Those hungry for a new knock-em up/knock-em down Chicks On Speed product might be slightly let down by the laid back nature of this four-tracker. The album comes out of what appears to be (from the accompanying video) a day-long session in Kreidler's studios. Musically, this is probably the most advanced and intricate stuff their vocals have accompanied, but the lyrical context seems rather unplanned and uninspiring, however. Could it be possible the Chicks have run out of things to say so soon?

I must admit that although I consider myself a big fan of Laub, I was a bit put off by the title of their latest release, which initially seemed like just another electronic artist's gratuitous nod to trendy internet jargon. Upon further investigation, however, I learned that Antye Greie-Fuchs and Jotka, who comprise Laub, actually created most of the album in separate locations, infrequently together. Taking this into consideration, 'Filesharing' makes more sense as a title.

This Chicago-based trio, comprised of Tatsu Aoki (Fred AndersonQuartet) on upright bass, guitarist Jeff Parker and the multi-faceteddrumming of David Pavkovic (Toe 2000) are exploring the improvisationalmeans of a small collective on this live six-track recording withpleasant results.

Finally returning from an unbearably long six-year hiatus, Scott Cortezand Melissa Arpin-Henry of Lovesliescrushing release their third albumof complex and lush gossamer guitar-based ambience. The band departedfrom the Projekt label to join up with the Conneticut-based Sonic Syrup(on which Cortez has released material under his Astrobrite moniker).

I really couldn't bring myself to like Belly.  I could never understandhow Tanya could go from writing songs like 'Green' and 'Honeychain'—andbeing a beautiful, if edgy, foil to Kristin Hersh's life-affriming butbarely controlled mania—to doing bland indie-rock pap and appearing onMTV all the time.  Plus—she hasn't acquitted herself well over theyears: her solo debut 'Lovesongs for Underdogs' passed by like a45-minute Breeders b-side.  And now she's writing songs about being amother.  It doesn't look so good for Tanya.  Well, actually it does—she's finally come into her own, and'Beautysleep' could easily sit along Hersh's 'Sunny Border Blue' or'Hips and makers' as the finest non-Throwing Muses work since theybroke up.

This album very pleasantly surprised me. I was a little skeptical coming into this album since 'Culture vs. Nature,' the earlier Templegarden's album, fell quite flat for me. And I've become very skeptical of Ant-Zen lately, since they have not been releasing quality material lately. But the extremely talented collective behind this multi-faceted act (Andrea Börner of Morgenstern, Andreas Schramm of Asche, Tim Kniep and Phillip Münch of Synapscape, along with some others) pulls through with a wonderfully deep ritual-ambient album.

Cruelty Campaign is one of the newest signings to the ever growing andincreasingly more popular German label, Tesco Organisation. TheCalifornian duo emerges from a Hollywood milieu and this backgroundlends a cinematic quality to the recordings of mostly found sounds,such as the subtle rhythms of Roger Karmanik's refrigerator.

This album was produced in conjunction with Tarmvred's North American "Subsnow" tour, and features Tarmvred as well as a host of other acts, most (or all? I think?) of whom he played live with on this tour. It's a very strong compilation with only a few weak tracks throughout, and would make an excellent purchase for industrial/electronic/IDM/whatever fans.

These prodigious musicians from Wales have gained quite a reputation thus far, and with this newest album on Ad Noiseam, they have managed to carry the torch yet again. However, they seem to suffer from the same old problems, but do manage to innovate as well.

ExOrder is the power electronics side-project of underground darkambient heroes Inade. 'War Within Breath', released on the excellentMalignant Records, is mostly a reissue of a long out of print cassetterelease, 'Law of Heresy', with some unreleased and live tracks thrownin to round it out.

It is incredibly difficult to make techno music that isn't incrediblyboring. Being a person who has never really enjoyed/embraced the raveculture, I would find these events stale and uninteresting. I wouldenjoy dancing to the work of some of the DJs, because they were doingthings that were innovative, different. And they weren't clutteringtheir music with annoying keyboards and house-girl voices that make youwant to run for cover. Stewart Walker, a minimalist techno efficianado,released this set last year, partially to start his own label and totide fans over until his second proper LP.

As the title suggests, the direction of this disc is somewhat vague,yet still an interesting listen. Mr. Mazurek's electronic/laptopelements tend to be more experimental then that which we've come toknow from the Chicago Underground Duo.

This is the first release from Text Records (not to be confused withFridge's own UK-based label), a sub-label affiliated with TinmanRecords, devoted to electronic experimental and ambient music. Thealbums released on Text heavily depart from the more straightforwardindustrial found on Tinman, such as early Crocodile Shop and I,Parasite.

Maenad is the second release on Text Records(http://www.tinmanrex.com/text.html), and favors dark drones, ghostlysinging and subtle atmospherics.

From our friends at Karaoke Kalk (a label that has begun to make a namefor itself in the land of lush electronic music) comes German duo DonnaRegina's equally lovely (if not somewhat stylistically different)follow-up to their 1999 release 'A Quiet Week in the House_. 'NorthernClassic', as its title suggests, gives its listener the sonicequivalent of a wintery landscape view through snow-dusted eyelashes.

In an act of altruism, LTM Records has begun to remaster and reissueThe Wake's albums, starting with this early record, a smattering ofearly singles and a peel session.

Possibly one of the most anticipated follow-ups is finally available. If you thought the eponymous debut double CD was mindblowing, you ain't heard nothin' yet. 'The Trial' once again sees the four core members playing songs together with strong improvisational origins, but this time it seems the emphasis has gone from astral exploration to an almost surrealistic horrific earthly adventure.

Finally, the album that's had the electronic music community on the edge of its ergonomically designed chair for over three years is out - and it sounds like...Boards of Canada. The reaction to this record can go one of two routes: you can be annoyed that Boards of Canada are stuck in their public television-esque world and that their music sounds the same as it did four years ago, or you can accept Boards of Canada as being very specific in the kind of music they make, and enjoy it for what it is. The second option makes for a more pleasurable listen.

Cybernetic:Fuckheadz is the bastard step-child of Raoul Rotation ofNoisex and Patrick Stevens of Sona Eact?/Hypnoskull notoriety. Take theharshest elements of both: Noisex's hardcore techno stylings, andHypnoskull's heavily distorted, at times undanceable, beats, and addliberal amounts of drum n' bass, and you have the most fucked up dnbrecord of the year—and it's not even on the Hands label, imagine that.

Folkstorm is one of the seemingly infinite projects of NordvargrKremator from the Cold Meat Industry band and former black metalers MZ412 (luckily the corpse paint and spiky gauntlets seem to have gone theway of the original black metal bands). Their brand of dark, cold andoften Satanic electronics have scared the crap out of people for yearsnow, but Folkstorm is pure and simple European power electronics.