that impossible-to-achieve blend of dancefloor robustness and late night blues. The two tracks on the flip, however, are the ones to cherish, "Vulture's End" exuding an enigmatic electro bounce that shuffles into toughness with brilliantly robust drums and reverberating detuned synths, lots of time changes and flips, a marvel of construction - scorcher. "Cypsela", meanwhile, is one of those tracks that engrains itself deep in the subconscious for what seems like an eternity - a slow building lullaby of stupendously evocative proportions, like hazy memories transfixed by rays of sunshine and the distant giggle of carefree children. Immense.

# 19
MF DOOM IS VIKTOR VAUGHN - Vaudeville Villain
Sound-Ink

Anybody with half a brain knows that MF Doom is the man of the moment and not before time. Having first dropped 'The Gasface' with 3rd Bass in 1989, forming KMD with his late brother Subroc and Onyx The Birthstone Kid - dropping the classic full lengthers 'Mr Hood' and the controversial 'Black Bastards' then due to problems he went underground and emerged years later as MF Doom on Bobbito's Fondle 'Em, culminating in the release of the next level dope album 'Operation Doomsday'. After King Geedorah, Monsta Island Czars and a couple of solo 12"s and guest spots we come to his last full length of 2003 and incredibly, probably his best full length to date. At Sound-Ink their manifesto has always been to mash up genres / push the envelope - across hip hop and electronica, and this is in full evidence of the future classic 'Raedawn', outrageous clipped hiphoptronics it it's finest - this track is already an all time fave of the Boomkat posse. Next, check the hype girl/boy battle 'Let Me Watch', with Apani B. Fly giving Doom the run around with a classic final put down. Production in the main for this album is handled by the Sound-Inc production squad of Heat Sensor, Max Bill and King Honey though on 'Sauva' RJD2 continues his current run of high form bomb after bomb with a def and blunted hip hop track with blasts of southern fonk and strings which Doom excels on. M.Sayid the most potent ex-Antipopper drops science with Doom on the killer 'Never Dead' but the beat of the album is awarded to Max Bill for 'Popsnot', damn that's tough. Sixteen tracks in total. With the Stones Throw Madlib/MF Doom = Madvillian project now scheduled to 2004 it's a shame we cannot put all three albums against each other - still forget all that and make sure you buy all three, in King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn and The Madvillain the future of hip hop is in very good hands. Classic.

# 20
JUNIOR BOYS - Birthday
Kin

There's been a flurry of excitement surrounding the Junior Boys - one of those rare moments when the scene forgets about fashion or what it means to belong to one musical clique or another and, instead, brings everything together in a display of warmth, innovation and a love of remarkable tunes. The Junior Boys work around a notion that brims with simplicity, their love of vintage synthpop as produced by John Foxx and Visage offset by their immersion in the beats of Timbaland, Dre and the synth layers of Berlin's Basic Channel. Hard to imagine how the gulf between these influences can be bridged..and yet this record somehow manages to do exactly that. "Birthday" is, indeed, one of those hum-in-yo-head-till-you-die sort of tunes, but the euphoric nostalgia of the composition rests nervously on the sort of broken beat that most often comes straight out of West London. "Unbirthday", meanwhile, sees the sort of transformation that could only be equaled if Depeche Mode threw their synths out and jammed with King Tubby and Pole instead. It's a magnificently deep, spacious, electronic, evocative, mutilated beast of a tune that oozes depth and an understanding of music that just can't be faked. Cementing this diversity with another spot-on bit of selection, the EP ends with an intricate, painfully structured remix from Fennesz - building the track up from a mess of frozen beats and vocals into a re-configured wall of warm guitars and effervescent distant vocals that conjure up the thought of the Cocteau Twins produced by Kevin Shields at his peak. Really, quite an unbelievable record - something really special is happening here. Unmissable.

