Burial’s 2007 LP Untrue introduced many electronic music fans to Dubstep. Untrue’s potent combination of murky beats, bleak melodies mangled R&B vocal samples put a decidedly soulful spin on a genre that was otherwise migrating from its darker origins to a more rave/tweaker friendly sound. The problem was that once you got through Untrue and Burial’s less flashy self-titled debut, there was little else in the scene that sounded nearly as rich. Most popular dubstep tracks sound like lethargic remakes of the squelchy club music from Jersey Shore – fantastic to the clubbers tripping on Ketamine and distracting to just about anyone else.

Lithuanian producer Eleven Tigers breaks that mold authoritatively on his debut LP, Clouds are Mountains. While inspired by Untrue, Clouds are Mountains forgoes R&B and Garage mutations in favour of ambient pads and generous layers of IDM-style synth-work. Vocals are used sparingly and garbled to the point of sounding like Simlish. The songs flow seamlessly, engaging one other via crossfades of up to 40 seconds. The album is mixed like a well-planned DJ set and can be played from start to finish without a break in the action.

While the sum of Clouds are Mountains is indeed greater than its parts, there are still standout tracks. Songs for You plays like the lovechild of Dido and Burial, pulsing along at a slow dub-like speed lead by acoustic guitars before moving double time over ringing analogs. Atomic Turnip pays homage to the dub roots of dubstep with chest-tickling sub-basslines and a heavily reverberated organ. Thesis veers into vintage Prodigy territory, albeit with an IDM twist as three generations of grimy old school rave beats crunch against heavily altered speech loops and indescribable random noises that barely avoid chaos. Stableface easily boasts the greatest crossover appeal and dance floor potential, featuring chopped female vocals over several airy layers of pads and a driving drum beat. Even this track is complex, however, and like nearly all of the tunes on Clouds are Mountains, it constantly evolves.

Clouds are Mountains is easily one of the best albums of any genre that I’ve heard in the past decade. Numerous visitors to my house parties (whose musical tastes span from Alt-Rock to Hip Hop) seem to agree. Only dubstep scenesters may not bite since this album is closer to Boards of Canada than Rusko. However, anyone with an even passing interest in headphone-friendly electronic music would be well advised to check out this hidden gem.

And for Burial lovers … yes, this will tide you over for awhile.

Vienna based producer Angina P has amassed an impressive underground following since first posting music to mp3.com. Her photogenic looks belied her skills behind the sequencer as she gained cult status for synthesizing complex electronic rhythms and melodies with the soul and story-telling capability of a traditional artist. In 2008, Angina P released her debut album, 8-Rooms on Notochord records to wide critical acclaim – all the while teasing wanting fans about upcoming releases.

Angina P’s sophomore release, Sensitive Files, dropped abruptly on May 30 and spares little time turning on the energy. “I break your beats” kicks off with a classic trance-style build up to a techy 2-step ruckus – complete with Amen break teasers. Of course, there are several layers of atmosphere behind the floor-friendly energy along with chilled out moments of reflection, as long-time listeners have come to expect. The energy soon fades into “Remember That”, a similarly energetic track containing something we are not used to – vocal samples (and naughty ones in this case). Angina P crafted “Sensitive Files” with equal parts aggression and finesse, weaving the experimental sound of her IDM-focused debut with proven club rhythms and vocal snippets.

The album also differs in that it contains a lot of previously available material, whether widely released (“Belladonna d30”) or available primarily on the artist’s website (“Free Radical”). The advantage to having these tracks on CD is obvious, as the uncompressed mix-downs don’t choke out the ambience and more subtle layering of atmospheric noises. On a good speaker system, the spatial griminess of the down-tempo “Geiteskind” literally jumps from the speakers.

Sensitive Files ends on a strong note with the rush hour mix “Tokyo 6pm”, that timeless classic that created an instant cult on mp3.com several years ago. For the uninitiated, this track was inspired by the artist’s experiences with the Tokyo subway and sounds frantically industrial … yet maintains a strong melodic presence capable of appealing to music fans outside the electronic genres. If any track from the golden age of mp3.com had “movie soundtrack” stamped all over it, this was the one.

Angina P has added another jewel to her crown by surpassing her initial release with a sophomore LP – no mean feat at a time when, thanks to online music services, the single is once again the primary focus. Long-time fans may be let down by the lack of brand new material and many buyers will be annoyed with the hoops they may have jump through to actually obtain a CD (ordering directly from the label is a two-step process involving email verification and painful shipping charges for non-Europeans). However, Sensitive Files was certainly worth my money, adding a touch of heart to a notoriously soulless branch of the music universe.

