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Artist: LADYTRON
Title: LIGHT + MAGIC
Label: Emperor Norton Records
Link: www.emperornorton.com/classic/artistpage.php3?artist=ladytron
Root: UK/ Electro-Synth Pop
Assuming Kraftwerk-like vertical stances behind horizontal music boxes, Ladytron sprayed hairdos frame eyes that stare into an oblivion where survival means style over substance. And that's just for the cover. With freshly dusted off analogue keyboards, the 21 st. century trend setter's weapon of choice, "Light and magic" is one of the greatest post punk-new wave album the 80's never saw. Started 4 years ago in Liverpool, this retro love affair cannot be discarded for yet another fad on the electro bandwagon. Ingenue Mira Aroyo's voice makes the motherboard buzz with a post modern sensuality, in contrast to Helena Marnie's quasi fascist rant in Bulgarian, both the embodiment of mankind's increasing artificiality within the technological world. Beyond the geometric grooves of the production, underneath the nonchalance of the pulsating keyboard line and the glare of the LCD screen, there is a warning for the soul of men disguised as irony, a tone set by Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", then re-uttered in Goldfrapp's "Felt Mountain" or Radiohead's "Kid A". Born from the matrix, "Light and Magic", wonders if technology is indeed the new nature, not knowing yet whether to resist or to submit.

Artist: METRO AREA
Title: METRO AREA
Label:Environ Records
Link: www.environrecords.com
Root: US/ Disco-Electro
A groovy tribute to the Disco pioneering sounds of Georgio Moroder, Metro Area is the work of New York based producer Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani, and quite possibly the quintessential dance album of 2002. Just as every other sub-genre slowly becomes trite and stale, new blood yet again emerges from the underground to keep everyone's shoe soles from parking on the dance floor. With live instruments and samples blended effortlessly in a minimalist mix of Detroit style techno and Chicago House, there hasn't been a more r-evolutionary dance manifesto since Daft Punk's "Homework". More than yet another experimentation in beat construction and knob tweedling, every track on the record is crafted with the expertise of a micro-surgeon, but pops, snaps and cracks with a careless bubble-gum flavor. Bouncing across dance eras, Metro Area creates a fresh squeezed nightclub opus, coming soon to a car commercial and a soundtrack near you...

Artist: A1 PEOPLE
Title: THE YELLOW ALBUM
Label: Hydrogen Dukebox Records
Link: www.hydrogendukebox.com
Root: UK/ Electro
In the mid-90's, at a time when Jason Bentley became the offical US Guru for all knowledge of electronica, genre explorators Pentatonik, D*Note and Appolo 440 where making sizable waves in their respective field of ambient, acid jazz and funked up anthemic techno. A1 People's member descended from this family tree and came together in 1997 to rebel against glossy over produced dance music. After an EP, multiple DJ gigs in support of stadium acts like Oasis, countless remix work for the likes of Paul Van Dyk and various club adventures, "the Yellow Album" release may very well poise this outfit to become a serious challenger in the race for the Electro crown. "This is Cassio Rock", "Detroit Style", "Crazy Electro Music" are the incantations that spell it out for those who may question the content of their listening experience. But the A1 peeps do more than cross-referencing the past and cross-breeding genres by way of vocoders over Numan-like synth lines and steroid infused Afrika Bambaata Kraftwerkian beats. The occasional stroke of genius comes in the form of little cinematic opus, experimental and informal, with a forward thinking outlook towards the future. "the Yellow Album" remains however the crazed party album it was intended to be, making Brixton, UK the next Funkytown.

Artist: DONNIE
Title: THE COLORED SECTION
Label: Giant Step records
Link: www.giantstep.net
Root: US/ Soul
And then came forth a new champion to become the torch bearer for his people and sing to the world about love, pain, truth and everything in between. Donnie isn't a just another neo-soul singer, and although his generation was blessed with the talents of India Arie, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, D'Angelo and Maxwell, references abound in the music world to the greatests of all, from Marvin Gaye to Stevie Wonder. Atlanta's own is a gospel trained soul man, but to mistake him for an impersonator of a bygone era is selling him short of his achievement for filling the generational gap across three centuries on the whole of the black american experience. "The Colored Section" is a poignant tribute to the african-american heritage, pointing to its political struggles and social progress, yet keeping time with the times and finding a relevant message for the present and the future. Donnie's work has just begun, but it is already resonating with international audiences who have received his talent with messianic fervor. The truth, the highest note in Donnie's register, can't lie.

