In fact, don't expect the typical minimal line, although do expect 'Detroit Techno'. Do expect that you will need to have re-defined and widened your view of what you regard as 'techno' perhaps many years ago. I have the idea that most people who are aware of the typical Robert Hood record, would most likely be surprised that 14 years ago, he released an LP which mostly contained lush downtempo melodic pieces. And yes, I am correct in stating that he released such a record 14 years ago. I was not referring just to Nighttime World Volume 2. Nighttime World Volume One was released in 1995. Both that and this really ought to be seen as a pair. Actually I believe ideally, the pair ought to be taken as one very long LP. Both contain tightly composed but smooth electronic mood enhancers, each with a quirky edge or two: a hint of in your face compression there, a deliberately faux saxophone patch there. Volume 2, like volume 1, has a few more recognizably Hood-like techno tracks. Despite that, mostly, it's about the chilled, slightly melancholy, surprisingly elaborate - surprising that is, if you think Robert Hood is just about minimal techno - hip-hop and IDM flavored tracks.

Amazingly intense from its beginning to its end, 'Nighttime World Volume 2' easily can be called Robert Hood's masterpiece. It shows the amazing range of his musical talent. As already mentioned, Hood's focus clearly is set towards Jazz on this album. Still, this is as Techno as Jazz can get.

The interesting thing here is that Hood connects Techno and Jazz mainly through melody and arrangement. For most of the time, he wisely avoids the temptation of just throwing obviously jazzy sounding samples of real instruments and drums into his tracks, and the few times he does, as on 'The Key To Midnight', it makes sense and is on purpose.

However, synthetic instruments remain his first choice almost throughout the whole album. Synthetic brass sounds, synthetic pianos, synthetic drums - but it doesn't make things sound cheap for one moment, because you can hear it's a part of the concept. I believe that this is the reason why even straight minimal Techno tracks like 'Teflon' or 'Dark Room' seem perfectly in place between the variety of other styles this albums has to offer.

There are bassdrum-driven jazz hybrids like 'Stepping out' or the amazing 'Weight Of The World' which has some resemblances with Hood's later piece 'Who Taught You Math?' on Peacefrog. 'Desire', 'Still' and 'Peace' are close in both quality and depth to Neil Oliverra's releases under his Detroit Escalator Company moniker - beautiful, calm ambient tracks. 'After Hours' could be labeled as Future Jazz, while 'The Key To Midnight' and 'Untitled' tend towards jazz-inspired Hip Hop.

The album ends with 'Blackness' on which Robert Hood's wife Eunice gives an impressive and touching spoken-word performance that really makes you think.

I strongly hope that Mr. Hood will consider to give this album a second release sometime in the near future.

This one really, really deserves to be heard.

Totally agree with the above comment that an understanding of jazz would help in appreciating this album. The standout track for me is After Hours which can only be described as "jazz made with machines", with its crisp percussion, 'Real' sounding bass, deep moving keys and jazzy synth lines. Overall a great album with something for all tastes, be it Mr Hood's trademark minimalism, deep tech house and jazz inspired grooves.

This album must win the prize for the most under-rated electronic release of the last 10 years. One problem was that it did not get a UK release and was only relesed on Rob's own M-Plant label. Some people may have also been disappointed that it sounded nothing like early purist techno releases like 'Internal Empire' or even like the first Nighttime World album.

I think that in order to appreciate this album it helps to have some knowledge and love of Jazz becuase this is the album where Rob wears his love of Jazz on his sleeve. The history of black american music permeates every track but he maintains the techno sensibility throughout. It was an album he needed to make and I'm so glad he did.

The first part was released on Cheap Records in Vienna. Both releases have Robert's typical minimal line through almost all tracks in it, I think that's all what we as detroit-lovers really want. Not really electro, TECHNO from the place where minimal techno was born.