After beating the drums into a garage punk bands in Arkansas, Jerry Colburn decided to try something different but without forgetting his rock roots. Having this in his mind, he composed twentry three tracks influenced by different kind of music: latino, rock, i.d.m., '60s soundtracks, hip hop, electro, etc. Each influence has been blended into short tracks which, even if the longest one is about three minutes, are capable of painting a personal picture that works. Not each of the twenty three are memorable ones but most of them succeed into entertain the listener and I appreciated the attitude of the whole project.

Active since the early nineties also as Plug and Wagon Christ, Luke Vibert is at his first CD for Planet Mu. LOVER'S ACID is a collection of three 12" released by the label ("Luke Vibert", "Homewerk" and "Lover's Acid") and it gathers twelve tracks of acid electronic lounge music. Drum'n'bass, jungle and techno are the ground where the Luke's patterns are looped and if tracks like "Come on chaos" or "Dirty fucker" are a good example of electronic soul and acid house other tracks don't succeed into giving the same energy. It's like they lose themselves into the research of an excessive technism and for this reason they result less immediate. I want to clear out that they aren't rubbish but sometimes some tracks risk to work like background music into modern launge bar.

Innovation and good ideas is something that I always appreciated and this Doormouse (just like the other Cock Rock Disco releases I listened to) release is full of humor, rhythm and craziness. just the right mix to entertain you all. I'll try to be more specific. From the cover you'd say that you're holding in your hand something purchased from a medicine man coming from the old far west. Daniel (who is also one of the bosses of Addict Records) for this STANLEY YERSHONOWSKYPRESENTS XYLOPHONE JISM AS THE RIDICULATOR took thousands of sound sources (indian records, jazz records, metal riffs, tv recordings and everything he could sample) and focused his attention on his aim: originality (at least I like to think things gone this way). Anyway. Everything has been reprocessed, filed, filtered just to give birth to these eleven tracks that will make you forgot about your dull days. It's amazing how break core, jungle and blues (that's how "Swimming with the fishes" sounds) could fit perfectly and it's so good to be amazed by these kind of things on each track! There's also a twelveth track which isn't on the tracklist: a ten minutes track which starts quietly just to start as distorted hip hop track (a sort of Mark Stewart & The Maffia track, sung by Public Enemy). Cool!

2005 is going to be an important year for Ambassador 21. They are touring all across the Europe, releasing records (for their personal label as CD-r and on vinyl for Restroom Records) and collaborating with a lot of people of the industrial breakcore scene. Their hyperactivity is a sign of vitality and an expression of will for two people that live in a particular country (you can read more on the interview I did few months ago). This new release AKCIJA V1.1 is a remixed version of their album "Akcija" commissioned to different bands. To tell the truth AKCIJA V1.1 isn't an exact version of the original album, because the tracklist is slightly different because some remixers took tracks coming from "Ambassador 21 Vs the world" and from the split CD with Buben. If the original version of the tracks where mostrly focused on the punk/breakcore front, the remixed versions reflect the style of the remixer (smart thought, isn't it? :) ) so we pass from rhythm based industrialism to experimental ambience, noise core and '80s techno. The remixers are: Aphasic, C-Drink, Synascape, End, Cdatakill, P.A.L., Hansel, Not Half, Roger Rotor, Wilt, Axiome, Fragment King, Mothboy, CTRLer, Converter and Projecto Mirage. You know what you can find on this CD: tension, noise, rhythm and riot!

Coming out in a month, on May 10th, Crhis Fortier's new double CD "Balance 007", is among his most daring and least commercial-friendly releases ever. Fortier's pedigree includes extensive touring with Digweed and on his own, residencies at The Cross in London and the long gone Twilo in NYC, releases as Fade under his own Fade records with Neil Kolo, remixes as Fade Sanctuary (among which the chart-topper "Silence" by Delerium, featuring Sarah McLachlan) and a contribution to the Bedrock "Compiled and Mixed series (reviewed on these pages). The Australian has got a lot of steam in himself, but he doesn't compromise and keeps putting out barrier-breaking mix CDs with tracks that he edits for his own needs and re-assembles in a way that might sound hostile at first but that really is nothing but pioneering and tempting. Delays, extreme panning, filter sweeping and many more technological artifacts make this record a groovy blend of house, electro and techno in a practically unprecedented way. Includes tracks and remixes by Carl Craig, Hardfloor, Bent, Slam, Rabbit In The Moon, Anthony Rother, and Agoria, Lucas Rodenbush, Kobbe & Nitro, Alex Smoke, PJ Davy and many others. You'll have to acclimate yourself to this, so make sure you try before you buy, just in case you are after commercial bullshit as opposed to admirable experimentation of sounds.