Welcome to this month's review section.í‚   We try and keep it as ecclectic and varied as possible, but always welcome suggestions, and of course, CD's to review.í‚   More reviews will be added throughout the month, so keep checking back.

RJD2

XL

Beggars Banquet

Ití¢â‚¬â„¢s been 3 years since RJD2 inspired us with tracks like í¢â‚¬Å“Ghostwriterí¢â‚¬ ; tracks that told a story without a word of narrative. In the interim, he released an album that was fairly forgettable. I was praying for a 3rd album that was a return to what I believe to be the best instrumentalist album since Jel first broke ground. From a purely instrumental perspective, this album is a step back backwards. RJD2 has always appeared as if he is a funk producer trapped in the hip hop era. The beats change up nicely, theyí¢â‚¬â„¢re blended well with the keys/samples that are layered over top, and they tell a story. That is about where the similarities with his past work end. I was expecting an RJ album, not RJ meets Air. Ití¢â‚¬â„¢s essentially a pop album with a really good producer behind it. Not that ití¢â‚¬â„¢s a bad album, but fans of what heí¢â‚¬â„¢s done are expecting something more along the lines of his original work when they see his name in bold.

Steel Sureal

Lusine

Podgelism

Ghostly International

This assortment of remixes assembles a cream of electronic producers. Artists such as John Tejada, Apparat and Matthew Dear have all gathered together to produce variations on the work of Seattle based techno artist Lusine. Even Lusine himself (Jeff Mcllwain) contributes with his own particular modifications of a few selected tracks.What makes this particular release enduring is that the material manages to maintain a Lusine-like quality while also delivering the diversity of approach and interpretation. The signature styles of the contributors are all incorporated within the album without overwhelming the techniques of the primary artist and this record successfully holds ambient soundscapes, rhythmic techno mantras and four contrasting versions of the track Flat while still containing the Lusine identity. Podgelism exists as a testament to the mutability of Jeff Mcllwainí¢â‚¬â„¢s compositions and a fertile celebration of his rich talents.

Christian Martius