# 21
CLICKITS - Clickits
Moteer

Moteer is the brand new label curated and looked after by The Remote Viewer, an occasional, organic, loose-footed imprint of love for music. The first release has quite evidently been tailor-made for Moteer, the debut material from a duo who seem to adhere to the same micro-campfire aesthetic, bringing to life a simply breathtaking collection of tracks that utilise both sublime acoustic flows and the most developed electronic segmentation available to the technicians in their laboratories. Considered percussive, yet melancholic arrangements, there's a core of brightness and tender feeling. "September Sounds Like This" has the potential to become as anthemic this year as Morgan Caney and Kamal Joory's "Crispy Leaves Underfoot" did in 2002. Similar tempo and the same crunchy leaved rustle over stargazing, opulent bass. "Audro", a bowed and lullaby beginning, give way to a melody all ISAN aficionados will just adore. Honey and lemon and perhaps a dash of scotch and some ginger. Hard to believe this is the Clickets' debut, check the flute, piano and headnod, rimshot sharp, headnod factor of "No Clickety" - a track disguised under such a knowing, self-effacing title. The flute just seems to float, effortlessly, next to the organic cymbals and brushes, still electronic, feel of the tune. Even "Words from the Heart", an urgent discussion in a pub, deep into Baxenden, Lancashire, warmed with hymnal keys just has that extra something special. Reflection. "Creepy Crawlies" has a kind of Arovaneish purity of sound, truly heart breaking, breath taking stuff - but comparisons just aren't enough here. "Insert title here", a systems kind of semi -boogie with just melting melodies again, and the now familiar aptitude for bass and mood. "Ryan Davis Helps" has poise beyond its knowing, fireside stuff for the winter snow, disguised and chill reminders of a less sidetracked life, an utterly devotional selection of great music. If you've fallen in love with the language spoken by the likes of the Remote Viewer, ISAN, Opiate, Dub Tractor and Arovane, you now also have talent of the calibre of Clickits to reckon with. Don't miss out.

# 22
ULRICH SCHNAUSS - A Strangely Isolated Place
City Centre Offices

Since the release of his amazing debut album "Far Away Trains Passing By", Ulrich Schnauss has been overwhelmed by a viral spread of appreciation for his music. From the zeitgeist-crazed message boards and forums of cool record labels to the license-requesting teams working behind the scenes for trend-setting compilations, Ulrich's sound has managed to do that rarest of things and has crossed-over beyond the parameters of the electronic music club and has leaped into a wider public domain. Electronic music has rarely found itself a popular home. Switch on your TV set or go to the cinema, however, and you'll discover a world of vast and endless possibilities brought to life with instrumental textures designed to arouse an emotional response. Add some guitars, unforgettable tunes and even a sliver of voice here and there, and you have yourself a soundtrack with instant mass appeal and an emotional vocabulary that is enriched with every single listen. Ulrich's debut album followed these principles perfectly, and this, his long-awaited follow-up "a strangely isolated place" extends and expands on a formula which is uniquely and unforgettably his own. This is a record with an unashamed love of many forms of popular music, as well as a technologically inspired method of delivery, "...isolated place" starts off with timeless melodies and embroiders itself with pop stylings, some vocals and a euphoric, larger than life sound that betrays the loneliness of its highly evocative title. Moving away from the widespread fascination with all things "micro", the scope here is BIG, although every fragment of sound from the opening melancholy bliss of "Gone Forever" to the dusty detuned breakbeat of "A Letter From Home" has been carefully wrapped and labelled "Fragile". For this is music that has been assembled piece by piece, every fragment carefully chosen and given a sense of belonging, a home. Ulrich Schnauss has brought to life a place that you may have never visited, but it's a place that you have always known. Unmissabl e.

# 23
AMEN ANDREWS (LUKE VIBERT) - Volume 3
Rephlex

Luke Vibert's Amen Andrews crusade continues at a blinding pace - volume 3 being the most devastating installment to date. "Babylon" is a track you just can't argue with and really wouldn't want to, side-stepping the carefully placed Amen break with some frightening, good-humoured and downright spannered rave stabs that just s**t through your brains at full force when played loud. So dope. "Thameslick" returns to the sick TV/Easy-listening plunderphonics of the Plug series with a demented merry-go-round intro that inevitably gives way to the full dose of sonic adrenaline that follows - those mighty rave stabs returning once again, as if in response to your crys for "More!". "Junglebunny" spans across the whole of the flip, dubstyle samples and mashup narration, all housed in a fierce display of transposed assymetric clumps of acidic flares and a nasty, angry hoover bassline that just does the trick. Sick, dope, awesome.

