This release by Boards Of Canada remains, sadly, often overlooked and neglected when compared with the rest of the group's extensive discography. Despite it's short length, "In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country" sounds to me like one of the more personal and introspective releases the duo have put out, and as other reviewers have put it, the quality of each of the tracks here far outweigh the small quantity.

The EP opens solidly with "Kid For Today", a true gem that sounds almost as if the music is alive and breathing within your speakers. The eerie, unearthly synth sighs are overlain by an oddly-timed rhythm that sounds as if it were made on a machine powered by old rubber bands and emitting quiet hisses with age. Sandison and Eoin continue to build on the track, with higher ambient sighs coming in and short, lounge-ish notes being thrown into the mix. The drum loop sophisticates itself, and the whole surreal mix carries on majestically for the track's duration.

Then we're into "Amo Bishop Roden". A very emotive and powerful high-pitched melody begins the piece, repeating itself, before short fragments of noise are gently added. Gradually the Boards show their true craftsmanship of their sound, as more and more synth lines and bassy throbs of sound begin to dominate the gloriously emotional mix.

The title track shines the most, however, with its soothing, lullaby-ish melody soon inducing a feeling of lightheadedness in the listener, and suggesting the image of lush green meadows at midday glistening in the sun. This track is powerful, I don't think there is anything else I have ever heard that quite compares to this. A rhythm reminiscent of "Sixtyniner" from Twoism marks the signature BoC sound, before a strange electronic voice breezes in saying something resembling "a religious community in a beautiful place out in the country" - or something to that effect. The mood stays with us until we are led into the next track.

A lot of people complain that "Zoetrope" is sub-par Boards Of Canada filler material. However, while certainly unusual, the repetitive crystal clear harp-like melody has a tremedous echo/delay effect on it and will perhaps remind you of the sun coming out again after a dreary and rainy day. It is definitely a great way to end this excelllent release.

Overall, the "In A Beautiful Place Out in The Country" EP is by far one of Boards Of Canada's best efforts - soulful, emotive, alive and inspiring. This is essential not only for BoC fans, but for listeners of all types of music. A must-have.

This release, from one of the few truly influential electronic music pioneers in the early 1990's, Black Dog, has been hailed as being one of the most innovative and influential recordings from the early Warp Catalogue, as part of the label's "Artificial Intelligence" series.

The focus on "Bytes" is lively, complex, intricate and emotive sounds that send the listener into states of hypnotic bliss, with their established tones flowing seamlesslessly throughout the album and yet managing to incorporate a diverse array of styles in each track.

The trio behind Black Dog, two-thirds of whom make up another big name on Warp, "Plaid", are renowned for their quirky, at times even kitsch-y melodies and beats, and this shows through in fully unrivalled glory on "Bytes". Playful tracks, such as "Caz" flow perfectly into the more subtle, grooving and sombre pieces like "Carceres Ex Novum", and to be honest, the effect they have is astounding.

The music here, while at first not immediately appealing (probably due to the similar textures used in the tracks - may cause you to hear it as being "all the same"), slowly reveals its unparalleled and timeless beauty only with repeated listens. Often with releases such as this, there is a reason for their "highly acclaimed" status - they have earned it, and quite deservingly, too. "Bytes" is no exception.

Rather than complaining that electronic music today is losing its touch, we should instead pick classic releases such as "Bytes" out from our collections, wipe off any dust that may have settled on it, and enjoy. Hopefully it won't be too long before we can experience such another innovative, inspiring and influential album such as "Bytes" to enjoy for 2005 and beyond.

This compilation features (as the name suggests) pretty much the essence of Deep Forest's varied and influential array of work that spans their successful career. Looking at this particular release, it would be understandable if diehard fans feel disappointed with the inclusion of remixed "2004 versions" of early tracks from their debut self-titled album in 1991, rather than the actual tracks themselves (ie. where is the original version of "Sweet Lullaby" that made such an impact on people all over the world?)

However, having said that, Mouquet and Sanchez obviously realised this and so attempted to include as much of the original elements and sounds in these tracks as possible - and for the most part, they are actually very good, and in any case a worthy addition to your Deep Forest collection.

As for the rest of the album, the general standouts of each studio album have been thankfully included (such as the aforementioned 2004 versions of "Desert Walk", "Sweet Lullaby" and "Night Bird", the soulful "Marta's Song" from Boheme, the very laid-back and carefree "Deep Weather" from Comparsa, and a number of tracks from Music Detected, which lend the album a modern, electronic western sound). The inclusion of the wonderful, short paino piece "L'ile Invisible" from the hard to find "Pacifique" soundtrack will please fans who have not yet been able to source it.

Overall, the album flows very well and remains a sincere and well-produced tribute to this wonderfully diverse and talented group. Even the included Bonus Tracks are worth a listen, with the "Sweet Lullaby (2003 Version)" closing the album in a celebratory, festive tone with a new vocal twist on the original piece.

Even if you own all of the group's output so far, this album is still an exceptional purchase, and certainly not one "for completists only". Highly recommended.