Betrand Burgalat - The SSSound of MMMusic [Emperor Norton] (USA)

Who is Bertrand Burgalat? Would it help if I mentioned he has produced tracks for big names such as Nick Cave, Pulp and Saint Etienne? Or that he has toured as a member of Air, produced their Moon Safari album and appeared on their international hit "Sexy Boy". Or maybe that he has recently been commissioned to produce remixes for 2 of the last 4 Depeche Mode singles? Not only is he a respected producer but also a musician, remixer, singer, songwriter and label owner.

But what about his music? Burgalat's music is stylistically very French sounding and has a distinct 60's retro feel about it. Think of Serge Gainsbourg or Françoise Hardy and then throw in a dash of electro. It's an odd combination but one which works surprisingly well. Think of the organ or synth based incidental music in the background of all those old French films, the music that sounded like 60's lounge music but exerted a certain cult retro chic at the same time. Insisting on using actual musicians in the studio wherever possible, Burgalat utilises a natural vibe alongside electro beats to fuse the sound of contemporary and modern instruments simultaneously. At first the mix sounds kind of cheesy but it soon proves to be a deliberate, well-conceived, well-produced concept.

Featuring a combination of cool retro tunes and French, Italian or English vocal tracks, The Sssound of Mmmusic occasionally produces some real gems. "Sunshine Yellow" is a particular standout track featuring spoken English vocals and electro-pop sensibilities - not to mention the drug connotations - and could easily be an Air track. Tracks such as "Aux Cyclades Electronique" and "Ma Rencontre" are slick cult soundtracks with the retro theme being constant throughout the album, but executed in a way that melds traditional French pop with modern Air style electro-lounge. Then there is "TSOM"; a poppy song featuring a slow funky bassline and pseudo reggae cool while "OK Skorpios" mixes an almost ethereal female pop vocal with lounge techno beats. The one track that breaks the theme though is "Ile De Beton", a pulsating techno track with a funky guitar riff that, while it is different to the other tracks on the album, is still distinctly Burgalat's.

The Sssound of Mmmusic is a well-produced combination of retro lounge and modern electronic music that maintains a high level of consistency throughout. An accomplished album that might not be to everyone's taste but illustrates why Burgalat's talents are so highly respected and sought-after by such big name artists from around the world.

Note that he review copy of this album is the US edition that features 3 additional tracks to the European version. US bonus tracks are "Sunshine Yellow", "Scordare" and "Biscarrose". The European version is available now on Bergalat's own Tricatel label. 3/5 PL

Aphex Twin - Drukqs [Warp Records] (UK)

Richard D James (aka Aphex Twin) needs little introduction. Icon to the Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) scene and master of media manipulation, every release he makes causes endless discussion and a fevered exchange of opinions by followers of the genre. James has experimented with numerous styles of experimental electronic music since the early 90's and is consistently greeted with critical acclaim, both for his music and the Chris Cunningham promotional videos that accompanied his more recent works.

After an extended hiatus from the scene, James began appearing as a DJ and news of a new album slowly emerged. Spanning 2 CDs or 4 slabs of vinyl and totalling 30 tracks, Drukqs was met with a mixed reaction. As usual, James chose almost all incomprehensible track names and makes us expect the unexpected. In typical mischievous Aphex style, there is a track consisting entirely of his parents singing Happy Birthday to him on his answer phone.

A slightly odd mix of trademark Aphex mayhem, pretty little piano interludes and atmospheric ambient works; Drukqs is a strange combination of completely different musical styles, switching without warning between them, but somehow forming a consistent whole. Some speculation flew around as to whether Drukqs is a compilation of random archive recordings from James' vault or whether it truly is new material. The style of the tracks would fit perfectly in and around the mid to late Aphex Twin era, so maybe the archive collection is a valid claim, maybe James did put the tracks together to complete his contract.