# 24
CHRIST - Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle
Benbecula

The history of the scottish artist Christ has been surrounded by genuine hearsay and much speculation since his appearance on the benbecula sampler "music volume two" in august 2001. What followed was a slew of press speculation about his origins and his musical background in Scotland, as well as a gradual frenzy of anticipation for his debut EP "Pylonesque". Following critical acclaim for the release of the EP and some very special live shows culminating in a headline slot at Japan's metamorphose festival on mount Fuji in front of 20,000 people and a live appearance at this year's Sonar festival, Christ set off to work on his massively anticapted debut album : "Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle". Completed in february 2003, it's obvious that his recording style has matured and evolved beyond the confines of his well-known background. Where "pylonesque" was an EP containing "hits" in their own right, "Metamorphic..." is an intricate jigsaw of styles and textures which combine to form a perfect whole. The album introduces new concepts to the repertoire: "ray breakout" is a mechanical onslaught of the senses, the opening vocal giving you fair warning "please stand by!". Further expansion in style is evident in the sci-fi film soundtrack "medulla oblongata", the heavily filtered "odds evens and primates" or the beautifully pleasing up-tempo "mk naomi". Throughout, Christ. maintains his unique fusion of simple but timeless melodic structures, overlaid with gritty percussion: "skylab one", "a giant bird" and "eezeebreez" being perfect examples of his unique approach. A truly classic album, fans of Boards of Canada or richly layered evocative electronic music of any kind will have discovered a new masterpiece to add to their collection. Fabulous.

# 25
SECONDO - It's Okay, I've Overstood
Dreck

This is the business - looking for that perfect, once in every few years record that will simply move the floor from one end to the other and blow your mind - killer, blinding work from Secondo on the hugely promissing Dreck imprint. Revolving around a merciless chop-up of the Tom Tom Club's classic "Wordy Rappinghood", the track is quite simply more than the sum of its parts, the first record in god knows how long that comes anywhere near rivalling Soundhack's supreme take on tight, funk-fuelled jump-up edits, executed here with a command of the beat and an understanding of how music of this kind works to an extent that has made us wonder how on earth we hadn't heard of these guys before. Sitting naughtily, nervously somewhere between House, Disco and a chopped electroid front, listen to this once, play it out forever and just devestate whatever surroundings you happen to be presiding over. Just bloody MASSIVE. The flipside introduces something altogether different, a muted, understated, Theo-Parrish paced late night moody number tempered with all manner of broken machines and destroyed drums. Lush and unnerving in equal parts - wholly unexpected and marvellously blue. What a record! An absolute must.

# 26
BEN MILSTEIN - Away
Outside Recordings

One of those frightening records that crops up every so often from outta nowhere, clearing the decks and asserting itself as a debut to die for. "Away" is a simply immense electro 12", sitting itself nervously somewhere between the intricate reaktor constructions of Bitstream and the tough, rugged sound-designed electroid mashups of Berlin's MMM. "Hide" unfolds complete with crisp drums and a massively scary bassline, dsp effects, samples and deft drum programming that steams off originality and really does make you wonder where on earth Mr Milstein has been hiding all this time. The bass heavy rub of `Seven' is up next, an almost broken electro beat backed by a relentless stabbing bassline thats half UK Garage and half Drexciyan electro, the beats layered up with a dash of swing to add the funk, and its only at the break that the monstrous sub bass appears to completely trash your speakers, heavy sh*t!. `Fulcrum' treats us to decayed 808 kicks that fade into each other creating a slick groove, they get layered with almost invisible strings that creep up like Freddie Kruger to deliver a dark, dark atmosphere. Brilliantly fresh in the darkest possible sense, an absolute killer 4-tracker. Buy.

