The sixth album from Saafi Brothers (five performers with different surnames) is a collection of up-tempo ambient dub (if that’s not inherently a contradiction in terms), a series of tracks infused with the energy of 1990’s crossovers when electronic music opened up to every multicultural influence you could think of. The result evokes memories of Dreadzone, Asian Dub Foundation, Afro Celt Sound System and the like. Rocksteady basslines, tight drum programming and plenty of Future Sound Of London-esque electronic sprinkles give the whole thing a lovely vibe that’s part blissed-out Ibiza daytime beach party, part chill-out, part wig-out, and if I’m being critical, at times part wallpaper.

Every track is a lengthy journey in its own right. “Catch Me If You Can” is an eleven-minute meander that mixes lazy spoken-word poetry over a dub beat that dips in and out. The vocoded vocal on “Hippies In Trance” is knowing and playful, and a funky wah-wah guitar oozes a kind of tongue-in-cheek class that’s rather infectious.

There’s a good helping of diversity too. “Joy Of Mystery” is a little more unusual, finding a slightly unsettling breakbeat and bouncing around some slightly harsher and lo-fi bass noises among the standard delay-laden keys and pads. “Out On A Ride” plays like a trancey reimagining of Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn” was the starting point. “Ta Tvam Asi” with its steadier, more techno-tinged beat is a highlight that mixes things up nicely, while “Dub No 9” and the beatless final track “Summer Travel” up the synth emphasis.

It’s no coincidence that every band I’ve referenced here for comparison is heavily associated with the 1990’s. Save for a bit of top-notch mastering, this album could have fallen through a wormhole from 1995 and the halcyon days of this genre and you wouldn’t have questioned its authenticity. It’s a very appropriate fit for a record label founded by Youth, with his associations with acts like The Orb. It’s not a classic (contemporary or otherwise), but for people with fond memories of those days and those sounds, this album will go down very nicely indeed.