Track List:

1. I break your beats
2. Remember that
3. Belladonna d30
4. Free radical
5. Geisteskind
6. Meta dialogue
7. Regime in my head
8. Stand alone unit
9. Wander away
10. School’s out
11. Tokyo 6pm (rush hour mix)

To understand the significance of Invaders Must Die, one must first consider The Prodigy’s relationship with its many imitators. The UK act’s first three albums literally changed the landscape of electronic music and did so in completely different ways. Prodigy’s debut album, Experience, was a funky collection of rave anthems while the sophomore LP, Music for the Jilted Generation, provided a more mature and diverse collection of electronic tracks unafraid to draw on cinematic and rock influences. Fat of the Land broke with the underground to appeal to American audiences through the techno-punk styling of tracks like “Firestarter” and “Breathe” while keeping funky with tracks like “Diesel Power”.

Each of Prodigy’s first LP’s spawned copy-cat acts who thought they could recreate or better composer Liam Howlett’s magic by stringing together a few repetitive female vocals over some crunchy, saturated beats and fat sliding analog bass lines. Sure, all the sonic elements of Experience/Jilted/Fat were present but the outcomes were typically mechanical and uninspired, typically aspiring to no better than being background music on b-grade action movies geared to teenage boys.

So, ignoring the catastrophe that was Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, Prodigy are back to show the rest of the boys how it’s done right? Somewhat. In a strange twist of fate, the imitators seem to have become The Prodigy’s inspiration, as the majority of the tracks on Invaders Must Die are structurally indistinguishable from the electronic generica that emerged in Howlett’s shadow during the 1990’s.

Each track essentially consists of the following: kick ass buzzing bass line, rah-rah vocal samples, a standard dance drum beat popularized at least a decade ago and a one signature old school stab/sample. The latter, so legend has it, was an attempt to recreate the anthem-rave vibe from Experience that first put Prodigy on the map. All the earmarks are present, for sure: the opening title track starts with a fuzzed guitar over a building bass line then hits hard with an aggressive electro-guitar wall of club-friendly energy. “Omen” keeps the energy high by superimposing Keith’s foreboding chants onto xylophone-accented analog breaks, while “Thunder” initially lulls the listener with a dub-influenced intro that quickly gives way to what is essentially the same high octane breakbeats as the last two tracks (albeit with ragga vocals).

The album highlight is “Warrior’s Dance” which easily lives up to its online buzz by recreating the 1992 rave breakbeat vibe with hardcore stabs and infectious female vocals.
The closing track, “Stand-Up” is a distinguishingly down-tempo track written in the style of “Molotov Bitch”. It is also the only track where Howlett truly takes a risk by sampling an R&B horn section for the head-nodding hook.

As expected, the production is top notch – neatly sampled, immaculately mixed and without any sharp diversions in its sequencing. Paradoxically, Invaders Must Die suffers from its mechanical perfection and predictability. Apart from Warrior’s Dance and Stand-Up, there is very little separating these tracks sonically from each other, though elements from Prodigy’s ground-breaking work can be found randomly distributed in all of them. Coming from the standard Myspace sensation producer with a copy of FL Studio, this album would be an A- effort. Coming from the creator of “Poison” and “Weather Experience”, Invaders Must Die sounds recycled and overly conservative. Worth your money for the nostalgia, but don’t expect to be blown away.

Track Listing:

1. Invaders Must Die
2. Omen
3. Thunder
4. Colours
5. Take Me To The Hospital
6. Warrior’s Dance
7. Run With The Wolves
8. Omen Reprise
9. World’s On Fire
10. Piranha
11. Stand Up

Goldie is a man with something to prove. The unofficial ambassador of Drum n Bass, his aptly-named 1995 debut album Timeless was hailed as a landmark album that crossed over into the mainstream and brought media attention to a still-underground mutation of breakbeat music. Above all else, new listeners admired Timeless’ heart and soul – the lush strings, smooth vocals and story-like arrangements had more in common with Classical and Soul music than pulse-pounding dance vibes. Having set the bar extraordinarily high, Goldie followed up with the ambitious 1997 release Saturnz Return. The double-CD featured the 60 minute orchestral track “Mother” as well as collaborations with Noel Gallagher (Oasis) and KRS-One. Reaction to Goldie’s sophomore effort was mixed at best, with particular scorn for the directionless Mother and the failure of the edgier tracks to deliver a true floor-killer..

Still, Goldie remained a cultural icon in the UK (as demonstrated via several movie appearances, art exhibits and DJ Mix CD’s) and so even 10 years later heads were waiting for the ambassador to take the increasingly stagnant genre to the next level. After some teasing, the digital-only release Sine Tempus was finally released with announcements made web-wide.

Sine Tempus could be best described as Saturnz Return 2.0. Many of the synth sounds, samples and drum patterns are reminiscent of or directly from the 1996-1999 era. The opening track, “Letting Go”, builds in epic fashion with powerful vocals from Jenna G before dropping into a funky drum solo with atmospheric swirls and additional vocal riffs. Like most of the album, the programming isn’t particularly complex but very catchy and dancefloor-friendly. “Say you Love Me” is aimed directly at the dance floor with an aggressive mixture of analog buzzes and digital brass horns. Goldie seems to be reworking older ideas throughout the album: “I Know Who I am” distorts the lead synth to a near-guitar sound reminiscent of “Temper Temper” while “Don’t Give In”’s down tempo beats and inspirational lyrics sounds wouldn’t be out of place on the Timeless LP.