# 27
ALVA NOTO + RYUICHI SAKAMOTO - Vrioon
Raster Noton

Back in stock! Where to begin with this? Its not often that we're left gasping for breath, desperate for an extended vocabulary to enable us to describe the sheer simplicity and loveliness of a piece of music, and the effect that it's had on us, the listeners. `Vrioon', quite simply, is a work overloaded with beauty. The blue, heartache solitary Piano of Sakamoto bleeding into the micro-constructions and nano-beats of Carsten Nicolai's rewired machinery. "During his first live tour in Japan, Carsten Nicolai met Ryuichi Sakamoto in Tokyo. One year later Nicolai was asked to remix material from Sakamoto for the Japanese magazine Code Unfinished. '...The material that was given to me was already layered with digital effects. From one little clean piano piece I made the first track. I combined those simple piano chords with a clear rhythm constellation. Somehow Ryuichi was very surprised and really liked my work. Weeks later he sent me another piece recorded specifically for this project ." The result is an interwieve of tracks that is quite simply breathtaking, a melange of pure cathartic piano progressions and whispering beats, a re-definition of minimalism and intelectual application into something that is quite clearly open and exposed to a spectrum of emotion and daydream loveliness. Immense.

# 28
SHADOW HUNTAZ - That Ain't Where It's @
Skam

This, kids, is very DEFINITELY where it's at. The Shadow Huntaz have a history with us here, not the sort of history you'd imagine, just a sort of mythical relationship between a record shop and a hip hop crew that put together one of our most treasured records of all time - the mighty "DJ Screams Medic" 12" on Plug Research, produced by Trash Aesthetic, released a good 5 years ago. This new release, on Skam of all labels, comes at us with unashamed giddy relish, a compact taster for the gargantuan mindbending genius of the "Corrupt Data" album due out next January. "That Ain't Where It's @" is a squashed acid hip hop monster that twists and turns with requisite choppy charcter, not an electronic hip hop record by any stretch of the imagination, though the production by Funckarma betrays an allegiance to the squelch with its collection of wires and laptop twists that make for this most beautifuly destroyed of listening experiences. The B-side comes complete with 2 tracks you won't find on the album, a full-lengther that when released will instantly become the finest thing this label have put out in years. Seriously people, BELEIVE.

# 29
INTRICATE - In Conclusion
Spezial Material

Killer!! A label with a pedigree to be reckoned with, surrounded by a host of admirers and friends from Gescom to the Warp crew and beyond, redefining that most typical of electronic euphimisms `collectable' into a statement about not only the scarcity of their releases, or the strikingly inventive and sublime use of artwork and packaging, but also to the formation of some of the most advanced intricate (ahem) electronic stylings you'll hear this side of Autechre. This EP has been a long time coming, and the label has paced itself with much attention to detail since the release of their notorious wooden box issue by Solarium a good 6 months ago. `In Conclusion' is also a mighty slab of deep, chopped, squashed and downright essential beat arrangement, 6 tracks of sheer brilliance on wax. `Pact' is an awesome opener, a flanged-out sci-fi scene mangled and re-assembled with much darkness in mind, like a digital update of the finest moments on `Amber', or like a blue-filtered neon look at Blade Runner from a much much eerier place. `Deliberate On' is gigantic - sinister chords and garbled narration opening up into a simply immense hip hop beat and the type of low-end that moves you from the inside out on first listen. A beat so squashed and BIG it makes pretty much the rest of the hiphoptronica brigade sound like they're tinkering with toys, as opposed to the 10 ton mass of bass and beat wreckage on offer here. `5 Times' is another masterclass in complexity and devastation - a decimated shuffle of bass and kickdrums, totaly futuristic, totally atmospheric, pure adrenaline combustion winning over mathematics once again. So, in conclusion, get, check, listen...and Jack! Essential.