The point isÖit really doesn't matter. There might not be anything new in terms of concept and sound here, but James once again shows why he is regarded as the leader of the IDM scene. Drukqs switches from drill 'n' bass mayhem through a gently subdued piano piece and on to throbbing emotive ambience ("Omgyjya-Switch", "Strothatynhe" and "Gwely Mernans" respectively), even the numerous ambient sections and tracks are quite wonderfully portrayed. While the tracks on Drukqs differ in style quite dramatically, they all bear the trademark of a quality electronic music artist; they just have that confident accomplished sound about them. And let's face it, there are few electronic music artists as revered as Richard D James. 5/5 Paul Lloyd

Unknown Forces - Possible Cult Soundtrack to a Film That Will Never Be Filmed [Self-Released CDR] (UK)

Opening as it means to go on Possible Cult Soundtrack To A Film That Will Never Be Filmed is the perfectly titled debut release from Mark Murphy, otherwise known as Unknown Forces. Immediately conjuring up images of a deserted space station with an unknown alien threat and an unsuspecting task force arriving apparently for a routine cleanup operation. Think Alien.

A distant low industrial throb rhythmically drones somewhere in the distance as hi-tech whirs and blips sweep in and out of earshot all around. Occasionally underpinned by a constant drone or hum, each track steadily mutates and regenerates within itself in a gradual state of evolution. Sometimes tense with an air of impending doom, sometimes light and full of hope and optimism, each track fits nicely into the image of the classic sci-fi genre. Picture the following scenes in an imaginary film - the light optimistic "Synaesthesia" could feature as the transition between the relaxed journey to and first sighting of the desolate space station; "Interlude" being the arrival and setup at their destination; "Paraselene" as the build up to the tense first encounter between the alien presence and the visiting task force; and "Amorphous Memories Regurgitated Before Death" is apt for the final dramatic battle between the aliens and the task force.

While these descriptions of incidental music to non-existent scenes in a hypothetical film may seem far fetched, all of this is brought out purely through the music on this CDR. The artwork merely lists the tracks and gives a little insight to their origin. The title is the only indication of their intended use. Murphy's music brings out these images by creating an air of tension, optimism or the unknown.

For a first release this is excellent. Possible Cult Soundtrack is a great collection of tracks that evoke a futuristic hi-tech atmosphere and, as the title suggests, a have definite soundtrack quality. Murphy should be signed up to a label before too long on strength of this CDR.

Copies of the Possible Cult Soundtrack To A Film That Will Never Be Filmed CDR can be obtained direct from Murphy himself. E-mail him for details. 4/5 Paul Lloyd

Web: www.freewebz.com/dreamlogic/

H>OST - Cin [V/VM Test Records]

V/VM Test Records, home of the savagely deconstructed pop tune, pull an unexpected move by releasing an ambient album by Jacek Toszek - otherwise known as H>OST - of Krakow in Poland. After many years of classical training and several as an active member of the European improv scene, Toszek has gone his own way and releases Cin - his debut album - for V/VM Test Records.

Generally resembling orchestral tones swathed in fuzzy static, Cin has a sense of spaciousness, tranquillity and isolation perfectly suited to a sci-fi soundtrack. While "Tarter Emetic" with it's rumbling warning tone theme is probably the most sci-fi track on the album the remainder of the tracks are dark, tense and atmospheric. In slightly different ways, each track builds on the uneasy edge and feeling of desolate isolation being created by the album as it progresses. On top of that, "Massive Hornblended Character With Distinct Traceability" and "Dedicated To The Grass" add eerily processed samples of children playing that have a ghostly detached tone that sends shivers up the spine.

Not an instantly accessible album, but certainly an intense and atmospheric one, if not a little disturbing and nightmarish in places. All of these qualities however are nicely balanced and present an ultimately quite rewarding album of desolate futuristic soundscapes. Possibly an unusual choice for VVM Test Records to release but a sound decision on their part. 3/5 Paul Lloyd

Kettel - Dreim [Kracfive] (USA)

Following a series of singles and compilation appearances for labels such as Neo Ouija, Planet Mu, Pitchcadet, Autumn and Kracfive, Reimer Eising (aka Kettel) releases his debut album Dreim on Kracfive. Hailing from the Netherlands, Eising produces gentle melodic electronic music.

Immediately noticeable throughout the album are the distinct hip-hop beats and looped rhythms thumping at the forefront of a majority of the tracks. Sitting below this is a chattering assortment of keyboard work, busily working around the beats to form an accompaniment of simplistic analogue sounding keys. Adding some atmosphere and underpinning the whole thing are quietly shifting tones and synths. Just at the point where you think you have his style worked out, Eising throws in some abstract quality, new ingredient or almost orchestral track to make you rethink your stance. The finished result, whilst looking like just another electronic album with hip-hop beats actually has some depth hidden within it.

