Pete Rock
Soul Survivor 2
Rapster/Studio K7
After the underground success of his first Soul Survivor album, legendary hip-hop producer Pete Rock has dropped a superior sequel that ups the ante in quality and guests. Rock's beat style has always been laid back and bottom heavy, and the new CD doesn't disappoint in either aspect. The tracks feature a guest MC roster of backpack favorites such as Dead Prez, Slum Village and Talib Kweli. However, the biggest surprise is the guest on three of the cuts: his onetime MC partner, C.L. Smooth. While the other guests flow just fine over the beats, C.L. Smooth makes them shine. The collaborations between the past partners are pure magic and easily worth the price of the CD alone, especially the closing song, "Appreciate," which bears a striking resemblance to their biggest hit, "T.R.O.Y." Keep your fingers crossed for a full-blown reunion album. --Steve Geise
Various Artists
It's A Berlin Thing Vol. 3
Dangerous Drums
Berlin has long been known for its techno, but with the help of labels like Dangerous Drums, the city may soon become synonymous with the break beat rather than the 4/4 kick. It's A Berlin Thing Vol. 3 compiles two CDs of Berlin artists devoted to the broken beat, with genres ranging from the reggae skank of Tricky D & MEZ's "Fool" to the infectious big beat of Crash House Brothers' "Down In The River" to Circuit Breaker's trip-hoppy "Don't Take Too Much..." to JFX's deep bass nu skool "Shadow." You may not be familiar with these artists--in fact, many are appearing for the first time anywhere--but the fresh ideas and talent more than make up for a lack of name recognition. Highly recommended. (It's A Berlin Thing Vol. 3 is limited to 1000 copies. Visit www.dangerous-drums.de for ordering information.) --Douglas Adams
Prodigy
Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned
Maverick
After seven long years, Prodigy is back in action with a new collection that finds them mining some different strains of the electronic music spectrum while keeping their big beat backbone firmly in place. The new CD features a slew of intriguing guests such as Liam and Noel Gallagher, Kool Keith and Juliette Lewis, thankfully turning the spotlight away from absent frontman Keith Flint. The primary musical focus mirrors their adrenalin-fueled last CD, The Fat of the Land, although some downtempo sneaks in, and the killer first single "Girls" is a funky electro marvel. While the set doesn't flow together into a cohesive whole, there's enough varied material here to capture the interest of most electronic music fans. --Steve Geise
Ezekial Honig
People Places & Things
Single Cell Music
Minimal music is a tricky business. Since there's not much going on, you're either going to become immediately engaged with it or immediately indifferent to it. Sometimes the level of engagement can change; often, minimal music is intended for the background--spatial music to occupy a room even when you're not there. Ezekial Honig's People Places & Things is largely of the spatial variety. His small, rhythmically interesting electronic pieces shuffle and bump amidst warm melody and then fade away, seemingly into the walls. In fact, the muffled percussive thumps often sound like people in another room, their motions filtering through drywall. For the most part, People Places & Things is emotionally engaging. Put on a cup of tea, unfold the paper and put on the CD--better yet, put it on in the next room. --Douglas Adams
Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
Six Degrees
On her prior release, Bebel Gilberto rewrote the rules for modern bossa nova, marrying the traditional Brazilian sound with subtle electronic rhythms to create a crossover success. After the untimely passing of her previous producer, Suba, she teamed up with producer Marius de Vries, famous for his work with Madonna and Bjork, for the new CD. But interestingly, the final sound is more traditional than electronic, far more at home on headphones than on the dance floor. Gilberto swings lightly in both English and Portuguese over jazzy orchestrations that comprise a relaxing end-of-summer soundtrack. While there's little here for fans of her last album's electronic leanings, anyone interested in a sweet and satisfying bossa nova excursion will be well served with this CD. --Steve Geise
M83
Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
Mute
A lot of electronic releases these days are being compared to seminal dream pop band My Bloody Valentine, but only one really deserves the comparison: M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. Springing fully formed from France like a musical Venus, M83's sound--a blend of buzzy synths, searing guitars and tear-inducing melodies--is surprisingly mature. Tracks like "Gone" and "Run Into Flowers" build to goose bump-level crescendos, while "In Church," with its bed of gorgeous organs, and "Beauties Can Die" rival anything Vangelis ever coaxed out of his synths. In fact, "My Bloody Valentine crossed with Vangelis" makes a handy reference point for M83, but really, that's just a pat way to say, "Sounds like heaven." --Douglas Adams