# 30
KING GEEDORAH AKA M.F. DOOM - Take Me To Your Leader
Big Dada

M.F. Doom's world domination charge continues. This album has been rumoured to have been in the Big Dada vault for ages, just waiting for the right time to unleash the sickness. That time is now. Thirteen tracks, six feet deep - with fellow Monster Island Czars guests down for the insane ride like Jet-Jaguar (M.F. Grimm), Rodan, Trunks, Hassan Chop, Gigan, Biolante, Stahhr and Mr Fantastik plus Lil' Sci & Id 4 Winds from Scienz Of Life. All produced by Doom under his Metal Faced Villain alias bringing again the incredible mad looped sample style so successfully showcased on recent projects including the killer Monster Island Czars album (now in on vinyl). Though this time the production is a bit more edgy and restless with some mad old school editing going on. Sample wise it's a mad mixture of forgotten soul string samples and lost cinematic jazz shot through Doom's unique production tapestry, it's the way he ties everything together. This is one mighty album that keeps Big Dada and M.F. Doom in pole position. A must purchase.

# 31
MS JOHN SODA - While Talking
Morr Music

Morr Music's MS John Soda blew us away earlier this year when we catched their show in London - unquestionably one of the tightest, most inspirational, adrenaline-driven bands we had seen in a long long while. Their output on record has always hinted at this greatness (after all, when looking at the list of bands Micha Acher and Stephanie Bohm are involved with : Notwist, Tied and Tickled Trio and Couch to name but three - you know there's something special in the making) - but it's only with this new EP that the ebullience comes across with the same vigour on recorded format. To be clear - opening track "No.1" is simply divine : an absolutely classic, unforgettable guitar-pop tune that brings to mind vintage Breeders in that insatiably tasty pop way - this deserves to be played out on rotation by every radio station on the planet, while the acompanying video included on the cd (check it out on : http://www.morrmusic.com/msjs_no_one.html) is just so deliciously perfect that it'd be surprising not to see it spread across MTV's up and coming selections for time. Just immense. "I & 8217", meanwhile, finds a medley of John Soda tunes re-arranged and mauled by Lex / Anticon's uber-producer Subtle, an amazing arrangement played with sampler, typewriter, melodica and the instantly recognisable voice of a certain Dose One. Not so much a remix as a breathtaking reconstruction, there's a certain electronic flair here that has been missing from Anticon material of late, only Dose's collaboration with Hood has hinted at the possibilities of this cross-generic melting technique with as much promise. Awesome stuff. The EP ends with the beautiful "I think it could work, Marilyn "(video also included!), a song that pitches the notion of Marilyn and Elvis discussing the viability of sideburns while planning their comeback with a melancholy air. 5 Tracks, 27 minutes and 2 videos, absolutely brilliant.

# 32
DEZ WILLIAMS - Elektronik Religion
SCSI

It's easy to forget how central the Scsi label has been to the development of the electro scene in the UK during last 5 years since its inception - no fuss, no fashion, no discobells or mullets - just deep, uncompromising, devastating electro business. Dez Williams is a card the label has been playing close to its chest : "Elektronik Religion" is one of the very few truly great electro albums of the new century - no small feat. "Atlas" sets the scene with pace : a stripped, bass-heavy build-up of a tune, all anticipation, menacing strings and washes of synth abstraction that leave you wondering which of the many directions suggested by it the rest of the album will follow. "When Nature Calls" is a Detroit anthem, all Elecktroids / Other People Place skewed synths and bouncy electrofizzles, layers of warmth and spaciousness underpinning the mangled squelch of the main Drexciyan stream - simply divine. "Sleeping On The Job", meanwhile, swerves to the other extreme, micro emissions and distant melodies hovering aparition-like over channels of uncertainty - amazingly developed textural soundscaping that could easily have found itself on a 12k release - breathtaking. The aquatic Blade-Runneresque paradigm of "Klutch" is up next - an evocative electro progression, the narrative is of technology gone wrong, tall buildings and dark dark endless nights - harrowing electro from a man quite clearly well versed in the art of depth. The Incanubula-like short intermission of "Break The Seal" re-configures the system for the arrival of the mighty "Playing With my Mind" (chord-driven, warm, effervescent robot music), "Electronic Underground" (complex, clobbered beat constructions - genius) and the simply outrageous malfunctioning, eroding anthem-like devastation of the closing "Spex". And so the answer becomes clear : the multi-faceted direction of this album pays homage to the electro greats, channeling out a new sound that refuses to adhere to one paradigm... resulting in something completely new. Killer music.