"We'll End Up Pneumatic" towards the middle of the album is a perfect example - a beautifully melodic orchestral track in the midst of a series of beat-centred pieces. Similarly, the last minute or so of "Not Gonna Get" is equally as beautiful and melodic, this time backed by obscured vocal samples. Elsewhere, tracks such as the album opener "Days For Bennet", "Chibouque" and "Cattlelack Mobile" resemble Kraftwerk on amphetamines. "Seek That Bit" slows the mood to a somewhat darker pace, adding some vocal samples, slowing the beats and building a little tension not present in some of the other tracks. This theme is taken further with "Angel's Answer" where, after an initial burst, the beats are completely dispensed with and sinister voice samples are looped over simple melodies in a quite unnerving fashion. At times the hip-hop style beats seem unnecessary and out of place but actually work quite well within the context used by Eising in making this album. In some ways, the use of such beats alongside busy melodies is quite amusing and entertaining, taking them out of their environment and reapplying them in another.

Whether the hip-hop beats distract from the beauty of the underlying synths and atmosphere is undecided. While they are certainly entertaining and amusing to a degree, Dreim could well of benefited from lower key beats that complement the music and let the true beauty of Eising's work shine through. As an experiment in looped rhythms vs melodic beauty however, Dreim succeeds quite nicely. 3/5 Paul Lloyd

The Detroit Escalator Co - Black Buildings [Peacefrog] (UK)

The quality of ambient electronica in the past few never seems to have really matched the high standards set in the early/mid nineties with the likes of the Aphex Twin, Autechre and Black Dog. Here Neil Olivera aka The Detroit Escalator Co returns on the much-respected Peacefrog label with a helping of fine quality ambience that is a perfect soundscape for the chill of the winter months. This album isn't greatly different from some of Olivera's earlier work (on Ferox) neither is it really breaking any new ground but its quality of sounds and consistency make it a solid release. Olivera's sound is characterised by the percussion which is a mass of symbols and drums creating 'rippling' kind of rhythms which drift in and out of nearly every track. Black Buildings is a mixture between melodic and more futuristic, spacey ambience which keeps a similar vibe throughout and like many ambient releases requires a few listens to get into. Neil Fawle

Sandor Caron - Agenda EP [Music For Speakers] (Netherlands)

Sandor Caron is a producer, remixer, sound designer and musician from the Netherlands. He is involved in a range of collaborations and groups including Cellvoice, Warm (which also features Kirsty Hawkshaw of Opus III fame) and a live improvisational outfit called Relaxo Abstracto with his brother David Caron and DJ Aardvarck (both of whom are also signed to the Music For Speakers label). Music For Speakers' aim is to explore rhythms and structures in modern dance music and set them in a relaxed environment.

"Agenda" - Caron's second EP for Music For Speakers - presents us with two remixes of the title track by Sonar Lodge and Funckarma, the title track from Caron's "Harmonica and Cross" album and a new track, "Stokkum". Opening things is a smooth soulful rework of "Agenda" by label-mates Sonar Lodge. Entitled "Agenda (Sonar Lodge 7 Days Mix)", the remix is a chilled out cinematic reinterpretation with a jazzy edge that features the vocal talents of Sonar Lodge's own Marie-Claudine Vanvlemen. "Harmonica and Cross", from the album of the same name, is more rhythmic and beat-oriented but retains a similar relaxed - if slightly more tense - air. Funkarama's "ADB Connected Mix" of "Agenda" moves things more towards the clicks and cuts genre with stabbing beats, abrasive percussion, scratching and an assortment of other sounds but leaves the slow reflective piano line in tact. Closing the EP is the new track, "Stokkum", which again fuses funky modern beats with a slightly jazzy backing and a moody ambient backdrop. Again quite a cinematic atmospheric track and one that features crisp rhythmic beats.

Both Caron and Music For Speakers' other artists take modern dance music, twist it and inject a dose of jazzy soul. The result, as seen on this EP, is superbly smooth dance-based lounge music. 3/5 Paul Lloyd