Artist: NICOLA CONTE
Title: JET SOUNDS REVISITED
Label: Eighteen street Lounge Music
Link: www.eslmusic.com
Root: Italy/ Downtempo Jazz-Electronica
"Jet Sounds Revisited" is a remix project based on the critically acclaimed "Bossa Per Due", the 2001 debut release of Italian DJ-producer Nicola Conte. One of the early pioneers of lounge electronica, Conte founded a decade ago the Fez Collective, who by blending jazz, latin rhythms, eastern instruments, hippie psychedelia and Cinecitta flavored soundtrack arrangements, slowly helped establish a new genre now the subject of hundreds of compilations. Conte was released in the US by ESL, the label of downtempo's mightiest team, Thievery Corporation, whose like minded spirit also contributes one of the new mixes. Other talents operating behind the decks include Finland's Nu Spirit Helsinki, Germany's Les Gammas, Japan's The Kyoto Jazz Massive and Sweden's Koop, to name a few. The international array of artist testifies to the current global obsession and revival of Bossa Nova, creating new schemes over the original material. Conte himself contributes three vibrant new tracks to this collection, creating the oportunity to discover the genuine talent of this one of a kind maestro.

Artist: VARIOUS
Title: SELECT CUTS FROM BLOOD AND FIRE (CHAPTER 3)
Label: Echobeach
Link: www.selectcuts.de
Root: Various/ Dub Reggae
For those who like their bass therapy fat and heavy, the latest installment of Select Cuts delivers dub with the body mass of an eighteen wheeler. For this final chapter in the series, the Manchester based reggae label Blood and Fire opened its vault to an impressive array of producers who all claim some ties or influence to Jamaican grooves, and where offered to pay tribute to reggae stalwarts like Horace Andy, Gregory Isaacs, Cornell Campbell, Big Youth, amongst others. The mixing operators include high caliber tweaking savants like Groove Corporation, Pressure Drop, Dreadzone, Fila Brazila, Smith and Mighty, and other lesser known, but no less talented knob tweedler. This collection rekindles the age old incestuous love affair between dub and electronica, churning up a different beat with gutsy roots and deep scorching grooves, delivering an irresistible invitation to a sexy funky reggae party in warmer climates.

Artist: GABIN
Title: GABIN
Label: Astralwerks
Link: www.astralwerks.com
Root: Italy/ Downtempo Electronica
European downtempo electronica doesn't typically draw from the same dub-blues based roots as its Anglo-Saxon counterpart, instead, the inspiration stems from street folklore and a long lasting cabaret tradition. This unique flavor inhabits every corner of Gabin, the self titled debut release from an italian duo comprised of Filippo Clary (one of Rome's top DJ's) and Max Bottini (an internationaly reknowned jazz bass player). What started as mere studio dabbling became the many facets of an album running the gamut from heart wrenching cinematic melancoly to upbeat latin House-Jazz. String ensembles, moody saxophones, accordeons and Iberique guitars share center stage with various vocalists to create a deep emotional realm at the core of each track. Gabin is both of its time and timeless, creating a spell-binding intimacy within the musical universe it creates. Named after one of France's biggest actor, the late Jean Gabin, with piano keys seemingly played off the hands of Michel Legrand, and almost every song (for the exeption of the Duke Ellington sampling of "It don't mean a thing") sung "en francais", the Italian duo confesses to their fascination for the neighboring country and some of its lesser known gipsy roots, creating a rich cross-cultural european experience.