# 33
VARIOUS / AI - New Town
Ai Records

In the space of the last 12 months, ai has become one of the most talked-about, revered and collectable of all and any independent labels anywhere in the world today. "New Town" is the label's long awaited dual-format compilation, bringing to conference over 5 years of exposure to the deadliest kind of dancefloor destroyers from a core of artists that the label has picked up and nurtured over a considerable period of time, and a staggering selection of brand new, hitherto unknown talent. This is a simply devastating collection of electronic tracks for the dancefloor. Following his hugely influential EP "Piece of Mind", Claro Intelecto finally returns with two brand new cuts : the dense, punishing electroid mashup of "Delete", and the Rhodes-infused Drexciyan chill of "Breathless". Claro has been cited by many, not least us, as the finest producer of electroid/house hybrids on the scene at the moment - a British producer who can at long last rank amongst the most decorated Detroit operators- typifying precisely why he has been in so much demand over the last few months. FZV, another core artist, displays a relentless IDM construction that spins with the sort of dark strokes that fans of Bola and early Skam will adore - a mangle of crunch and strings designed to evoke and terrify. Joe Franks, meanwhile, summons the spirit of Mantronix through a series of filters and flangers that digest the squashed drums and appregiated basslines into a factory monster : tough, considered, flawlessly executed electro sizzles of the loveliest kind. SWF's beat engineering comes straight outta Company Flow's rulebook - deep structures and a blue, crisp crunch of uncompromising beats to draw in a machine-led future on the gargantuan "True". With uplifting Motor-city House chords shimmering on Andy Freer's "Super Galaxo", ADJ's mangled machinery evoking EP7-era Autechre brilliance and the Carl Craig/69 vibes assembled on T.R.I.P.'s "Donald Plays Techno", New Town deploys a heavyweight assault through the ages of electronic music - past, present and future - always landing just spot-on. This is one collectable item you really, truly don't wanna miss out on, housed in some of the most exquisite packaging we've seen this year. Absolutely essential purchase.

# 34
ALIAS - Muted
Anticon

Just when you thought Anticon was starting to get a little played out they go and drop a killer album like That, no stress. This most slept on Anticon artist dropped the dope 'Eyes Closed' EP, followed up by this blinding next level fusion of electronics and hip hop going way beyond just that. 'Beginagain' fuses dirty drums, half hidden melodies mashed up into a marriage made in heaven without any of the negative undercarriage. This continues into 'Sixes Last' where the tune comes more to the fore amongst perfect hip hop vocal stabs and human beatbox. The first of two genius guets vocal spots comes courtesy of the excellent Markus Acher from The Notwist/Lali Puna, an extension of the Morr Music / Anticon alliance first witnessed via the Ms.John Soda EP 'While Talking'. 'Unseen Sights' (co-written with Valerie from Lali Puna) is a beautiful song that's also cloaked in sadness and anger at the media manipulation of the Iraqi War - covering up the harsh truths to concentrate on the phony glimpses of freedom realised. The other vocal track 'The Physical Voice' is a hip hop gem featuring a rare appearance from early days Anticon star The Pedestrian. Thirteen tracks deep, denser yet more free flowing than any current IDM bliphop kid. Plus, this is hip hop and it's hella funky. A massive recommendation, the best thing on Anticon for ages.