The beats disappear completely for the guitar-driven “Never Still” and the orchestral “Truez String”. These tracks will not appeal to DnB purists but add variety for the home listener who doesn’t necessarily want to hear 60+ minutes of straight thrashing.

As mentioned earlier, Sine Tempus is a digital-only release, but before you start scanning ITunes or Amazon be advised that the album is available exclusively at the Metalheadz website. Herin lies the sorest point of Sine Tempus – the album is only available in MP3 format yet costs an astounding £13.99 (roughly around $28US as of writing). Comparatively, physical CD’s can be purchased for around $12US with digital downloads averaging $10US. Metalheadz’ pricing virtually promotes piracy.

Is Sine Tempus worth the exorbitant price? I’m still unable to answer that question after 4 listens. There are no absolute standout tracks but no real stinkers either. Most of the songs are reminiscent of the mid-90’s and carry a certain nostalgic factor for older listeners. Many newer and hardcore listeners will chafe at the excessive use of vocals and lack of, shall we say, technical complexity (which has sadly become the main determinant of an artist’s value to the scene). Few people are going to debate whether Sine Tempus was written in Logic or whether it used VST’s in favour of hardware. These tracks just sound good when played LOUD. In the long run, that’s all that matters.

Track Listing:

1. Letting Go
2. Say You Love Me
3. Don’t Give In
4. Chances
5. I know who I am
6. Breakin Glass
7. Something About You
8. Rhythm Killa
9. Inside your Soul
10. Never Still
11. Latin Skin
12. Invisible
13. Truez String

Memo to dance music fans: dismiss all your expectations of 4Hero’s latest album. While the UK duo may be responsible for some of the earliest Jungle/Breakbeat hits (e.g. Mr Kirk’s Nightmare) and “deep” Drum & Bass, Dego and Marc Mac have nonetheless been gradually drifting away from electronic funk to explore more traditional sounds. Producers by trade, 4Hero relied heavily on collaborations with a bevy of semi-underground singers, MC’s and poets to implement what could be best described as a 21st century implementation of old-school soul.

Play with the Changes starts off epic, with the opening track showing the greatest dramatic flair. “Morning Child” wastes no time on subtle introduction, charging out the gates with a horn/string combination over sharp percussion stabs and the R&B styling of Carina Andersson. The follow-up “Take my Time” is modest by comparison and far more electronic-sounding, but still attempts to make its mark with minor-key horns and prolonged harmonizing. The title track is arguably the most adventurous on the album and evokes memories of some of the more experimental sounds of the 70’s R&B scene.

In fact, 4Hero clearly had the 70’s on their mind when producing “Play with the Changes”. Despite using leading edge equipment and technology (as evidenced by the razor-sharp engineering – second only to Lucy Pearl in terms of recent R&B releases), the duo were very liberal in their use of the horn sections, wall-of-sound style violins, analog warbles and even some fuzz guitar towards the end. R&B purists will be most pleased with the instrumental tracks “Sophia” and “Why don’t you talk”.

Not content with simply capturing the spirit of epic-sounding 1970’s soul, 4Hero went as far as to remake Stevie Wonder’s “Superwoman”. A possibly suicidal task, it’s no surprise that guest vocalist Terry Devos’ best fell just short of Mr. Wonder. Still, his effort was commendable and Superwoman spent a lot of time in “repeat” mode on my CD player.

On that note, it is important for fans and potential listeners to remember that 4Hero neither attempt to expand on earlier Drum n Bass releases nor endeavour to create the next “Songs in the Key of Life”. Instead, Play with the Changes offers a modern, experimental implementation of what many listeners consider the last truly “soulful” era of R&B. The results are nothing if not listenable.

Track Listing:

1. Morning Child – featuring Carina Andersson
2. Take My Time – featuring Jack Davey
3. Look Inside – featuring FACE
4. Sink Or Swim (No Choice For Me) – featuring Lady Alma
5. Give In – featuring Darien Brockington & Phonte of Little Brother
6. Play With The Changes – featuring Talita Long & Larry Mizell
7. Something In the Way – featuring Bembe Segue & Kaidi Taitham
8. Stoke Up The Fire – featuring FACE
9. The Awakening – featuring Ursula Rucker
10. Sophia
11. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You?) – featuring Terry Devos
12. Why Don’t You Talk?
13. Bed Of Roses – featuring Jody Watley
14. Gonna Give It Up (Wanna Quit) – featuring Lady Alma
15. Dedication To The Horse