Artist: MR SCRUFF
Title: TROUSER JAZZ
Label: Ninja Tune Records
Link: www.mrscruff.com and www.ninjatune.net
Root: UK/ Breakbeat- Downtempo Jazz
Manchester....again. It must be something in the water. What else could explain the bafling amount of talent regularly spilling from its city limits onto the rest of the world. One talented chap with an obsession for fish, food and funk keeps turning up groovy little gems on unsuspecting ears like vinegar on french fries (a fine english culinary tradition). The added flavor on Mr. Scruff's third album continues with plenty of fine tuning, where "Keep It Unreal", his previous album left off. Funky Jazzy breaks, bouncy bass lines and a kaleidoscopic keyboard extravaganza, go from torchy to frantic with featured sultry vocals by Seaming and Nika, the occasional rap administrated by Brainfax, the typical flurry of corky TV jingle sounds, and the occasional children story. The humor in Trouser Jazz, isn't parodic or ironic, but plain absurd, which makes it almost psychedelic in a Monty Python sort of way. You simply can't go wrong with an album filled with titles like "Valley Of The Sausages", "Come On Grandad", and "Shrimp", the funkiest joint to land on your stereo since "She's A Brick House". Mr. Scruff can afford not to take himself too seriously, as the rest of the fishes in the sea have already applauded his talent.

Artist: RHYTHM DIVISION
Title: DIVIDED RHYTHMS
Label: Whole9Yards
Link: www.w9y.co.uk
Root: UK/Nu Skool Breaks
And now for a safe asbestos removal method, insert "Divided Rhythms" in your CD player, set the volume to "11", press "play" and watch the paint peel off the ceiling as you await your eviction notice. Rhythm Division (aka Chris Hawkins and Leigh Savage) dumps grooves so heavy that one's behind may start to twitch uncontrolably to what is dubbed in the underground as Nu Skool Breaks, a hybrid of funky hip-hop breaks and futuristic techno, where sexy bass lines and dreamy soundscapes are applied with industrial strength. Gaining a solid reputation as performers across Europe in live shows rivaling the technical perfection of Orbital, Rhythm Division's first full length is a decisive milestone in the history of electronic dance music, demonstrating that in spite of the over-exploitation of other sub-genres, the scene is unlikely to run short of innovative ideas for those who like to take their booty shaking too the limit.

local spotlight:
Artist: JOHN BELTRAN
Title: SUN GIPSY
Label: Ubiquity
Link www.ubiquityrecords.com/asp/default.asp
Root: US/Tropicalia
More than another hypster concoction, "Sun Gipsy" metaphoricaly embodies the journey of a man, an early champion of Detroit style techno alongside legendary Derrick May and Carl Craig, across the USA to the warmer climates of Florida, where once immersed in latin influences from Cuba to Brazil, John Beltran allegedly discovered his true soul, developing a new sound mixing the jazz progressions of live instrumentation with his unique beat construction skills and sampling techniques. The result is a light hearted slice of sun drentched tropical flavored groove, an antidote to civilization, a joyous tribute to life itself. These recent explorations have helped John Beltran gain momentum in his career, having been commissioned to remix songs by the Beatles and Astor Piazzolla and made him a regular on Gilles Peterson's Worldwide. His next move will bring him to Los Angeles where locals can expect to encounter one of the most soulful DJs around during regular appearances at Ubiquity events.

local spotlight:
Artist: PROJECTIONS
Title: BETWEEN HERE AND NOW
Label: Guidance Records
Link: www.33rpm.com
Root: US/ Downtempo Electronica
Most Electronica artists in L.A. are dealing with the stigma of following the innovations of their European counterparts, and are in great part confined to work on soundtracks for commercials and instructional videos. Yet south California has always had a widely accepting and flourishing underground music scene, now in its second decade of existence, but who believe the grass is greener when planted anywhere between Manchester and Ibiza. Projections (aka Simon James and Danny Hastie) are here to tumble these notions and change the golf course into a demolition derby, with Funk as the prime offensive weapon, with an onslaught of beats ranging from bossa nova to broken beats, with every affiliate sub-genre turning up for the showdown. You can taste the pride in "Between Here And Now", an album with a rich all-encompassing depth and latitude, proving that Los Angeles has the potential to become a breeding ground in its own right for electronica talent. With production skills up to par with K&D, Simon and Danny won't have to fake british accents to gain credibility.