# 35
CEEPHAX - Exidy Tours
Firstcask

Another Ceephax joint, this time returning to us on the malladjusted and totally collectable First Cask imprint with a follow up to the twisted acid-fuelled set for Breakin' some weeks ago. What's left to be said about Andy Jenkinson? Brother of Squarepusher, Aphex's big tip for the top and a bit of a freaked-out acid showman, this brilliant new album finds him gliding through much more diverse terrain, lifting styles from his older brother for some crushing break chop-ups while deploying the acid frenzy when necessary to devastating effect. The album opening "Plusion" maps-out the parameters for a wildly varied collection of tracks, lifting us off with some ambient tinkles and emotive, classic keys setting the scene for what's to follow. The baroque, plastic harpsichord on "Camelot Jostle" returns to a more blinkered vision, think of Arovane's `Tides' fed through a Sid-chip mincer and re-assembled with lego-bricks and you're halfway to discovering what your surroundings have to offer in this strange, twisted place. "Exidy", meanwhile, is a simply astonishing piece of Squarepusher-esque tweaked out break flipout, a metallic rendition of West London steppin' vibes with an assembly of eerie, afx-ish synths and a massive, tumbling break halfway-through...that's what I'm talking about! Killer. "Baddow Life" is the big acid tune on board, a big mother of a bassline tweaked throughout its perfect 5-minute lifespan, reduced synths and a brilliant analogue drum-set, forget the cheese, this is Aceeeeeed! "Trolley Service" is another one of those brilliantly incorrect bullet-paced breakbeat onslaughts that every album of this nature needs but rarely gets with anything near the amount of originality and production excellence required for a full-on neck-snapping spasm. Awesome Hardcore riffs and stabs, hyperactive beats and a dollop of whizz making for another pure Ceephax moment. 15 tracks on both formats, easily Ceephax's best material to date, what you waiting for? Awesome.

# 36
LAURENT BRONDEL / FRANK & BILL - Smak 11/12
Skam

Skam's superb "Smak" series returns at last, Parts 11 and 12 in the series making for the strongest installments to date, pressed up in the usual measly, super-limited, collectable edition of 1000 copies that have made the first five 12"s in the series so damn collectable and so damn rare. The relatively unknown Laurent Brondel takes over Part 11 across the A-side, a maverick take on crunchy electronica that really doesn't sound like anything else out there at the moment. "Siliconized" revolves around a devastating arrangement of intricately arranged beats and altered vocals, a male/female narrative revolving around mid-industrial drum snaps and old school snares - just killer. "Synchronized" lifts the vocal with a vocoded stretch, a classic skam mid-paced, semi-electroid beat marking it out for depth and robustness, once again deploying that untapped, factory-esque vibe for maximum effect. Frank & Bill will be familiar to some of you from their work on the Merck label, giving up 3 tracks on the B-side here to deliver easily their finest material to date. "Pontiak" is a relaxed, acidic breeze of a track, skittering drums and stretched synths, the beats toughening up to a crisp crunch as the track moves on. - just lush. "K20" ends the side and totally steals the show : tough, merciless, processed beats playing second fiddle to an emotive, sublime melodic undercarriage that wins over by virtue of sounding so subliminally familiar, ending off this brilliant EP on a reflective, uplifting note. These won't last long - you have been warned.

# 37
FOUR TET - Rounds
Domino

Beyond killer new album from Keiran Hebden's Radiohead approved Four Tet alias. In 'Rounds' we find him in a multi-track blissed out rustic sampledom frame of mind that comes as a perfect next stop on his journey after the folk-glitch wonder of 'Pause'. In the hands of Mr Hebden awesome drum breaks fuse with weirdly engaging time signatures inside a field of percussion and deft melodies. As strongly influenced by hip hop sample techniques as laptop fuelled forays, all the tracks here blur the line seductively between what is live and what isn't. Kicking off with the ace jazz sample exploration 'Hands' tied down by a crisp rustic beat and lifted by some heartwarming open melodies which leads into the massive prior single 'She Moves She', tune. 'My Angel Rocks Back and Forth' drops a crisp modal beat with harp playing like Alice Coltrane jamming with Savath & Sevalas - utterly sublime. 'Spirit Fingers' gets mo' hectic sounding like jazz guitar hero John Mclaughlin riding with Matmos. 'Unspoken' clocking in at nearly ten minutes is early DJ Shadow meeting beautiful jazz piano minimalism ala Brad Mehldau amongst spiritual percussion - completely uplifting music. Words scarcely do justice to the sublime genius of 'And They All Look Broken Hearted'. One of the highlights of the year so far, thank you Keiran. Completely essential.

# 38
BOY ROBOT - Set It For Me
City Centre Offices

Tune ruffage, boy robot in a ragga stylee! Boy Robot is the collaborative work of longtime CCO affiliate, Lux Nigra operative and Artificial Duck Flavour master Zorn and his good friend Hans Möller, known from his work as "Boulder Dash". They have a blindingly varied album due out on CCO very soon, though this cut is undoubtedly